Most people already understand it’s important to maintain vehicles they use often. Driving a car puts wear and tear on it. You need to take steps to ensure this wear and tear doesn’t affect the vehicle more than it has to.
That said, it’s also important to maintain a vehicle that you don’t use very often. Understanding this may in fact be more crucial than ever. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people aren’t driving their cars as often as they once did. If you’re one of those people, you should know what you can to do to keep your car in good condition, so it’s road-ready when the situation resolves itself.
The following tips will help. If you want to know how to maintain a car while it’s not in use, keep them in mind:
Maintaining a Car You Don’t Drive Often: What You Need to Know
Keep it Clean
This is a simple tip, but it’s also a good task to start with. Check your car for any food remnants or similar items you may have left behind in it. If you leave food in the car for a long time, it may attract rodents and other pests.
Check Your Tire Pressure
Temperature affects tire pressure. That’s worth remembering if your car is in storage for a long time. Odds are good the temperature in your area will change over this period. You should thus routinely check your car’s tire pressure to make sure it’s still at the recommended level.
Consider Disconnecting the Battery
This tip only applies if you know you won’t be using your car for an extended period of time. If the car is going to stay put in the garage for a while, consider disconnecting the battery. This will help to guard against corrosion.
Try to Cover It
It’s best to keep your vehicle indoors when not in use. However, not everyone has sufficient garage space for a vehicle. If you don’t have space in your garage for a car, keep a tarp over it instead. This will prevent debris from accumulating. It will also protect it from the elements. Just make sure you consult with a car specialist to determine which kind of tarp is ideal.
Don’t Forget to Change the Oil
You likely already know you need to change your car’s oil after driving it a certain distance. However, some people mistakenly believe they don’t need to change their oil if they aren’t driving their vehicles.
That’s not the case. Even if your car is kept in storage, the oil will probably deteriorate over time. It’s a good idea to change it every six months while you’re not driving your vehicle. That said, you may want to check your manufacturer’s recommendations to see if they suggest a different interval. Some cars may require oil changes sooner than six months.
Proper maintenance is key to extending your vehicle’s lifespan. This is true even if you’re not driving your car very much. These tips will help.
