Tips for keeping static car primed

Published on 1 April, 2020

Here are simple steps to maintain your car if it is mostly sitting idle

Overview

Most of us are staying home and playing our part in coping with the virus - but let's not forget that we need to have our means of transport ready should it be needed in an emergency.

Here are simple steps to maintain your car if it is mostly sitting idle - thanks to Paul Bradley, technical support engineer with Volkswagen Group Ireland.

He reminds us that our cars could be sitting in the driveway for a few weeks with little or no 'exercise'.

"In modern vehicles this is not so much as an issue as with older cars, but it is still essential to maintain and pay it some attention," he said.

The first thing to do is clean inside and out (and sanitise as many touch points as possible). Then the following will help maintain your vehicle in the driveway:

* Start the car and let it get up to operating temperature (usually 90 degrees);

* Go for a little drive to remove any oxidation that may have built up on the brakes;

* Turn things on - such as ventilation, lights, indicators etc and make sure they still operate correctly;

* Make sure your wipers are kept clean from leaves, moss and dirt and grime;

* Keep the car out of the sun if at all possible;

* Make sure no interior/exterior lights are left on, as this will run down the battery.