So you want to make a self-drive trip to Himalayas and want tips? Quite often I had wondered.. I keep my car well serviced. Can I take it to a long Himalayan trip – say Ladakh? Information, whatever is present on the Internet is too scattered. I’ve tried to compile everything under one umbrella so that it helps anyone planning for a self-drive to Himalayas. So here’s how you prepare your vehicle for a Himalayan sojourn.
- Check whether your vehicles clutch plates would work with you in tandem
- Try to climb up a steep slope, preferably at 30-40 degree gradient in first gear without even touching the accelerator. The car should ascend by itself.
- While fully pressing all the brakes, put the vehicle in first gear and release clutch slowly and see how early the engine stalls. Repeat the same in second gear too. An early engine stall indicates worn out clutch plates
- Listen for any noise when you press the clutch.
- Check for poor pick up or any grey smoke
- If any of the above issue persist, get your clutch plates replaced.
- Check the filters as per change schedule
- Change the air and oil filters if approaching end of life as suggested by vehicle manufacturer
- Keep one air filter as spare
- Essential Oils
- Check engine, brake, gear and differential oil levels
- If it has been over 5000 kms that you have driven already with these oils, replace
- Keep spare coolant and engine oil.
- Brakes
- Check for effective braking.
- If the remaining life of break pads is less than 10,000 kms, replace
- Bearings
- Check all the bearings and replace wherever needed
- Get greasing done for all wheels
- Suspension
- Check all shock absorbers
- Get all leaf springs tightened/overhauled
- Check for vehicle stance after parking it on a levelled ground. Check for any tilt
- Battery
- Check the impedance and specific gravity of the battery
- Clean terminals and tighten the nuts
- Apply petroleum jelly at the terminals
- Electricals
- Check Alternator for output, clean the connectors
- Check starter, clean the connectors
- Cooling system
- Check all the hoses and hose clips. Replace if you notice any wear/tear. Ensure they’re properly tightened
- Check coolant levels
- Drain and replace coolant if used for over 40,000 kms
- Top up and check for any leakages
- Get the radiator tubes and fins washed with a high pressure water jet to clean it
- Belts
- Change belts if you’ve driven over 60.000 kms or the same hasn’t been changed for over 3 years
- Check pulley bearings and replace if necessary
- Injectors
- Get the injectors cleaned in diesel/petrol if the same has not been cleaned for last 50,000 kms
- Tyres
- Check tyre treads through the One Rupee Coin test – Insert the “old One Rupee Coin” between the tread and if the “Rupaiya” in Hindi is hidden, then your tread is deep enough. Else, replace the tyre
- Use the same coin and check the tread for all tyres. If tread of all tyres are at same level, it’s fine. Else the alignment or balance of tyre may be wrong. Get it done.
- If it has been over 3,000 kms without alignment and balancing, get it done at least 2 weeks in advance.
- Do not travel with tyres which have less than 15,000 kms of life left.
- Check the spare tyre, it’s condition. Get the air filled till the optimum pressure
- Fill nitrogen, if available in place of air, at least 3 weeks in advance and keep on checking the pressure loss.
- Keep valve caps intact
- Check for any bent and unevenness in rims
- Wiper
- Check wiper blades, replace if necessary
- Check viper motor
- Check wind-shield cleaner nozzles, clean if required
- Windshields
- Check windshields for any cracks. If there, get it mended or replaced as appropriate
- Check rear demistifier
- OVRMs.
- Check OVRM condition and easy movement.
- Get the bottom screw loosened a bit and apply petroleum jelly or grease
- Under-body.
- Check sump and entire underbody in general for any oil leakage or oil traces
- Blackish/light brown oil – Engine oil. Reddish – brake or clutch oils. Green/Red fluid – coolant. Pale yellowish differential/gear oils.
- If you fine any visible traces of oil, get it rectified
- Tighten sump nuts
- Ensure everything under-body is tightly secured and all nuts are tightened. Nothing should be hanging.
- If possible, get a sump guard installed
- Front
- Tighten all bumper nuts
- Tighten all nuts of the bull bar, if using
- Check fog lamps, if used, and adjust the light beam focus
- Check head / reverse / parking / turn indicator lamps, replace if necessary
- Check dipper
- Fix vertical Yellow sticker in RHS head lamp – many states require you to do that.
- Cabin
- Check all gauges are fine and working
- Check all combination switches including light, turn indicator, wipers
- Check all pedals
- Check all doors for any rattle noise
- Check Handbrake
- Check all switches on the dashboard are working fine
- Check windows are rolling properly
- Check all cabin lights
- Check all security systems including door lock / gear lock / remote lock are working fine
- Tools and Accessories
- Electronic air compressor
- Spare tyre valves
- Spare air filter
- Coolant
- Engine oil
- Extra fuses
- Extra master fuse
- Extra halogen headlamp bulbs
- Tubeless puncture repairing kit
- Spare tyre
- Spare valve
- Tyre valve tool
- Battery terminal jumper
- Multitool
- DC to AC inverter 200 watt
- Trampoline for carrier and engine
- Jerry can 30Ltrs for Fuel
- Funnel
- 10 ft pipe
- Stock jack – get a hydraulic floor jack if possible
- Stock tool set
- Tow rope – preferably 5 Ton capacity
- Fire extinguisher
- Window breaker cum seat belt cutter
- LED Torch – x2
- M Seal
- Adhesive tape – both double sided and insulation
- Fevi-Kwick
- Spade
- Hammer
- Hex Saw
- Colin or suitable wind-shield cleaner
- Old newspaper for wind-shield cleaning
- Rope
- Gunny bags / trampoline to cover the engine bay at night to keep it warm
- Spare nuts & bolts
** A comprehensive list of things to carry is given at http://www.yayawar.com/things-to-carry/
License Terms
Yayawar.com and it's content by Yayawar is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
