Tips to Take Care of Your Car During Prolonged Periods of Inactivity
Introduction
Many car owners face the challenge of not being able to use their vehicles during periods of restricted movement or health emergencies. While some people believe that there is no need to worry about car maintenance while it is not in use, the truth is that it is very important to learn how to take care of a car when it is not used for extended periods of time.
Why You Need to Care for Your Car During Inactivity
In situations where your car must remain completely stationary for several days, aspects such as its electrical system, engine, brake fluid, and even tires can be damaged due to lack of use. The damage can affect the proper functioning of your vehicle, even if you have kept up with all its maintenance, because the car battery can be discharged or the engine can be damaged.
Tips to Prevent Damage from Inactivity
Here are some tips to help you prevent damage to your vehicle:
1. Disconnect the battery
The battery is the heart of the electrical system and is responsible for powering the internal equipment. Understanding how long a car battery lasts and protecting it will help you keep devices such as the radio, air conditioning, warning systems, and driving assistance systems in optimal condition.
Since you cannot use your vehicle, you need to take care of the power source and the recommendation to increase the life of a car battery is to disconnect the negative terminal of the battery, as long as you have the necessary tools. This will prevent electrical leaks or problems caused by a discharged car battery.
2. Start the engine weekly
Starting the engine, especially when the car is not used for a long time, is a way to take care of it. Even if it is a stoppage of a few weeks, activating the mechanical operation of your vehicle can be very helpful.
Remember that to start the engine, you need to connect the car battery, which will also help to keep the electrical system in good condition, as it will allow you to check that everything is working properly again. In this way, you stimulate carburetion in the vehicle and optimize the life of a car battery.
3. Maintain an optimal level of fluids
Your car has various fluids that need to be changed to keep it running smoothly. These fluids are fuel, engine oil, antifreeze, and brake fluid.
In this regard, what you should check is that they are at an optimal level, so when checking the engine oil and each reservoir, you should check that they are at the recommended level and, if they are low, top them up to the optimum point.
4. Inflate the tires to a higher level
Putting more air into the tires is not recommended when using the car because it can cause them to burst and cause an accident. However, inflating the tires to a higher level than usual is a practice that can help prevent the tire from going flat, supporting the weight of the entire car, which can deform it over time.
An additional aspect for tire care is how to park a car, since leaving it parked on an unstable surface can also damage the tires. In this case, you can look for a clean area without edges and move your car forward or backward to avoid leaving the tires in the same position, thus preventing them from deforming.
Preventive Maintenance for Unused Cars: Extend Their Lifespan
Without a doubt, knowing what happens if a car is parked for a long time can help you take care of your investment and take advantage of the good condition of your vehicle, since the damage and possible damage could be irreversible in the engine.
For that reason, you should learn how to take care of a car during situations where you cannot take it out and use it, although the best suggestion will be to go to the mechanic’s shop when you can go out again to check that your vehicle is in perfect condition.
