COVID_19 is a pandemic that is different from anything we’ve seen. It has made it impossible to go about our daily lives like we normally do. In order to protect ourselves, and those we love, we have to stay indoors, practise social distancing, work from home and forget about going out for ‘fun’.
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Even though the pandemic has caused so much chaos and uncertainty, we still must keep ourselves, our homes and our vehicles in good working condition. While we might exercise at home, clean and sanitize our house, we’re not doing anything to keep our vehicles running.
Why is it important to keep vehicles in running condition?
Well, for one, you need your vehicle to go buy essentials like medicine and groceries, and more importantly, you need your vehicle in working condition in case of emergencies. You will not be able to take cabs, autos or any mode of public transport, so with no other option to depend on, you need to make sure your car or bike will work at all times.
Another reason to make sure your car works is to avoid the expensive mechanic bills. If you don’t start your car or bike, or don’t store them correctly, you could end up spending thousands on a new battery, on changing rusting parts or even having to replace tyres. So, save yourself the hassle, take care of your vehicle now.
Steps to take to keep your car and bike in running condition during the lockdown
Park in a covered place
To protect your car, and even bike from varying weather conditions and dust, it is advisable to park in a covered spot. Even if you cover your vehicle, it’s still advisable to find a good shady/covered parking space for your vehicle. Make sure that you’re parking your vehicle safely and not blocking other vehicles, important entry and exit points or obstructing the road.
Do a thorough cleaning before parking it
Before you park your vehicle for a long time, clean it to avoid any mud patches or other stains which might settle on your car or bike. You need to clean it so that no moisture settles on it and ruins the paint or causes rust on the exteriors. Don’t put a cover on your vehicle if you have not cleaned it fully first.
Clean the interiors
When it comes to your car, do you know how much stuff is inside? The interiors of cars are likely to get as dirty as the outside. People eat food in the car, there might be other perishable things in there too. From chips packets, to paper and dust, you can find many things inside a car. You need to make sure it’s not dirty while storing for a long time, clean it completely. This will also keep insects and vermin away from your car, if they get the smell of food, they might cause a lot of damage trying to get to it.
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Start and keep engine idle periodically
To make sure that the battery is in a good state, start the engine and keep it running on idle for 15-20 mins. Then rev the engine in a smooth manner couple of times. This will get the fluids to circulate inside the engine and will also keep the battery from dying.
Disconnect the battery
If you don’t use your vehicle for a prolonged time, or it is idle for very long, it can cause harm to the battery. Disconnect the battery and store it so that it does not get discharged while staying idle. Store the battery in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight and moisture.
Do not use the handbrake
If your vehicle is parked for a long time, avoid using the handbrake, it can cause the brake pads to wear off. Instead, you can use the wheel locks or go the old-fashioned way, use parking/stopping blocks, stones and so on.
Take care of the tyres
When you don’t move your car or bike for a very long time, it can affect the life of the tyre. Flat spots will appear from the contact patches. Periodically, start the car/bike and move it so that the tyres rotate, and pressure is equally distributed. Also, inflate your tyres to the max limit, this will help prolong their life.
Fill up the fuel tank
When you leave your car or bike unused for a long time, you will notice some rusting on the inside of the fuel tank. This happens when fuel evaporates and condenses on the inside of the tank. If you want to avoid this, you must fill the fuel tank to the brim with quality petrol, and even add some fuel additives. This leaves no space for moisture to enter the tank and prevents rusting. Also, close the fuel tank properly, double check if needed.
Cover the exhaust
If you park outside, then you need to follow this step without fail. Close or block the exhaust pipe so that small animals/reptiles can’t enter. There are plenty of cases in the city and in the outskirts, where rats, snakes, and other critters have gotten into cars.
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Park on the centre stand
In the case of two-wheeler, always park on the main stand. This is to make sure all the fluid are at a balanced level and it also prevents the bike from tipping over easily and getting damaged or causing damage.
Keep all your documents with you
Many of us have the habit of keeping our car/bike papers in the vehicles as this is handy. But since the lockdown, we’re not going to be using our vehicles and leaving these precious documents in the vehicle is not a good idea. Keep them safe at home and lock your vehicle properly after you park it.
If you have any more tips on how to keep your vehicle in running condition during this lockdown, just drop us a message below. You can also visit us on NoBroker to share your ideas. Remember, stay safe and stay at home.
In case of a COVID-19 emergency, contact-
National Helpline Number +91-11-23978046 or 1075
MyGov Corona Helpdesk on WhatsApp – 9013151515
Karnataka – 104
Maharashtra – 020-26127394
Tamil Nadu – 044-29510500
Delhi NCR 011-22307145
Telangana – 104
Andhra Pradesh – 0866-2410978
