COVID-19 has forced us to stay home. Our cars are parked at one place for days and weeks now. Here is how you should take care of your car in such times.
India is facing the worst of COVID-19 pandemic. To contain the virus, major parts of India are under lockdown. That means your car is also standing idle in the garage. But cars are built to run on roads. When parked for a long time, it may attract unwanted wear and tear.
Here is how you need to maintain your car when it is parked idle for a long time.
Parking
Make sure to park the car in a safe spot; preferably under a shade where it can stay safe from dust, water, and other harmful particles. It will help in protecting your car's paint job and chrome elements.
Maintain right tyre pressure to avoid spot on tyres. Keep moving your car backwards and forwards on a regular basis to avoid flat spots on tyre.
Ignition Engaged
There is a higher probability of discharged battery in a car parked for long time. To avoid battery getting discharged, start your car at least once a week for around 20 minutes. It will prevent the aux battery from exhausting itself.
If you have an electric car, you can start the AC remotely. You can also remove the negative terminal of the aux battery if you need to keep the car parked for a longer time. Before, starting an electric vehicle after long time, it is advisable to charge the battery up to 100% through a slow charger.
Disengage Handbreak
If you are parking the car on a downhill slope, you can park it in the reverse gear and in first gear on the uphill slope. You can also support the wheels through bricks or chocks. Applying handbrakes for a longer period of time may make brake shoes stick with the brake disc.
Fuel Tank
To avoid buildup of moisture inside the fuel tank, it is best to keep the fuel to full level. Especially in winter and monsoon season.
These are common practices that can be applied to car of any make or brand. You should always follow these practices whenever your car is parked for a longer period of time.
