Don’t let vehicles sit idle
SYDNEY — Starting your car every few days, or taking it for a spin around the block could save you problems down the road.
With people ordered to stay at home as much as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, many vehicles have been sitting idle in driveways around Cape Breton in recent weeks.
That could very well lead to noisy brakes or a dead battery the next time you need to take it for a drive, says Kirby Barrington, owner of JJ Barrington Wheel Alignment and Auto Body Ltd. in Sydney.
BRAKING BAD
“What happens is your rotors will rust up on you and your brakes will feel funny if it sits for a period of time,” explained Barrington, whose family has been in the auto repair business for more than 50 years.
“Sometimes your brakes will stick or your battery might start getting a little bit low. If your battery is in the later stages of its life and it's not be used all the time, the charge tends to get weaker on it.”
Fortunately, there's an easy solution — start your vehicle up every few days, or even better, take go for a short ride through the neighbourhood.
“If your car is going to be sitting it wouldn't hurt to start it up every now and again — let it run, or go for a little bit of a drive around town,” said Barrington. “It will help when you're using your brakes — it will kind of click the rust off your rotors. It's good for the battery — it's good all around, really.”
OH, RATS!
Chad Flemming, co-founder and technician at Aegis Pest Control Solutions, has another reason to monitor your vehicle — rodents.
He's received double the number of rat calls so far this spring, something he partially attributes to more people staying home and leaving their cars and trucks unattended. “It's funny because the reason that you're calling me, that's why I couldn't answer the phone before because that's exactly what I was doing — I had a gentleman whose plug wires just got chewed up the other day,” he said.
“In one week I think I had three back-to-back-to-back — like Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday — rats broke into the car and ate the back seat underneath the car seat because of the crumbs.”
RUBBER HITS THE ROAD
It's also a good idea to check your tires if your car hasn't moved much recently, according to the Canadian Automobile Association. Air can slowly leak out, so the CAA is reminding people to check the tire pressure before they drive. And if your vehicle is going to be parked for a long stretch of time, place wooden blocks underneath the tires to keep the cement from drawing air pressure out.
The CAA is also recommending people put off getting their tires changed during COVID-19. The association said there's no risk of damaging your winter tires since you won't be travelling long distances over the next several weeks.
Barrington said all-season tires are simply made of a tougher rubber. Studded tires, however, must be taken off by May 31.
“Winter tires are made of a softer rubber so when it gets cold out, the rubber doesn't get as hard. The soft rubber tends to wear a lot faster when the temperatures get warmer so if you have your winter tires on and the temperature is warmer and you're driving, it tends to wear your tires out faster,” he said. “If you have studs on, though, there's a date you have to get your studs or you'll be fined.”
In Cape Breton, however, it seems like people are still taking their cars into the shop. “It seems to be normal really right now for tires changes and services.”