Cars are wonderful machines, but they require attention after various increments in mileage. But what happens when you don’t use your car for a while? During this pandemic, car use has gone down, and we here at Gregg Young Chevrolet of Norwalk want to make sure your sitting car doesn’t have a surprise for you when you start it up again. That’s why we want you to know how you can keep your car running well even if it isn’t being driven as frequently.
While we know that running cars can cause wear as the miles go by, there’s another factor that can also degrade some of your car: time. An oil change is usually every 3,000 – 5,000 miles, but if you haven’t hit that in 6 months, your oil likely needs to be changed anyway. Oils and fluids are sensitive to temperature and climate changes, and they can lose their beneficial properties as time goes by. You can also lose pressure from your tires, and your wiper blades may degrade some. Overall, your car ages while it sits just like it ages while it drives.
We here at Gregg Young Chevrolet are a family-owned and operated business, and we’ve seen lots of cars that have decayed over time. Our expert team knows exactly what to check and how to help a car that’s been sitting, and we can talk to you about the best way to go forward with your car’s maintenance. We even have a body shop on-site if your car gets caught in an unlucky storm or accident.
If you have a car that’s in storage or not used as much, we have a couple of suggestions. Running your engine once a week can help keep your battery from draining, and leaving it running for about 10 minutes will help the alternator recharge your battery (but make sure the area around your car is well-ventilated!). It’s also recommended that you take a small drive to give the suspension, brakes, and other systems some use so that they don’t have any buildup from sitting too long.
