Car Care During COVID-19 Lockdown

[Dr MUDHAN]

COVID:19 IMPACT
CARING CAR IN QUARANTINE?​

Courtesy Times of India, Dated. 29/03/2020



There are two things that we are to note and care about our lovable cars during this CORONA VIRUS era!

1. Decontamination and 2. Maintenance.

DECONTAMINATION:

Our Cars also get exposed to places where some of humans might have been infected. Those painted metal surfaces or plastic / vinyl structures like steering wheel, shifter, exterior door handles, armrests, seats and carpets need to be cleaned and kept.

Harsh chemicals can’t be used and using industrial sanitizers having 70% alcohol would be very expensive. Therefore, a good shampoo washing with water jet externally, and cleaning all the interiors with diluted dish washer like VIM liquid is a must at least before we halt the car.

Most car leathers and imitation leathers have urethane coatings for protection, need to be cleaned by using simple non scented, neutral PH soap, use a good leather cleaner, then a good leather conditioner afterwards. Using a strong soap or Alcohol may lead to discoloration.

Don’t use bleach or hydrogen peroxide on the inside of your car. Do not use ammonia-based cleaners on car touch screens, as they can damage their anti-glare coatings.

MAINTENANCE:

The 144 Curfew is for our cars too. We need to necessarily park the car at home for certain period. But, an untouched & permanently parked car will be dead soon even without a corona virus!

1. Efficiency of the BATTERY will be reduced if the car is not started for more than 3 days.

2. Do not use the HAND BREAK to park the car permanently as it will affect its strength.

3. Be cautious while PARKING the car outside under direct sun, or under a fragile tree.

4. Protect by a COVER but ensure the cover is secured and intact at all the sides as it can easily be dragged by wind.

5. Ensure the INTERIOR is clean as all the eatables, their wrappings, things that attract insects and rodents are removed before parking to avoid bad odor and costly damages.

6. The TIRES will be weak and get swollen at the pressured spot if the car is unmoved permanently. Therefore, need to move the car little bit forward and backward, also ensure the cold tire pressures are maintained as recommended before halt.

7. Open the Bonnet, Windows and Dickey few minutes periodically to get aerated with FRESH AIR to avoid housing of spiders, rodents and reptiles for our safety and safety of car electrical.

8. You may need to protect engine bay by spraying pepper powder if RAT MENACE is expected.

9. Just turning a car on and idling it is not always good; if possible, the best way to keep up a car is to DRIVE IT, at least once every two weeks, in a way that it gets fully warmed up.

10. Fill up FUEL TANK, this will keep away moisture entering the tank and prevent rusting of the fuel tank. Of course, be sure that the tank is sealed properly as well.


Please don’t miss to read my previous article here:
DOs & DON’Ts - FOR THE PERMANENTLY PARKED CARS!

 

[bhvm]

Pretty important tip if Car is going to be Unused for a Long period of time-
English-

Hindi-

 

[Dr MUDHAN]

UPDATE


WHY THERE IS A NEED FOR DECONTAMINATION?

Various studies show that the Covid-19 Virus can survive on inanimate objects and remain infective for a limited period of time. Our Vehicles are not exceptions.

New research out of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) finds that the novel coronavirus HCoV-19 (SARS-2) causing the COVID-19 pandemic can survive for days on PLASTIC and STAINLESS STEEL and even lasts up to a full day on a CARDBOARD surface. This is actually much better than some previous predictions that the virus could last for over a week on surfaces. (Reference: FORBES)

The touch or droplets during coughing stage of an infected person can place these viruses on these objects.

Humans are vulnerable during this period and utmost precautions is necessary.

That's why there's a need to take care of our vehicles whether a car or bike to ensure that it should never be a source of infection.

UPDATE: MAINTENANCE

1. Ensure to remove the dust & clean by a brush the water channels whenever you open the Bonnet and Dicky.

2. Check periodically all the lights of the car whether okay, especially when the car is parked outside of home to ensure intact electrical connections.

3. Run AC periodically after the car fully warmed up.

4. Don't miss to lift and clean the Wiper Blades by a microfiber cloth.

5. Whenever the car cover is removed, ensure the car cover is dusted off and wipe the car externally by a duster. Better to spray water less shampoo and to clean paint surfaces to remove fine dust and micro stains periodically before putting the cover back.

TAKE CARE !

 

[nanu.007]

Respected Members,

Hope every one is safe and healthy. So, as we are all locked down, in our neighboring flats few people were tested positive so we are not even allowed to step outside. Moreover the parking is on the other side which is like a 5 minutes walk. If we get a chance to go outside, besides taking the wire out of the battery so that it is not discharged is there anything else that one should do? Will the battery really get discharged after one and a half month or two months of no usage? Any suggestions will be appreciated. Stay safe!! The cleaning guys are gonna have an open season soon.

