Looking After Your Car During Lockdown

It is rare under normal circumstances that your car would be stuck on the driveway for an extended period of time.

Trips to the shops, days out and journeys away are just a few examples of the everyday excursions our cars are required for.

At the moment, those times have temporarily changed and our driving habits have altered also. Therefore, it is important to maintain your car during down times and ensure when you use it, for essential trips only, that it is roadworthy and smooth running. Here are a few tips from the RAC to help with this:

Try to avoid a flat battery

In periods of inactivity, your battery can be used by parts of your vehicle that are ongoing even when the vehicle is off; your immobilser, for example. Solutions include a battery conditioner, or trickle charger, but be wary that more shorter journeys can flatten the battery quicker than normal.

Give your car a spring clean post-winter

After a tough winter of spray, salt from the road, mud and any other type of mess, your car is probably due a deep clean inside and out. If you are working from home, or are on furlough, then you’ll have a bit of extra time without the daily commute. A full clean will leave your car ready for roll-out when the lockdown is lifted and we are able to return to some form of normality.

Giving the interior a good scrub and a hoover will also get rid of any excess crumbs and food which may have been left hidden under the seats. Wiping down surfaces which you would use your hands to hold or touch is also good for hygiene, especially in the current climate.

Top-up vital liquids

Ensuring your car is topped up is a simple process, without any real expertise required. Windscreen washer fluid is one thing easily accessed under the bonnet, as is the oil. In terms of the oil, the RAC suggest topping it up and taking the car for one final journey (essential travel only) should you be about to park it up for the foreseeable future so the oil can get around the engine.

Finally, remember…

Cars are for essential journeys only at present. Government guidelines state that you should only make a journey away from the home if…

• You need to buy essential food stuffs
• You need to collect medicines for a medical condition
• You need to travel to and from work. This should be for key workers or people who cannot work from home while their organisation is open for business.

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