Your car is an incredibly important and powerful piece of technology. This is something many of us take for granted. We tend not to think of cars as being technology at all even, because they don’t look like computers or servers – they look more like fancy carts that use combustion to propel us forward…
But cars are technology. And they’re incredibly complex relying on thousands of moving parts and components to remain functional.
What’s more is that they’re also incredibly important and powerful. When you’re in your car on the motorway, you’re essentially being hurtled along at 70 miles an hour or more with only a thin piece of metal between you and the world around you. You’re completely putting your life in the hands of your vehicle and if anything should go wrong it would be catastrophic not only for you but for any passengers, for the immediate surroundings and for any other drivers on the road.
This is why you absolutely must take the time to check over your car and run diagnostics before you go on a long journey. We highly recommend investing in a VAG COM package so that you can do this as well as a professional mechanic would. Here we’ll look at all the things you should do to make sure you and your family are as safe as possible before you set off.
The Basics
There are some basics checks and changes you should hopefully already know to make before you set off on any long journey.
For example, every driver should know to top up their gas so they don’t have to stop right away for fuel and the same is also true for your water, your wiper fluid and your oil. Hopefully you already know how to check the oil by popping open the hood and using the dipstick. Likewise, you should know how to top up wiper fluid – make sure to get the ratio of water to washing liquid correct to avoid water marks.
Likewise though, it’s also a good idea to check the air pressure in your tires. You can do this for free at most gas stations. Also, you should check the tread on your tires and you should look around the car to make sure all your lights are working properly – including brake lights and indicators. All these things will ensure that your car is ready to go and that it will operate just as it should.
More Thorough Diagnostics
Remember though, this is your safety at stake here – it’s absolutely crucial that you are as thorough as you possibly can be.
So if you want to be that responsible and capable adult who looks after their family, what do you do? The answer is to look into acquiring a VAG COM package. This is essentially a diagnostics tool that works very similar to the ones used by actual mechanics.
Essentially, what this does is to plug into your car’s OBD-II connector. This is a port that the car uses in order to report on all the things that have gone wrong with the internal components. That way, a mechanic can check everything over without having to physically examine everything that’s in your vehicle (which would be nigh impossible!).
So using the VAG COM, you can do the exact same thing and because OBD-II is a standard across all car manufacturers, you can rely on it to be the same no matter what car you own. The device you plug into your vehicle will then be able to read the status of all your components and will throw up a four digit ‘diagnostic trouble code’. The good news is that you don’t have to know what all these things mean – rather you can rely on the 17 different pieces of software included which will translate that into usable information and instructions that you can follow to make repairs.
Using VAG COM before setting off on a journey means you can learn the exact status of your vehicle and all the parts that make it run and be far more confident that you and your family will be safe.
Supplies
All of these precautions should help to reduce the likelihood of something going wrong with your car. Thus you can drive safely in the knowledge that your car is in optimal health and shouldn’t break down or run into any difficulties.
But you can never be 100% certain and so you should plan for every contingency. That’s why it pays to stock your car with some emergency supplies and items.
This means that you should keep a tool kit in the back of your car as well as spare parts like a tire that you can use to make repairs on the move. Jump leads are also a good idea. A torch is a must so that you can see in the dark.
To help sustain your family, you should always have some sort of food to hand and this should be something that will keep so you can leave it in the car. A blanket and some water, as well as a first aid kit are all also smart choices.
Finally, keep a phone in your glove box (on full charge) and make sure that you have the number of a recovery service saved in it so you can call for help when you need it.
