Due to COVID-19 outbreak, a large number of businesses moved or rather we should call it, adopted to work-from-home culture. Since people stayed home, the number of vehicles on road has reduced naturally.
While it was a move to stop the chain of the virus, it undoubtedly made hundreds of thousands of cars and other automobiles sick. Cars are designed to move – not to be put into our garage or yard.
It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that COVID lockdown has had an adverse impact on our cars.
Leaving them parked for long periods can result in several serious mechanical problems. A great way to prevent a majority of issues with your car is to take your car out for a drive every few days.
Proper maintenance will help keep your car prepared for an emergency that might come up. Here are a few tips to ensure your car runs well while taking care of your safety and needs.
Park it in a good spot
It is vital to always choose your parking spot wisely. Always avoid parking near lampposts or below trees. During weather changes and storms, lampposts could topple over your car. Tree branches could break off and fall on your car during storm or wind.
Additionally, you should not park your car on grass or any other soft and damp surface. The moisture can cause intense damage to the tire as well as your car’s metal body. The best surface to park your car for extended periods is gravel.
Beware of pests and contaminants
Parked cars are like a safe and warm habitation for rats, mice, and other rodents and pests. Take responsible steps to protect your parking area from common pests.
If your car is parked and left idle for some time, check the hood of the car for evidence of any chewed wires or belts. Also, keep an eye for critters in the engine compartment and around all the tires and wheel wells.
Cover your car
If your car is parked outside for a long period, it is likely to accumulate dust, bird droppings, and other contaminants like water stains because of rain, nearby sprinklers or sap dripping from a tree.
Exposure to these elements could potentially damage the paint of the vehicle over time. Using a weatherproof car cover is an age-old way to effectively prevent your car from getting dirty.
Check the tires
A basic tire inspection is quite easy to do and should be performed every month. Uneven wear and damage over the tires could warrant their replacement.
When parked for long, parts of the tires tend to absorb too much weight and get partially flattened – a condition called flat-spotting.
Check the pressure on the tires and get them inflated to factory specifications.
Check the brakes
When left unused for a long time, brake rotors tend to develop rust on the surface. Leaving your parking brake engaged for a long time can cause the brake pads to bind to the rotors.
If you are going to park your car for more than a month, it is recommendable to leave the parking brakes off. But make sure you do that only on a flat surface, not on a sloppy surface.
Test the battery
The battery of your car discharges and eventually dies with time. This can leave you needing to jumpstart your car.
Taking your car out every few days can help in keeping the batteries charged. If you have a battery maintainer, you need to plug the vehicle into it. If you know your car will be parked for a long time, you can always disconnect the battery.
Keep the fluids moving
When parked for a longer duration, your car’s fluids can separate, causing water vapor to accumulate in the gas tank. When not lubricated, gaskets and hoses can dry out and become brittle.
Taking your car out at least 20 minutes every 2 weeks can help prevent fuel separation, water vapor accumulation, as well as brittle gaskets and hoses.
There are a lot of different fluids that are very important for your car’s operations such as brake fluid, power steering fluid, engine oil, windshield washer fluid, coolant, and transmission fluid. It is very important to get these fluids checked, topped off, and changed as a preventive maintenance measure.
Take care of the car’s windshield
Besides providing clear vision, windshield also maintains the structural integrity of the car. That said, it makes an extremely important part of the car.
One needs to make sure that the wiper blades do not stick to the windshield for extended periods, as they can create impressions or marks on the glass. Wrapping the blades with a cloth or putting a cloth underneath the wiper blades can help in avoiding any marks on the screen.
Clean the insides of the car
If your car has been sitting on one spot for since weeks, and when you open it, you will be welcomed by an unpleasant odor.
To do away the smell, remove all leftover packets and droppings of food, snacks, drinks, or used wipes. Vacuuming the insides of the car could be a great help.
If you don’t use your car often, you can do the aforementioned maintenance best practices. A stretch of a few hundred miles between services will not hamper the performance and health of an otherwise well-maintained car.
These small maintenance measures can be ensures at home. But avoiding professional car service entirely is never advisable. If you feel your car needs a more care, or it has a mechanical or performance issue, it would be a good idea to visit a car service or hire an expert.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when seeking professional help for car repair and maintenance during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hire a mobile mechanic
The best thing to do is to hire a mobile mechanic to inspect your car and repair it. Avoid direct contact with the technician during the appointment to ensure your safety as well as theirs. Leave the keys for them in a convenient location and handle all the communication and payments through mobile phones. As a precautionary measure to avoid virus contamination, disinfect the car thoroughly post repair.
Wait inside the car or not
If the repair does not require the technician to check the insides of the car, it would be smart to wait inside the car. This will help maintain a safe distance between the technician and the customer.
However, if the service is going to take long, you could wait in the waiting area. Or, have the car service provider drop the car at your place post service.
Clean your car upon pickup
Most car service providers are being careful and following all measures to ensure customers’ safety, it is still wise to disinfect your car after the repair.
Do not assume that the repair shop has disinfected your vehicle before returning it to you. Spray a surface sanitizer and wipe down all the common touch points in your car.
When it comes to car repairs and servicing, choosing the right company can make a huge difference. At Vehpal, we seamlessly connect customers with the best repair and service solutions for their vehicle at the most economical rates. Our unique mobile app helps you report issues, keep track of the work progress, make clarifications, and make payments in a hassle-free, socially-distanced manner.
Book your service at www.vehpal.com for world-class servicing of your car at incredibly competitive prices.
