Mobility is quite a superfluous subject in times of Covid-19, when most part of the world seems to have come to a sudden stop, and even though we still have many other things to show you, we’d like to take some time to speak directly to the main reason why we are here: the car owners and drivers.
When the parking industry speaks about long-term parking, they usually refer to a period of several days, maybe a couple of weeks. That is likely to happen at airports, for instance, where travelers tend to leave their cars before they take a flight, so they have it waiting for them when they come back from their trip. Under normal circumstances, some of the following maintenance tips can be used in case of long-term airport parking as well, but given the current situation, you might as well use them when you have your car stored in your private garage at home, can have unwanted consequences for engines, tires or brakes.
Cars are meant to be driven, so the best solution against the decay of batteries and brakes is to move them regularly. This is, of course, not always possible, and as we know more about car parking than we know about the car itself which we believe sums up pretty well what maintenance you should do during this Covid-19 quarantine. They point out the most common trouble spots and what you should watch out for if your car is going to be parked or stored for a longer time.
Tires – the right pressure can decrease the risk of flat-spotting, which is when the weight of the vehicle sitting on one spot flattens out a portion of the rubber on the tire. Keep the tired inflated as the manufacturer recommends. It’s the first step to keep your tires in good shape.
Brakes – It’s recommendable to leave the parking brake off if you think that the car will be unused for longer than a month, as brake pads and rotors might fuse if they make contact for too long.
Battery – you might already know that the batteries can discharge over time. The best is to actually start the engine and drive the car every two weeks, but if you’re expecting not to use the car for longer, you can always disconnect the battery cables.
Fuel – top off the tank. That’s the simple piece of advice we can give. It will prevent moisture from accumulating inside the fuel tank and keep the seals from drying out.
Now let’s talk about real long-term parking
When everything gets back to normal (hopefully soon) you might, at some point, take a flight and be away from home for a longer time. Besides all the maintenance recommendations from above, here are two essential tips we want you to think about before you enter a long-term parking garage:
Remove all valuables – often equipped with security systems like CCTV, parking garages are evolving into safer places, but it’s still a good idea not to leave any valuable object in the car. A thief might find the loose cash in the cup holder interesting enough to break a window.
Clean out your car – this might be obvious, especially if you’re leaving the car parked in summer in an outdoor parking lot.
All these tips will help you enjoy your car for a longer time and enjoy all the parking facilities and technologies the industry has to offer you.
Keep safe.
