So, you have decided to go on a journey on your trusty iron horse! Of course, your car is reliable and has been driving regularly for months/weeks/years through the streets of your beloved city and its environs. Can anything happen away from home cozy nest? Only new impressions, new acquaintances, drive! But… is everything really so great?

So that there are no surprises, and troubles do not interfere with a pleasant pastime, car to long trip need to prepare! It never hurts to at least check something and stock up on something.

By the way, in our country it is customary to travel by car (in winter, you won’t go far on a bicycle, but if you want to see Lake Baikal or the Pacific Ocean?).

Check the simplest things first: whether the rear-view mirror is working properly (you will need it for any desired maneuver - do not forget to look into it every time you are going to do something) and brake lights, adjust the headlights. Or maybe it's time to install foglights? In the city, this seems like a trifle, but on the highway, and even at night, it can lead to an accident.

Replace Consumables: engine oil, brake fluid, filters, spark plugs, belts, brake pads. Even if you changed everything six months ago and nothing creaks or whistles. It would be nice to check the level of liquids that are in your car - antifreeze, oil, brake fluid, - and grab a reserve stock, since situations can be different, everything will come in handy.

You can not save on yourself, especially on your safety. An extra 500 rubles won't do you any good, and the prospect of messing around with the car on the highway hardly looks tempting, especially in winter time year, you can quickly turn into a Bigfoot.

Also, do not be stingy with wheel alignment, so as not to inadvertently lead into a ditch on the road. And pay attention to the tires. All of a sudden she's very worn out. Then it should be replaced.
Pay special attention to the braking system. cracked brake hoses replace with new ones, eliminate brake fluid leaks, check brake discs and pads.
Make sure the suspension components and chassis V in perfect order, including rubber anthers and covers, is it necessary to replace shock absorbers, springs, silent blocks of front levers, ball, levers rear suspension.

The "brain" of the car is the engine. Adjust everything that is subject to adjustment and is regulated during operation (clearances in valve mechanism, belt and chain tension, ignition timing, carburetor, radiator, cooling fans).

If possible - both financially and in time - drive the car into a service and give it to the caring hands of specialists. Travel is a serious test for your iron friend, so all his "horseshoes" should be in a state as close to ideal as possible.

All fixed, checked? Amazing. But this is not a guarantee that everything will be in order. What you need to take with you "just in case of a fire". It all depends on which of you is a specialist in the field of auto mechanics.

If you know little, then enough "classic" set: first aid kit (check the expiration dates of medicines!), rope, sign emergency stop, fire extinguisher and canister. If you are able to fix the car yourself on occasion, then the list will be long. The tool is always useful. We take keys and heads from 8 to 24 mm, the car is full of all kinds of bolts and screws - you never know what you need to unscrew and screw. A candle wrench, screwdrivers, pliers, a jack, a pump, files, sandpaper will also not be superfluous - suddenly something ... And it is important that all this is not scattered all over the trunk and the car as a whole. and neatly folded into a small bag or plastic box.

Do not forget to bring atlases and maps with you. With their help, develop the best route - calculate the consumption of gasoline in advance. In addition, you can immediately highlight for yourself some priority places that you definitely need to visit. Calculate the speed of movement and consider the places of the proposed stops. It is better to choose them closer to settlements or traffic police posts. Just in case. Better yet, install a navigation system in your car. GPS system. For such a trip, this is the most indispensable thing. If you can still contemptuously brush aside in the city - this is for people suffering from topographic cretinism, who cannot distinguish Polyanka Street from Yakimanka Street - then you cannot do without a navigator on a trip. And if you are a solid person, and a simple navigator does not suit you, you can install a real computer in the car (What? A smart idea!). This is a DVD, and MP3, and a connection with the whole world!

Continuing the conversation about electronics in the car - think about how you will communicate mobile phone ! The mobile phone in the hands of the driver is a potential cause of the accident. At speeds over 100 km/h, the slightest inattention can cost you and your companions their lives. Use wireless hands-free and speakerphone.

