4x4 Car Rental: Find One
That Works
The last thing you want is for
your 4x4 car rental to break down especially if you are on an off-road
trail somewhere far from civilization. Your well being depends on the
reliability of your vehicle.
So it is in your best interests
to make sure that the 4wd vehicle you have been given is in good condition.
Any 4x4 car rental agency worth
their salt will ensure that it is but for your own peace of mind it's better to
make sure.
Here's a checklist to test the
condition of your 4x4 car rental...
Fetching Your 4x4 Car
Rental: 10
Point Condition Checklist
- Check for oil leaks under the
engine and around the gearbox as these could be symptoms of a more serious
malfunction.
- Bounce the 4x4 on all four
sides to check if the shock absorbers may be worn. A bounce that doesn't
stop quickly may indicate that they are.
- Open and close the doors,
bonnet and tailgate to make sure that everything is functioning normally and
check all the windows to make sure they wind up and down all the way.
- Make sure all the lights and
indicators are working.
- Climb under the vehicle and
check for damage to the chassis frame, cross members and floor panelling and
look for cracks in the chassis rails, particularly close to suspension
location points.
- Start the engine and after it
warms up have someone stands at the rear of the vehicle while you quickly push
down the accelerator as far as it will go and then release it . If the engine
doesn't accelerate quickly and smoothly and/or there is excessive smoke from
the exhaust then there is a problem.
- When the engine decelerates it
shouldn't smoke because if it does it may mean the valve guides are worn.
- Take the vehicle onto the
motorway and run it up to a reasonable speed to check if there is undue
vibration which could indicate a wheel balancing problem or an unbalanced prop
shaft which might cause gearbox bearing and oil seal failure.
- Drive at about 45 kph and when it is safe push on the brake
pedal until the 4x4 vehicle comes to a halt. The pedal should not sink
all the way to the floor and there should be no tendency to veer to one side
while decelerating.
- Check all the gear ratios by
accelerating and decelerating sharply in all gears. Doing this may cause it to
jump out of gear which is a common problem with well used 4x4 car rental gearboxes.
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