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Update
18.05.20: Our workshops are now open for appointment only. We are able
to offer Servicing, repairs and MOTs in a safe manor.
Find out more.
Due to the government’s coronavirus ‘lockdown’ rules, we wanted to provide you with all the information you need – including driving during the lockdown and information about the MOT extension.
While many people’s driving has and will severely reduce for the next few weeks it’s still important to keep your car safe and well maintained. Luckily, there are still some simple checks and maintenance that you can perform at home, particularly useful for drivers.
Keeping you battery charged (and your air-conditioning operational)
While your car is remaining stationary more than usual, you run the risk of your battery running flat, the last thing you want if you need to make an essential journey or for when lockdown eases. Thankfully, it’s easy to avoid. We recommend you do the following every seven days to keep your battery charged.
Step 1: Ensure your vehicle is on a level and safe area, check the handbrake is applied, manual gear is in neutral or set to park on an automatic. Start your engine.
Step 2: Leave it running for 5 minutes with all lights and technology switched off. If your car has air conditioning, leave it on as this will aid circulation and reduce refrigeration gas escaping from a dry seal.
Step 3: After 5 minutes, put your foot on the clutch or in an automatic put the car in to park (P on the gear lever). Then put your foot on the accelerating to raise the engine speed to 2500 rpm for diesel cars and 3000 rpm for petrol cars. Hold it at this level for 30 seconds. This will flush carbon build up through the system.
Step 4: Release your foot of the accelerator and leave your car running for a further 5-10 minutes to continue charging the battery.For Hybrid cars, due to the larger battery, it is recommeded to run the engine for longer so it's running for at least an hour in total.
Keeping the touch points of your vehicle clean
While driving at the moment should be kept to a minimum, there are still some scenarios where driving is essential such as for key workers and to visit the supermarket. If using your vehicle, it’s important to stay safe so you should thoroughly wash your hands before and after every journey as well as cleaning commonly touched areas of your car.
Step 1: Identify the most commonly touched areas of your car. This will include boot and door handles, steering wheel indicators and the gear stick.
Step 2: Be sure to use the right product for each material you’re cleaning (e.g disinfectant wipes, mild soap and water and leather conditioner)
Step 3: Remember to wash your hands afterwards.
While this won’t necessary kill all the germs, it will limit the spread.
Topping up your washer fluid
Washer fluid is essential for getting rid of whatever might drizzle or drop onto your windscreen, so that you can keep your eyes firmly on the road ahead. Luckily, it’s also easy to top up!
Step 1: Make sure your engine is off and cool.
Step 2: Pull the lever to open your bonnet (often found under the dash), release the catch and prop up.
Step 3: Find the washer reservoir (it has the washer fluid symbol on it).
Step 4: Lift the lid, pour in the washer fluid until it reaches the top and replace (if you’ve got concentrated fluid, you’ll need to mix it with water)
Step 5: Drop the bonnet back down carefully.
Step 6: Test both your front and rear washers to make sure they’re working OK.
Checking your engine oil
Engine oil is the blood supply that keeps your car running smoothly. Regularly checking and filling up your engine oil is therefore vital to ensure your car stays happy, healthy and on the road. If you need to top it up, the recommended oil can be found in your vehicle handbook.
Step 1: Park on level ground and make sure your engine is off and cool.
Step 2: Pull the lever to open your bonnet (often found under the dash), release the catch and prop up.
Step 3: Find the dipstick (it has a brightly coloured handle) and pull it out.
Step 4: Wipe with a clean cloth, put all the way back in and remove again.
Step 5: If the oil falls between the notches, it’s fine. If it falls below the first notch, this means you need to top up.
Step 6: Make sure you use the correct oil for your car – this can be identified in your handbook.
Step 7: Unscrew the filler cap (it has the engine oil symbol on it) and pour in the oil using a funnel.
Step 8: Keep checking the level with the dipstick to avoid spillages and replace the filler cap once full.
Step 9: Drop the bonnet back down carefully.
Check your lights are working correctly
Your lights enable you to see clearly, make you visible on the road and warn others of planned manoeuvres. As a result, you need to make sure they keep shining for both your own safety and that of others.
Step 1: Ask someone to stand outside your car while you get behind the wheel. Ensure your vehicle is on a level and safe area, check the handbrake is applied, manual gear is in neutral or set to park on an automatic. Turn on the ignition
Step 2: Turn each light on, one at a time, and ask the other person whether they light up as they should.
Step 3: It’s best to work your way around systematically when doing this, so that you don’t miss anything. Make sure to check your:
Checking your tyre tread
Your tyres are the only contact point between you and the road, and driving with worn tyres is not just a penalty fine but also an accident waiting to happen. This makes checking your tyre tread one of the most important things you can do – for your wallet and your safety.
