Must-have checks before embarking on a long journey

Gavin,
I have followed your advice and had my car checked well in advance of a planned Easter safari over long distance and partly rough conditions. Much more peace of mind, however, demanding trips with the whole family on important occasions are still cause for some anxiety, so what should I look out for if something starts to go wrong on the way? How will I know what is wrong and what to do?
Edison

You have taken the right first step with a thorough pre-safari check. Now, pack the car carefully. Make sure there are no sharp or heavy objects in the passenger compartment. Put any heavy luggage low down, preferably between the wheels (not at the very back of the boot). Pack tight and padded to avoid any distracting and annoying rattles and prevent movement that could damage the contents.

Read: Selling your car? Here’s how to attract a buyer and make a quick sale 

Be sure to carry plenty of drinking water (not in single-use plastic if you are visiting a game park), a couple of blankets and at least some basic tools. Even if you don’t know how to use them, a helpful passer-by might. A first-aid kit, fire extinguisher and triangles are mandatory. Are the safety belts all free and functional? Do you need a baby seat or booster seat for any tiny people? Never belt them in on an adult’s lap.

You can reduce the chances of trouble (for your car or yourself) by setting a timetable that means you don’t have to rush and can give your car, yourself and all your passengers a “breather” from time to time. A cool-down for the vehicle, fresh air and leg-stretch for the people and a chance to take a quick look around the car for any incipient problem. For example, look at all four tyres for pressure (are they all equally inflated?) and feel the hubs and tyres. They will all be hot, but are they the same heat?

As you go along, remember that what you are doing is driving – before, above and beyond anything else. Our roads and traffic demand your full attention all the time. In everyday motoring, not just major and longer trips, the rule on mobile phones is simple: Never, ever touch them when you are driving. If you are expecting an essential call, ignore it until you have found a safe place to pull well off the road to call back.

And as you go along, be alert for any change in the car’s sound, smell or behaviour. Rattles, squeaks, screeches, bangs, scraping and clicking are not just noises. They are a language, and it is learnable. Your car is telling you something. Rattles are a sign that something quite light is coming loose (or has cracked) and needs to be tightened or repaired.

Squeaks are caused mostly when items that should be lubricated run dry, or by two components that should stay apart starting to touch each other, or by two items that should be firmly joined together starting to move against each other. Knocking results from a similar fault on something heavier (and perhaps structurally more important, for instance an exhaust pipe mounting, a brace bar behind a plastic bumper). Screeching usually comes from a component that rotates at high speed, that needs lubricating (like a bearing) or is slipping (like a fanbelt). That sound warrants urgent attention to prevent damage and a possible breakdown.

Banging denotes that a heavy component is either coming adrift or has broken (for instance a shock-absorber mounting). Without delay, stop and look. There can also be rubbing noises (something soft and non-metallic, for instance a tyre), grating (brakes?) and scraping and clicking and humming and whining. Flapping sounds are most commonly made by deflated tyres.

Also read: Why you should think twice before down-sizing your car

Start by assessing which of those types of noise it is and what area of the car it is coming from. The engine, the gearbox, the suspension, the bodywork, even, perhaps, an item of luggage.

There are quick tests to help that assessment – does the noise coincide with engine revs, or road speed, does it change if you depress the clutch or apply the brakes or move the steering, is it the same on both smooth and rough road surfaces? The answers are emphatic clues. As well as your ears, use your nose. If there is any unusual smell at all, then excessive heat is probably being generated and/or there’s a leak. And you will probably already know the distinctive smells of fuel, brake pads, engine oil, and gear oil. If something simply stops working, there is a high probability that the fault is electrical. If the engine splutters intermittently before coming to a halt, the problem is probably fuel-related. If either of these is accompanied by lurid noises, the problem is most likely mechanical, and the location will let you know whether it is the engine, the transmission or the wheels.

Irritating noises can be tolerated, but they should never be ignored. Always and promptly try to identify what is causing them and take steps to stop them. Even those that are doing no significant harm to the car are harming you – your comfort, your concentration, your ability to hear other noises which might be serious, and to the wear-and-tear on you and your passengers on a long journey. And, as mentioned last week, to the resale value of your car.

***
Do you have a motoring question? Email [email protected]