[ssengo]

GTO, This is what i was exactly looking for. Thanks for your help

[Ravveendrra]

Originally Posted by -NUT-case

...

Apart from all the things listed above , what are the risks involved if any? and does one need to take any special precaution especially for a new car.

Also what do you guys think of carrying a self defense, non-lethal weapon like a "pepper spray" or a "stun gun" when going on a long road trip.

The best weapon one can carry is good sense. Do not carry any weapon lethal or non-lethal - if the attacker is tougher than you (most of them are) they will overpower you, take your weapon and use it against you! Also a real danger is that they may use their lethal weapons in retaliation against your non-lethal ones.

Cheers,

[-NUT-case]

@ Ravveendrra , that makes sense . One can only hope that he or she never find themselves in such a spot as to be helpless .

[Devil on Wheels]

Originally Posted by -NUT-case

Very useful thread. I'm sure even the veterans here gained a few pointers from all the gathered wisdom.

My question is -

What are the pros and cons of doing a 1500+ km road trip on a brand new car which hasn't been broken into yet. I am not referring to the engine .

What are most common parts to fail in a new car vs an old car.

Apart from all the things listed above , what are the risks involved if any? and does one need to take any special precaution especially for a new car.

Also what do you guys think of carrying a self defense, non-lethal weapon like a "pepper spray" or a "stun gun" when going on a long road trip.

If your car hasn't gone through the first service, you will have to be very carefull. In most cars it is recomended to change the Engine Oil after the first 1000 KMs. Which car are you taking about. Ideally you should get the first service done, before you hit the highway.

You would be better off avoiding situations where you might feel the need to use weapons of any kind. Humility, politeness and a cool temprament will serve you a lot better than a hand gun or a pepper spray.

There is no thumb rule as to which parts are likely to fail in a new car. Ideally none should fail, but you never know.

I have been on a 1100 KM trip when my car showed just 2000 KMs on the odo. And then again on a 3500 KM trip when it had done just 6000 KMs. But in both the cases you can not call it a brand new car.

[gavinimurthy]

Originally Posted by GTO

Absolutely! Its a darn confusing signal and one that, I am sure, has led to accidents. Instead of the right indicator, would it not make more sense to use the left indicator.....you could overtake in either situation (whether the car is actually taking a left turn OR is signaling you to overtake).

If you intend to give way for the vehicle behind to pass, it is always better to use the left indicator. It is better still if you move to left slightly to make your intention clear.

On the other hand if the vehicle ahead of you is flashing the right indicator on a straight road, that may be an indication for you to overtake. This has become the norm now a days. In such a case make sure that you keep honking continuously till you cross the vehicle ahead.

Murthy

[NK@Hyd]

Guys,

Need advice. I am going to my native place which is around 400 Kms from here. My i10 was last serviced 8 months back (that was the last free service) but since I have driven less than 300 Kms. after it, I thought of waiting for some more time to get it serviced again.

Should I now go for a general service before making the trip or can I get it done after I come back (it'll be a 2 day trip)? The car is 1.5 years old and has only traveled around 4000 Kms. till now

Thanks!

[csentil]

strongly suggest that you service it. Check for oil, coolant, battery, brakes, air pressure, AC before you go on a long trip especially since the car has been idle or with very minimum usage for sometime.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by gavinimurthy

If you intend to give way for the vehicle behind to pass, it is always better to use the left indicator. It is better still if you move to left slightly to make your intention clear.

On the other hand if the vehicle ahead of you is flashing the right indicator on a straight road, that may be an indication for you to overtake. This has become the norm now a days. In such a case make sure that you keep honking continuously till you cross the vehicle ahead.

Murthy

In a country that is a huge risk!

Apart from a few truck drivers, I have not come across any public/private vehicle driver signalling the right indicator to let the trailing vehicle pass..

A better recourse is to move left; and of the best; signal with your hand that the trailing vehicle should overtake you!!

