Chinese New Year Holidays is just a few days away. Most of you will driving back to your home-towns to visit family and friends.
The highways and smaller state roads will all be jammed packed and most workshops will be closed for 3-5 days at least. Make sure your car is in good running condition to avoid a breakdown along the way.
Do a quick run up and down a highway close to you at night to listen for noises, feel for shakes, and watch for trouble signs in the gauges in your meter cluster. Don’t assume everything is fine just because you drive your car every day. This is a test, not a commute, so put your handphone on silent and switch of your car radio. Focus on your car. Do you hear grinding or moaning from the wheels? Could be a bad wheel bearing or a worn CV joint. Does the car pull slightly to the left or right when running straight? Check for alignment problems or worn tires. Does it shimmy or squeal under braking? Might be warped rotors or worn pads. Does the brake pedal feel soft? Might mean worn pads or bad brake fluid. Do the headlights flicker at idle? Think: loose alternator belt, dying alternator, or corroded battery terminals.
If you feel and hear all thing wrong or worrying, then visit your mechanic before you leave on a long drive. Be safe rather than sorry and you do not want to end up paying for tow truck to tow you back during the holidays.