Does your car have a device for powering chargers, razors, laptops? There are a huge number of them on the market. Choose the one that suits you best and install it in your car.

Of course, in addition to the "smart" and necessary equipment, you can also install in the car ... for example, a portable coffee maker, a refrigerator, a massager in the driver's seat and much more. Although ... everyone decides for himself. It is much more pleasant to stop on the highway and drink coffee from a thermos, looking at the cars passing by. And don't forget that every extra kilogram in the car, albeit not by much, but still will increase fuel consumption, which, given the long distances, can eventually result in a tidy sum.

Pay attention to which roads you have to go: asphalt or dirt road. It is important to be ready to change pavement, although winter blizzards more often "level" it.
Gasoline, of course, fill the full tank.

All things for the journey must be collected a day before your departure. When gathering in a hurry, you run the risk of forgetting something. Therefore, there will be time to remember and double-check everything.
Before the trip, the driver needs to get enough sleep. At least 9 - 10 hours. The road takes a lot of energy, which should be stocked up in advance.

And do not forget to turn to heaven before the trip (so did all our ancestors and contemporaries, by the way, too).

It is better to leave in the pre-dawn twilight so that you can travel as far as possible during the day, and stop for the night in the evening.

The most dangerous time of day for movement is sunset and dawn. Be ready, do not make rash actions. Stops should be made at least every 400 - 500 kilometers. By the way, if several people are traveling in a car, it is recommended to change the driver also every 400 - 500 kilometers.

And don't forget to follow the rules. traffic- Your life and health and your passengers depend on it. Road markings make life easier. Now all over Russia, and even more so in European countries, the markings can be seen perfectly even in winter. Believe me, it was not drawn for beauty, it is necessary for you - travelers.

If you follow these simple rules, any trip will give you real pleasure!

Happy journey and new bright impressions!

Are you waiting for a long-awaited vacation and a sea of ​​positive emotions? You will probably agree that no better way realize all your ideas how to travel by car.

The most beneficial advantages will be: the ability to take a lot of things, see everything interesting during the journey, and at the same time, independently plan the route and stops, save on transport costs. And in order to avoid unpleasant situations, you just need to think about a few important things in advance before a long journey.

Remember, you have not just a vacation, you have a whole road trip ahead of you!

Preparing the car for a long journey

One of the most important points on a trip over long distances there will be a preparation of a car. In advance of departure, it is necessary to take care of inspecting the car at a service station. At the same time, it is worth paying attention to all the remarks of the master, for example, if any part is to be replaced soon, it is important to replace it before the road. Usually especially carefully inspect the chassis of the car and steering. Timely replacement of all worn parts can save you from unexpected repairs along the way.

Also, remember when was the last oil change in the car. It will probably need to be changed a little earlier, since car trips on vacation involve moving hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away.

Replacement of all parts and minor repairs in the car is best done in advance of the trip. Firstly, it will help to keep track of good work new parts and fix bugs. Secondly, it will not be superfluous to “run in” new parts.

In addition, before departure, do not forget to check the following points yourself:

1. Tire pressure, and pump up if necessary;
2. The oil level in the gearbox and brake fluid in the reservoir, if the indicator of these automotive fluids insufficient - top up;
3. The serviceability of the light signals of the car, if the turn signals, headlights or brake lights do not work, replace the bulbs;
4. pull up hand brake, if necessary.

Examine the trunk of the car. Having the following things along the way can be very important:

• pump, jack, tow rope, compressor, spare wheel, tools;
• Fire extinguisher, warning triangle and first aid kit;
• Additionally, engine oil, brake and windshield washer fluids.

