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Have you ever had to leave your vehicle parked for months at a time? I’ve had to do this before with some of my vehicles. I’ve had things happen where I can get it fixed right away, so it has to sit. Sometimes there are vehicles that are only meant to be driven in Spring/Summer, so we have to let them sit during winter. Other times you may just not have the time to work on a vehicle, so maybe you have to leave it sit for awhile. RepairSmith has some great advice on how to help when it comes to leaving your car parked for a long time.
RepairSmith is a great service that can help out when you have something you need done with your vehicle. they offer upfront pricing, online booking, text and phone support, and a service warranty. What I found to be extremely helpful, is that they can come right to your home. Of course you can go to their shop too. Whichever is more convenient for you.
Here are some tips on helping you prepare your vehicle for extended parking. (RepairSmith)
Keep it Clean
If your vehicle is going to be sitting for a long period of time, you’re probably going to want to clean it out. I wouldn’t want any garbage sitting in my vehicle for to long. That will probably start making the inside of your vehicle start to smell bad. You also want to make sure to keep the outside of your vehicle clean as well. Make sure to give it a quick was. That way debris, dirt and grime on the exterior are not left there to cause damage.
Turn it On
I have always found this to be one of the most important ones when it came to my vehicles. If you can, turn your car on every two weeks or so, and drive it for about 15 minutes. If left alone, certain elements of your car can start to deteriorate. The battery may start to lose its charge, and there could be other issues too with things like the air conditioner or the engine. If you are unable to drive the car, at least start it up and let it run for about 10-15 minutes. Also turn the air conditioner on so that it can keep all those parts in working order.
Leave Your Parking Brake Off (If Possible)
Of course it’s a great idea to leave the parking brake on when you’re actually parked. If you are going to leave your car sit for a long time, it’s important to actually keep the parking brake off. Leaving it on while it sits out, can actually fuse the brake pads and cause damage. Leave the parking brake off if it’s going to be in a garage or on a flat driveway. You could also purchase wheel chocks to place behind your wheels. If you can’t leave the parking brake off, then be sure to release the parking brake every few weeks when you turn the car on.
Cover Your Car, If Possible
Make sure you cover your car up with a car cover or tarp if you’re unable to park it in a car port or garage. If you have no access to any of these things, consider leaving your car at a long-term garage, if possible. If you leave your car in one place, exposed, for months on end, it can cause weather damage.
Keep Everything Filled Up
Make sure your vehicle is sufficiently filled with air and fluids before leaving it parked. Make sure all four tires have ample air pressure, fill up the gas tank, and make sure there’s a proper amount of motor oil in the engine. Keeping the fluids full helps keep oxygen and moisture out of the system. Keeping your tires filled can prevent flat spots from developing as a result of the pressure of the vehicle pushing down on the tires.
Give it a Check-Up Before Driving
If you’re ready to start driving it, you want to give it a light check-up to make sure it’s in good condition. Check under your car to make sure there hasn’t been any leaks. Even a slow leak can completely drain your car of a much-needed fluid if left unattended for months. Also, make sure there’s adequate air in the tires. Tires tend to lose air pressure over time, and often a long period of inactivity will drain them. Before you turn on the car, pop open the hood, and give the engine a visual inspection. When a car is left unattended, oftentimes, small critters will build homes in the engine, and this can cause issues when the car is turned on.
If everything seems good, you’re good to go and start driving your vehicle regularly again. As long as you follow these tips from RepairSmith, your car should be good to go. I’ve done many of these myself to make sure my car stays running. When winter comes, I think it’s even more important because of how cold it gets out. Make sure to follow all these simple tips to keep everything in working order for when you’re ready to drive your vehicle again.
Make sure to give RepairSmith a look for all your vehicle needs.
These are some great tips. I will keep them in mind for sure. My husband will be deploying soon so his truck will be sitting a lot.
Glad they could be of help.
These are excellent tips. I’ve never had to store my car or otherwise leave it stationary for any length of time, so I never realized that you had to take so much into account.
Yes, lots to make sure to take care of for sure.
We have a car that we do not use during this pandemic so I think I need to start it up every week or so. I will think about giving it a good cleaning too, thanks.
You’re welcome. I’m glad they could be of some help.
I did not know this type of service was available! This is going to be a great convenience for us
Sure is!
My vehicle has never been parked for longer than a few days, so I never would’ve thought of any of this.
It’s certainly something to think about.
I’ve never even considered the kind of care a car needs before being left. I will definitely keep all this in mind. It was eye opening!
It’s certainly something to think about.
I love that Repairsmith is available. There has been so many times (in the past) that I could’ve used their services for my vehicles.
Right! Me too.
I feel like my car has been parked for longer stretches during this period of time. These are some great tips that I never thought to do.
Right. I think they are all so important.
Not only is this important with cars, it’s important with riding lawn mowers too. We learned that the hard way. The repairman told us the same tips.
Yes, certainly!
What great tips. I am horrible about thinking to start the car if I am not using it and know it’s very helpful to do so.
It certainly is very helpful.
Wow, this service could be invaluable! I love that they come to your home to make the repairs.
Right! It’s amazing!
I had no idea about this service. Thanks so much for sharing!
I’m glad to have shared.
I can imagine that cars are not being used. I do drive my car s couple times a week to pick up lunches at the kids school.
Times like now I think this is really important for sure.
These are great tips! My husband has an old truck that he won’t drive in the winter, but he does start it a few times so that it will keep running.
That’s great that he does start it. We always do the same.
RepairSmith sounds really an amazing service. I will keep this in mind for sure. Thanks for sharing!
It sure is.
This is a great option for the busy family always on the go! We definitely should use this service before a road trip!
Yes, for sure.
This sounds like a great service! I hope I could find it here.
Sure is!
It’s great to know that they offer home service. Will keep them in mind. We never know when we might need them.
I thought that was wonderful too.
wow! I think this is such a useful service. There were a lot of situations when I needed a long term parking! Thanks for sharing!
Right! It’s great to know.
This is amazing! I’ve always said it would be great to have a mechanic do house calls!
Right! It is great.
Very good tips. We don’t think about such prep before long-term parking. But sometimes things do happen to the parked car that make us look back upon the already wishful thinking. Be ready before it happens! Awesome.
Right. It’s great to know what to do if you ever need to leave your vehicle parked.
This is such a convenient idea. It can be very difficult to find a time and the spot to get something like this done.
Right!
Parking break is important. I’ve only driven my car about 6 times in the last 3 months of this pandemic. I need to give it some TLC
I completely agree too. Very important for sure.
These are great tips for times when you have to leave your car sitting for a long period. We leave a car in the desert and it only gets driven a few times a year. We always disconnect the battery when we leave it.
That’s good to hear. I think doing that is good too.
It sounds like a great service! My husband and I often use long term parking because we love traveling.
It sure is.
This is going to great help especially when we need to move the car from garage or driveway.
Glad to hear that.
This for me is a very important service to avail especially in emergencies like battery change. Thanks for posting this.
I completely agree.
Great to know that there are services for ‘non car savvy people’ like me out there like these! 🙂
Right. I think it’s wonderful.