When parked at home for a long period of time, you may not realize it, but your car can suffer without being ran regularly. Therefore, it can be safe to take precautions so when you leave your car parked at home for an extended time, you don’t come home to a car that won’t start, or was broken into, or has a mechanical issue. These five tips will help avoid all of those problems and leave your car safe while you are away.
Charge it Up
Be sure when you are away, there is nothing plugged into your car that will or would drain the battery. Think chargers, lights on, etc. Be sure to turn off and unplug all those things before leaving. You can leave the battery charging while you leave, or you can have a trusted person drive it around the block once every other day!
Wash Before You Go
You may not know this but dirt and grime sitting on your car for a long period of time can effect the paint job and sometimes corrode plastic. Therefore, be sure to give you car a wash before going out of town. As far as the interior goes, be sure to vacuum and get any trash out to prevent bugs, and a stench. No one really thinks about doing this before they leave town but it is extremely important and you will come home to a nice clean car! In addition to this, if parked outside you can consider using a car cover.
Check the Tires
Checking the tire pressure is extremely important when leaving your car for an extended period of time. You’ll want to check the tire pressure before you leave and ensure all tires are inflated to the PSI they need. This way, if the weather drops or rises causing the tires to lose air, while you are away it won’t be that bad.
Check the Fluids
Before leaving, ensure all the fluids are filled up and circulating correctly. Driving around the block not only will charge the battery but will help the fluids circulate. Ensure there is no fluids leaking or no bad smells when starting and running the vehicle.
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Take it for a Drive
Obviously you can’t drive your car while you are away, but it can be a good thing to ask a trusted neighbor, friend, dog sitter, to drive your car for about 20 minutes every other day to help keep those fluids circulating and the battery charged.
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