Car Care for Social Distancing

It’s the summer of social distancing and the era of COVID-19, and that means people are working from home, staying home and driving less. While many of us typically have commutes of 30 to 45 minutes of daily driving (or even more), if you are working from home and driving less, your car might just be sitting there!

If you are driving less, you want your car to start up reliably each time you need to leave home. So, how often does a car need to be driven and how do you take care of your car if it’s (mostly) sitting idle? Follow these steps to maintain your car and keep it running smoothly even when it’s not being driven as often.

1. Take it to the car wash. It may seem counterintuitive to wash your car when no one will see it for a while, but all the bugs, hard water spots, dirt and dust that accumulate on the surface of your car can break down your clear coat and paint job. Wash it to remove contaminants, especially things that can cause rust and corrosion over time like salt and mud from the underside of the vehicle. This is especially important if you don't garage your car.

2. Keep fluids full. Top off brake, transmission, power steering and windshield wiper fluid and antifreeze if the weather is cold. Change the oil before putting the car in storage, even if you aren’t yet due for a change.

3. Fill up the gas tank. Driving your car on less than a quarter tank is not great for the engine. Debris from the fuel can collect in the bottom of the tank. When fuel gets low, a higher concentration of dirty fuel is sent through the fuel lines. Additionally, if the car is seldom driven, moisture can accumulate in the fuel tank. In colder weather, this can eventually lead to a fuel line freeze.

4. Drive the car once a week if possible. At a minimum, drive your car every two weeks for at least five to 10 miles to keep fluids moving and clean. Take the car out for a spin, visit the car wash and wipe out the interior of any dust. Check the tire pressure while you’re at it to ensure that the weight of your car isn’t wearing down your tires. And open up the hood to check for chewed belts, hoses and wires which can be signs of critters taking up residence inside your car.

5. Maintain the battery. Batteries will eventually lose charge if not recharged through regular driving. You can use a battery tender to fully charge the battery and keep it from getting overcharged while the vehicle is not in frequent use. If you are driving at least once a week, you don’t need to do this.