Your tyres must have a tread depth above 1.6mm to be legal. The 20p test makes checking this a doddle:
Step 1: Have your handbrake on and ignition off.
Step 2: Turn your steering wheel to full lock to get the best view of your tyres.
Step 3: Place the edge of a 20 pence piece between the tyre tread grooves.
Step 4: If you can’t see the border of the 20 pence piece, your tyre is legal. If this is visible, you will need to replace it.
Step 5: Repeat for all four tyres and check every two weeks to ensure your tyres remain roadworthy and safe.
Checking your tyre pressure
Checking your tyre pressure is really important, and super easy! Air pressure can decrease over time even when your vehicle is not in use.
Fully inflated tyres provide:
Step 1: Start with cold tyres; your vehicle should have been parked for three hours or more.
Step 2: Find the correct pressure rating for your vehicle. This can be found either, in your car or van’s manual, on the inside ledge of the driver’s door, or inside the fuel cap
Step 3: Unscrew the valve caps from your tyres.
Step 4: Press your tyre pressure gauge onto a valve, until you hear a hiss of air.
Step 5: Your gauge will then provide a reading.
Step 6: Repeat for all four tyres.
MOT for your car
If your car is due an MOT during the lockdown period it will be given an automatic extension of six months just before the deadline. You can find out more here.
Filling up your car with fuel
While not really a maintenance task, it is something some of you will need to continue doing if you need to keep driving. Filling your car with fuel is still possible, just remember to take precautions. Fuel pumps are handled by multiple people every day and is thought to be a major spread of Coronavirus.
To prevent the spread, properly use gloves when filling up your car with fuel. This means using a fresh pair of gloves when you fill up, to make sure that you are not spreading it, and disposing of them once you are done to.
Cleaning your car
The cleanliness of your car might not be the foremost thing on your mind at the moment but proper care of your car ensures the paintwork lasts. We’d recommend washing your car every fortnight with warm soapy water. Should any tree sap or bird lime land on your vehicle, we’d recommend washing that off immediately.
Other things to check for
It may sound unlikely, but you should check that no animal has nested under your car before you drive it, particularly if your car has remained stationary for a long period of time. With quieter roads, animals are making their way into more urban areas.
Additionally if you can, avoid parking your car under trees to avoid bird lime and tree sap. If you can’t remember to wash it off regularly.
Check out this article for more driving tips during the lockdown
Whatever your question or feedback we are here to help. So please feel free to contact us.
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Johnsons Cars Limited is an appointed representative of ITC Compliance Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (their registration number is 313486) and which is permitted to advise on and arrange general insurance contracts as an intermediary.
Johnsons Cars Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (our registration number is 688450. Permitted activities include acting as a credit broker not a lender.
As an FCA regulated credit broker we can introduce you to a selected group of lenders / brokers (see below) who may be able to help you finance your purchase. This group of lenders / brokers provides us with a range of products which may be suitable for your purchase. We will explain the key features of those products to you.
Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Limited, Evolution Funding Limited, Santander Consumer (UK) plc, Honda Finance Europe PLC, CA Auto Finance UK Ltd, Suzuki Financial Services Limited, Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Limited, Hyundai Capital UK Limited, Stellantis Financial Services Uk Limited, Toyota Financial Services (UK) PLC, FCE Bank Plc,
We are a credit broker and not a lender. We can introduce you to a limited number of lenders and their finance products, we act as their agent for this introduction. We are not an independent financial advisor; we will provide details of products available. We may advise you on the products, subject to your personal circumstances, though you are not obliged to take our advice or recommendation.
We do not charge you a fee for our services. we will typically receive commission from whichever lender we introduce you to (either a fixed fee or a fixed percentage of the amount you borrow).
Unless we consider it to be inappropriate given your personal circumstances, for certain vehicles e.g. New, our approach is to introduce you to the lender who are usually able to offer the best available package for you, taking into account interest rates, residual valuations (where applicable) and other contributions. If they are unable to make you an offer of finance, or the vehicle is not one that we would normally place with them we will introduce you to other lenders on our panel. The lender we introduce you to and available rates will depend upon a number of factors including: the vehicle, your personal circumstances and the likelihood of a lender to accept an application based on information provided.
Lenders typically pay a commission to us for introducing you to them, calculated by reference to the vehicle model or amount you borrow. Different lenders may pay different commissions for such introductions; some lenders may also provide preferential rates to us for the funding of our vehicle stock and also provide financial support for our training and marketing. But any such amounts they and other lenders pay us will not affect the amounts you pay under your finance agreement, all of which are set by the lender concerned. If you would like to know the amount of any remuneration we have received from the finance provider, please ask us.
All finance applications are subject to status, terms and conditions apply, UK residents only, 18’s or over, Guarantees may be required. View our full finance disclosure.
