How to Know if Our Car Is Ready for a Long Journey

The winter holiday season is approaching and drivers in Romania are already making plans to go to the mountains, to ski, in the country, or abroad. But not everyone trusts their car because it is ready for the long road, so they go to the service.

Worse is the case of drivers who drive a car that gives them signs that they give up, lie down on the road, and get stuck with it for various reasons.

The engine stops running

If somehow your engine, while running or accelerating, shows signs of interruption, that is, moments when it seems to you that it is stalling, it may mean that something quite serious will soon break down. For example, this is how injectors fail.

So an engine that fails and doesn't work evenly might be left with one cylinder because of the injector. This is also why the high-pressure pump on diesel or turbine engines can be to blame. So until you find out the problem and solve it so that the engine runs smoothly, we do not recommend lying down for the long haul.

Witness lit on board

The only light on the board with which you are allowed to go on vacation is the fuel. Which you turn off as soon as you stop at a gas station. In general, no light on is a good sign.

The worst are those of clogged particle filter, lambda sensor, ABS sensor, check engine, etc. Never go far if your car alone warns you that it has some problems that you need to solve.

It emits smoke

This is common in diesel cars. Namely, smoke extraction. Exhaust fumes can be of 3 types: black, blue, or white. If the car emits black smoke, it means that too much diesel is burning for various reasons, including injectors, turbines, flow meters, computers, and others.

This translates into huge consumption and, possibly, huge fines if the police catch you in the west driving on the road with a smoke truck. Blue smoke is smoke caused by burning oil, so if you emit blue smoke, a little darker than white, somewhere some worn parts allow the oil to enter the combustion chamber.

White oil can be caused by a wrong mixture of fuel, engine antifreeze, or clogged fuel filter. Regardless of the smoke, solve the problem and only then go on the road.

Braking vibrations

It is recommended that you never go on the road, short or long if you have problems with the car braking system. We are not referring here to baked brake hoses or fluid-loss calipers, but too simpler things. For example, even if your discs are new, even the pads, it often happens that after only 5000 km you start to feel vibrations in the steering wheel and the brake pedal, a sign that the discs have become oval.

This phenomenon occurs because many brake discs are bought from dubious companies but also because drivers brake violently in the rain, and when the disc heats the car enters a puddle and shifts.

Or, it can be caused by a mechanic who has mounted them incorrectly, without cleaning the rust wheel hub well. What is certain is that if your car vibrates when braking, it is good to check the brakes.

The car does not start

If you have a 150 hp car, let's say, that car has to pull that kind of power. Not 50 hp, not 100, but almost all horses, if it goes well. This means that it must accelerate well, shoot round at any stage and turn evenly.

But it often happens that the car does not pull well, that is, it turns, but does not accelerate as it should, or pulls very hard, or just from a very high speed. When a car no longer pulls like it used to, it means it has problems. Unfortunately, it can only mean serious problems, such as turbocharger, EGR valve, injection pump, particulate filter, injectors, and so on.

If it also emits blue smoke, it is clear that the engine is on the duke. So we don't have to drive a car that doesn't fire properly, because we risk our lives. We overtake the Olt Valley and, suddenly, we realize that we are barely accelerating and a TIR is coming from the opposite direction.

Used tires

Perhaps most accidents in the fall and winter occur because drivers do not focus properly on the tires. Most people think that as long as the profile is good, the tire is good. But not only wear and tear matter but also age, total condition, cracks, deformations over time. Many drivers drive with the wrong tires for the winter season.

This translates into a lack of grip and a longer braking distance, but also a major risk of losing control. In conclusion, if you do not have good winter tires, you do not have to start with the car on the spot. What else can you dream of on a family vacation…

If you don't have money for tires, which is the ultimate safety, are you going on vacation to risk your life? Such a thing is not done.