[libranof1987]

My folks got this tool-kit from the US some time back. Since, it is a constant companion in the car.

It has a pair of jumper cables, non-conducting gloves, screw driver with a set of sizes, insulating tape, spanner etc.

Pretty sufficient for most simple breakdowns.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by NK@Hyd

...last serviced 8 months back (that was the last free service) but since I have driven less than 300 Kms. after it...
The car is 1.5 years old and has only traveled around 4000 Kms. till now

Thanks!

Just get a routine check done for all oils and other fluids, top up if required, and go. You can do the checks yourself, or get an FNG to do it for peanuts. You're planning to travel only 800 km anyway.

[Sunney]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

The best weapon one can carry is good sense. Do not carry any weapon lethal or non-lethal - if the attacker is tougher than you (most of them are) they will overpower you, take your weapon and use it against you! Also a real danger is that they may use their lethal weapons in retaliation against your non-lethal ones.

Cheers,

Shouldn't we carry non-lethal ones like a Butter-knife, to scare away small-fry attacker, smaller than us(by good luck), at least?

[Sunney]

Please Mods,
Kindly delete the above post chanced on an old post....

[Ram R.]

Hey Guys, how's it going? Well, I had a question for you which I don't think is neither addressed in my Car Ownership Manual, nor on Team-BHP (as far as I'm aware).
I own a Hyundai i20 Asta CRDI, took the delivery on 20.11.2011 and have done 1300kms so far! :-D

The question:

Considering the bad and bumpy Indian roads (especially in the city), what, in your opinion, should be the total load capacity of my hatchback?

I'm asking this purely on basis of your technical understanding on 'how to Not screw-up a car's suspension and how to ensure that the car doesn't 'bottom-out' on a pothole or on a speed-breaker"!
I mean, a car's manual might say 350 kilos for instance, but that would have been scientifically calculated either on 'bad-road simulations; a scenario tailor-made for car-testing', which in my opinion is still not as bad as Indian roads! Lol

[azdhar]

Here a blogger, Aadisht Khanna, posts what he carries for ALL eventualities.

My EDC(Every Day Carry) list is currently:

On Person:

1. Cellphone and Case Logic sleeve with combined belt strap, lanyard and carabiner
2. Car keys with a USB flash drive on the keyring
3. micro-USB cable
4. Earphones
5. Stationery Case (described in next section) with belt strap and carabiner (but the carabiner is jugaaded onto the belt strap, and doesn’t have a dedicated strap… I should learn to sew)
6. Wallet (also described separately)

Stationery Case:

1. Uniball fine tip pens in eight colours
2. Permanent marker
3. Highlighter
4. Mechanical Pencil
5. Eraser (not visible)

In my Wallet:

1. Driver’s License
2. PAN Card
3. Hospital ID cards
4. Cash and debit card
5. Credit card with enough of a credit limit to purchase a full fare ticket to Hong Kong (in case Naxalite revolution breaks out and I have to flee India)

In my Backpack:

1. Emergency socks (in case it rains and my feet get soaked, so that I can quickly change socks and prevent a cold)
2. Passport photos (you never know when you need them – actually, the USB stick on my keyring has a soft copy of my passport photo, and scans of my ID proofs and credit cards too)
3. Writing notebook
4. Work-related notebook
5. Letter writing notepaper and envelops
6. Postage stamps
7. Spare stock of visiting cards
8. Rubber stamp
9. Chequebook
10. Hard disks

In my car:

1. Phone cradle and charger
2. An umbrella

Full article here - The Backpack for All Eventualities « Wokay!

[KALSANKRPAI]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

In a country that is a huge risk!

Apart from a few truck drivers, I have not come across any public/private vehicle driver signalling the right indicator to let the trailing vehicle pass..

A better recourse is to move left; and of the best; signal with your hand that the trailing vehicle should overtake you!!

Yes I have been practicing this for the last 42 years of my driving experience and I found this very useful approach