With the monsoons well and truly
in, here are a few pointers to keep your car in ship shape and have
a safe and pleasurable journey.
With the monsoons well and truly here we
are usually reminded of piping hot drinks to warm up the cold wet
days. While the lush greenery that the monsoon brings might make
your drive more scenic, it also brings along numerous hazards which
cannot be overlooked. Here are a few pointers to help you breeze
past this season with safety and style.
With the car having to bear the brunt of the lashing rains,
pot-hole ridden roads, flooding and what not, it is important to keep
your car in ship shape with a good pre-monsoon checkup. Here are a few
things that need to be looked into specifically.
Tyres
read depth and tread pattern are of primary importance when
it comes to tyres. Assuming the tyres have enough tread depth, a wrong
tread pattern may not throw enough water away from the tyres, and cause
aquaplaning.
The rubber compound of your tyre also makes a significant
difference at higher speeds.
Under or over-inflated tyres can induce aquaplaning
sooner than expected.
Suspension Geometry
Suspension affecting driving in the wet may sound strange but it very
well does. A wrongly aligned wheel can affect stability due to uneven
forces acting up. Wrong steering geometry can further exaggerate this
misbehaviour.
Brakes
Uneven braking force on the four wheels may cause loss of directional stability. Check
all the brake pads and replace if necessary. Panic braking instances on wet roads can make
the car lose control very easily, in which case a good Antilock
braking systems (ABS) can be a saviour.
Wipers
A good set of wiper blades with soft rubber compounds and an even cutting
edge will ensure adequate visibility. Do not forget alignment of the blade arms.
