Easy DIY during MCO
VEHICLES in general, be it regularly used or kept in storage, will always require some sort of maintenance. While some people had already been allowed to resume work this week while under the Movement Control Order (MCO), those who would not be driving until MCO ends on June 9 can do some easy maintenance on their cars.
For those spending the majority of their time at home during the MCO, make it a point to head over to your vehicle and give it a good inspection if it hasn’t already been done.
If parked in the same spot for a prolonged period of time, owners are advised to check under the car for any puddles of liquid, oil or fuel.
Pop open the front hood and check that fluid levels (eg. coolant, washer fluid and brake fluid among others), are where they should be and not at or below the minimum line and if they are top them up where possible.
Look around the engine bay for any white crystal-like residue (possible coolant-leak) which can appear around the radiator or coolant expansion tank.
Also, do look out for any black sticky patches around the engine block which could be an indication of an engine oil leak due to a bad gasket seal. If found, check the engine oil level and top up if possible with the manufacturer’s recommended lubricant and nothing else.
If any of these are found, note them down so they can be brought to the attention of your service adviser once the MCO is lifted.
After inspection, it’s time to step into your vehicle and turn the key to the ignition position which makes all the lights in the instrument cluster come on and wait for a minute or two.
This gives the fuel and oil lines some time to properly prime themselves prior to starting the engine.
Meanwhile, if it has been more than a week, leave the climate controls and audio system off so as not to rob the battery of its charge to help start the vehicle.
Finally, turn the key (or press the Start button) to start the engine. It isn’t uncommon to have the engine experience a slight hesitation before starting after which leave it to idle for a minimum of 20 minutes.
This hesitation just means that the battery has lost quite a bit of its charge from the last time it was used.
Ideally, owners should actually drive their vehicles out for a while (either around the apartment complex or the neighbourhood) in order to ensure that everything is working the way it should.
Also, driving out will not only be healthy for the vehicle’s engine and its components, but also for the tyres.
Parking for prolonged periods of time will allow the tyres to develop a flat spot that can and will affect the alignment and balancing of the wheels as well as create vibrations in the steering.
By starting and/or driving the car around the area every three days will help to ensure that your vehicle will be working once the MCO is over.