When driving long-distance cars, many people are concerned about how many km after stopping to rest the engine. However, there is no mandatory mileage milestone applied to all types of vehicles. Stopping to rest is mainly to ensure the health of the driver and create conditions to quickly check the vehicle's condition.
According to a technician at Ninety Eight Auto Repair, Maintenance and Care Center (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City), with a relatively smooth long-distance journey, drivers can proactively stop the car after about 200-300 km or depending on the actual situation.
Each break of about 10-15 minutes helps the driver relax, drink water, exercise and regain alertness before continuing the journey.
Drivers should note that, if the health condition is good and the vehicle is operating normally, the engine temperature is stable, no warnings appear on the instrument panel and the operating parameters do not show any abnormal signs, the vehicle can still continue to move.
As for steep mountain roads, operating conditions may be harsher. When climbing slopes, the engine and transmission system must work with higher loads, especially when the vehicle is carrying many people or goods. When going down a long slope, the braking system also has to work more if the driver uses brakes continuously.
Therefore, on mountain passes, drivers should proactively rest according to actual conditions instead of trying to stick to a fixed distance mark.
If the journey has many steep sections, heavy vehicles, hot weather or the driver feels tired, stopping to rest earlier is necessary. When stopping, the driver can observe the tires, check for abnormal signs around the vehicle and monitor temperature warnings or fluids if any.
In particular, when going down a long pass, drivers should choose a suitable gear and take advantage of engine brakes to reduce the load on the braking system. Do not rev brakes continuously for long periods of time because rising brake temperatures can reduce braking efficiency.
Most importantly, drivers should not try to drive along a certain distance when signs of fatigue have appeared. For long trips, the rest time should be decided based on the driver's health, road conditions and the actual condition of the vehicle.
Taking time off not only makes the journey safer but also limits the risk of accidents due to lack of concentration or drowsiness.
