During this time, when whole world is fighting against COVID-19, vehicles are parked for more than a month amidst the lockdown. To maintain the health of your car, it is important to take few precautionary measures. Let us see what steps can be taken to ensure that your car remains in good condition.

Battery and Engine

Even when car is not running and is locked, there are some parts which consume some energy from the battery. To prevent battery from being dead, it is important to start your vehicle every 3-5 days and let it idle for 7-10 mins. This helps the Engine reach it optimum temperature and also for the alternator to charge the battery.

If your car battery is more than 2-3 years old, it is advisable to follow these steps more often as the battery becomes weaker in about 3 years.

There are various fluids that help in smooth functioning of a vehicle like Engine Oil, Brake Oil, Coolant, etc. there it is advised to get them checked once the lockdown is over.

Tyres

Tyres are the most important component of a vehicle, as they are the only components of your vehicle that touch the ground, hence it becomes extremely important to keep them in good condition.

Due to weight of your vehicle, tyres tend to develop a flat spot hence it is important to move the vehicle, so that the part in contact changes, preventing a flat spot on the tyres. It is also important to ensure that tyres are well inflated, it can be done just by visually inspecting the tyre pressure. You can also use a tyre pressure gauge if you have one.

Brakes

Normally, all parking brakes are wire driven and they tend to get hard and brake liners stick to the drum, if unused for a long time. Hence, it is advisable not to engage the parking brake while parking the vehicle for long. Instead, it should be engaged in a gear to prevent the vehicle from moving.

Disc brakes tend to accumulate rust specially in coastal cities like Mumbai, hence it is advised to drive slowly in the beginning, till the rust sheds off the disc.

In case your car is parked on an incline, you should put a stone or brick behind your tyres and put it in gear to prevent it from rolling.

Exteriors

Leaving the car in harsh sunlight for long does affect the paint. Hence it is advisable to park your car in a shed or covered parking. If not, then use a car cover for protection.

Another thing that affects the paint is accumulation of dust on the car. Hence, you should keep your car clean.

Wipers should be kept raised up, as they are made of rubber which tends to harden. Hence, they should be kept off the pressure on the windshield.

Interiors

Like a greenhouse, temperature inside the car becomes much higher during the day hence, interiors should be kept clean. One should ensure that no eatables are strewn around in the car like chocolates, chips etc., as they may react with the interiors and also attract rodents.

Using Maximum Mechanicals and Electronics

You should try to use maximum mechanical’s and electronics like power windows, wipers, air-conditioning, steer

ing, etc. to ensure they are working properly. You should try to move your car as much as possible.

For extra care, you can also:

  • Clean Engine and A.C Air FilterIn most cars, it is very easy to clean the filters at your home with nearly no tools, hence it is a good practice to clean the filters as it can boost the performance significantly.
  • Polishing

You may also polish your car after washing. This will ensure better protection of the paint and will help you get a closer look at you car as well.