Getting ready for a comfortable ride

Travel by car is usually sent by a company, and the driver in this case is responsible for the safety of his passengers. To make the road easy, you need to remember a couple of simple tips:

1. If it is assumed that the car will be driven by one driver, before the trip he should have a good rest and sleep.
2. A long distance trip can mean a journey of several days, so the driver needs to concentrate on the road for quite a long time. To keep your eyes from getting tired, use glasses in bright light. daylight, and also make stops every couple of hours with a little warm-up and a walk in the fresh air.
3. On the road, while driving and when stopping on the highways, it is necessary to observe safety, the best option it will be if you do not take fellow travelers into your car and conflict with someone on the road.
4. Take your recorder with you. This is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. The main advantage of the DVR is its continuous recording principle. On the way, no one is immune from controversial situations, so having a video recording will save you from unnecessary stress and spending money. In addition, very often they are combined with the function of a radar detector.

Building a safe route

The route must be planned in advance. Choose major highways, traffic on small roads can be unpredictable, both in terms of the quality of the road surface and the number of gas stations and hotels along the way. Therefore, in order to avoid unpleasant situations, carefully look at all the interchanges and turns along the route, it is better to use modern Google or Yandex services. They will also tell you if there are traffic jams on the highways, as in summer season, during road repairs, many hours of traffic jams on the highways can often occur.

The issue of parking for the night is better to decide in advance. Look at the map of the most popular hotels according to reviews on the Internet, book a room in advance, as on the way it may turn out that all decent hotels will be occupied, especially in summer period with a large flow of motorists.

If you decide to spend the night in a car, the parking place should not be a deserted place in the middle of the highway, it is better to stop near a gas station or in a parking lot with a number of cars that have a toilet and sell hot drinks for your convenience.

Follow the map for information about the nearest gas stations! This is very important, because if there is little gasoline, the likelihood of being left with empty tank very big.

A car navigator will be an excellent assistant on the road, it will not only show how much distance is left to the destination, but also help you not to miss the right turn. It is especially useful in large cities, in the morning and evening, when there are traffic jams, it will be possible to pave the way along the fastest path, and also not to get lost at large road junctions.

What is the best time to leave?

The answer to this question is directly related to the distance to be overcome. If the road takes only one day, then remember that in summer it is quite difficult to move around with busy roads. Traffic jams, heat and bright sun can bring a lot of inconvenience. Therefore, decide, perhaps the best option for you will be the road early in the morning or at night.

On the other hand, if there is a road ahead of several days, traffic in dark time days can be a difficult test, especially if the driver is alone, because most likely your usual rhythm of life is sleep at night, and wakefulness during the day. Think in advance how comfortable the road will be in the dark.

The disadvantages of driving at night can also include rain, or weather with thunderstorms. Since visibility in such conditions will be quite limited, your road can become quite dangerous. In that case, it's better to leave and move to daylight hours days.

What to take on a long trip with children?

Little passengers can brighten up the road, or they can throw a big tantrum. So that they do not have to be bored, it is better to think up before the trip what to do with them.

In order not to distract the driver with conversations during the road, let the children themselves choose a couple of their favorite things for the trip, so it will be more interesting for them to travel and entertain themselves.

If children often feel sick in the car, it is better not to take books with you, they will only make them sicker.

It may take several days to reach your destination, so it is very important question It is also better to think about food in advance. Take drinking water and food with you so that you do not often stop at cafes and shops later.

Remember the safety of everyone in the car and fastened belts safety, including for rear passengers.

Check all documents and mobile chargers to always be in touch.

Traveling by car can be a very interesting and enjoyable experience indeed. Having planned a vacation in advance, just think over a couple of moments waiting on the road. Do not panic along the way if something does not work out and you have to linger.

In order to have everything in time for departure, make a list, and before leaving, go through the points. Have you missed anything? So they did everything right. You can leave!

You already feel confident behind the wheel while driving around the city or not yet very confident, but you assume that by the beginning of the next holiday season you will have gained the appropriate practice. Almost every novice driver, even just sitting behind the wheel, hatches plans for his first long trip. The charm of the oncoming road, new impressions, freedom in choosing a place of rest, as well as the absence of dependence on bus, train, plane schedules and wide opportunities for staffing luggage, not limited, as before, only by your muscular strength and the number of hands, as if they themselves are pushing: "Ride, ride, ride..."

