Hopefully, working from home means you are taking advantage of the extra time not being in your car during rush hour by being much more active. But if you’re like me, that’s not the case. It’s almost as if I’ve somehow become less active. I know. It doesn’t make sense and shame on me.
Chances are your car, too, has been much less active. Just like us humans, cars too need to remain active. I learned this lesson years ago when I bought a snowplow. We don’t get too much snow here, but it was one of those “this deal is too good to pass up” purchases. The ol’ Dodge Ram 3/4 ton was hardly used in the winter, given our limited snowfall, and in the summer, it basically just sat. My primary vehicle is a pickup and is much more comfortable, so of course, it was my primary truck for all errands. This was my mistake.
Letting your vehicle sit can be detrimental to so many mechanisms in your vehicle. First, it’s hard on your battery and it will likely be the first thing to go. A battery needs to be recharged by the alternator and if your car is never running, then neither is your alternator. And they don’t particularly like bouncing between running low and full. Add to that the cold weather, and your batter’s days are numbered.
This next tip will also save you hundreds of dollars. Leaving your car sit will, not only leave impressions on your car’s bearings requiring their replacement, but it will also create flat spots on your tires. Best case scenario, you’ll be left with some vibrations as you drive and your wheels spin over those damaged areas. Worst case scenario, the tires will be so flat, that continuing to drive on them will be so violent, that it will begin to take a toll on the rest of your vehicle. Or, it will be so bad that, the vehicle will be uncontrollable and a danger to you and everyone else on the road. In other words, you’ll have no choice but to buy new tires. And depending on your vehicle, that can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand.
Lastly, and possibly most important, is your car’s fluids; mainly, the oil and gasoline. Over time, they not only can settle, causing sediment buildup in the intake passages, but condensation will also collect destroying the oil, and more importantly, your engine. The fluids all need to course through the vehicle, allowing them to tend to the intended component awaiting them. In the same way your blood and nervous system takes care of your body, so too do the fluids and hoses that attach to each of your car’s organs.
And it’s not enough to just start your car and let it idle. It needs to be driven. Is it enough for you to just wake up in the morning and not do anything but sit there awake? Nope. You got to move to be healthy... and so does your car.