Owning a vehicle needs keeping it on maintenance everyday. It does not matter if you are using it every day or you are not using it often . Keep it maintained and it would last you years.
You can follow some of the tips as stated below to upkeep your vehicle health if you do not run it for more than a month or so ….
1.Before putting it into storage –
• Inflate the tyres –According to Cars.com, due to change in temperature, the pressure in tires can vary which can lead to flat tyres. Inflating the tires before storage is hence helpful.
• Fill up the fluids – The fluids used in cars such as coolant, power steering, brake fluids, transmission fluids ,wiper fluid etc should all be topped off.
• Change the oil – Changing the oil before you let the vehicle sit for moths is also a good job to perform this would prevent the sludge of the oil which was produced during your drive from getting stored in the engine for long.
• Fill the tank – Filling the tank to the full will prevent moisture build up in it says Edmunds .
• Add fuel stabilizer – Adding fuel stabilizer to the tank when it is almost full works wonders as normal shelf life of standard fuels is only 2-3 months. The stabilizer would help keep the fuel line intact and keep the engine from corroding.
• Clean the car – Deep cleaning the vehicle both inside and out ,polishing and waxing it will help it from forming rust and in turn keep the vehicle in shape says Cars.com.
2 . When your car is in the storage –
• Cover the car – The for most thing you can do is cover the car .This as you know would help the car from accumulating most of the dust and dirt it otherwise will.
• Safeguard the batteries – Though you are not using your car, the batteries eventually lose its charge. Cars.com suggests connecting the battery to a trickle charger or battery tender with an automatic shut-off feature or float mode. This would help the batteries to get charges without facing any over charging damage.
3. When its time to take the car out –
• Wash the vehicle to remove any dirt or girt if accumulated on the body.
• Check the batteries and reconnect them . Check if the terminals are clean and if necessary , clean them.
• Check the wind shield wiper if it is cracked or brittle for staying unused for so long and if found so change them.
• Check the tire pressure and re-inflate them to necessary pressure if required.
• Check for any fluid losses and top them off if required.
• Check for rodent damages which are visible if you find any chewed belts, hoses, wires or nests.
Taking in note these few steps while leaving your car unused for long can ensure you that it runs reliably when you take it out on road again. Just follow these few tips and add some more years to your vehicle.