Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries are now under lockdown. While Malaysia is observing MCO (Movement Control Order), many vehicle owners have started to wonder how long their vehicles can sit without being driven.
The truth is when your car sits for too long, it starts breaking down systematically Additionally, car maintenance is essential to avoid the risk of unwanted repair bills or even permanent damage.
Fortunately, you can still take a few steps to ensure that your vehicle remains in perfect running condition until the MCO period ends.
For Honda vehicle owners out there, if you’re still unsure, feel free to get in touch with a Penang Honda Service and Maintenance centre.
The following are the best car maintenance tips during COVID-19 lockdown or MCO (Movement Control Order), so stay informed and stay safe at home.
Your vehicle’s battery is charged via the alternator of the car. When the car sits for more than two weeks, the battery starts losing its charge, which is even faster in cold temperature.
With a low-powered battery, central locking and alarm system doesn’t function rightly. With a dying battery, your alarm might fail to alert you when an intruder arrives.
Improperly inflated tyres and an untouched or unmoving car for a long time leads to flat spots. Flat spots lead to uneasy and unsafe ride because of excessive vibration. Therefore, keep your car running for a few miles by the end of every week.
A half-empty or near-empty petrol tank of a resting car can accumulate unwelcomed moisture. Moreover, moisture will become a part of the oil, causing a corroded petrol tank and its parts. The good news is petrol is cheaper nowadays, so why not?
An abandoned car is a perfect abode for rodents and pests. They can start living in your car’s exhaust outlets and might chew up on a few wirings under the hood.
Parking in the grassy or dirt patches can cause moisture to build up in the undercarriage. Moreover, parking under a tree isn’t wise if you aren’t putting on the car cover. Bird poop, in fact, is acidic on your car paint.
Not only does it prevent the aforementioned issues from happening, but also helps in circulating the fluids to keep all the car parts moving—transmission, brakes, etc.
Additionally, when the car sits for too long, the engine and other parts can dry out. A prolonged parked car causes the oils to settle, seals to dry out and fluids to separate. This can cause serious automobile problem in the long run.
For perfect car maintenance, you should check the fuel and fluids regularly. Moreover, don’t let it stay at one spot for more than a week. You can prolong it to two weeks but it’s best to keep the machine running, jolting, braking and moving.
If you are stuck away from your hometown, what you can do is:
Keeping up the maintenance schedule prevents repair and damage issues later on:
If at all, your car ends up being stuck, contact Penang Honda service maintenance for Honda car service in Penang and other accident repairs.