How experienced driver, I will say - expectations do not deceive you. But if, on the one hand, long journey driving a car is a truly exciting adventure, on the other hand, it is a serious and responsible event that requires careful preparation. Ride on far distance(500 km or more) is fundamentally different from city driving, and if you are not ready or miss something, instead of joy, it can bring you, best case, unnecessary worries and problems. And now let's analyze everything in detail:

Preparing your car for a long trip

The first thing to do is prepare the car. Show the car to a service station or mechanic you trust three to four weeks before your expected departure time. Let them inspect it, diagnose the chassis, tighten all connections, replace everything that needs to be replaced and adjust the “camber / convergence”. Ask the masters to turn Special attention on the reliability of work brake system and steering.

Be sure to make sure that the tread on the tires of the car is not worn out, and that the rubber is appropriate for the season. Balance the wheels and equalize the pressure in the tires (this can be done at any tire shop). Naturally, your car must be equipped with a “fresh” first aid kit and a fire extinguisher, an inflated spare tire, a jack, a tow rope and an emergency stop sign.

After carrying out all the activities, do not put the car "on a joke". It needs to be well “run in” around the city so that all the new details get used and minor flaws have time to appear. Before the trip, you will still have time to eliminate them.

Determining the route and connection

A GPS navigator is a very useful device and I advise you to definitely buy it, but it is not reasonable to rely on it alone, especially if you are not an advanced user of such devices. To be sure, pre-lay the route on the map. For this purpose, you can use the special services of Google or Yandex. Pay attention to complex interchanges, branches and turns. If possible, print the entire route, and on an enlarged scale the most difficult sections.

When plotting a route from all possible ways, choose the largest roads and do not listen to the "experts" who will convince you to go in a roundabout way, where it is "faster and freer."

On busy highway more gas stations Maintenance, first-aid posts and almost always works mobile connection. Therefore, on a major road, you are ten times more likely to receive timely assistance than in the middle of a field or forest, where one car passes an hour.

"Appoint" one of the relatives or friends left at home as the "dispatcher". This is the person who will know the route of your movement, and to whom you will report the distance traveled. Set a clear communication schedule. For example, say that you will send SMS every three hours indicating the distance traveled or the name of the nearest settlement from you.

During the trip, strictly adhere to the communication schedule with the "dispatcher". Such a simple precaution, on the one hand, will allow you not to be distracted by “soothing” calls to your mother, grandmother, sister and girlfriend at the same time, and on the other hand, it will make it possible to quickly find you if something unforeseen happens when you cannot inform where are you and what happened to you.

Determine departure time

A trip of 1000 km will take you approximately 12-14 hours (subject to speed limit within the rules of the road). For summer, this time is enough to leave and arrive before dark, but I do not advise doing this, and here's why.

If you are going to the South, then most of the trip the sun will shine in your face, and if you go to the North, then you will encounter such a phenomenon as bright blinding sun glare from rear windows vehicles ahead of you.

Trails during the day are much busier than in the evening, at night or in the morning. Finally, I don’t think it’s very good to come in the evening, when the coming darkness will “drive” you.

Plan to leave at night, so that you arrive in the morning before lunch. Do the same if the duration of the trip inevitably forces you to do part of the journey at night. In a nutshell - you can meet the dawn while driving, but not the sunset.

Before leaving

You need to have a good rest before the trip. About a day before departure, you must be free from any work. During this period, your work is rest, mostly lying down. Sleep as much as possible, do not sit at the computer, do not read and try not to watch TV. Instruct your friends, relatives and loved ones not to disturb you over trifles.

You should not eat before the road. The last meal - no later than 4 hours before departure.

What to take with you on the road?

Buy several small bottles of clean drinking water without gas. Throughout the trip, you will need to replenish fluids, even if you do not feel thirsty. Dehydration on the road comes unnoticed, which is fraught with a decrease in attention and a slowdown in reaction.

Prepare a few slices of fresh lemon (no sugar). A lemon slice placed under the tongue perfectly “chases away sleep” and increases visual acuity. I do not recommend using the now popular energy drinks, because most of them are bad for the stomach, and the effect is very doubtful.

