As well as taking care of yourself and your family, you need to make sure you’re keeping on top of your car maintenance during lockdown. With less use – or in some cases no use at all – you might find that your car won’t start when you really need it to.
Take a look at these easy things you can do to care for your car during lockdown so the next time you need to go for a drive there won’t be any problems.
Check your brakes
Without regular use, it’s possible that your brakes discs might have begun to corrode. If the problem escalates, they might seize up completely, so you want to make sure they stay in good working order. Try rolling your car back and forth every now and then if possible to help protect your brake discs.
Look after your battery
Car batteries go flat when they’re not used. Recovery teams are dealing with more flat batteries than ever before due to lack of use. Even if you’re using your car semi-regularly for short journeys, you might find you don’t have enough power to start the engine to get you back home again!
To give your car a full charge, take it out for a 15 to 20 minute drive – that should be all you need. If you’re a multi-car home, alternate which car you take out on your essential journeys and when you drive to the shop or exercise points.
See our advice for keeping your car clean and hygienic too.
Have you checked your tyre pressure recently? It’s simple!
Check your tyres
It’s always a good idea to check your tyres before a journey, but it’s even more important if the car hasn’t moved in a while. It’s very possible your tyre pressure will have dripped while your car has been parked up.
As well as making sure your tyres are at the right pressure, make sure there is no visible damage either. You don’t want to have developed flat spots in them as a result of the car being sat for so long!
Test your handbrake
If your handbrake has been on for a while, it’s possible it could get stuck. To prevent this from happening, ensure your car is parked on a flat surface and take the handbrake on and off occasionally while the car is not in use.
Do you struggle with hill driving? Our tips make it easy!
Clear the windscreen
While it’s been sat, your car might have attracted quite a lot of dirt that you’ll need to clear before you can safely drive. Don’t simply apply your windscreen wipers, as this might cause and grit or pollen to scrap across the glass, potentially damaging it. Wet the screen first with your washer fluid.
Read our advice for changing windscreen wipers here.
When was the last time you checked your vehicle’s fluid levels? See our tips here.
Top up any liquids
Your oil and washer fluid might need topping up before your first lockdown journey. Fuel also has a shelf life, you can’t expect it to sit happily in your tank indefinitely. If you can, get to a petrol station and fill up, as a full tank leaves less room for condensation to form. That will help protect your tank from corrosion.
Starting the car
Before your journey, you should let it run for a minute or two before setting off. This gives oil in your vehicle chance to circulate through properly and allow everything to operate as it should. Having been sat idle for a while, oil may have drained out of some areas.
Make sure you’re keeping on top of car maintenance during lockdown so it’s ready when you need it. But, if you find your car just won’t start and you need to travel, we’re here for you. You can hire a quality vehicle at a low price from Meashams Self Drive.