How To Keep Your Car In Good Condition When You Won’t Use It For Long
Njaanuary is here. After paying essential bills such as rent and school fees, we look to save a few coins where we can. One of the areas many people usually cut costs is their fuel expenditure. Daily drives turn to weekly or even monthly drives, especially with fuel prices at an all-time high. If you can use public transport to save on fuel costs, why not? But how to you keep your car in good condition when you won’t use it for a long time?
The risk with parking your car for a prolonged period is that it may not start the next time you drive it. Corrosive damage and cracks on tires and rubber components may also occur. How do you avoid these if you’ll be parking your car for an extended time?
5 Tips To Keep Your Car Working When Not In Use
Keeping a car that you drive frequently in good condition is quite straightforward. After all, you can notice problems early enough and have them worked on. But keeping a parked car in good condition is another piece of work. It’s easy to assume everything is in order until you need to drive somewhere.
Follow these tips to maintain a vehicle you don’t drive often and keep your car ready for the road:
1. Maintain your fluid change schedule
If you won’t be driving your car for a while, you will still need to change your engine oil and other essential fluids. This is where the “whichever comes first” rule comes in play. These fluids need a change because they age and degrade over time even when you’re not using them.
2. Disconnect the battery
The battery is usually the most susceptible to damage and malfunction if you don’t use your car for long. If you’re not planning on driving your vehicle for a long time, you might consider disconnecting the battery. It will help to prevent the terminals from corroding.
Here’s how to safely disconnect your battery from the car:
- Turn off the engine and take the keys off the ignition
- Wear safety gloves and goggles
- Disconnect the negative terminal first then remove the positive terminal
- Store the battery in a cool and dry place, well away from direct sunlight.
Ensure the battery is fully charged before storing it away. You should also smear grease or petroleum jelly on the terminals and wire ends to prevent rusting.
3. Disengage the parking brakes
You should always pull up the parking brake (handbrake) when getting out of the car. It’s one of the first rules you’re taught in a driving school. But it’s a rule you should disregard if you’re going to park your car for an extended time.
If the parking brake stays engaged for long, there’s a risk of the brake pads getting stuck to the brake discs or drum. The parking brake will “freeze” and you won’t be able to disengage when you’re ready to get back on the road.
Instead, keep the parking brake disengaged and use wheel chocks, such as wood or bricks, to prevent the car from rolling. Ensure the car is held securely and safely in place.
4. Remove the spark plugs
You should remove the spark plugs after removing the battery and disengaging the parking brakes. Then spray a little oil into the plug pockets to keep away moisture and prevent rusting. This will help to prevent problems such as prolonged cold-starting and misfires during acceleration when you are ready to drive again.
5. Jack up the car
Cars that have been stationary for long periods develop flat spots on tires. This is because the car’s weight exerts pressure on the area where the tire touches the ground. It can lead to tire deformation, which compromises their performance and durability.
To avoid this, use four jacks (or blocks of wood) so the car doesn’t rest on the wheels. Alternatively, you can replace them with old ones and just change them back when you start driving again.
Keep Your Car Road-Ready
You should also keep the car covered to protect it from harsh weather elements, fill up the fuel tank to prevent rusting on the inside of the fuel tank, and keep your car insurance active.
Your car still needs caring when parked for an extended time. Keep it in good condition with the tips mentioned above, and when you are ready to drive again, we’ll help you get it road-ready, too! We’ll perform a comprehensive inspection to ensure everything is working properly.
