What you need to check in the car before the trip
So that the car does not unexpectedly let you down on a trip (and especially a long one), before starting, you should perform a few simple but vital operations.
An experienced driver, especially one who started his driving career on something like a Zhiguli "classic", "chisel" or an ancient foreign car, has a specific procedure "engraved on the subcortex" that precedes the exit from the parking lot. After all, it was its use at one time that made it possible to hope that it would be possible to get to the destination without tricks of technology. And now, when even relatively inexpensive cars are becoming more and more complex from a technical point of view and, accordingly, more brittle, such a “prelaunch ritual” is once again becoming an urgent matter.
What should the driver do before the trip? First of all, if the car is not in the garage, but in the yard or in the parking lot, it is worth going around it and carefully inspecting it for damage to the body. There are enough lovers to "grind" someone else's car and hide from responsibility. If this happens, the trip will have to be postponed at least until the incident is registered by the police. After making sure that no one damaged your property during the parking, we look under the “swallow”. Is there any liquid leaking from the car? At the same time, it is absolutely not necessary that a multi-liter puddle be under the bottom.
Having found even a small spot on the asphalt under the car where it was not there yesterday during parking, you should urgently go to a car service. After all, even a very small leak can be a harbinger of very big problems.
A typical mistake of many even experienced drivers is not to pay attention to the wheels before the trip. A tire that has been flattened while parked can completely deflate while driving. As a result, instead of a penny repair of a puncture, you will “get” at least to buy a new wheel and, most likely, a disc. Yes, and not far from the accident - with a flat tire.
Next, we sit behind the wheel and start the engine. If, after starting, any of the indicators remain on the panel, it is better to cancel the trip and start troubleshooting. If in this sense everything is fine, we evaluate the level of fuel in the tank - what if it's time to refuel? After that, we turn on the dipped beam and the "emergency gang" and get out of the car - to check if all these lamps are on. We control the performance of brake lights by looking into the rear-view mirrors - their light is usually reflected either in the optics of a car parked behind, or from surrounding objects. The location of the rear-view mirrors mentioned above should also be checked - what if some “kind person” folded them while passing by? Further, if everything is in order, you can block the doors for safety and get under way.
