With the unpredictable and volatile Covid-19 situation in Malaysia, various types of MCO (Movement Control Order) have been introduced to curb the further spread of Covid-19 on and off. During this lockdown period, most cars will be left parked in the parking lots or garage for an extended period of time.
Do you know that your car will start to break down systematically when your car sits for too long without going for a ride? As such, car maintenance is essential to avoid the risk of unwanted repairs, or even permanent damage! However, fret not! There are a few tips that you may follow to ensure that your vehicle remains in perfect running condition until the MCO period ends.
1. Drive out to get grocery once a week
It is recommended to drive your vehicle at least once a week for 20 minutes or more to keep the battery charged. Your vehicle’s battery is charged via the alternator of the car. When the car sits for more than two weeks, the battery starts losing its charge.
The risk is that the central locking and alarm system will not function properly with a low-powered battery. Even worse, your alarm might even fail to alert you with a dying battery! The easy solution to this is to drive out to get grocery at least once a week to keep your car up and going!
2. Clean the inside of your car
Your car may start to smell after months of sitting quietly in the parking lot or garage. This may be caused by food residues, drinks or used tissue papers that were left in the car! Make sure to take out all trash, especially food residues which may go bad. This will also lower the risk of having pests such as rats and roaches from nesting in your car! Vacuum the carpet of your car to keep it clean would be a good move as well to lower the risks of mildew and unpleasant odours from developing.
3. Check your tyres
Flat spots may begin to develop in tyres when tyres are improperly inflated and left untouched or unmoved for a long time. Flat spots lead to an uneasy and unsafe ride because of excessive vibration. As what we have seen in tip number 1, just drive your car for weekly grocery shopping.
Car tyres may also become deflated. Be sure to keep them inflated by making sure that all tyres are adequately pressurized.
4. Ensure full petrol tank
Unwanted moisture will accumulate in a half-empty or near-empty petrol tank of a resting car. These unwelcomed moistures will become a part of the oil, causing a corroded petrol tank and its parts. Just make sure to drop by the petrol station to get your tank filled!
5. Don’t use the parking brake
Unless you are parking on an angled surface, don’t use the parking brake for long periods of time on a flat surface! When left unused, brake rotors can begin to develop rust on the surface of the rotors. That means if you leave your parking brake engaged for a long period of time, it can actually cause the brake pads to bind to the rotors. If the car remains idle for too long, we recommend leaving the parking brake off.