GUWAHATI: The monsoon season is upon us and along with that, it is the most important time for us to look after our cars and keep them ready for the rainy season.
Our cars might need a little more care this year as our cars have been sitting idle due to the ongoing lockdown and other rules and regulations to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are five tips to take care of your car.
- Start the car every 4 – 5 days and let it idle for a bit:
One of the most important part of a car is its engine and since the pandemic has started, most people park their cars in their garages and have kept the cars idle for a long time. This might affect the car in several ways. So, what one can do is start the engine often so that the engine runs even for a short time. This will not only keep the engine healthy but will also keep using the car battery and other such electrical equipment.
This practice is not recommended for normal days as running an engine at idle for a couple of minutes and then shutting it down is just about the worst thing you can do to an engine. At idle the engine will not reach normal operating temperatures and that means you will have increased wear and tear on particularly the pistons/liners.
- Avoid engaging the hand-brake while parked:
Another important point is one should never engage the hand-brake instead the car should be kept in gear. Parking the car in Hand Brake is a normal practice but in the rainy season, it may get jammed. This happens because normally the brake pad stays dry but due to rainwater or flash flood the brake pads might get wet and that’s when the wheel jamming issue starts.
- Keep the Car mud-free:
Keeping your car clean is a general practice but during the monsoon season your car will need special care as the mud that sticks to your cars body might damage the car’s body severely. In many cases, the lower body(Chasis) of the cars start to rust but it stays unnoticed. So, to save our car from these issues the best option is to wash your car every time you ride through a puddle.
- Tank up:
Keeping your tank full is always advised. The less air above the fuel, the less condensation, the less problem with the fuel. Always check and smell the fuel before you start it for the first time after a prolonged period of time. If it smells of rotten eggs, it’s gone off. Don’t start it, if you do you will not only have to clean out the tank, but also the whole fuel system. So try avoiding starting with bad fuel!
- Car battery care:
In modern cars, the battery is likely to drain in 8-15 weeks easily. Purely due to some of the electronics still being powered. The easiest way is to disconnect the battery, which would also mean any alarms and or immobilizers do not work. So you need to think it through.
The best way for a battery, whether you leave it connected in the car, disconnect it, or take it out and store it, is to hook it up to a proper trickle charger. Not possible for everybody of course. But if you disconnect a battery that is in a decent state, it will normally last for quite a few months!
