It is that time of the year again when many urban dwellers travel to different destinations for the long festive holidays.
Planning for activities at your destination is one thing but the mechanical condition of the vehicle in which you and your family will travel is another.
Wheel alignment and balance
Apart from the routine checks you do yourself on the car for the usual Kampala drives, Peter Kasoma, a mechanic in Kampala, advises you to carry out wheel balance and alignment at a trusted garage.
While wheel alignment is carried out to improve your car’s stability by making sure all the wheels align together and move in straight line, wheel balance, on the other hand, aims at ensuring that your car rims fit well on the tyres to avoid uneven wear and tear of tyres.
Depending on where it is done, wheel alignment and balance cost between Shs50,000 to Shs100,000 at most service stations.
Suspension system
Wheel balance and alignment should go hand in hand with inspection of your suspension system.
A well-functioning system is made up of springs, shock absorbers and suspension bushes, with each part playing a different role.
For instance, while the suspension bushes, which are the rubber materials, absorb and cushion the vibrations every time you drive into potholes or a rough road surface, springs and the shock absorbers counter react to the shock the car experiences when you drive into a ditch or pothole. The shock absorbers absorb the shock and enable the car to be in a stable space.
‘However comfortable the car seats are, when one of or all the components of the suspension system is not in a good mechanical condition, it will affect stability of the car until it is replaced,’ Kasoma explains.
Oils and lubricants
Ideally, car oils and lubricants are fluids you should be checking daily prior to and after using the car regardless of whether you’re going for a short or long drive. Between when you start the car in the morning and when you stop the car in the evening, many things happen that can lead to a drop of car fluids, which can lead to loss of life or even the car itself. For example, low engine oil levels can lead to engine knock, which in most cases require you to replace an engine.
While water for wipers is a matter of topping up, fluids such as gearbox and engine oils, steering wheel and brake fluids and engine coolant should be at the required levels.
‘If you have been topping up engine oil for minor service for urban drives, consider having it replaced before you drive long distances. Check and ensure with your mechanic that you’re using the recommended oil grades because different classes and models of cars use different grades and quantities,’ advises Alvin Nkini, a mechanic at Dalas Auto Limited in Bunga.
Tyres and their components
There are different tyre types on the market and all cars are prescribed to use different tyre sizes. The costs also vary. What is also important to understand is that different tyres are used in different terrains, though there are those that are used in all terrains. Regardless, the tyres you use should have treads as these help you to brake effectively.
‘The tyres you use should be uniform in terms of size but should also have the same pressure. You can easily tell whether the tyres have the same pressure by carefully observing the tyres. If one or two of the tyres has less or more pressure than the other, when you’re driving, you will feel the car imbalanced on the road,’ Nkini advises.
Apart from the tyres on the vehicle, you also need to make sure that the spare tyre, a car component that you don’t frequently check, is in a usable condition with the right tyre pressure. You should also ensure that your trunk has the right wheel spanner size, car jerk screwdriver and the stud for a successful tyre replacement in case you experience a flat tyre on the road.
Brake system
The most important part in the braking system of a car are the brake pads. When they are getting worn out, the brakes make noise as you brake, a sign that you need to replace them.
On top of ensuring that your brake pads are still functional, you also must have the brake disk checked to confirm it’s not rough to affect the effectiveness of the brake pads.
‘When the brake disk is rough, it means the brake pads will wear out faster. The solution is to have it replaced or resurfaced because you don’t know at what point it will fail. Let your mechanic check the brake fluid levels and the brake calliper are in the required mechanical condition and levels before starting your journey,’ says Edwin Jjuuko, a mechanic in Wandegeya.
Head and rear/brake lights
Head and brake or rear lights play the same roles; to see and to be seen on the road amidst all road conditions. There are scenarios when you’re trailing a vehicle with defunct rear lights, or when there’s a vehicle on the incoming lane with a defunct headlight, that you could mistake for a motorcycle. In some cases, such motorists are not aware that their lights are defunct.