Covid-19 pandemic has affected most of us in one way or the other. For car owners, your car
is not left out.
Now that the pandemic is almost over, and Lockdown is lifted in most part of the world, you need to run a check on your car to ensure it’s good fit for the road again.
When your car is inactive for 6 month or more, you shouldn’t expect that everything will work as usual when it is restarted.
Even if the car is new or not directly exposed to the uncomfortable weather conditions, the long downtime can actually have negative effects on the vehicle.
Checklist for Car that has been sitting for Months
Before putting your on the road after it’s being parked for 6 months or more, there are some things you should check before driving your vehicle.
- Check the Car Battery
One of the first things to do after your car has been parked for a long time is to disconnect the battery, since it is very possible that in two months, depending on its condition, it can be discharged and you will be surprised that the car does not start when you want to use it again.
Actually, it is best to have removed the battery when the lock-down has just started or anytime you feel a particular car will not be used for at least one month.
Check your car battery to ensure it’s still charged and in good condition for use. Otherwise, you can take it to any reputable workshop for maintenance.
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- Check the fluid and fuel levels.
Car experts recommended that a car owner should check the coolant fluid level and the engine oil, as well as the brake fluid and gearbox oil of his car after it has been parked for a long period.
While carrying out the check, it is also advisable you look for a possible fuel leak if the fuel tank is empty you’re sure you left some fuel in the car tank before it was parked.
- Check the belts
It is also important to check the condition of different kinds of belts or chains of your car as they could have deteriorated considerably due to the period of inactivity.
The breakage of the belt or chain could be risky and the repair could cost you more than when you’re aware of it early and get it corrected quickly.
- Notice the sound of the car
It is possible that after stopping to use your car for months, and you’ve just started, you hear metallic noises or squeaks.
Depending on whether it is one thing or another, you need to pay attention to different elements of your car.
In the event that you notice metallic scraping noises, it is advisable to wait a few minutes with the engine running to see if the noise persists.
If so, it is advisable you the car to a car repair workshop so that they can check in depth if any part has suffered wear or is caused by rust.
On the contrary, if the noise we perceive is similar to a squeak, it is likely due to wear on any of the vehicle’s belts, so it will also be necessary to review them individually to identify the causes of the problem.
- You need to Start the engine slowly
You should not expect your car engine to start quickly if it has been parked for 6 months or more.
Car sitting for months without warm-up is one of the main problems of car not starting quickly.
Therefore, when restarting the engine of your car that has been idle for a while, you will have to do it slowly.
Start the car, restart again if it stops till the engine is warmed-up and ready to move on the road.
- Stop the car for 5 minutes few times
When the car has started, it is important to stop it for a while and restart again.
Do this 2 or 3 times before you put the car on the road. In this way, each of the components of the car will be put into action.
Once those 5 minutes of waiting have elapsed, you can now start to continue checking that all the components of the vehicle are in a good, and working efficiently while driving.
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