… but what now?

- The engine bay should be steam cleaned

from top to bottom.

- All moving components in the engine bay should be lubricated with the proper recommended product.

- All painted surfaces, especially parts of the vehicle that go head-on into the wind and dust, should be carefully treated and polished using a recommended car polish to help protect the paint.

- All leather components in the cabin should be treated using an approved leather cleaning product.

- Do not use ordinary household cleaning

products.

- Use a good carpet shampoo to refresh the

interior carpeting, including removable mats. - Do not spray the dashboard with surface polish – it will cause it to reflect in the windscreen and might even blind you when driving looking into the sun. - Windows need to be cleaned with the correct cleaning products, especially the inside of the windscreen.

- Use a spray that removes unwanted odours. Spray it with the air-conditioner running at full blast.

- After a steam wash, the underside of the vehicle should be treated (greased) at all the moving points of the suspension. - Rubber bushes should be treated with the

proper product. - All chrome work should be treated and polished with the proper cleaning product and polish.

- Polish the tyres – yet again with a

premium product.

OTHER HAZARDS

Travelling long distances means the vehicle could have collected a variety of hazards not easily visible, such as grass seeds that could clog the fine openings between the cooling fins of the radiator.

“So, very importantly – during your trip and after returning home, please ensure that anything stuck between the cooling fins of the radiator is removed. Grass seeds easily get stuck and might cause overheating,” advises Rossouw.

WHEELS AND TYRES

Tyres are the only contact between your vehicle and the road surface, so check them for any foreign material, including nails or screws, but also thorns or other hazards. “Most tyre fitment centres will do a safety check free of charge. Remember the spare wheel!” says Rossouw.

Also, check the odometer and the owner’s manual to make sure your car does not need its next service. If your vehicle is less than 1 000 km from its next service, make an appointment even if it is early.