To satisfy the feeling of hunger on the road, you can use chocolate or protein bars.

Discipline, safety and your passengers

If you are not traveling alone, explain to your passengers that you are the "ship's captain" and are responsible for all on board. First of all, their life and health depend on you, so all the actions of passengers should be aimed at creating maximum comfort for you, not for yourself. Based on the above, you:

• determine what music will be played, and at what volume;
• decide when and where the next stop will be;
• seat passengers in the car;
• distribute luggage (what, where and how it will lie).

Ask your companions to inform you in advance about the need to go to the toilet, and not force you to frantically look for a place to stop when it becomes “unbearable”.

Place a person next to you who will share the “hardships” of a long trip with you or, to put it more simply, will entertain you with conversations, serve water, light a cigarette and not sleep.

Move the first aid kit and fire extinguisher to the passenger compartment, so that they can be obtained without leaving the car. In many cases, the seconds it takes you to get out of the car, open the trunk, find and pull those first aid items from under bags and bags can be decisive.

Everyone in the car must wear seat belts. An unfastened person at the time of a collision can not only suffer himself, but also injure or even crush to death other people in the car, especially children.

2011-09-15

Very soon, the time for holidays will start and thousands of motorists will go to the seas or to the mountains. But before you go on a long journey, you need to put in order " iron horse". To do this, you need to follow a few simple steps.

1. Evaluate external state car.

After long winter with her constant fluctuations temperatures, which are known to adversely affect the quality paintwork cars (this is true not only for those who have a car “sleeping” under the house, but also in the garage - after all, during the day it is exposed to precipitation and temperature fluctuations), it is extremely important to check what condition its body is in. To do this, first of all, you need to thoroughly wash the car, and then carefully inspect the entire surface of the body. Having found scratches and chips hiding under the winter-spring dirt, we remove them by polishing, and if the cracks are deep, we carry out local repair car paintwork. It is also important to inspect the windows and lighting fixtures of the car - they can also have chips and cracks, which, if the temperature drops (high - during the day, low - at night) will lead to their further cracking. If there are scratches or cracks, it is better to polish them or “weld” them with special glue or photopolymers.

Once touched lighting fixtures, we recommend that you check the headlight range and adjust it if necessary.

2. We check the levels and quality of working fluids.

Having discovered and corrected the external errors of the car, we pay attention to the condition of the working fluids. The most important of them are and. The efficiency of the brake system depends on the level and quality of the first, and this is the safety of the driver and passengers. The second, cooling, is no less important, since its main function is to protect engine components and assemblies from overheating, especially in hot weather. summer time. If these liquids were filled half a year - a year ago, then it would be better to top up or change them to fresh ones if necessary. Another liquid, the presence of which is not disputed, is washing. Can be used in summer plain water or a special summer “washer”. As practice shows, the effectiveness of these liquids when flushed with windshield midges are almost identical. It is important to check the level of freon in the car's air conditioning system.

Finally, check the level engine oil. If it has changed recently (two or three months before the planned trip), then, if necessary, add oil to the level recommended by the manufacturer. If about one and a half to two thousand kilometers are left before the planned one, then it is better not to delay with this and change the oil a week before the trip. It would be useful to check the oil levels in the power steering drive. If it turns out that their levels do not correspond to the recommended readings, then it makes sense to check the tightness of the power steering and gearbox - perhaps a leak has formed somewhere and it is better to eliminate it before the trip.

3. We diagnose the operation of the engine and the condition of the battery.

So that the “heart” of the car does not fail at the most inopportune moment, it is best to call at a service station a couple of weeks before leaving on vacation and spend computer diagnostics engine, fuel, exhaust and other systems. We eliminate the errors in the operation of the motor identified during the diagnostic process. In addition, you need to carefully examine the condition drive belts attachments. We also check the status battery, the cleanliness of the terminals. If for last winter has worked out more than half of its resource, it is better to replace it.

