With UK road travel down 73 percent during the lockdown, it’s hardly surprising that some cars are being left for long periods of time. However, his can lead to unexpected problems further down the line.
A flat battery is the most obvious issue, but a prolonged period of inactivity can also have an impact on the brakes, tyres, air conditioning and paintwork.
With this in mind, Kia has produced a series of short animation videos giving guidance on basic safety and maintenance procedures to follow during the lockdown.
These videos are a supplement to the advice given at the beginning of the month.
There are four videos in total, which we have linked to below.
Brakes
Episode one provides information on the brakes and what to expect if a car has been inactive for a long period of time.
Introducing – Kia’s Lockdown vehicle maintenance and safety video series. Starting with episode one – Brakes: What to expect when they have been inactive for several days. pic.twitter.com/VTyxqVuSlk
— Kia UK PR (@KiaUKPR) April 23, 2020
Battery
Episode two features the car battery and how to ensure it remains charged during the lockdown. There’s also advice for electric and hybrid owners, plus what to do in the event of a flat battery.
In episode two of Kia’s Lockdown maintenance and safety video series, we give clarity on how to maintain optimum car battery health pic.twitter.com/lWOmagylaj
— Kia UK PR (@KiaUKPR) April 23, 2020
Exterior
In the third episode, Kia explains what you need to do to check the exterior of your car, including brake lights and tyre pressures.
The third instalment of Kia’s Lockdown maintenance and safety series focuses on exterior safety checks including lights and tyre pressures pic.twitter.com/7h85i3CBly
— Kia UK PR (@KiaUKPR) April 24, 2020
Under the bonnet
The final episode shows you how to ensure the essential fluid levels are checked and maintained.
The final episode in our Lockdown maintenance and safety series explains what to do ‘under the bonnet’ in regards to ensuring essential fluid levels are checked and maintained pic.twitter.com/fthGh7yrCA
— Kia UK PR (@KiaUKPR) April 29, 2020
Cleaning your car
It’s also important to keep your car clean during the lockdown, especially if it is being used to attend medical appointments, for going to work, or to collect the weekly grocery shopping.
Earlier this week, we showed you how to sanitise your car. The details can be found here.
An Auto Trader spokesperson said: “We understand that people still need to use their cars to get around, whether it’s for shopping for necessities, going to work, or attending medical appointments.
“Many may also be transporting other family members, so having multiple people in and out of a car means a higher risk of infection through contact with surfaces. By keeping cars as hygienic as possible with regular cleaning and disinfecting, we can reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading through car use.”
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