9 Things That Can Affect Your Car When You Have Not Driven it.

COVID-19 and your auto.

Our vehicles haven’t been seeing the usual amount of use over the last six months with people following the guidelines to stay at home. They’re functioning from their residence or no longer drive to work. As opposed to weekly grocery store runs, they’re getting food and nearly whatever else online. Now, a lot of neighbourhoods contain parked cars and trucks and appear like carparks.

The battery is no longer fully charged

It might come as a surprise, but your automobile is still using the battery even when you’re not driving it. “Just like your laptop computer or smartphone, your car battery is running the computer system inside your vehicle in the background at all times,” states Joe Franklin, a Nissan director of procedures. If you’re not likely to be driving your car for a few weeks, Franklin suggests positioning your automobile on a trickle battery charger or disconnect the battery completely. “These battery chargers supply power to an automobile battery when the automobile is not in use,” Franklin says.

Oh, and do not forget to get rid of the phone battery charger, dash-cam, and any other low power-consuming devices linked into the charging ports. “These devices slowly consume your battery charge, too,” says Norm Jessup owner of Jessups’ Garage European Auto Repair Shop.

Tyres get flat spots and cracks and may lose pressure

Have you ever woken up with one side of your hair flat because you slept on it all evening? The exact same thing takes place when tyres ‘sleep’. They establish flat spots when you do not drive. “The weight of the car is putting pressure on the very same part of the tire constantly and will damage them over time,” claims Franklin. It’s something you’ll definitely notice when you try and drive your car again.

Tyres lose pressure when they just sitting. Use a tire pressure gauge to ensure the psi is correct for your automobile.

Ants relocate

The chips scattered under the seat and nearly empty smoothie cup are secretly sending invites to ants. “Get rid of all garbage, specifically consumer canisters, food, as well as snacks as they will bring in ants and they will find a way to get inside. While you’re at it, remove any shoes, gym gear, or garments. If you don’t, the combination will build an odor that won’t be pleasant upon your return.

Fluids and oils will lose their strength

The liquids in your auto are essential for many elements. For instance, brake fluid is pressurised and gives you the power required to brake. Without power guiding fluid, it would certainly take a great deal of muscle just to turn the steering wheel. When a car sits for a long period of time, fluids become stale don’t provide the benefit they did when they were fresh. “Older oil won’t lubricate as fresh oil would,” says Franklin. The oil keeps the metal elements lubricated, so you don’t get that ticking sound of steel striking metal, or worse, the motor getting too hot. Run the engine every 2 weeks for around 10 minutes (or take a brief drive) to maintain points under the hood lubricated.

Seals dry up

Franklin notes the air conditioning components or seals can crack or dry out when you do not drive very often, which causes AC system integrity issues, as well and you may have a loss of freon. No freon means a hot car. “If you depend on your Air Conditioner system, make sure you turn it on for at least 10 minutes. “he says.

Consider your gas tank

Petrol is an unpredictable thing in your gas tank. “If you leave the gas container near empty, it develops dampness and builds up moisture, which isn’t good,” Franklin claims. “However, if you top off your tank before parking, it will prevent moisture from building up.  Additionally, petrol will go bad after a short time.” If it’s sitting with half a tank, fill it up with fresh petrol when you begin driving once more. Or include an enzyme gas stabilizer to the petrol when you park it for a long time to keep it from going stale; think about it as a probiotic for your petrol tank.

Tree sap damage

Depending on where you live and park your car, tree sap or leaves may be a factor. An extremely sticky compound released naturally from trees. If your vehicle is parked in the street or a driveway under certain periodontal trees, you might discover a sticky mess on your vehicle when you drive it once again. Gum sap is incredibly sticky as well as challenging to eliminate. It can likewise be troublesome when it concerns the paint, particularly if the clear layer is harmed already, Franklin states. Remove it with a tree sap cleaner as soon as you observe it, since as temperatures warm up, the sap heats up, causing even more paint damages. Before you park your car, it is wise to wash your car and have a good coating of wax applied.

Damage from bird poop

A regular carwash removes bird poop prior to it causing damage to the clear coat on your paint. Bird poo consists of uric acids, which are not water-soluble, which indicates it’s a headache to eliminate one spot, not to mention lots. Like tree sap, bird poop can permeate the clear coat– the cars and truck’s safety layer. Clean it off as soon as possible with automobile car wash soap, not dish soap, which isn’t designed for automobiles and can cause an additional problem.

You still need car insurance

Yep, even if you’re not driving your cars and truck quite or otherwise in all. The bright side is some vehicle insurance companies are giving price cuts, discounts as well as deferrals. While each insurance provider is responding differently to COVID-19, you can anticipate insurance companies forgoing non-sufficient funds as well as prolonging the length of coverage as well.

Contact RevsMotors Tenerife and have a Free 21 Point Inspection right away.