Long-distance driving not only tests the car, but also tests the person. The performance of a car is immediately reflected after a high-speed trip. Let me talk to you about what it feels like to drive for more than 1,000 kilometers continuously.
003 has passed, and it is the first Spring Festival after normalization. Are you planning a self-driving trip or driving home to celebrate the New Year? For long-distance travel, it is necessary to prepare for many things in advance. Here are some different experiences. Including car model selection, preparation before departure, vehicle inspection items, route planning, driving experience, travel precautions, etc. I hope my experience can help everyone.
1. Conduct an inspection on the vehicle, paying special attention to 4 key places.
Before departure, drive the car to the 4S shop for a comprehensive overhaul, including engine, gearbox, chassis, brake pads, brake oil, tires, battery, spark plugs , oil , oil filter element , air conditioning filter element , fuel filter element , air filter element , engine coolant, glass water , lights, etc.
Among them, the focus is on checking the power system, braking system, tires, and electrical circuits. Check whether the engine has abnormal fault codes, whether there is oil leakage, whether there are abnormal noises, etc.
Regarding the braking system, focus on checking the brake pads, brake oil, braking effect testing, etc. Generally speaking, check and replace the brake pads every 30,000 to 60,000 kilometers or 2-3 years. When the brake pad wear reaches the limit, an alarm will usually sound, or the remaining thickness will be checked. Experienced drivers can also identify it by feeling.
brake fluid is generally replaced every 2-3 years or every 30,000-50,000 kilometers. You can open the brake fluid cap to check. If the oil is black and turbid, it basically needs to be replaced. The professional method is to check the water content. If it is greater than 3%, it needs to be replaced in time.
Regarding car tires, they generally need to be replaced every 40,000 to 70,000 kilometers or every 3-5 years. The specific situation depends on the actual condition of the tires. For example, for front-wheel drive cars, the front wheels generally wear faster. When the tires wear to the groove mark, they need to be replaced in time. If there are deep scratches or bulges, they also need to be replaced in time.
Car batteries are generally replaced every 3-5 years. For details, you can check the battery voltage. Generally, the normal voltage is above 12v. After starting the vehicle, the voltage is generally between 13.4v-14.8v. If the voltage is lower than 11v, some models with automatic start and stop may not start. If it is lower than 9.5v, there is a high probability that it will not start directly.
Regarding car inspections, most car owners don’t understand. That doesn’t matter. They can drive directly to a 4S shop or repair shop and simply tell them that they are going to drive thousands of kilometers long distance. Let them do a detailed inspection of the entire car, and they will know what to do.
2. What you need to bring with you in the car can save you from danger at critical moments.
When traveling far away, remember to bring these commonly used or spare items to be prepared, such as: simple air pump , emergency tire repair tools, vehicle-mounted fire extinguishers, tow ropes of more than 3 tons and jacks , and prepare some food and water. In addition, don’t forget to bring your driver’s license and driving license (electronic documents are also acceptable).
3. Take the expressway or the national highway? How to choose to save money, worry, safety and timeliness?
Usually we run a small long distance, within 200 kilometers one way, we can freely choose between national highways and expressways. But if we are going home for the New Year and the distance exceeds 1,000 kilometers, we must take the expressway. This is the first choice. Of course, in order to save money and take the national highway, you have to be prepared to accept the challenge at any time.
In terms of cost, taking 1,000 kilometers as an example, the toll on the highway is generally between 500 and 700. The fuel cost depends on the car model. Generally, the fuel consumption on the highway is relatively low, generally between 5 and 8L. Depending on the displacement, 1 kilometer is an average of 5 cents. Calculated in this way, the average cost of 1 kilometer on the highway is about 1 yuan.
Taking the national highway and provincial highway does not require tolls, but the overall fuel consumption is at least 20% more than taking the expressway, which is equivalent to a total cost of about 700 for 1,000 kilometers. However, the 1,000-kilometer journey takes one day on the national highway even under ideal conditions, while it only takes about 12 hours on the highway.
In short, the advantage of taking the highway is that it takes less time, is relatively worry-free, has good rest along the way, and is relatively safer. The disadvantage is that the cost is high and it is easy to fall asleep. The advantage of taking the national highway is that it saves money and is less likely to violate regulations. You can enjoy the scenery and rest at any time along the way. The disadvantage is that it takes almost twice as much time as taking the highway. The national road conditions are more complicated and you may encounter various dangers.
