Pre-Travel Inspection

[1776]

Post inspired by an aggrieved fan belt which decided to resign at the wrong time and form his own company.
Ignore any typos you may come across.

*May @Nawa Ule come and add some points for note comparison.

I’m not saying that this is the standard, but it’s what I normally do before I drive down to shags.

Items you Must Have

Tow rope - You need one in case you need a tow. This is the one thing I don’t have.
I’ll purpose to buy end month.

Jumper cables – mnazijua

Wrench/Spanner set – get one. If you can’t get this, get a number 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 & 17. Also get a Y-spanner. Add to that a pliers, super glue and tube of silicone. Get the one ya 130/=.
Also have a star and a flat screw driver.

Jack – in case you need to lift your car and change a tire. Also have your tire spanner.

Spare wheel – see above line where it says in case you need to lift your car and change a tire. You must have a tire to change.

Triangle – just to save yourself from the cops and also because you need them. Put it at least 20m from your car. Ideally it should be 50m because braking distance of vehicles are different. I normally see people put it very close to the car. That does no one any favours.

WD-40 or equivalent - muhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimu sana. It helps to remove rust and makes screws easier to open. Carry one

Things to Check

Coolant/Maji
Ensure when you open your radiator cap, you can see water at the rim. If kuna space and you can see your hopes and dreams, drown them in water. Also put some water in the reservoir. Don’t put too much or too little.

When your car cools, it removes water kutoka radiator na inatransfer kwa reservoir. Ikiwa moto, inanyonya kutoka reservoir and back to the radiator. When it has enough na bado ni moto, fans kick in to provide cold air.

Too much will burn your gaskets, and too little will mess your engine (some will knock). So always put at least half in the reservoir.

Maji ya wiper
Mnajua hii. You’ll need it.

Also carry a 5-10 litre kibuyu ya maji. You never know whether you’ll need it.

All oils
Chunga zisiwe black. Black oil ni oil chafu. It means you should probably do service before leaving. Add where necessary and drain where necessary. Too much will seep through your seals/gaskets, too little will damage internal parts.

Do not forget to check your brake fluid as well. Top up where necessary.

Under the Car
Any dark deposits or oil deposits means there is a leak. Any smell of hot metal after some duration of driving is a sign that something is receiving a lot of dry heat. Sniff around and try figure it out.

Tire Pressure
Put a nice 36 as pressure depending on the profile of the tires. Lower profiles will need more air so that the rims avoid being too close to the ground. This will make the ride a little more uncomfortable.

Lights and Bulbs
Ensure all your lights ziko order. Brake, indicator and head. Fog pia.

Fan belt
If your fan belt is crack-y, buy another one. Heat dries things and the belt can only last for so long.
You can check for cracks by trying to bend it back words. So just check.

Things to look out for

1. If your car isn’t picking as it should, postpone your travel or take a bus.
2. If there is a noise that you’re hearing for the first time, as above.
3. If you’re girlfriend/wife is complaining, leave immediately. Utampambana na 1 & 2 mbeleni.

Remember, it is YOUR responsibility to do your best to keep you safe.
Do not expect your Samaritan to have/do all these things on your behalf.
In case I have left something out, add. Tusaidiane.

[mabenda4]

Napenda sana. Night travel, beba emergency light ama Torch.
Na first aid kit pia ni muhimu.
And some ripe bananas hapo kwa dash board

[kush_yule_mnono]

Thanks for this comrade. When I graduate from Shoebaru to a Subaru I’ll keep this in mind. A very informative piece.

[Legs_Open]

@1776

Post inspired by an aggrieved fan belt which decided to resign at the wrong time and form his own company.
Ignore any typos you may come across.

*May @Nawa Ule come and add some points for note comparison.

I’m not saying that this is the standard, but it’s what I normally do before I drive down to shags.

Items you Must Have

Tow rope - You need one in case you need a tow. This is the one thing I don’t have.
I’ll purpose to buy end month.

Jumper cables – mnazijua

Wrench/Spanner set – get one. If you can’t get this, get a number 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 & 17. Also get a Y-spanner. Add to that a pliers, super glue and tube of silicone. Get the one ya 130/=.
Also have a star and a flat screw driver.

Jack – in case you need to lift your car and change a tire. Also have your tire spanner.

Spare wheel – see above line where it says in case you need to lift your car and change a tire. You must have a tire to change.

Triangle – just to save yourself from the cops and also because you need them. Put it at least 20m from your car. Ideally it should be 50m because braking distance of vehicles are different. I normally see people put it very close to the car. That does no one any favours.