4. We examine the condition of the suspension, brakes and steering.

For the winter domestic roads you have probably hit the wheels in the pits more than once. And therefore, the diagnosis of the front and rear suspension, as well as the components of the steering system before a long journey, will not be superfluous at all. At a service station, ask to check the condition of the suspension units, determine deviations and eliminate them. If you have already done the collapse / convergence when changing winter tires for the summer, then doing this procedure again - it won’t hurt, because for even if not a long period of driving summer tires wheel alignment may be off.

In addition to these procedures, attention should be paid to the condition of the tires, especially if they are not used for the first season: measure the tread height, inspect the surface and sidewalls of the tires. to the level recommended by the manufacturer, do not forget to check if the spare tire is inflated. Also take a look wheel disks if they are damaged, it is better to roll them. After completing all these procedures, you need to do wheel balancing.

Don't forget to check the status brake pads and disks - they may need to be replaced or grooved.

5. We collect a set of things necessary on the road.

There are many little things that a motorist may need in a given situation. Let us dwell only on some of them, without which it is certainly not recommended to advance on a long journey. So, this is a jack, a wheelbrace, a repair kit, fuses, spare lamps, a warning triangle, reflective vest, a hermetic tire repair agent, a wheel inflation compressor, a tow rope, wires for "revitalizing" the battery. Naturally, a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher must be present in the car. It would also be useful to put a hatchet and a sapper shovel in the car, a portable winch will also come in handy - who knows what area the spirit of travel will throw you into.

How to prepare your car for a long journey

If you want to travel to own car If you are going on a business trip or just decided to go to your relatives in another city, then the following recommendations will become useful for you and will quite fully allow you to avoid some incidental and unpleasant situations.

Tips on how to prepare the machine for long road

You cannot go on any long trip by car without being prepared. Sure, sometimes it happens emergency situations which can simply make you sit down quickly without hesitation steering wheel and travel hundreds or thousands of miles. It is for this reason that you must always be sure that your car will never let you down and monitor its condition constantly. Fortunately, however, the aforementioned occurrences are quite rare, and most long-distance trips are planned well in advance.
First, you should find out some information about the upcoming route (for example, the state of the roads in that region, the total length, etc.), especially if you are going on it for the first time. In this case, the navigator will definitely help, you just need to download the latest maps.
Secondly, you should pay special attention to your car. It is better to carry out a full maintenance with a complete change of oil and other consumables. Any minor flaw from the category of “okay, it doesn’t affect the speed” should be carried out in without fail! It will be sad if the first symptoms of any problem develop into serious malfunction somewhere far from home on the highway. If your car tires are already worn out enough, then it is best not to go on a long trip, however, it is also not advisable to install completely new tires 2-3 hours before departure.
They need to go through at least a little bit. Also check the headlights parking lights, the condition of the battery, if necessary, check the alternator belt and, if necessary, tighten it. Pay attention to the wear of the wiper blades - because the weather can always present its unpredictable surprises.
Now it’s worth saying a few words about what you shouldn’t go on a long journey by car without. It's natural without standard set car enthusiast (warning triangle, cable, first aid kit as well as a fire extinguisher) for that it is called “standard”, I think everything is clear here. If necessary, it is worth adding to the first-aid kit those medicines that you need for food poisoning or for headaches, heart medicine, etc. The aforementioned navigator will undoubtedly help you not to get lost in an unfamiliar area, it will also be useful to have a video recorder.
The car is no longer new or does it no longer have low mileage? It is possible that on a long journey the engine will not eat up much oil, so be sure to take at least 1-2 liters to top up. It will also be useful to equip your car with cotton work gloves, they can be very useful to you when changing a wheel.
If the journey is to be on roads with poor coverage, then it’s better to worry about the 2nd spare wheel (at least about the so-called dokatka) or a “first aid kit for tires”. Equip the car with a portable tool kit, a spare lamp, cigarette lighter wires, fuses, otherwise you never know what might happen on the far road. Of course, all the above details may not be useful, but your soul is calmer. And of course, without a certain amount of funds, you cannot go on a trip.

What you need to know to prepare your car for a long journey