The four or five "iron rules" of long-distance driving are all lessons bought with money.
1. Pay attention to lane selection. On a three-lane expressway, give priority to the middle lane. The left lane is generally occupied by overtaking or faster vehicles. The left lane is closer to the guardrail, has a larger turning blind spot, and may have obstacles on the road surface. The fault tolerance rate is relatively low.
There are more large trucks in the right lane. Generally speaking, novices and slow-moving vehicles prefer to use the right lane. Generally speaking, the middle lane has more advantages.
2. If there is a highway exit or entrance ahead, remember to slow down in advance and keep as far apart as possible. Pay attention and try to stay in the left lane. Some car owners may miss the exit and change lanes directly from the left lane to exit the highway. Some may also stop, reverse, or suddenly slow down. Be sure to pay more attention.
The same is true when encountering a highway entrance. Some car owners may have just merged into the highway and the speed is only 60-80. It is very dangerous to change directly from the right to the middle or left lane. You can only make predictions in advance.
3. When encountering water or other objects on the road, remember to slow down and do not run over them. On the highway, when the vehicle speed exceeds 110 km/h, even 0.5 cm deep water can easily cause the wheel grip to weaken and the vehicle to wander. There are some seemingly small things on the road that can easily cause danger once they are run over.
4. Keep distance between vehicles and stay away from large trucks. This is a commonplace topic, but there are always people who don’t care. In many cases, even the driver himself does not know how big the blind spot of a large truck is. The vehicle is very heavy and cannot be stopped in a short distance or dare not apply the brakes hard. Try to stay away from the large truck in the front, rear, left and right.
5. Overtaking must be " fast, accurate and steady". The most important thing to avoid when overtaking is hesitation, which can easily cause misjudgments to other drivers. Turn on the turn signal in advance, take a quick look at the vehicle behind through the rearview mirror to confirm safety, then gradually approach the middle lane line, quickly approach the lane line, confirm again whether it is safe, then enter the left lane first, and finally complete the lane change.
5. The choice of car models is very particular, such as cars and SUVs, fuel vehicles and new energy vehicles .
When driving long distances, some people say that cars are easier to drive than SUVs, while others say that SUVs are more comfortable. From my personal experience, young people driving long distances in cars are indeed more comfortable than SUVs. First of all, the semi-reclining sitting position of cars is more in line with human mechanics . In SUV seats, the body and legs are vertical, which makes middle-aged and elderly people or people with poor lumbar spine easily tired.
In addition, the sedan has a low chassis and low center of gravity, making acceleration, overtaking, and cornering more stable. Compared with cars of the same class, it has obvious advantages in handling. However, the SUV has a slightly obvious roll, slightly poorer handling performance, and is prone to fatigue after long-term driving.
As for pure electric vehicles, except for some newly opened expressways with few service areas or no charging piles installed, other major expressways and service areas basically have charging piles. However, during the Spring Festival, the traffic flow is relatively large and there are many people charging. It is necessary to plan the time and route in advance and be prepared to queue up for charging.
6. There are many things that require special attention during the journey.
When a person drives continuously for more than 1,000 kilometers, remember to buy some snacks, such as functional drinks such as Red Bull , to refresh yourself while driving and prevent drowsiness. If you drive 200 kilometers or about 3 hours at a time, it is best to rest in the service area for a few minutes. According to traffic regulations, continuous driving cannot exceed 4 hours, and you must rest for at least 20 minutes in between.
In the past few years, due to work reasons, I traveled back and forth between Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, and the one-way distance was more than 1,000 kilometers. The first few long-distance runs were probably on new routes, and I felt fresh, or young. I drove a manual transmission car alone for more than 1,000 kilometers, and took about 3-4 rests in the middle. I did not feel very tired when I arrived at the destination.
The most important thing for long-distance high-speed driving is to get a good rest in the first two days. You must keep more than 7 hours of sleep. The car model and vehicle condition are also particular. If the vehicle is an automatic transmission sedan with adaptive cruise and good road conditions, it can be said that you will not be too tired after running 1,000 kilometers long distance.
In short, when driving for a long distance, check the condition of the car in advance, get enough sleep, eat and drink enough, maintain a good attitude, don't get road rage, don't drive a grudge car, take a step back and the sea and the sky are brighter, you will find that the whole journey is beautiful. Finally, I wish everyone a happy Spring Festival trip.
