One of the immediate effects of community quarantine due to Covid-19 is fewer cars on the road. Working from home due to coronavirus and the government’s mandate to stay at home, means our cars will have to take a rest. With recent announcements of quarantine extension and the mere thought of not knowing when we can all go back to our normal lives only means that our cars will temporarily be rarely driven.
But do you know that you need to take care of your rarely driven vehicles to keep them in good running condition? Here are coronavirus car care tips from Ford that you can follow:
Park indoors or use a car cover
Parking indoors or at least using a car cover will protect your vehicles from dirt and unwanted damages like scratches. Picking a spot where to park your vehicle is very important to its overall well-being too. Do not park it on grass or soil, because moisture can make its way up and rust certain parts of your vehicle. Make sure to choose a covered area, or an area out of direct sunlight, and has a solid floor.
Clean and wash your car
Just because you rarely drive them means you can completely skip washing your beloved car. Spend time to wash your vehicle in your garage or parking area once in a while to ensure you are able to remove dirt particles or even bird droppings. These will be harder to remove after a couple of days if left uncleaned.
Fill up the fuel tank
Make sure to fill the fuel all the way to the brim. This avoids a gap in your fuel tank where oxygen can oxidize and cause rusting. Oxidization also results in gum forming in your fuel tank, which can cause damage to your vehicle if not properly cleaned before using. Take advantage of the lower fuel rates these days with a full tank.
Inflate the tires
The tire pressure can slowly drop over a period of time, even when the car is not in use. Ensure that you overinflate your tires and the spare tire before parking your vehicle. This can also avoid flat spots forming on your tires.
Disengage your car’s handbrake
When leaving your parking brake engaged, it may get stuck or seized after being parked over time. Unless you are parked on a slope, simply shift your vehicle into Park for automatic transmissions, or engage the first gear for manual transmissions. Keep in mind about shifting back the transmission to Park or engage the gear back to neutral for manual transmission when starting the car.
Lift your wiper blades
This very simple advice can save you money and time after the strict travel restrictions. Lift the wipers and place a ball of cloth underneath it so the blades are not touching the windshield. Heat can damage the wiper blades over time and take away its wiping credibility.
Drive your car once a week
Take at least 10 minutes every week running your car’s engine. This will keep everything well lubricated as the fluids start cycling all throughout your engine. The once-a-week grocery run will be enough to recharge your battery. If you have more than one vehicle, use them alternately.
You might be missing our road trips especially this summer with the coronavirus pandemic, but staying home means also making sure your dependable cars are kept on their best running condition.