 

[Dr MUDHAN]

@ nanu.007
Car battery discharge is depending on the Age/ Life of the battery.
Cars today have parasitic loads (loads on the battery while the car is off, like Clock, GPS/Security gadgets) of 75 - 85 milliamps or 0.085 amps. This would equate to 1 amp every 12 hours. multiply this by 25 and your battery would be completely drained within 14 days. Of course a battery needs much more power than this to start a car, at least 50%. So, after roughly around a week, the car may not start anymore.
A good quality, branded battery can be revived at the battery dealers by recharging it (as early as possible), if the battery life is still left out as designed.
Good luck.

 

[Akash1886]

Regards
Akash

 

[nanu.007]

View attachment 274254

View attachment 274255​

Regards
Akash

The point number 1, won't be possible in the current scenario, to keep it on for 15 mins in a month.

 

[bhvm]

Fuel system care during lockdown-

 

[350Z]

The point number 1, won't be possible in the current scenario, to keep it on for 15 mins in a month.

Why so? Unless the car is parked far from residence. It’s in fact more important in current situation to prevent the battery from getting drained. I’m doing it once in a while and recommend to TAI-gers as well.

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[nanu.007]

Why so? Unless the car is parked far from residence. It’s in fact more important in current situation to prevent the battery from getting drained. I’m doing it once in a while and recommend to TAI-gers as well.

Drive Safe,
350Z

Parking is very far away. I will post photos how the society has been designed some other day.

 

[Dr MUDHAN]

@ nanu.007

We shouldn’t ignore it.
What I’m doing – I have the habit of ‘early to bed early to rise’ and get up around 4.30 am to do my morning walk within my colony road, of course by wearing a cotton mask and keeping social distance.
I take the vehicle out once in a week, make a round around 2 KMs, park it, do walking and drive back.

I suggest, you can also do it once in a week but don’t forget to follow:

1. Do it in the early morning and back home before 6.00 am.
2. Don’t go to main road, do it within your locality
3. Drive slowly, use minimum lights (only low beam if necessary) , avoid using horn, & put off all extra lights like DRL/FOG lights to save battery resting energy.
4. Be alert and don’t feel sleepy while driving, always expect Cyclers, other Drivers like Newspaper Boys, Milk Man and Morning Walkers.
5. As its difficult to buy engine additives due to lock down (Ref: bhvm ) , we can use Petrol with engine performance additives like Speed/ Turbo Petrol for the cars which will take care of car fuel injectors.

Don’t worry, you can come back and sleep if you want

 

[Nairrk]

Battery draining of vehicles due to almost no movement will be a big challenge for many when the lockdown comes to an end and people start their vehicles for the first time. Well, it can be difficult to get a few people to push start the vehicle, more so if the car is parked in a basement. But can it be started without moving it from its place? These videos say that you can do that by using a rope and a jack lift.

Read:

 

[Akash1886]

Tata Motors shares tips to keep your car safe during the current lockdown
​

Mumbai, May 6, 2020:

In light of the Covid-19 induced nationwide lockdown, which has compelled citizens to stay indoors, Tata Motors recently shared some easy to implement tips for car owners to maintain and sanitize their vehicles during this period. This is a part of the company’s #SAFETYFIRST initiative, which aims at ensuring the safety as well as maintenance of cars while individuals safeguard themselves by staying at home.

To maintain their cars at home, owners have been advised to take a variety of measures. To keep the battery of the car charged, the car should be started once every week. This will ensure that the battery doesn’t exhaust itself. Additionally, the car should be parked in a safe spot in the house or building premises. Moreover, it is also important to preserve the functionality of its internal components. Therefore, using a tyre stopper or putting the car in gear is a more efficient way of parking the car than using the handbrake as it can jam the brake if engaged in the car park position for a prolonged period of time. Also customers should move their car forwards and backwards to keep it from remaining immobile for too long and avoiding flat spots on tyres.

To reduce the effect of changing weather on the vehicle, the fuel tank of the car should be kept full to avoid moisture from settling in. Regular sanitization and periodical checks of the interior and car parts such as the steering wheel are also important to maintain regular hygiene and ensure that the components are functioning. Additionally, the interiors can be kept clean by vacuuming the carpets and mats and wiping car parts such as door handles with regular cleaning solution or disinfectant. The wiper arms should also be in an uplifted position. Lastly, using a car cover will protect the car from getting affected by external factors and avoid the layering of dust on the exterior of the vehicle.

