How to Keep Your Car Well-Maintained During Covid 19 Pandemic

It’s been nearly an entire year since the Covid-19 pandemic began to have an impact on daily life here in the States. The pandemic influenced millions of people that haven’t been traveling as much due to stay at home orders, businesses being shut down, people working from home, and an unprecedented number of people losing their jobs.

Despite all of this, it’s still important to keep up on your vehicle’s maintenance even when you’re not driving. Just because you haven’t added miles to your car’s engine doesn’t mean that your car will be ready to go when it’s time to drive again. An unmaintained vehicle is an accident waiting to happen, just ask these wrongful death lawyers. So, check out these tips to keep your car in tip-top shape. 

Take a Sunday Drive

Mechanics and vehicle maintenance experts agree that it’s important to drive your vehicle for at least 20 minutes once a week to keep your battery charged and working in proper condition. Over time, when you’re not driving your car, your battery loses its charge and you’ll need to give it power through an external source before you can drive again. 

If you can’t drive it every week, disconnect the battery. Just make sure to read all the instruction in your owner’s manual, and maybe watch a few YouTube videos, before trying to disconnect it. Otherwise, you might need the aid of these personal injury attorneys in Redondo Beach. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

In addition to your battery losing its power when you’re not regularly driving, other vehicle parts can wear out. If you park your car outside exposed to the elements, your brakes could rust and the discs and calipers could seize up when they’re not being used. Driving a minimum of once a week is not only a good way to maintain your car, but it’s also a good cure for cabin fever.

Clean the Inside of Your Vehicle

Things happened pretty quickly with the pandemic, so might have forgotten to clean out your car before the shutdowns. Don’t be too surprised if you open your car doors and find a funky smell. Things like leftover food bags, snacks and drinks, or other trash could have been forgotten and start to stink. Clean out the garbage and do a quick cleaning to keep odors from developing.

Check Your Tires

You probably already know that cold weather can cause your tires to deflate, but did you know that when your car sits for extended periods of time the tires can develop flat spots. According to http://tyreinflatorguide.com/ even just as little time as a month can cause problems. In addition to driving your car once a week, check your tire pressure and inflate them to the factory specs found on the doorsill or owner’s manual. You can get yourself a portable air compressor as you can easily take it around with you. Head over to BestOfMachinery if you want more details about the most popular portable air compressor of today

Don’t Use Your Parking Brake 

Unless your vehicle is parked on an angled surface, there’s no need to use your parking brake. If you’re not driving your car for long periods, rust can develop on the rotors and if the parking brake is left on it can bind the brake pads to the rotors. If it’s only going to be a couple of weeks, this shouldn’t be an issue, but longer than that just leave the parking brake off.

Watch Out for Pests

Little critters like mice and chipmunks have a way of finding vehicles that have been sitting for a while, especially if they’re stored outdoors. Always make sure to pop the hood and check the working parts for signs that wires or belts were chewed. Check the engine compartment including the air filter, as well as the tops of tires and wheel wells for critter nests.

Get Professional Maintenance

Because repair shops and oil change locations are typically considered essential businesses, they’re usually still up and running during the shutdowns. Make sure you’re keeping up your car’s maintenance but do it safely. Always wear a mask and practice social distancing. You can also ask the repair shop to disinfect your vehicle while you watch before they return it. 

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