6 Ways to Care for Your Vehicle in Quarantine
Most of the world is hunkered down in mandatory quarantines due to the COVID-19 - or Coronavirus - pandemic that has traveled rapidly across the globe. While it seems we won’t be traveling rapidly anywhere anytime soon, that doesn’t mean we should ignore our vehicles during this time.
Being stuck at home is probably worse for your car than it is for you. An idle automobile can suffer greatly – flat or deflated tires, dried out wipers and belts, dead batteries, vermin, or small animals getting cozy in the engine or other compartments and chewing through wires, and the list goes on.
There are important precautions one can take to ensure a vehicle is in good shape no matter how often it is driven, but especially during this COVID quarantine:
Start or Drive Your Car
If allowed in your area, take a quick drive, or just run your engine in place for at least 20 minutes. This will help keep your vehicle’s moving parts lubricated and prevent tires from losing air.
Use a Sunshade or Cover
If your vehicle is parked on a street or in a lot, most likely it is just baking in the sun day in and day out and getting dirty. Using a cover can help preserve paint, cleanliness, protect from weather, pollen, sap, and bird dung. A reflective sunshade is better than nothing and can reduce the heat inside your car and protect against dashboard bleaching or cracks.
Oil Well
Oil is one of the most important features of vehicle maintenance and performance. Check oil and be sure the amount and type is acceptable. Refer to your user’s manual and change often. If you don’t want to mess with it, you can hire a mobile mechanic to come to you, anytime, not just during quarantine.
Gas Up
A full tank of gas prevents condensation forming inside the gas tank. Sometimes dangerous gas fumes can build inside a tank, and this is also prevented by keeping a full tank of gas in your vehicle.
Being stuck at home is probably worse for your car than it is for you. An idle automobile can suffer greatly – flat or deflated tires, dried out wipers and belts, dead batteries, vermin, or small animals getting cozy in the engine or other compartments and chewing through wires, and the list goes on.
There are important precautions one can take to ensure a vehicle is in good shape no matter how often it is driven, but especially during this COVID quarantine:
Start or Drive Your Car
If allowed in your area, take a quick drive, or just run your engine in place for at least 20 minutes. This will help keep your vehicle’s moving parts lubricated and prevent tires from losing air.
Use a Sunshade or Cover
If your vehicle is parked on a street or in a lot, most likely it is just baking in the sun day in and day out and getting dirty. Using a cover can help preserve paint, cleanliness, protect from weather, pollen, sap, and bird dung. A reflective sunshade is better than nothing and can reduce the heat inside your car and protect against dashboard bleaching or cracks.
Oil Well
Oil is one of the most important features of vehicle maintenance and performance. Check oil and be sure the amount and type is acceptable. Refer to your user’s manual and change often. If you don’t want to mess with it, you can hire a mobile mechanic to come to you, anytime, not just during quarantine.
Gas Up
A full tank of gas prevents condensation forming inside the gas tank. Sometimes dangerous gas fumes can build inside a tank, and this is also prevented by keeping a full tank of gas in your vehicle.
Clean and wax regularly to protect your car during quarantine, or any time!
Clean Your Automobile
Cleaning and waxing your vehicle regularly can help protect it. A clean interior matters too – put a box of baking soda in your car – it can help prevent odors and rids your car of unseen bacteria or mold ready to grow. Keeping your car free from old food or odors can prevent pests from taking up residence there.
Tip: After a good cleaning, prop up the wipers. This prevents the blades from getting stuck to the surface of the windshield or becoming deformed after long periods of non-use.
Parking Brake Caution
If your car will be setting for a month or longer, be sure to simply put your car in “park”, or for manual cars, place in first or reverse gear and use wheel blocks to prevent rolling. The reason for this caution is the brakes can seize to the rotor or drum which can cause problems when moving after sitting there for several weeks. Better to be safe than sorry.
Lastly, give your car or truck some extra love during this unprecedented time of quarantine. Have you been thinking of a wheel repair or color change? There is no better time to have these rim services done than right now while you are most likely confined to your home and don’t need your car as much. Fill out our fast quote form and see what we can do for you.
As always, check out our Instagram to see all the wheel TLC we’ve been up to here in Phoenix, and be safe out there!
Cleaning and waxing your vehicle regularly can help protect it. A clean interior matters too – put a box of baking soda in your car – it can help prevent odors and rids your car of unseen bacteria or mold ready to grow. Keeping your car free from old food or odors can prevent pests from taking up residence there.
Tip: After a good cleaning, prop up the wipers. This prevents the blades from getting stuck to the surface of the windshield or becoming deformed after long periods of non-use.
Parking Brake Caution
If your car will be setting for a month or longer, be sure to simply put your car in “park”, or for manual cars, place in first or reverse gear and use wheel blocks to prevent rolling. The reason for this caution is the brakes can seize to the rotor or drum which can cause problems when moving after sitting there for several weeks. Better to be safe than sorry.
Lastly, give your car or truck some extra love during this unprecedented time of quarantine. Have you been thinking of a wheel repair or color change? There is no better time to have these rim services done than right now while you are most likely confined to your home and don’t need your car as much. Fill out our fast quote form and see what we can do for you.
As always, check out our Instagram to see all the wheel TLC we’ve been up to here in Phoenix, and be safe out there!
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