How to Prepare Your Car for a Long Journey

Road trips can be great fun, but they do test your car and the last thing you want to have is a broken-down car several kilometers away from home. Whether you’re planning on traveling around Kenya or going on a family holiday to Tanzania or Uganda, you need to prepare your car for traveling a long distance. Here at AutoDeal.co.ke, we have compiled a few tips on how you can do this to ensure you have a successful journey

Insurance

One of the first things you want to do before setting out on the road is to check your insurance policy to make sure you are fully covered. As well as that, you might also want someone else to take over the driving for a period of time, meaning you will need to take temporary cover for the other driver.

If you are planning to drive to another country, always ensure that you have all the necessary documents for the country you plan on visiting.

READ ALSO: What To Do If You Put the Wrong Fuel in Your Car

Fluid Levels

An important check for any long journey is performing a simple inspection of all the fluid levels of your car to ensure your vehicle is running smoothly and reliably. Checking the fluids is a quick and simple job to do and anyone can do it, even if you don’t know the first thing about cars. Here are the fluids you want to check:

• Engine oil
• Brake fluid
• Coolant
• Windshield washer fluid

Make sure that all these fluids are at a required level before you begin your journey. If you do not know how to do it, we advise that you call your mechanic or take your car to the garage so that a check can be done.

You also need to have enough fuel in your car and carry extra cash just in case you run out of fuel.

Emergency Kit

If you’re heading out on the road, it’s always a good idea to pack an emergency kit containing stuff like a first aid kit, essential medicines for any passengers as well as paracetamol or ibuprofen, perishable snacks, a flashlight, and a breakdown kit, warning triangles, wheel spanner, and a jack.

Check the lights

As a car owner, it’s important you check your lights regularly to ensure that they are functioning properly, but for a long journey especially to help you avoid potential accidents. You can use a friend or family member to help you with this, turn all the lights and signals on in the car and have them walk around the vehicle to ensure they are working as expected. These lights include headlights, tail lights, and signal lights.

Tyre Pressure

One of the most important checks to perform on your car is a tyre pressure check and you can find the recommended pressure in your car manual. Always make sure the tyres are in good condition, that they have sufficient tread, and that there are no bulges, nails, or flat spots.

If you’re planning a road trip and don’t feel confident performing the necessary checks yourself, why not get a local mechanic to do it for you? Get quotes from garages in your area with autodeal.co.ke today! Get your quotes!