CAR MANAGEMENT DURING COVID-19
COVID-19, coronavirus, “the rona”, anyway you want to say it, the current pandemic sweeping the globe is nothing less than lethal – from which a new normal will arise.
Amidst all the uncertainty and unprecedented change, when was the last time you considered your car’s health? For most of us, I’m very sure it would be quite low on our list of concerns. However, let’s talk through why you should not let CORVID-19 become a car-owner- virus.
We currently have two main groups in our society: essential and non- essential workers. For those of us that work in what’s deemed essential services it’s imperative that our vehicles are functioning and stay reliable at a time of need.
However, for those of us that aren’t in essential services and are required to stay home what do we do with our cars? Let them sit pretty in the driveway or garage? At a time like this it seems we are living one news alert to next, but for our cars we need to consider the outcome of when lockdown is lifted. Will your engine be healthy; tires holding the right pressures; oil checked? Let’s look at some lockdown tips to keep your car healthy.
Idle your car. If you’re looking for a short and simple task to help pass the time, have a go at idling your car for 10 to 15 minutes – let it get up to operating temperature. This will awaken the engine and allow it to turn over, rather than sitting non-active for weeks on end. For those feeling extra adventurous, you might like to move the car up down your driveway to prevent flat spots from forming on your tires from lack of rotation.
Honour your car’s scheduled service intervals. Even if you haven’t reached the kilometres, if your vehicle is due for a service in the coming months, take it to your mechanic for a pamper session. CarMechanica is a great place to find a trusted master workshop near you. Not only will this maximise the longevity of your car’s life expectancy, it will also help support local business in this most testing of times.
If you’re a two-car family, you might want to consider putting at least one of them on trickle charge to safeguard the battery. As long periods of no use can result in a flat battery. Modern cars use many control units that work even when the car is not in use, which can render a car battery dead after weeks of no use.
Be car ready and safe when life returns to the new normal. You’ll have places to go and people to see, make sure your car is both safe and ready to get back on the road.
