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- Letting a car sit while under coronavirus lockdown - or any other time - can potentially cause hefty repair bills, but you can keep your vehicle in good condition by following a few key steps.
- The main concern with letting a car sit in the short term is a dead battery - the best way to prevent that is to drive your car at least once every two weeks.
- Driving regularly also prevents your tires from degrading, and it keeps all the moving parts in your car lubricated.
- Getting your car moving at regular intervals helps in the short term, but some additional precautions may be in order if you'll be driving rarely for an extended period of time.
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Given the fact that there's a pandemic going on, you'd be forgiven if car maintenance isn't top of mind these days. However, since most of the US is on some form of lockdown - and most people's daily drivers are sitting for longer than usual - proper vehicle upkeep is far more important than it might seem.
One of the best ways to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus is, of course, to stay at home and practice proper social distancing. But the longer your car sits, the more risk there is of causing permanent damage or an unwelcome repair bill. Fortunately, drivers can take a few simple steps to ensure their car stays in good running condition over the next weeks and months of coronavirus quarantine.
Business Insider spoke with experts to learn what drivers should watch out for when parking their cars for longer than usual - but, keep in mind, there's a whole host of additional precautions to take if you're planning to tuck a car away in long-term storage.
Larry Kosilla, the founder of car detailing company Ammo NYC, Ronald Montoya, senior consumer advice editor at Edmunds, and Rich White, executive director of the Car Care Council, a nonprofit that educates drivers on automotive maintenance, all shared some tips and tricks for keeping a sitting car well maintained in the near term and in the long haul.
Here's what they had to say:
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