Sustain The Relationship With Your Car During Coronavirus

SUMMARY

• We often treat our cars like our bad exes treated us. Changing the relationship you have with your car starts with you!
• Taking care of your car is important even when you are not using it!
• Run the car for 10 minutes and get some important systems moving again.
• Keep gas at a quarter of a tank.
• Spring clean your car and get a check up as soon as stay-at-home orders are lifted!

Just because the world stopped doesn’t mean the relationship with your car does as well. Remember, shecanics treat their cars with the same love and care that we expect from our partners. Communication, commitment, loyalty are still paramount for your car to be running in the best condition for you. Your baby needs some love, even when you are not using him or her as much. Follow these shecanic steps to keep your car happy and healthy from coronavirus too! After all, they are a part of the family.  If you are looking for more information on how to change the relationship with your car to go from frenemy to your best friend, purchase a copy of Girls Auto Clinic GloveBox Guide! RUN THE CAR FOR 10 MINUTES ONCE A WEEK.If the car is sitting for a long period of time and you are not driving it at all you need to make sure the battery is charged and ready to go for your next drive. You charge your car’s battery by running the engine. Remember the battery’s main job is to turn on your car. That’s it! Once the car is turned on the battery kinda hangs out, gets charged to 100% by the engine, and waits for the car to be shut off then turned on again. This is what the battery does most of its time. The battery however keeps some things working on your car when it is off. For example, the battery gives power to internal lights when you open the door, external headlights, the radio, and the horn when the car is off. Therefore the battery is being used even when your car is not! These components drain the battery. If the battery is too drained, the car will not start and you will need a jump start. This is why you should occasionally start and run the engine of a car that is not being used. You are charging the battery back to 100% so it can do its main job - START THE VEHICLE. While you are running the vehicle for 10 minutes turn all the electronics on and off. Lights, wipers, turn signal, radio, heat, a/c, seat adjustments. Just get them up and alive again. They are a little stale. Rev the engine gently for a few seconds. Pump the brakes. Turn the parking brakes on two or three times.If you can drive the vehicle take it for a spin around the neighborhood so you can use the brakes, and the steering wheel, and the tires and wheels.KEEP A QUARTER OF A TANK OF GAS IN YOUR GAS TANK OR MOREI discuss in length the glory and pitfalls of gasoline in the Girls Auto Clinic Glove Box Guide. Keeping at least ¼ tank of gas AT ALL TIMES in your gasoline tank protects the fuel pump. It also prevents rust and fuel deterioration from condensation with temperature changes.Apparently gas is so cheap they are “giving it” away. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic driving and production around the world has decreased drastically in a short period of time. Demand for oil is down so inventory goes up and the price of fuel/gas decreases. NOW is the time to fill up! Please practice COVID-19 safety when getting gas. Take your credit/debit card (avoid cash if you can) out of your wallet and leave your wallet in the car. Use gloves when touching the pump display and gas pump. Do not get back into your car with gloves on. Wait until the gas tank is full or at the desired amount. Throw gloves away before getting back in the car. Place the card back in your wallet. One thing to note, fuel that sits for too long goes bad. If you are not using a vehicle at all and are storing it for more than 2 months, keep no more than ¼ of gas in the tank. When it is ready to be driven again, fill up the gas tank. The new fuel will dilute the bad fuel. If you have more than ¼ tank of bad fuel, you may need to siphon it out. When we get out of this COVID-19 mess it is wise to get a fuel system cleaner performed on your car if it is not being driven regularly for over 3 months. We offer this service at Girls Auto Clinic Repair. Call and ask about our specials around Coronavirus.SPRING CLEAN YOUR CARI recommend doing a thorough cleaning and check up of your car every spring to protect it for longevity. If you plan on keeping your car until the wheels fall off or reselling it, this is an important step in your car care plan. Now more than ever it is important to spring clean your car because of COVID-19. Plus, if you are a non essential worker and you are home, you may have some more time on your hands. Kids love to help in this activity as well!Here’s how we recommend you spring clean your car for coronavirus. Or, support a local small business that details cars. A good detail business will likely do a much better job cleaning your car than you do any day!After we get out of this coronavirus stay at home order and pandemic, make sure you take your car to your PCT for a check up. You'll likely want or need the following services on your vehicle. If you're in the Philadelphia area, give us a call! 484-461-4693

Fresh Air Clean - Definitely change out the cabin air filter. I'd even go a step further and add a fresh air clean service to the entire HVAC system in the car. This 30-minute process uses chemicals to disinfect, cleans  dirt and debris from the air ducts and components needed to run your heat and a/c in the car. We are offering this service with a FREE cabin air filter for $100 (normally $125). Call 484-461-4693 to set up your appointment today!

Oil Change -  I'm not sure if I need to remind you why oil changes are so important, but if you're new here check out a few blogs on the importance of oil changes. Here and Here and Here and Here

Wiper Replacement - Wiper blades need to be replaced every six months for wear and washer fluid checked for amount. I don't want to see any peeling wipers blades! We've been getting a lot of rain these past few months. It's raining as I write this blog. Winter is harsh on your wipers and they get worn and damaged. Get your wipers checked so you'll be ready for the summer storms (fingers crossed we're allowed outside by then).

Fuel System Cleaning - It's good to get these cleanings done once a year normally around warmer months. It is especially important if you car has been siting for a few months with the same amount of gas in it. We are offer several services for cleaning your fuel system. Call 484-461-4693 to set up your appointment today!