All said and done, it is also important to follow personal hygiene habits such as washing your hands before and after cleaning the car, daily cleaning of high top surfaces at home, careful handling and preparation of meals and disposing off daily food and packaging waste. These are small steps that contribute to the larger defense mechanism in our fight against Covid-19.

For more information, visit Tata Motors Limited - Largest Indian Automobile Manufacturer

#StayHomeStaySafe

About Tata Motors
Tata Motors Limited (BSE: TATAMOTORS), a USD 44 billion organization, is a leading global automobile manufacturer of cars, utility vehicles, pick-ups, trucks and buses. Part of the USD 110 billion Tata group, Tata Motors is India’s largest and one of the few OEM’s offering extensive range of integrated, smart and e-mobility solutions. It has operations in India, the UK, South Korea, Thailand, South Africa, and Indonesia through a strong global network of 134 subsidiaries, associate companies and joint ventures, including Jaguar Land Rover in the UK and Tata Daewoo in South Korea.

With a focus on engineering and tech enabled automotive solutions catering to the future of mobility, Tata Motors is India’s market leader in commercial vehicles and amongst the top four in the passenger vehicles market. With ‘Connecting Aspirations’ at the core of its brand promise, the company’s innovation efforts are focused to develop pioneering technologies that are sustainable as well as suited to evolving aspirations of the market and the customers. Tata Motors strives to bring new products that fire the imagination of GenNext customers, fueled by state of the art design and R&D centers located in India, UK, US, Italy and South Korea. Internationally, Tata commercial and passenger vehicles are marketed in countries, spread across Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, South America, Australia, CIS, and Russia.

To know more, please visit (www.tatamotors.com; also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TataMotors)

Regards
Akash

 

[Akash1886]

Tips to Enhance Longevity of Tyres During Lockdown​

The national lockdown has curbed the movement of people making the vehicles unused for an extended period. Any machine which is left unused is bound to give trouble when restarted. Hence, it becomes important to maintain our objects to enhance longevity. In these troubled times, all of us want to know ways of taking care of our vehicles, but we often forget that tyres form an integral part of the juggernaut and its equally imperative to take care of the tyres as well.

Tyres do not like sitting in the same position for too long, because the weight of the car on the tyre can cause a flat spot. So, if you have space and it is safe to do so, you can also push your car forwards or backwards occasionally, so the weight is not on the same spot.

Here are the tips from MAXXIS TYRES on how to increase shelf life of tyres during the Lockdown period:

• Normally, we do not want to over-inflate our tyres because that reduces grip. However, doing so reduces the risk of flat spots, just do not go over the recommended limit.

• If over-inflation is not possible, try keeping your 2-Wheeler vehicle on main stand, so tyres do not touch the ground to minimize flat spot. And for 4-Wheeler vehicles, we could push the vehicle forward/backwards once a week by 5m-10m to avoid flat spot.

• Park your vehicle in covered area, so tyres do not come in direct contact with sunlight or UV rays.

• You can use your new-found free time to give your tyres a clean and dressing to protect from road grime or UV light that might eat away at the rubber. While you are down there, you can give them a quick check for damage and tread life, too.

About Maxxis Tyres (Maxxis Rubber India- World's No.1 Two Wheeler Brand)

Maxxis is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cheng Shin Rubber Ind. Co. Ltd., the largest two-wheeler tyre manufacturer and the ninth largest tyre company in the world. The company has its presence in 6 continents with 21 manufacturing plants and 5 R&D Centres worldwide, serving customers across 180 countries.

The sub-company of Maxxis Group, Maxxis India (Maxxis Rubber India Private Limited) started its own arm of business in India in 2015 and has built its first manufacturing facility in Sanand, Gujarat. The facility is spread across a massive 106 acres and has a capacity to produce around 20,000 tyres and 40,000 tubes per day. Maxxis currently serves as an OEM tyre supplier to Honda, Hero Moto Corp, Yamaha Motors (Two-Wheelers), Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra, Tata and Jeep in India. Maxxis Rubber India has been selected as the original equipment tyre supplier to India’s number one selling model, Honda Activa, since 2015.

Regards
Akash

 

[nanu.007]

Tips to Enhance Longevity of Tyres During Lockdown​

Regards
Akash

If over-inflation is not possible, try keeping your 2-Wheeler vehicle on main stand, so tyres do not touch the ground to minimize flat spot. And for 4-Wheeler vehicles, we could push the vehicle forward/backwards once a week by 5m-10m to avoid flat spot.

What is the meaning of flat spots?