Like humans, your car needs exercising to make sure it runs at full capacity. You should never let your car sit for months on end without starting it up and driving it around. That’s like sitting around for months without proper exercise.

Here are some reasons not to let your car sit for several weeks or longer:

Tyres Deflating
Your tyres slowly lose air under all weather conditions, and as they do, the weight of the car keeps pressing down on the tyres, which causes flat spots to form. Driving the car and pumping in more air if necessary will usually make the tyres round again, but by letting the car sit idle for long periods of time will end up with underinflated tyres that will cause permanent flat spots.

Uninvited Guests
Rats and other unwanted creatures might make your car their new home. They usually find a way under the hood or even make nests in the exhaust ports. If they get hungry, some of these critters may even chew on the wiring of your engine, causing major damage to your car.

Wet, Wet, Wet
In a humid country like Malaysia, moisture can collect in the fuel tank (especially if it isn’t full) and in the engine oil over time, and that can lead to corrosion which will undoubtedly be bad for your car.

What we do recommend is that you drive your car every two to three weeks to make it less likely you wind up with a dead battery, flatten tyres and other issues. Just starting your car and letting it run for 10 minutes isn’t enough either; you’ll have to drive it around for at least 15-20km and with a speed of around 80km/h. This is because driving the car around helps to wake up the transmission, brakes, suspension, power steering, air conditioner and all the fluids and seals for those components that have been idle for a long time.

Another reason is because car batteries slowly lose their charge when they sit idle, and just starting the car will drain it even more. That is one reason we recommend you to drive your car after a long time idle, so the battery has a chance to recharge.

If you have a reason why you cannot start your car, you should ask friends or family to help out. We think that having a car in perfect working order is the best thing you can have, especially in moments of emergency.

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