Vehicle Health Check
As customers bring Land Cruisers to us for preparation for overlanding trips or even just for a bit of TLC for their family runabout, it is useful to know early on what sort of condition the base vehicle is in before planning budgets and starting work on the vehicle.
The standard UK MOT only tests the condition of the vehicle on the day of the test and not whether it will make it on the weekly trip to the supermarket let alone a trip to Cape Town.
To help get around this we have developed a series of checks that enable us to assess the overall condition of the vehicle and whether it will stand up to the rigours of the planned journeys ahead.
As a guide, here is a list of some of the areas that we check...
- Engine starting and running
- Driving feel
- Lights
- Horns
- Wipers
- Internal Guages, etc
- Windows and door locks
- Diff Locks
- Bodywork condition
- Suspension - springs, dampers, bushes
- Tyres
- All fluid levels and conditions
- Condition of Belts, hoses
- Check for oil leaks
- Wheel bearings, UJ's, Diffs, etc - basicallly all the running gear
- Brake callipers, pads, hoses, linkages
The average inspection takes around 3 hours, but armed with the information we can reasonably accurately estimate the amount of work required to baseline the vehicle and can then advise you on costs and help prioritise the work required.
The key thing during the assessment and budgetting is that we assess the vehicle's suitability for your needs at the time - if you are driving to Cape Town you will probably want all the work doing where as if you are just towing a horse box and doing the occasional school run then your needs are different and some key jobs can be left for later.
The key thing is to know what sort of condition the vehicle is from the outset so we can avoid surprises as we dive in to the work on the vehicle.