How to maintain your vehicle if you haven’t been driving.

The pandemic has changed the commute dynamic quite significantly this year. Some customers have been driving their vehicle very little, to not at all. As we go back to the offices or colleges due to the restrictions being lifted and vaccination roll-outs, here are tips to assure your vehicle is in good shape if you’re going back to the daily drive.

Rubber meets the road.

Tires lose air pressure over time, due to temperature changes and driving conditions. Check your tire pressures to ensure that you do not get flat spots, or accelerated wear of the tire. Flat spots can occur when the vehicle has been sitting for little as 30 days. No one wants a lumpy tire.

What about engine oil?

The chemical engineers at the big oil companies tell us If the vehicle isn’t operated regularly, the oil can deteriorate thanks to the fluctuations in temperature and humidity. For a vehicle that sits for a long time, it is recommended to switch to a time-based oil change interval as opposed to a mileage-based one.

Oil isn’t exactly milk and does not go ‘bad’, however, it does lose a lot of its lubricating properties due to water contamination and as a result accelerated engine wear can occur.

To prevent water condensation from building up in your oil it is recommended to start and run the engine to operating temperature at least once a week. This also allows the oil to get into the upper part of the engine and valve terrain which lowers abnormal wear and noise.

Keep your battery happy.

It is not uncommon for batteries to run flat faster with all the electronics that are now fitted in every new vehicle. A few ways you can assure your battery remains functional is with short drives or placing the vehicle on a trickle charger. If the battery is not maintained properly it may end up being flat when you need it most.

Unwanted guests

Rodent damage is very expensive to repair and can play havoc on electrical systems. We’ve seen an increase in electrical system damages due to unwanted guests making a nest in engine bays. The cloth-like sound deadening material is great home building supplies for rodents and when they get hungry, wiring seems to be like a great snack. We cannot comment on if this is related to the increase in lumber prices.

So the easy solution it seems is to drive your car, and for those who didn’t,

We are pleased to announce we will be running a “Back to Work Special.”