Maintenance Tips for Rarely Driven Vehicles

Vehicle Checks · Posted by: Mobile Tyres 2 U · 24th February 2022

If you’re not much of a car person, you might think that driving your vehicle very infrequently might actually extend its lifespan, but this just isn’t the case. Cars like to be driven, so if you’re not using yours all that much, you’ll need to carry out some additional maintenance. Don’t worry though, Mobile Tyres 2 U is here with some quick and easy tips to make looking after your rarely driven vehicle a breeze.

Keeping the engine in good shape

One of the main issues with not driving a car much is that the engine will start to develop problems after long periods of dormancy. In order to prevent this from happening, there are two key things that you can do:

1. Turn the engine on every once in a while: by doing this, you will keep the engine happy and make sure that things continue to fire properly without seizing up. You will also make sure that the battery gets charged now and then, which is another bonus.
2. Ensure the oil is topped up: engine oil is essential to the proper running of your vehicle, so make sure that it’s topped up. Just pull out the dipstick and look to see that the oil isn’t below the suggested minimal level at the bottom of the stick. If it is, just add a little more oil and re-check.

Keep the tyres inflated

If you don’t drive your car regularly, the chances are you won’t be able to tell if your tyres are particularly low in pressure, because you won’t have noticed the difference in feel over time. So, to make sure that your tyres are in a good spot for when you hop back in your vehicle, be sure to check the psi and pump up if necessary. You can do this at any petrol station forecourt, or you could even buy your own kit and do it at home if you’d prefer.

Leave the handbrake off (if possible)

In most scenarios, you’re going to want to put the handbrake on when you park, but if you’re not driving your vehicle for weeks or months at a time, then sometimes the handbrake won’t properly disengage after you’ve pushed it down. So, if the place where you park is flat enough and not close to other vehicles, just leave your parking brake off and you will be able to sidestep this problem.

Give it a clean inside

Cars that sit for long periods without being opened can really develop a stench, so make sure that you give it a clean and a vacuum every once in a while, especially if you’re partial to eating food in your car. This will also stop any particularly ambitious rodents from trying to get to the snacks that you’ve left behind!

Mobile Tyres 2 U is the leading mobile tyre supplier and fitter throughout High Wycombe, Watford and the surrounding areas. If you have a vehicle that you rarely drive that’s run into tyre issues, don’t worry, just give our team a call and we’ll try and assist you in any way we can.