WD-40 or equivalent - muhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimu sana. It helps to remove rust and makes screws easier to open. Carry one

Things to Check

Coolant/Maji
Ensure when you open your radiator cap, you can see water at the rim. If kuna space and you can see your hopes and dreams, drown them in water. Also put some water in the reservoir. Don’t put too much or too little.

When your car cools, it removes water kutoka radiator na inatransfer kwa reservoir. Ikiwa moto, inanyonya kutoka reservoir and back to the radiator. When it has enough na bado ni moto, fans kick in to provide cold air.

Too much will burn your gaskets, and too little will mess your engine (some will knock). So always put at least half in the reservoir.

Maji ya wiper
Mnajua hii. You’ll need it.

Also carry a 5-10 litre kibuyu ya maji. You never know whether you’ll need it.

All oils
Chunga zisiwe black. Black oil ni oil chafu. It means you should probably do service before leaving. Add where necessary and drain where necessary. Too much will seep through your seals/gaskets, too little will damage internal parts.

Do not forget to check your brake fluid as well. Top up where necessary.

Under the Car
Any dark deposits or oil deposits means there is a leak. Any smell of hot metal after some duration of driving is a sign that something is receiving a lot of dry heat. Sniff around and try figure it out.

Tire Pressure
Put a nice 36 as pressure depending on the profile of the tires. Lower profiles will need more air so that the rims avoid being too close to the ground. This will make the ride a little more uncomfortable.

Lights and Bulbs
Ensure all your lights ziko order. Brake, indicator and head. Fog pia.

Fan belt
If your fan belt is crack-y, buy another one. Heat dries things and the belt can only last for so long.
You can check for cracks by trying to bend it back words. So just check.

Things to look out for

1. If your car isn’t picking as it should, postpone your travel or take a bus.
2. If there is a noise that you’re hearing for the first time, as above.
3. If you’re girlfriend/wife is complaining, leave immediately. Utampambana na 1 & 2 mbeleni.

Remember, it is YOUR responsibility to do your best to keep you safe.
Do not expect your Samaritan to have/do all these things on your behalf.
In case I have left something out, add. Tusaidiane.

[CENTER][SIZE=5]hii ni checklist ya safari ya kwenda kwa mungu[/SIZE]

Fvck #LegsOpen[/CENTER]

[1776]

@mabenda4

Napenda sana. Night travel, beba emergency light ama Torch.
Na first aid kit pia ni muhimu.
And some ripe bananas hapo kwa dash board

True true. First aid kit hiyo iko kwa gari - very basic though.
Torch lazima ninunue leo leo. I normally use my phone but haileti shangwe.

[1776]

@kush yule mnono

Thanks for this comrade. When I graduate from Shoebaru to a Subaru I’ll keep this in mind. A very informative piece.

May your graduation take place soon. And please get a Subaru. Utapenda sana.

[Njambaz]

Very informative but WD40 not so basic unless unafungua those rusted underparts… and for the spanners always have both open and ring set of the specific spanner… and have some bolts and nuts

[emali]

@Ebru alifika nyumbani? pia kama unaenda masafa marefu usisahau kubeba kablanketi hivi hivi just incase ukwame limuru ama sehemu kama hizo…HIgh visibility jackects pia ni muhimu sana

[Nawa_Ule]

Thanks @1776 for this piece. As I mentioned earlier, huwa sikosa soda na biscuits na maji kwa boot. Pia, have extra fuses. 10, 15, 20 milliamps,atleast 2 each kwa glove comprtment, plus extra bulbs, za headlamps na rear. I bought on eBay, kale ka-sindano ka kuziba puncture, na hizo rubber za ku-seal puncture, learn how to do it like this guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssanc0Aid3s
. Muhimu ikiwa utakanyaga msumari in the middle of nowhere. Finally acquaint yourself with kidogo mechanics, know sites like pakwheels.com, kuna issue nyingine huwa hazihitaji mechanic. You’d save a lot. For instance, normal service ya oil change, air and oil filter change, huwa sijawahi fanyiwa na mechanic. I have always done it myself. So you can imagine the kind of savings I have made so far. Sadly, one never really knows what a journey hold, but whatever challenge comes your way, you will face it with confidence knowing you are armed.

