How to Keep Your Car Maintained When You Aren’t Driving It a Lot

With the pandemic causing issues around the world, you may find that you are staying home more often than usual and therefore not getting much use out of your vehicle. There could be other reasons that you don’t drive very much as well. Maybe you are a stay at home parent or perhaps you bought an extra vehicle to have fun with but just don’t have the time to pay it much attention. Regardless of the reason, it is important to maintain your car even if it is sitting unused for a period of time. In doing so, you help to ensure that the vehicle runs well for years to come.

Oil Changes

Oil doesn’t stay good forever, and the temperature certainly has an effect on its longevity. Instead of basing oil changes on how much you drive, base them on how much time has elapsed since you last had the vehicle in the shop. It is a good idea to change the oil two times per year, even if you haven’t hit a certain number of miles since your last service. If you wait and only change the oil when you hit the markers that are outlined in your manual, you may find that the car is not safe to drive when you finally get around to taking it out again.

Short Drives

Do your best to take your car out for a short drive on a regular basis; once a week for twenty minutes should be perfect. In doing so, the vehicle avoids getting build-up under the hood and recharges its battery so that it continues to function properly. These short trips also help you familiarize yourself with the car on a regular basis, so that you are comfortable handling it on the road.

Tires

You may not be aware that your tire has a small leak until you notice that one of your tires is flat when you finally get ready to take the vehicle for a drive again. Pay attention to the tires and always make sure they are properly inflated. The heat can quickly deflate your tires, so make sure to check them even more often when it is warm outside.

It is also important to park your car in different spots. When you move the vehicle around, it keeps the tires from developing flat spots. In addition, you may subsequently walk up to your car at a different angle, so you avoid missing “hidden spots” that may be concealing a problem.

Proper maintenance is simply a part of owning a car. It becomes more difficult, however, when you don’t drive the vehicle very often. It is easy to forget about important maintenance tasks or to simply be unaware of what you need to do to keep the car in good working order. Remember that even when a vehicle isn’t on the road, it still needs to be taken care of to avoid issues. Use the tips above to help ensure that your car remains in good working order over time, and let Ethan’s Honest Automotive help you with any maintenance tasks that come your way!