Back To The Office: Preparing Your Car For The Daily Commute
Photo by Tim Samuel from Pexels (Back To The Office: Preparing Your Car For The Daily Commute)
It’s the second half of 2021, and all over the world, COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out at the speed of light. As a result, the economy in Malaysia and elsewhere are reopening, leading more people to return to their offices. After working from home for so long, you might be wondering how to prepare your car for the daily commute. Well, that’s exactly what we’re going to dive into here today.
Before returning to the daily commute in 2021, start by getting your car cleaned and filling your fuel tank. Then, you’ll want to check fluid levels, the state of your tyres, and your car battery. For a more thorough check, be sure to test drive your car or take it to a workshop for a detailed inspection.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the things you’ll need to prepare for that drive to and from work every day.
Get Your Car Cleaned
Let’s start with the basics. The first thing you’ll want to do when preparing to use your car daily again is to get it cleaned. Of course, a simple wash and vacuum at home are enough to get you started.
Remember: the air inside the cabin is probably a little musty. So roll down those windows to exchange the old air and spray a little air freshener.
Suppose your car has been parked away for months and has become exceptionally dirty. Well, you could take all that cleaning up another level. For instance, you could drive the car to a professional to freshen it up by detailing the interior and exterior.
Check And Top-Up Fluids
As you might already know, your car relies on several different fluids to work correctly. For instance, engine oils keep all of the engine’s moving parts lubricated while also helping to manage heat and keep the inside clean.
However, those fluids can only do what they’re supposed to do if the car has been running. That way, the fluids can circulate and reach all the components they’re supposed to clean and protect. But, unfortunately, that hasn’t happened in a long time if you’ve been working from home and haven’t been driving your car.
So, when preparing to restart your daily commute, you must check all of the fluids in your car and top-up any of them running too low. Besides that, you might also want to consider flushing and replacing some fluids that haven’t been in use for so long, like your brake fluid, for instance.
The fluids that you’ll want to check to include:
Engine oil.
Brake fluid.
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF).
Coolant.
Power steering fluid.
Those are some of the most crucial fluids that affect your car’s mechanical parts. However, don’t neglect other fluids, like your windshield washer fluid which will help you keep your windscreen clear.
Check Your Tyres
Next, you’ll want to check your tyres. Firstly, remember that tyres naturally lose some of their air inside over time. So, you must pump air back into your tyres and get them ready for use.
Besides air, you must also inspect your tyres for wear. For example, suppose your car has been parked in the same spot for several months. If that’s the case, that means the weight of your car has rested on the same spot on your tyres for all that time.
In other words, your tyres might have experienced uneven wear from being immobile for so long. Get them checked, and consider whether you need new tyres or to rotate and balance them again.
Fill Up Your Tank
Another critical fluid that your car needs to run is fuel, whether that be petrol or diesel. So fill up your tank before your first day back to the office. That way, you’ll save time and get to the office early!
Check Your Battery
Despite your car being used a lot less while working from home, the battery inside was still discharging at a very slow rate. So there’s a possibility that your car battery is weak if it’s not dead already.
Now, why can that be a problem? Well, imagine trying to start your car on Monday morning to go to work, only to find that the car won’t start. That’s terrible news, especially since you’ll probably end up being late to work.
So, when you’re prepping your car for your return to the office, the battery is one of the most important things you’ll want to check. You must ensure that the battery can start the car to begin with.
You could also take the car to your trusted mechanic and have them check on your battery’s health. If they find that your battery is due for a replacement, you’ll want to do it early before you begin commuting to work every day.
Take A Test Drive
Once you’ve sorted out all of the above, the next thing to do is take your car out for a test drive. Doing so will give you a chance to see your car in action, test all of the lights and indicators, and sense any problems that might affect you on the road later.
While test driving, here are a few things you’ll want to pay attention to:
First, make sure that all lights and indicators are working.
Second, check that your car doesn’t overheat.
Finally, listen out for any unusual sounds that might point to a problem that needs fixing.
Even if you don’t find any problems when testing your car, at least you’ll be confident that your car won’t fail you on your return to the daily commute.
Schedule An Inspection
Some people prefer having a professional check their car before they take it back on the road. If that sounds like you, then contact your preferred mechanic and schedule an inspection of your vehicle.
Some workshops will offer simple inspections (e.g. 10-point inspection), while others can get highly detailed. Typically, they’ll present you with a report at the end to let you know if anything needs to be repaired or replaced.
Bonus Tip: Prepare Your Tunes!
Last but not least, be sure to prepare your music playlists for your daily commute! Like most people, you’ll likely spend 30 minutes or more stuck in traffic every morning and then again in the evening. Naturally, you don’t want to be searching for the right songs while you’re in traffic, so prepare them in advance!
Are you interested in pursuing higher education in the automotive or motorsports fields? Check out TOC Automotive College, Malaysia’s Top Automotive College.