[system]

…never knew of that WD 40…i once got a flat on interior place at night…one nut refused to open…led to kukata rim…which caused more problems…wish had known that…halafu kama una alloy rims…put long nuts…tule tubolt tudogo kwa alloy…recipe for disaster

[1776]

@Nawa Ule

Thanks @1776 for this piece. As I mentioned earlier, huwa sikosa soda na biscuits na maji kwa boot. Pia, have extra fuses. 10, 15, 20 milliamps,atleast 2 each kwa glove comprtment, plus extra bulbs, za headlamps na rear. I bought on eBay, kale ka-sindano ka kuziba puncture, na hizo rubber za ku-seal puncture, learn how to do it like this guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssanc0Aid3s
. Muhimu ikiwa utakanyaga msumari in the middle of nowhere. Finally acquaint yourself with kidogo mechanics, know sites like pakwheels.com, kuna issue nyingine huwa hazihitaji mechanic. You’d save a lot. For instance, normal service ya oil change, air and oil filter change, huwa sijawahi fanyiwa na mechanic. I have always done it myself. So you can imagine the kind of savings I have made so far. Sadly, one never really knows what a journey hold, but whatever challenge comes your way, you will face it with confidence knowing you are armed.

Very true. I was actually thinking of adding that puncture thing but I didn’t think it necessary. You’ve changed my mind. I’ll get one.
Biscooot na soda na maji i’ll add.
and the fuses. very important.
And that last line is everything!
Leo my pal amekam na forester yake. ilimwaga maji yote.
akakam tuichambue. kumbe ni pipe za turbo cooling ndio zilipasuka.
he was kuenda mech lakini akaona aletee youtube engineer.
friend sorted, ameenda zake:)

he’d have spent 2k fixing this coz tumetoa intercooler, water pan, heat shield na kadhalika. we’ve (i’ve) been working since midday.
this is why i insist of kujua. confidence because i was armed.

[ATTACH=full]33002[/ATTACH]

[Nawa_Ule]

@1776

Very true. I was actually thinking of adding that puncture thing but I didn’t think it necessary. You’ve changed my mind. I’ll get one.
Biscooot na soda na maji i’ll add.
and the fuses. very important.
And that last line is everything!
Leo my pal amekam na forester yake. ilimwaga maji yote.
akakam tuichambue. kumbe ni pipe za turbo cooling ndio zilipasuka.
he was kuenda mech lakini akaona aletee youtube engineer.
friend sorted, ameenda zake:)

he’d have spent 2k fixing this coz tumetoa intercooler, water pan, heat shield na kadhalika. we’ve (i’ve) been working since midday.
this is why i insist of kujua. confidence because i was armed.

[ATTACH=full]33002[/ATTACH]

Nice!! That asks me to share an issue that has been bogging my car for a while now. The car developed an issue where it would discharge the battery (parasitic drain), when it was off and that started forcing me to disconnect the battery terminal whenever the car would need to be parked for a couple of hours. It was cumbersome and it really got me angered. Surprisingly, it is a mechanic who caused that issue! Quacks! So, countless electrical mechanics got to check the vehicle (not mntioning being asked to replace a perfectly new battery), and a conclusion was drawn that it was some unknown electrical short in the use box! I was asked to replace the fusebox!! Quacks!!! I was lost!!

I got so weary with disconnecting the terminal that I started Youtubing and reading wide. Then I stumbled on info on how to check for a parasitic drain. I had to buy a voltmeter, and went into the fuse boxes. It was tedious, but I got the culprit. It was the relay fuse!!! I could have had the relay replaced, but since I do not live in Nairobi, getting that relay thing became a nightmare. I couldn’t get it anywhere! So I decided to try and disconnect the fuse and see what happened. I took out the fuse, left the battery connected and didn’t move the car for two days. On the third day, I put the fuse back in, and voila, the car just started normally.

Since I had found my nightmare, but had no exorcist, I asked myself, ‘What if I could disconnect the fuse, without lifting the hood, by having a switch inside the car’? So I went to work. I bought wires and a switch, and started my DIY mechanics. It was simple, I simply got the fuse to complete its circuit at the switch, which had its glorified place on the dashboard. I finished the job late, but I was too excited and wanted to see whether I had done a proper job. So off I went on to the highway, and barely 15 minutes later, the car stalled!! It was 9pm! I smelt burning plastic. On checking, I realized that I had gotten a small voltage switch and the current had overwhelmed it and it had ‘died’! So I rewired the connection, and drove back home.

The following day, I asked for a high voltage switch. I replaced the dead switch and voila, this one survived 30 minutes on the road. It survived the following day, and weeks, and months that followed! To date, it is working just fine! Besides, by accident, it became a ‘cut-out’ of sorts. Without flipping it, that car won’t move!! So just like that, I bought time and sorted the parasitic drain issue! The only downside is that if I don’t flip the switch in the evening, then I would have a dead battery in the morning!!! That has got me thinking how I can have a more automatic switch, like say, one that can be under the drivers seat, that when the driver’s weight is removed, then it goes off, and when it detects weight, it comes back on!

