If you are moving to another country where people drive on the left, such as Japan or Australia, you might be considering shipping your car from Ireland. With so many bureaucratic details to take care of, it is easy to forget you also need to know how to prepare your car for shipping overseas. It isn’t terribly complicated, but you don’t want to wonder if you missed something important as your car is being loaded onto a ship.
For starters, you want to make sure your car is in good shape. This goes beyond just having a recent NCT. Even if the car isn’t roadworthy, you need to make sure if it’s going to create problems in transit. The most important thing is to ensure that nothing is leaking. Ask your mechanic to check and make sure it isn’t leaking oil, brake fluid, steering fluid, transmission fluid, fuel, wiper fluid or anything else. Even a small leak you don’t notice during normal use can become a problem. Your tyres should be properly inflated, and your battery should be well charged.
Remove all extras and personal items. Make sure your garage door opener is out and any roof or bike racks are removed. If you have electronic tags for tolls, remove those too. First aid and roadside emergency kits should be packed separated, not left in the car. If you have electronics equipment that was not factory installed such as stereo equipment or a sat nav, those too should be transported separately. Spare jackets, booster seats, toys, boxes of tissues and any other personal items also need to be taken out to prepare your car for shipping.
When you are shipping your car from Ireland, you also want it to be clean inside and out. This might be the last step to prepare your car for shipping, but it is important. When you are reunited with your car, you do not want to be reunited with that half eaten sandwich you forgot about or the biscuits your child dropped. Your car will also be subject to inspection, and could be failed for being dirty.
One last thing – while it might seem sensible to top up the petrol tank when you prepare your car for shipping, don’t! Your fuel gauge should be between one quarter and one eighth full.
If you are considering shipping your car from Ireland, please contact us at Spratt. We’re happy to explain how it all words and answer any questions you have about how to prepare your car for shipping. For more information on our car shipping services please click here.
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