Mechanical Tips For Your Uganda Road Trip

When planning for a Uganda road trip, it is very hard to imagine that things will go wrong, more so in regard to mechanical issues. We always try to choose what we think is the best, and assume that because we have chosen what we think is the best 4×4 car rental in Uganda agency, there will not be any mechanical issues. 

However, what is disappointing at times, minor and other times major mechanical issues might arise in places where you do not have any cellular network, and you might need to have some little mechanical knowledge to get you to a place where you may communicate with your car rental agency.  

Here are some of the mechanical tips that will come in handy during your Uganda road trip: 

Tightening Battery Terminals 

After driving on Uganda’s bumpy roads for a few days, the battery terminals can get loose, and before you know it, the car just loses all power. You try starting it again, and you notice that the car is not making any sound. Sometimes all that is needed is to check the battery terminals and see whether they are intact. 

In most cases, it is loose battery terminals that cause the car not to make any sound when you attempt to start. However, a similar issue could arise if the battery is dead. 

Carry Jumper Cables 

Batteries usually have a green light to show that the battery is not faulty. Unfortunately, there are instances where the battery is lighting green but dead. Or with very little power to start the car. Though the best option is always to get a new battery at this point, it is not always easy to get a new battery in a remote area. 

The best solution is to ensure that you have jumper cables in the car. Ugandans are very hospitable people; as long as you have jumper cables, someone will jump-start your car so that you may drive to a nearby town where you can get help from. 

Ask For A Tow Rope

There is no guarantee that your car will never get stranded, however good it is. It is therefore recommended to ask the car rental company to provide you with a tow rope. This is one of the essentials that will help you to never get stranded anywhere. Even if the car cannot start, someone can pull you to the next town, where you may get help. 

Most of the 4×4 car rental agencies in Uganda do not offer tow ropes unless you ask for them. It is therefore important that this is expressed and asked for to ensure that, in case you are stranded, someone can come to your rescue. 

Apply Fix-A-Flat to Avoid Punctures 

It is very rare to complete a Uganda road trip without a single puncture, even when you start your trip with completely new tires. To save yourself from the hassle of changing to a spare tire, it is recommended that you apply fix a flat so that in case of any small puncture, it is automatically closed off. 

Fix a flat will also save you from waking up to a flat tire on a day you intend to do a game drive very early in the morning. The best way to avoid all these issues is to apply fix a flat to ensure that no minor puncture interrupts your Uganda road trip plans. 

Ask For A New Spare Tire 

In Ugandan culture, a spare tire is simply to take you 20km to the point where you can fix your damaged tire. It is therefore wise to inform the car rental agency that you need a car with tires that are in good condition, as well as a spare tire that is in very good condition. 

In fact, if you can, a list of all the things you will be checking when the car is delivered should be made. That must be inclusive of the car, Jack, and a wheel spanner to change the spare tire. If you take this due diligence, you can ensure you have a fully fit car for a Uganda road trip.

Check For Wiper Fluids At the Start of Your Road Trip

Sometimes that car is driven in a dry season, making wipers unnecessary. Some car rental agencies do not take due diligence to check the wipers as well as the wiper fluids. These are things you ought to check once the car is delivered to ensure that you are not disappointed with poor wipers during your road trip. 

Check For Lights 

Cars are often delivered during the car. Most of the time, you will not get a chance to test the lights in the darkness. But regardless, it is recommended to check the indicator lights, brake lights, and headlights at the beginning of the trip. In fact, remind the car rental agency before you pick up the car that you will be checking these things, so that they take due diligence. 

Check Cigarette Lighter Port 

Last but not least, check to see whether the cigarette lighter ports are operational. You might need to charge your phone during the course of your Uganda road trip, and you cannot afford to have a car without any functioning cigarette lighter ports. 

On top of this, remind the car rental agency about the AC and the radio. Do not just assume that the car will be delivered with all these things operational. But once you communicate, the companies usually take due diligence to ensure that they deliver the car with all these things functioning.