When I can, I will just come and camp in Nairobi, where I believe a proper electrician will sort this issue out once and for all!

[1776]

@Nawa Ule

Nice!! That asks me to share an issue that has been bogging my car for a while now. The car developed an issue where it would discharge the battery (parasitic drain), when it was off and that started forcing me to disconnect the battery terminal whenever the car would need to be parked for a couple of hours. It was cumbersome and it really got me angered. Surprisingly, it is a mechanic who caused that issue! Quacks! So, countless electrical mechanics got to check the vehicle (not mntioning being asked to replace a perfectly new battery), and a conclusion was drawn that it was some unknown electrical short in the use box! I was asked to replace the fusebox!! Quacks!!! I was lost!!

I got so weary with disconnecting the terminal that I started Youtubing and reading wide. Then I stumbled on info on how to check for a parasitic drain. I had to buy a voltmeter, and went into the fuse boxes. It was tedious, but I got the culprit. It was the relay issue fuse!!! I could have had the relay replaced, but since I do not live in Nairobi, getting that relay thing became a nightmare. I couldn’t get it anywhere! So I decided to try and disconnect the fuse and see what happened. I took out the fuse, left the battery connected and didn’t move the car for two days. On the third day, I put the fuse back in, and voila, the car just started normally.

Since I had found my nightmare, but had no exorcist, I asked myself, ‘What if I could disconnect the fuse, without lifting the hood, by having a switch inside the car’? So I went to work. I bought wires and a switch, and started my DIY mechanics. It was simple, I simple got the fuse to complete its circuit at the switch, which had its glorified place on the dashboard. I finished the job late, but I was too excited and wanted to see whether I had done a proper job. So off I went on to the highway, and barely 15 minutes later, the car stalled!! It was 9pm! I smelt burning plastic. On checking, I realized that I had gotten a small voltage switch and the current had overwhelmed it and it had ‘died’! So I rewired the connection, and drove back home.

The following day, I asked for a high voltage switch. I replaced the dead switch and voila, this one survived 30 minutes on the road. It survived the following day, and weeks, and months that followed! To date, it is working just fine! Besides, by accident, it became a ‘cut-out’ of sorts. Without flipping it, that car won’t move!! So just like that, I bought time and sorted the parasitic drain issue! The only downside is that if I don’t flip the switch in the evening, then I would have a dead battery in the morning!!! That has got me thinking how I can have a more automatic switch, like say, one that can be under the drivers seat, that when the driver’s weight is removed, then it goes off, and when it detects weight, it comes back on!

When I can, I will just come and camp in Nairobi, where I believe a proper electrician will sort this issue out once and for all!

i like this story very much. reminds me of a guy kwa ofe with the same issue. i’ll send him this info.
ameshinda kwa mech until nowadays we call him battery-1 (like airforce one).

also consider the door, the radio, the safety belt switch (this one is a lot of work) as you consider the weight thing.

[system]

@mabenda4

Napenda sana. Night travel, beba emergency light ama Torch.
Na first aid kit pia ni muhimu.
And some ripe bananas hapo kwa dash board

Hizo ripe banana unaweza kuna ama utumie kama flare… Hehehe…

[Mboco]

At home, have a compressor, an angle grinder, a hammer drill, a riveting gun, a vice, a welding machine, several pliers (and not the ones that cost 100 bob!) spanners (open, ring and box), racket, screw drivers, tape, vernier calipers, tester, etc now you know why I don’t take beer!!

[1776]

@Mboco

At home, have a compressor, an angle grinder, a hammer drill, a riveting gun, a vice, a welding machine, several pliers (and not the ones that cost 100 bob!) spanners (open, ring and box), racket, screw drivers, tape, vernier calipers, tester, etc now you know why I don’t take beer!!

there’s no money left for beer

[system]

@Mboco

At home, have a compressor, an angle grinder, a hammer drill, a riveting gun, a vice, a welding machine, several pliers (and not the ones that cost 100 bob!) spanners (open, ring and box), racket, screw drivers, tape, vernier calipers, tester, etc now you know why I don’t take beer!!

Compressor? :eek: Welding machine? :eek::eek:

[kush_yule_mnono]

@Mboco

spanners (open, ring and box), racket, screw drivers, tape, vernier calipers, tester, etc now you know why I don’t take beer!!

Hii racket ndo nini? I guess you meant a ratchet

[Grundy]

@1776

there’s no money left for beer

Touché

[Mboco]

Kush kanoonoo, you are Wright, I meant rachet, ni kiherehere ya capacitive touch screen (the other one is not a mistake)