Yes, it’s all a bit doom and gloom right now, but we’ve all got plenty of spare time around the house and it looks like a lot of us won’t be needing to use our car much over the coming weeks. So, here are some quick tips for looking after your car which will keep it in good shape and maybe even save you a few quid down the line.
Protect your car with a warranty and get 6 months FREE!
Click here to get your 6 months FREE Warranty
USE CODE: REGIT6
A warranty really is essential for stress-free vehicle ownership. Once that manufacturer warranty expires, you are culpable for all the potential costs that may be incurred if your vehicle goes wrong. It might seem strange, but now is a good time to look at buying a warranty for your vehicle. Protect yourself from potential faults when you get back out in your vehicle and also help reduce your potential outgoings in the months and years to come by investing in an extended warranty today.
To get the most for your money, we’ve partnered with MotorEasy, who want to offer Regit readers a free 6 months when you purchase a 12 month warranty from them. MotorEasy has a network of 10,000 garages across the UK and they oversee all repairs and bills from start to finish, they can even collect and deliver your vehicle for the work that needs doing.
To make the most of this deal just used the code REGIT12 at checkout when buying a MotorEasy warranty product - it’s as simple as that!
Click here to get your 6 months FREE Warranty
USE CODE : REGIT12
Pump up the tyres
Your tyres will lose pressure if they’re sat in one place over time and if they’re allowed to get too deflated, the weight of the car will cause structural damage to the tyre walls which can really shorten the lifetime of your tyres. If possible, try and make sure your tyres are fully inflated to the specified pressure. If you don’t have access to a pump then one idea would be to put your car on axle stands to relieve your tyres of the vehicle’s body weight.
Turn it over
Your car is always using power to some extent. Even when parked on the driveway, the countless sensors around your car are still active and power is still leaking from your car’s battery causing it to eventually go flat. You can overcome this by turning it over and letting it run for 10 or 15 minutes once every week or so, which will lubricate the engine and allow the battery to regain some power from the alternator.
Obviously, we don’t encourage any needless journeys and we certainly recommend you do not leave your car unattended while idling. If possible, rotate which vehicles in the household are being used for essential journeys such as supermarket or hospital visits.
Consider SORN’ing it
If you’re absolutely certain that your vehicle will not be getting driven any time in the foreseeable future then declaring your car as SORN could save you a few pounds. A Statutory Off-Road Notification can be applied to any car that is being stored away and the government will repay the remaining amount owed from the vehicles ‘road tax’ (Vehicle Excise Duty.)
Remember, you can only SORN a vehicle which is being kept off the public roads and car parks, the vehicle must be on private property such as a driveway or garage.
Give it a clean before putting it away
After a relatively mild winter in terms of weather, you’d be forgiven for thinking your vehicles paintwork has survived unscathed. There have still been a good 4 months of grit and loose tarmac flicked up though, and you’ll want to get rid of this sooner rather than later. If you’re going to leave your car to sit for the duration of lockdown, we’d advise giving it a wash first to prevent the paint from corroding.
Think of the paintwork
Leaving your car to sit in the sunlight can be hugely detrimental to the health of the paintwork. Similarly, parking it under a tree can be a nightmare with endless organic matter falling from the branches above. A simple solution would be to invest in a car cover. Don’t rush down to the shops though - you’ll be able to find a model-specific cover for your car online and have it delivered to your door. A protective cover could be one of the best investments you make during the lockdown and your car’s paintwork will thank you once this has all blown over…
Remember, we do not encourage any of our readers to make any journeys outside of government guidelines while under lockdown. Use these tips to keep your vehicle in tip-top condition and let us know if you’ve been able to save some money by SORN’ing your car or getting 6 free months of car warranty from MotorEasy with our code: REGIT12
Click here to get your 6 months FREE Warranty
USE CODE : REGIT12