How to stop your car dying on you as it's parked during lockdown

If you’ve been working from home for the past 10 weeks, chances are you aren’t missing your commute to work.

As the lockdown continues many people will appreciate that extra time in the morning to exercise or just stay in bed longer.

While coronavirus has had a devastating human cost across the world, fewer cars on the road and less air pollution has given the environment some much needed relief.

Cabinet Office data shows motor traffic dropped by 73% on 29 March compared with pre-outbreak levels, falling to the lowest level since 1955. But leaving your car parked up for weeks on end can start causing problems if you don’t keep it maintained.

According to the AA, around a third of breakdowns are happening at home as drivers discover issues which have developed during the lockdown.

Visit our live blog for the latest updates: Coronavirus news live

As schools re-open and more and more people are called back to work, the last thing you want is to find your motor has died on you when you’re expected in the office. To avoid having to get expensive replacement car parts fitted, here are some useful things to keep your vehicle running smoothly.

What could go wrong with my car during lockdown?

The RAC’s Chris Millward said battery faults have increased by around 50% during the lockdown period, as people aren’t using their cars enough to keep them charged up.

He said: ‘We know that people are using their vehicles a lot less now since the Covid-19 lockdown and you’re doing short essential journeys. A lot of short journeys will actually drain the battery down because it’s not recharging it and recovering that battery.’

Be sure not to leave devices like dashcams plugged in if you’re not using your car that much as all it’s going to do is drain the power.

Chris added: ‘Since the lockdown many of you have to rely on essential journeys to keep the battery charged up. Unfortunately just starting the vehicle up and leaving it running – idling – isn’t the right thing to do.

‘Sometimes you can take more power out of a battery than your actually putting in, and also if it’s a petrol engine and you start it and switch it off over a short period of time you can have some flooding issues with the engine.

‘If you’ve got two cars or three cars, you can jump into one car to do your essential shopping journey and try using the older vehicles. If you’ve got an older vehicle in your family maybe you should be using that.’

Chris added: ‘If you’re not using the vehicle, fitting a new battery and then not using that vehicle again, the new battery will actually discharge.

‘It can actually damage a new battery by not being used as well, so it’s hugely important even if the battery is new, the vehicle still has to be used regularly otherwise you’re just throwing good money away.’

Green Flag recommends starting cars once a week and letting the engine run for around 15-20 minutes to avoid flat batteries.

Buying yourself a car battery charger is an easy way to keep it topped up at a healthy level, as long as you can safely connect it to your mains supply.

Keeping a tyre in one position for a really long time can cause the rubber to degrade. Green Flag recommends rolling your car back and forth every so often to prevent this from happening.

The recovery service’s product manager Blanche Oseland said: ‘It’s hard to predict when life will go back to normal and we’ll all be back on the roads, but as an unprecedented number of vehicles could have been lying dormant throughout lockdown we want to make sure everyone is maintaining and checking their cars so when we are using them again, it’s safe to do so.’

The AA’s Ben Sheridan said: ‘Car engine bays can be an attractive nesting area for small rodents so it’s also worth checking for stowaways. Look under the bonnet for gnawed wiring or pipework and plastics.

‘If you do find anything, it’s important to deal with it as rodents can cause thousands of pounds worth of damage, having a particular fondness for expensive wiring looms.’

Car checks before setting off

• Make sure tyre pressure and tread depth are as they should be (you’ll find details in your car’s handbook).
• Crack there’s no cracks on the tyre’s sidewall
• Clean off any dust from your car’s brake discs
• Top up oil levels, engine coolant, and screen wash

These checks should be made as regularly as possible and are best done when the engine is cool – so not right after a journey.

Do I still need an MOT during lockdown?

The government announced a six-month extension on vehicles due for a MOT on or after 30 March – after the lockdown came into effect.

But guidance from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) says motorists should still get one if it expires before this date.

Are car garages open now?

According to the Government garages and MOT test centres are exempt from the list of businesses that have been ordered to close down.

Some may have closed voluntarily for safety reasons, but this is not compulsory.

Garages can carry out repairs and sevices and MOT centres are allowed to carry out tests or retests.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.