Prepare your car for a long drive !!

Driving on a highway can be fun. But can be the most disastrous if not planned well. Here are some tips to prepare your car for the long drive you have been looking forward to.

Please feel free to comment on any point that you think should be added/removed. I am not going to add points such as check engine oil, check brake oil, etc, but will try to give high level points that you should not forget while starting a long drive.

1. Make sure you have read the troubleshooting tips section on the user manual of your car and also carry the same. This gives the primary information you would need in case of any troubleshooting during your travel. I include in this point itself that it really makes good sense that you carry all your documents too. This is the best driving tip you can ever follow.

2. It is never a good idea to take your vehicle for a long drive just after your service. Make sure you have travelled a good 30 to 50 km before you start on a long drive.

3. Air pressure: Keep the air pressure low in case you believe most of your travel is going to be on cold weather or on hilly region or in the night. Lower the air pressure, better will be the grip on the roads (of course with a little loss in mileage).

4. Make sure your spare wheel is in good condition and you have a working wrench and jack. Nowadays you even get a battery operated ones which should save good time/effort for replacing your tyres.

I personally have a tyre guage and a air filler and would recommend people to have the same (it should together not cost more than Rs 1500 in Bangalore,India). It does make sense to reduce air pressure if you travel in a hot sun averaging 65kmph continuously for about 3 to 4 hours. The air gets heated and hence your tyre tends to bulge at the side. If your air pressure is high, chances are that it might burst.

Tyre burst when you are travelling even at low speeds of 40kmph can be dangerous. So it is best to avoid this situation by reducing the air pressure.

5. Make sure you carry about 5 to 8 litres of water just in case. You will need water most when your engine is really hot, or you are driving on a really dusty road and you want to wipe your windscreen/windows clean, etc.

6. If you are planning to drive at the night, it makes good sense to carry a torch. Consider a situation where you have to replace your tyre somewhere around midnight. you can never even imagine it without a good torch.

OK...there are some of them out of a lot more i care to share of the driving tips. Let me know if anyone needs any specific information also about driving on a highway.