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Ask the Mechanic: How do I prepare my car for a long journey?

Hello Paul, I recently bought my first car which I plan on driving to the village in northern Uganda for the festive season. How can I prepare for this long Journey?

Joseph

Hello John, a long road trip will put your vehicle’s electrical, mechanical and hydro mechanical components to the test. There is wear and tear exerted on fast moving parts and deterioration of oils and fluids due to prolonged performance in the hottest and harshest of environments with fast moving engine, transmission or brake components.

A safari check at your nearest garage is a good way to start. Firstly, ensure you have safe (unexpired) and correctly inflated tyres with good tread depth and no physical damage. Tyres are the car’s only contact with the road and their condition is crucial for safe handling and manoeuvering. Also, ensure you have good brakes (acceptable brake pad width and up to date brake fluid). These help you to safely control or stop the car in the shortest possible distance.

Your car’s suspension should not be torn, worn out or collapsed. Suspension not only makes your ride comfortable, it also links the car body to the wheels. All the car fluids and oils are important because they help to lubricate, cool, prevent corrosion as well as enhance performance of hard working moving components in the engine, transmission, brakes and steering.

Check their quantity and quality. All fluids age due to heating, oxidation and contamination by contact with dirt and deposits as they clean surfaces and transfer heat and dirt for filtration. Your mechanic or car user manual will advise how often you should change different fluids and oils and the correct type and grades recommended for the different components of your car.

Check all electrical equipment for operation such as battery, lights, horns and switches. Make sure you attend to warning lights on your dashboard or faulty switches for electrically operated components such as wipers, horns, windows. Confirm that all rubber components such as belts, hoses and pipes are not worn out.

Finally, check the ventilation or air conditioning system before cleaning the car in preparation for departure.

CAN I USE A SEALANT TO FIX MY STEERING FLUID LEAK?

Hello Paul, how important is it to stick with the same brand power steering fluid when topping up my reservoir? My 1993 540 BMW has a slight leak (vapour) and it has been around for ages. I bought a sealant product which I am told I should avoid using with my current Pentosin.

Jacob

Hello Jacob, it is generally advisable to use steering fluid recommended by the car manufacturer to ensure peak steering performance. Manufacturers usually recommend certain fluid standards and grades to allow one find different products in their market that meet the car manufacturer fluid specification guidelines. Different steering fluids are blended differently to ensure specific performance and protection standards.

Using steering fluid that is not recommended can lead to poor performance or premature failure of the steering fluid system. For your 1993 BMW, the manufacturer recommends a Pentosin product that meets high steering performance standards in extreme conditions. The equivalent of that product is fully synthetic Dexron II or III Automatic transmission and steering fluid which is blended to meet the performance and protective standards such as those in Pentosin.

If your BMW steering system has a slight leak, it is better to find the cause of the leak and rectify it if possible rather than use sealant solutions which may not work well with the steering fluid or might end up damaging the steering system itself.

Many reputable steering fluids are designed with sealing additives to repair internal seal wear. In your case, the sealant you have bought is declared incompatible to the Pentosin steering fluid. You ought to visit a garage and engage the mechanics to find the leak and determine how it can be resolved.

WHY DOES MY CAR JUDDER AND VIBRATE DURING UPHILL ACCELERATION?

My Nissan X Trail makes a juddering sound from the front drive shafts and a knocking, vibrating sound when taking off or on a hill. When I disconnect the front drive shafts and use 4WD, the noise disappears. When I disconnect the propeller shaft and use the front transmission only with the front drive shafts fixed, it makes that sound. What could be the problem?

Jude

Hello Jude, the juddering and vibrating symptoms you are experiencing when driving uphill suggest that you have faulty front drive train components. This seems to be validated by the fact that when you disconnect the front drive shafts, the noise stops. A qualified mechanic needs to inspect the front differential and front CV joints or drive shafts. The front differential, which allocates power between the front wheels may have worn out gears and seized bearings. This will cause the symptoms you have described above, especially when you demand more torque such as during acceleration uphill. The most likely suspect are the Constant Velocity (CV) joints on the front drive shafts. The CV joints allow the wheels to turn while transferring drive from the differential to the wheels. When damaged, they can cause vibrations and juddering sensations.

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