The Government-issued advice to stay at home means our vehicles are being used much less than usual.
While this is essential to help stop the spread of COVID-19, leaving your car or van on the drive without using it for a long period of time could lead to problems when you come to need it again.
To help avoid this, we’ve put together a list of tips you can follow to ensure your car is in good condition when you return to it.
Start the engine a couple of times a week
If your car is on your driveway or is easily accessible, start your vehicle once per week and allow the vehicle to warm up for a couple of minutes before switching it off. Do not leave your vehicle running for a long period of time unnecessarily.
This is an especially good idea if you have an older vehicle, which are more prone to issues if left untouched.
There’s no need to take it for a spin, but ensure you remain with the vehicle while the engine is on and that it is secured with the handbrake on.
Check tyre pressures
To help your tyres stay in good condition, check their pressures so you know the situation once you start driving again. You can find the recommended pressures for your vehicle in the handbook or inside the driver’s side door. Compressors and foot pumps can be bought online if you need to top them up; do not drive to find air at the petrol station.
Ensure everything is switched off
Make sure you’ve checked everything is turned off within the vehicle. The radio, lights and satellite navigation are the most common examples of things that can be left running, draining your battery.
Keep it clean
If your vehicle is on private property and you can clean it without breaching the social distancing guidelines, it’s a good idea to give it a wash so that dirt and grime collected before parking it away can set in and become tough to remove. Your windows and mirrors should always be kept in good condition, so pay particular attention to these areas.
Make sure you remove any bird lime as soon as it appears, especially if you park under or near a tree, as this can seriously damage your paint work. Products such as GardX Vehicle Protection work to limit damage; alternatively vehicle covers can also be bought online.
Hendy’s dealerships are now closed until further notice unless you are a key worker, in which case we have only four aftersales sites open for urgent servicing – Poole, Portsmouth, Eastleigh (School Lane) and Horsham. If you require assistance, contact our core team of digital advisors via the live chat function.
Please keep monitoring our website/social media channels, which will be updated with re-opening times as soon as we have this information to share.