Protect your car even when you’re not driving it often
WHETHER you’re riding with your partner to reduce your family expenses, it’s your designated special occasions ride, or your car has been stuck in park like you are during the lockdown, there are certain steps you should take to protect your ride whether it’s in your garage or under a tree beneath a covering.
Auto mechanic and car enthusiast Roshane Holness says you want to be following these vehicle maintenance tips when you’re not driving the car often.
Clean the car
It’s weird that you should clean a car you know will only gather more dust in a while. But Holness said that you should clean that car to get rid of possible chemical residue, food on the inside that could attract rodents, and droppings on the paint that could make it deteriorate faster.
Start it at least once weekly
Holness said that starting your car at least once per week will prevent the battery from going dead. He explains that if you just leave your car sitting there, even for just a few weeks, your car’s battery will eventually lose its charge and need to be jump started.
If you won’t be around to turn the vehicle on to keep the battery alive, then you can look into procuring a battery tender. This device plugs into a standard AC outlet and transfers power in the form of amps to your battery to keep it operational over long periods of inactivity.
Prevent battery corrosion
A common issue seen with cars that are not used over long periods is that the battery becomes corroded after a while. To prevent this, you should disconnect the battery and reattach it as needed.
Fill the tank up
It the car will be sitting down idly, getting a full tank of gas is a good idea. This recommendation is especially important if storage will be long term or more than 30 days. In the absence of fuel, moisture may build up in the tank. “If you are going to be away for more than say three months, you must add a fuel stabiliser because as you know, fuel can expire. However, if you add a high-quality fuel stabiliser it will reduce the impact between usage intervals. It may also help to keep the fuel lines and engine from corroding.
Keep it covered
Get a good quality car cover for your vehicle. It will keep moisture off the car and protect it from other elements of the weather. A good car cover also offers protection against dust, bird droppings, UV rays, and allows adequate air flow to the vehicle. Also, a good car cover reduces the chances of scratches and bumps to the vehicle.
Inflate the tyres
When you decide not to drive your car, for one, you will need to make sure that your tyres are at the recommended air pressure. Since temperatures will change from time to time, you may notice that the tyres lose air over time. Don’t be tempted to add more than the recommended air pressure for your vehicle. Just make sure that when you are taking your car out of storage you can check the tyre pressure and re-inflate them with air, as needed, before driving the vehicle.
Other protective measures
Rodents and small insects can cause quite a lot of damage to your car. One way of preventing them from entering the vehicle is by putting steel wool in the exhaust pipe and or barring other areas where they could enter easily. If rodents get into your car they may chew on belts, hoses and wires, which can be quite expensive to replace.
