Car care post lockdown

H Kishie Singh

The video I received was horrifying. The owner of a Honda Activa started his scooter after 10 days, the vibration made a fully grown cobra, hood flared, wriggle out of the instrument cluster box!

Most of us have left our cars parked and unattended during the lockdown. If not snakes, rats, cats, squirrels and other creatures may have come visiting. Before you start your car, there is a definite procedure guide you should follow.

First, walk around the car, stick in hand, wearing surgical gloves. Bang on the bonnet, doors and fenders. Kick the tyres. Observe. Everything normal? Unlock the car. Open the driver’s door, release the handbrake and push the car forward. Look for debris on the floor. If some animal was nibbling on your wires, there should be evidence of this on the ground.

If the ground is clear, switch on the ignition. Do the lights and horn work? They do. Good! That means wiring is in good condition and battery is charged. Time to open the bonnet. Bang on the bonnet to get rid of unwelcome residents.

Open the bonnet, the doors and the rear boot to air the car. Visually observe and confirm that all is in order. Beat the seats with the stick to dust them and dislodge squirrels, rats, whatever.

Get into the driver’s seat and switch on the ignition. Check the lights on the instrument panel. Fire up the engine and let it settle down to normal idle r.p.m. Let it idle till the temperature gauge moves up. This means the coolant is circulating, engine oil is up and lubricating, the alternator is working and charging the battery. After five minutes of idling, switch on the headlights, let the alternator do its work fully. Ten minutes of this initial once over, your car is roadworthy, well almost.

Drive off slowly for the first hundred metres. Slowly build up speed and shift up through the gears. Pump the brakes; this helps to clean them of any rust. Head for the refuelling station. Refuel and check the tyre pressure. Very important!

Drive 10-15 kilometres before heading home. Everything should have been run in. The electrical, mechanicals and tyres are in good working order.

If you come across a carwash, get a good scrubbing on the exteriors, top and underneath. Get the interior vacuumed, the seats, under the seats, the roof lining. All of them have dust and will carry pathogens, maybe not Covid-19, but there are others to worry about.

Carwash have commercial vacuum cleaners with tremendous suction. Put the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner at the AC outlet and suck the pipes clean. Then turn on the fan at full speed while the vacuum cleaner is also at work.

At home, take a towel and soak it with sanitiser fluid. Wipe every fitment of the car. The dashboard, steering wheel, gear lever, handbrake, all levers, door handles, especially, glass, plastic and metal.

Groceries should not be put directly on the seats, which can be contaminated. Use a bag that can be discarded or washed. Your car must be a safe cocoon for the family!

Be extra alert! Covid-19 is still around. Happy Motoring!