Look, we’re just as tired of you as all the companies you’ve given your email address to contact your COVID-19 plan. But your car is probably one of your most valuable assets and potentially the most valuable if you are not a homeowner. Given the potential economic consequences of this global crisis, taking care of your investments doesn’t necessarily mean the worst you can do with your newfound downtime. Some things you can do to keep your car healthy while it is mostly idle:

Clean it

There are clear health benefits of taking the garbage out of it and cleaning any surface, especially the contact points like the steering wheel, gear sticks and all the miscellaneous switches. But cleaning the exterior and sealing it with a coat of wax will protect the paint as it sits in the sun or prevent water stains when it rains. Remove air freshener; That substance is tolerable in small amounts, but if you leave it sealed for a week it will become highly concentrated and unhealthy. Also consider a windshield umbrella to keep the interior from fading or cracking from the sun, or at least cover the dash with a towel.

Handle it

I know we all have to stay at home, but in the end you have to go shopping or go out. It is generally useless to park the car for long periods of time without any preparation. Bring the car to maximum operating temperature each time you drive it to prevent spillage of fluid and prevent hoses and seals from becoming brittle and leaking. Make sure the transmission goes through each gear. To make sure systems like variable valve timing or cylinder deactivation are used at least once or twice, drive the engine to the red line while driving (as far as possible, anyway). Contrary to popular belief, starting a car without driving is actually bad for the battery; Some power is required to start the car, but the alternator only charges the battery while the car is running. It also prevents the tires from going flat and gives you the opportunity to move the car to another location if you still have to worry about parking law enforcement where you live.

Get gasoline

Getting gas before all this was a germophobe’s nightmare. During this there are reasons for having or not having gas. First of all, gas is really cheap at the moment, so this is a great time to fill up on all your vehicles, even that spare motorhome, motorcycle, or truck that you only drive a few times a year. Having a full tank also prevents condensation inside the tank, which can cause corrosion if the tank is made of metal rather than a compound. And there is at least some value in not preparing for doomsday, but in being prepared to leave at any moment. Just be sure to avoid pumps at peak times and thoroughly disinfect after.

Take Measures to Prevent Theft

Park your car in a safe, visible and well-lit area where car thieves are hard to come by. Obviously keep the car off and consider a visual deterrent like The Club. It’s silly, out of date, and no, it’s not 100% unbeatable, but most stolen cars are pretty generic models anyway. If your heart is set on stealing a Honda Civic, but you went up to it and saw an extra step to deal with it, would you give it a try or would you just steal a different Civic from 30 feet away?

Maybe you have two cars and suddenly you find yourself in a situation where you really only need one, or none of them. You can have a dedicated commuter car, then an SUV or track car for the weekend, or a fun luggage van. Maybe you and your spouse have cars, and now that you both work from home, you only need one of them for the occasional trip to the grocery store. In these situations, if you have a space where you can do it, it’s not a bad idea to prepare one of them for long-term storage. There are a few things you can do to make it as easy as possible when you need the car again:

– Put it on the jack stand to prevent the tires from getting punctured

-Check tire pressure and required fluids at least once a month

– Connect the car to the battery charger to prevent electronic devices from dying. In addition to making it difficult to start, a discharged battery can also have unexpected side effects on other electrical systems in the car, such as disabling any theft prevention systems or losing power seat memory settings.

– Add fuel stabilizer to the tank to prevent gas from going bad and ruining your fuel system

You’re probably getting a little too informed about this global crisis we’re all going through, and we certainly don’t intend to escalate it in the name of cheap marketing outlets. For the past 30 years our primary goal has been to make owning an out-of-warranty car as easy as possible by providing quality, affordable parts backed by customer service representatives who work here because they also love cars and help want to do. people with them. It continues today, to the best of our ability, even as everything else is going on. If you’re using this time to complete some DIY projects, contact BuyAutoParts for anything you need for your car, and stay safe!