Keeping your car on the road

The pandemic lockdown has seen thousands of cars up and down the country parked up and left to sit, while people follow social distancing. While staying put makes total sense in terms of keeping ourselves and each other healthy, it’s not as beneficial for our cars.

You see, cars don’t tend to like being immobile for too long. Problems can arise from leaving a car parked up, meaning that when you do eventually get behind the wheel again there can be a higher chance of a mechanical issue arising - but there are things you can do to help.

It’s best to check over your car if it hasn’t moved for some time. Here are some tips from the AA on what to check...

CHECK FOR ANIMALS

It might sound strange, but checking for animals stowed away somewhere in your car is worth doing if it’s been parked up for a while. In the spring months, many birds find somewhere quiet and covered to nest making a car’s wheel arch a perfect place to take up residence. Mice also love to make a home out of a car, with fuse boxes, air filters and under boot areas prime places. If you do discover animals, it’s worth getting in touch with local animal rescue centres to ensure that any animal taking up residence in your car is moved safely.

BRAKES AND TYRES

Brakes and tyres are two crucial areas of a car’s setup. Without them, you’d be in a whole heap of trouble - which is why caring for them is so important. When you can, start the car and perform a three-point turn. Do this once, then do it again in reverse. Doing this once properly rotates the tyres while it also makes sure that the brakes are functioning properly. It’ll also keep suspension parts moving freely. It’s also a good idea to visually check your tyres. Looks for cuts and bulges which mean it’s time for a replacement. Oh, and make sure if they’re all in good order and that tyre pressures are kept correct.

BATTERY

When parked up, a car can naturally drain its battery; functions such as the clock and alarm system do drain a battery’s charge, albeit only a small amount. However, over time these can prevent the car from starting effectively. So what’s the best way to keep it topped up? Starting your car and running it for at least 15 minutes can be a great way to keep a battery going. Always ensure you’re with the car when it’s running and make sure that the engine comes up to temperature, too. A trickle charger can be a good idea too. If you’re able to park your car in a driveway or garage, then you can connect a trickle charger from the mains in your home to the car’s battery. It’ll then keep the battery topped up so it’s good to go when you need it.

DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER (DPF)

All diesel cars made after 2007 will be fitted with a DPF. It catches soot particles produced by the engine and then stores them until it’s able to burn them off using a process called regen. If a car is only used for short journeys, then the DPF can often get clogged - and this will usually result in a dashboard warning light and reduced performance. To solve it, the car needs to be brought up to temperature and driven on a motorway or dual carriageway where it’ll be able to ‘regen’. Also, make sure the car has at least a quarter a tank of fuel many won’t regen if they’re low on fuel.

Starting your car and running it for at least 15 minutes can be a great way to keep a battery going