Things to Consider While Your Vehicle Sits

Your vehicles probably aren’t getting a lot of use right now. Even if you don't depend on your vehicle, you should still get out and drive it. Vehicles need exercise just like living things or their systems atrophy. Here's why:

BATTERY

If your vehicle is sitting or only being driven for short trips, this can seriously affect your battery. Your vehicle has multiple computers and modules powered by your battery that are constantly monitoring your car's systems. This will cause the battery to drain within a couple weeks of sitting. To avoid a dead battery, it's important to take your vehicle on at least a 15-minute drive each week to keep the battery fully charged. Plus, it's a great way to get out of your house! Contact us to perform a complimentary battery test to make sure your car has what it takes to keep you going. Now is the worst time to be stranded.

BRAKES

Brake rotor surfaces are steel and will develop rust rather quickly. During the above mentioned 15-minute drive, normal braking will eliminate surface rust on your brake rotors.

ENGINE OIL

The engine oil will deteriorate while your vehicle sits due to temperature fluctuation and moisture. That 15-minute drive will bring your engine up to normal operating temperature and burn away any moisture inside. Your oil and filter should be changed every 6 months or 5,000 miles. 

TIRES

It's imperative that your tire pressures are checked before you drive and set them to the proper inflation specs. Remember, don’t inflate to the spec on the sidewall of the tire as that’s the maximum pressure the tire can hold. You want to inflate them to what the vehicle manufacturer recommends which will usually be much lower. This info can be found in your owner’s manual. When sitting for long periods of time, your vehicle's tires will naturally lose air pressure and will sustain flat-spotting. This is because the weight of your vehicle is sitting on one portion of the tire, causing the rubber to deform. Taking your car out just for a short drive will prevent the tires from deforming or flat-spotting. If you don't have access to an air compressor, come to ArborMotion and have your tires checked and tire pressure set to the recommended tire pressure.

Check for Other Issues

Open and close all of your windows and doors, even pop the trunk and hood to give them exercise. Activate the switches and other features on your vehicle to check for any issues. If this is not something you can do yourself, we’re happy to do it for you!

Do these things to prevent problems when you are depending on your vehicle again. If there’s anything you need, please call us at 734-761-1088 or click HERE.