As we slowly level-up towards normal life, a lot of us will be using our cars after a much longer period of being parked up than usual.  If that is the case, you will notice that your car may struggle to start or has other issues that will prevent it from performing optimally.

Like humans, your car needs a little stretch when it waking up after a big sleep.

However, there are a few checks you can do now to help ensure your car is safe and ready to go.

5 Tips To Keep Your Vehicle Safe And Ready

 Battery & Electrics

If your vehicle isn’t started periodically then the battery is likely to go flat. Despite being switched off, certain circuits like the alarm and immobilizer do take a trickle of power, and can drain the battery over time.

So, to keep your battery in good shape, once a week at least, start the engine and let it run up to temperature to give the battery a boost.

If your battery doesn’t hold charge then it may be that it was on it’s last legs prior to lockdown.  Sterling Clutch & Brake can get you sorted with a new battery at a great price if you need one.

 Engine

To prolong the life of your engine and reduce the chance of seizure start the engine on a weekly
basis. By starting the engine, you will give the oil a chance to warm up and run around the internal components and lubricate them.

Importantly, it will also prevent weakening of drive belts and give the coolant the ability to circulate around and refresh the coolant system.

Wheels & Tyres

If a vehicle is left standing for a period of time, the sidewalls of the tyre in that one position will take all the strain. Moving the car forwards or backwards by just half a wheel turn will shift the pressure point.

This is also a good time to check your tyre pressures as under-inflation will cause further damage to the sidewall and may even render the tyre dangerous.

Suspension

Just like our joints, your car’s suspension needs to be kept supple. We are not suggesting going out for a drive but a little bit of movement can make all the difference! Even just sitting in the car will move a lot of the components enough to prevent most issues. You would be surprised by the amount of springs that break when a car is left stationary for a long period!

Brakes

When you give your car its weekly warm up, dab the brakes a few times and while your feet are down there, give the clutch pedal a bit of exercise as well if it’s a manual!

If you don’t drive your vehicle, inevitably your brake discs will gain a coating of rust. This is quite
normal and in most cases once the car is moving and the brakes applied a few times, this will clean off. It may be a bit noisy to start with, but it’s ok!

And finally, don’t leave the handbrake on unless really necessary!

If you leave your handbrake on for a long period, it is highly likely it will “stick on”. So although you released the handle, the brakes are still applied. You will feel the car try and move but it may drag the wheel(s) or rise up and not release! To prevent this, leave the car in gear and release the handbrake if it is a manual, or simply leave it in P on an automatic.

If you do forget and it sticks on, do not under any circumstances simply try and keep driving it to release it as you can damage the brakes. Book a diagnostic inspection with Sterling Clutch & Brake and we’ll diagnose the brake issue correctly and fix it then and there.

If you are concerned that your vehicle may have become unsafe, unreliable or something has happened to it, you can use our new contact-free service to place a booking.

You can visit Sterling Clutch and brakes Auckland and avail complete check up your car’s brakes, rotors, brake pads and Car clutch. We provide Brake replacement and clutch replacement service in Auckland with genuine and OEM parts. For any query, you can also visit us at http://Sterlingbrake.co.nz/ or call 09-636-4919.