How To Maintain Seldom Used Car
Everyone had been under Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia since March 18 2020 due to the Corona Virus Outbreak or the Covid-19 worldwide. Many of us are not able to leave the house and practice very little usage of our cars for purchasing goods. When a car is not used on a daily basis, there are several steps that car owners must be aware of to keep the car well maintained during this period and have yourself finding for an unavailable mechanic.
Prepare To Park Your Car
The first thing you should do is to find a good place to park your car, maybe in the parking space at your house or a garage nearby. This is to avoid bad weather, since Malaysia is known for hot sunny days and rainy days. The paint on your cars can corrode and result to molding process. Make sure to clean the interior and exterior of your car before you park during the lock down.
Protect Your Car Battery
The battery is the main power source of your car. If you don't drive your car for weeks, in time the battery will loose its power. When you actually want to use the car, you would probably need a jump start cable and a fully working battery to well, jump start your car. To prevent this, you could schedule yourself to start the car engine and let it run for a few minutes at least for every three days. If you own an electric car, keep the car battery fully charged, so that the battery will remain in good health and as you know, battery do discharge power over time. Please note that since the car will not be going anywhere anytime soon, avoid using fast charging for your car and practice using a normal charger.
Keep Your Gas Tank Full
Make sure to fill your gas tank even if you don't use your car on a regular basis, this is very useful during an emergency. Another reason is because the road will be dry and empty. When the outer atmosphere is dry, the inside of the gas tank will store moisture due to condensation. This will lead to rusting process. Once the lock down is over (fingers crossed), don't forget to get your gas tank checked and cleaned.
Don't Use Handbrake
It is best to not use handbrake when you have leave your car parked for a long period of time. This is because the brakes can get damaged or fuse. The better option would be to have bricks placed behind each tire or have if you prefer something more classy, you could purchase tire locks.
As this Covid-19 is pandemic, stay safe and break the chain by staying at home with your family. Maintain social and physical distance to prevent the spread of the virus.