With many cars lying idle during the festive season, it can be tough time for your car battery. In fact, so tough that the second day of the new year, 2nd January, has been branded as 'Flat Battery Tuesday' with thousands of motorists expected to experience the shock of their car failing to start.
It’s a daunting enough feeling going back to work after the holiday, but as painful as it is to think about, it’s important to keep your car in good working order for when you restart the morning commute to work.
So here are a few easy tips to avoid a nasty shock on your first day back at work.
Brakes
Brakes need to be used to avoid corrosion, or rust, between brake discs and brake pads. If you don’t have anywhere to go, or if you’re worried about losing the only parking space in a mile radius, it’s enough to just move the car back and forward a few times, and the braking will help grind away at any rusting and reduce that annoying squeaking.
Tyres
You might think it takes all the strain off your tyres if you leave your car in the driveway for a few days, but constant pressure on the same point of your tyre and cause avoidable damage. Moving it forwards and backwards a few times – if only even for a few metres in each direction – will help take the weight off a single point of the tyre and avoid unnecessary tyre breakdown, including the formation of flat spots, from its non-use. Also, remember to keep your tyres inflated to the correct pressure! There should be a visual guide on a white sticker in your glovebox, or on the front passenger door panel if you can’t remember the correct PSI. This will help keep your tyres in good condition should the car be stationary for a few days.
Air conditioning
When giving your car a look over during the holidays (or while shuffling it back and forward a few times to preserve your brakes and tyres), remember to switch your air conditioning on as well. This will prevent the coolant, which regulates the system’s temperature and lubricates the seals, from drying out and leaking. And when you’re back driving in the new year, you should keep your air con on whenever you’re driving.
Have a charger handy
For petrol/diesel cars, make sure you don’t get caught cold by a dead battery. A product like a Noco battery charger will bring your car back from the brink, allowing charging on the move from as little as one volt of power, or, with manually operated Force mode, charge from zero volts of power. It plugs into the mains and gets to work right away. An integrated thermal sensor even detects the ambient temperature in the environment where you’re carrying out your mobile charge, preventing over- or under-charging in hot or cold climates.
Better still, it’s not just a car charger; it’s compatible with a huge range of vehicles from SUVs and motorhomes to motorcycles and work vans.
Charge your electric vehicle
Experts say that, if you’re going to leave your EV unused for a prolonged period, then ensure to keep your battery charge above 20%,, then you can top it up to full when you return to regular driving. The good news is that, when you’re charging your EV’s high-voltage battery, you’ll also be topping up your 12v battery, so you don’t need to worry about your ignition not working. Not sure what to do if your EV battery does run out while you are out and about? Check out this blog.
And if you’re in of need a portable EV charger, we've got you covered with the Ring EV charger range.
Help lead the (re)charge
But if the worst should happen on ‘Flat Battery Tuesday’, and you need a jump-start from another car’s battery, make sure you’ve got your own jump leads to match a fellow driver’s generosity. Bluecol’s 2.5-metre 10mm jump leads are bound to help you put the buzz back into any vehicle with flat battery.
For our full range of vehicle charging products, visit Autoparts’ products section.
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