Bringing your car out of hibernation

A car that’s been left sitting for an extended period still needs servicing and maintenance.

A mother helps her son wash the car as the father smiles in background

Preparing to fire up your car for the first time in a few weeks or months? A vehicle that’s been sitting for an extended period will need a few things checked off before you can be sure it's safe to have back on the road.

As many New South Wales' motorists prepare to resume their regular commutes, errands and road trips, some cars that have been left idle for an extended period may be called back in for duty.

Cars are happiest when driven regularly. Long periods of inactivity can cause maintenance issues that could threaten safety if left unattended. If it has been a while since you last drove, check if you are within your service schedule and book the car in for a service if you have exceeded the interval.

Here we look at some maintenance tips you can do at home to prepare your car to get back on the road. If you are not confident about any maintenance items below, our team of highly-trained patrols can come out to attend to your vehicle to get you moving again safely.

Our top tips for checking your car after periods of inactivity

1. Make sure fluids are tip-top

Multiple parts in a car rely on various fluids for their operation, and ensuring these fluids are at the correct level (volume) and in good condition is vital to the components working properly.

Brake and clutch fluids are what’s known as ‘hygroscopic’, meaning they attract and absorb water from the atmosphere. This chemical process takes place even when a car is not being driven, so your vehicle’s clutch and brake fluid can deteriorate even after months of not being driven, leading to these components not operating optimally.

Most workshops can check how much water these fluids have absorbed with a simple test, however a complete flush and replacement is inexpensive and could also help fend off premature corrosion of costly brake and clutch components.

Engines, transmissions, radiators and power steering fluid reservoirs may still lose fluids even without the car being driven if they have a leak, and an obvious puddle may not always form if the leaking fluids collect on a part of the car's underbody before reaching the ground.

Engine, transmission, radiator and power steering fluid levels should be checked and topped up as necessary before your first drive.

2. Fuel does not age like a fine wine

If your car has sat for a very extended period (of more than about three months), then fuel in its tank may start to go 'off', absorbing water and becoming contaminated.

Stale fuel can lead to a rough-running engine and damage to costly fuel system components, and a fuel stabilisier can help avoid this. A liquid additive, fuel stabiliser is poured into the fuel tank and restores old fuel to a better condition.

Regardless of whether fuel stabiliser has been added or not, it's advisable to add as much fresh fuel to the tank as you can after getting the car back on the road so the system can be flushed through.

3. Remember to break in your brakes

A modern car’s brake system is comprised of a disc (known as a brake rotor) which is pinched by brake pads to stop the car. For this process to happen efficiently, there needs to be clean, uncontaminated contact between these pads and discs.

Brake discs are typically made of steel and will collect corrosion (rust), dirt and grime from being out in the elements, meaning the brakes pads cannot make proper contact with the discs.

Normal use of the brakes will cause the pads to strip and clean these contaminates from the disc like a scouring pad on a frying pan, but will take a little while to do so and the brakes will not operate properly until this is complete.

When you do take your car out of hibernation, it is crucial to re-bed the brakes in long before you may need them for a real emergency stop.

A few slow laps up and down your street applying gradual brake pressure until normal braking performance resumes is advised. Often an audible grinding sound will be present and diminish as the discs are cleaned.

Close-up of a row of tyres

4. Make sure your tyres are full, healthy and haven’t expired

Tyres can still lose air without being driven if they have a faulty valve, hole or are not properly sealing to the wheel. Ensure you check the air pressure of each tyre before your first drive and re-inflate it to the upper end of the manufacturer’s specification if necessary.

If the tyre is towards the lower end of the manufacturer's specification range, inflate the tyre at home or head straight to a service station to top it up. If the tyre is considerably below the specified range, you can swap the spare tyre on to make it to the service station or call one of our roadside technicians.

More than just air pressure, now is a good time to check for any nails or screws that may have punctured your tyres, ensure they are not worn beneath their tread indicators and double-check the tyres have not expired whilst the car has been in storage.

Each tyre will be stamped with a date of manufacture, and while different tyre manufacturers recommend different ages at which a tyre should be discarded, we recommend not surpassing the five-year mark.

A tyre does not need to be driven on to wear and fatigue. Fraying, cracking and general discolouration from UV exposure and the elements can all be signs that a tyre’s best days are behind it, so if yours are showing any of these symptoms it might be best to make your first drive one to the tyre shop.

5. Ensure all globes and switches are working

Before your first drive, it’s good practice to ensure all globes and switches are working. Condensation can build up inside electrical connectors to a point where the circuit cannot close and globes will stop functioning.

Have a friend or family member walk around your car as you test all exterior lights including headlights, foglights, indicators, tail, stop and hazard lights. If any of these aren’t working, replace or repair them before your first drive.

If a new globe does not fix the problem, the issue may be related to the plug or an issue elsewhere in the electrical circuit and an auto electrician should be brought in to assess.

6. Make sure the battery is charged and healthy

Battery testers and chargers vary greatly in price and function. Having one of these valuable tools can save you a call-out from a roadside tech, indicate a battery may be on its way out, and (in more expensive units) even reverse some of the wear and tear on the battery’s cells.

The most obvious symptom of a battery on its las legs is an engine that won’t start or is very slow to. Very low battery voltage can also manifest with a rough idle and a battery light that switches on intermittently at very low engine revolutions.

Both internal combustion engine and electric vehicles (EVs) use standard 12-volt lead acid batteries that rely on chemical reactions to create and maintain charge.

While EVs do not require a lead acid battery for their driving function, they do use one for ancillary 12-volt circuits such as lights, climate control and infotainment systems.

EVs are less likely to have their lead acid battery deteriorate during storage as their larger on-board lithium-ion battery packs will keep the charge topped up, however the conventional battery will still not last forever.

7. Clean your car from the inside-out

Having a clean car may not seem like a measure of function, but ensuring side- and rear-view mirrors, all windows and the instrument dial cover are clean will help drivers stay aware of their surroundings.

Clear any cobwebs that may have formed on side mirrors and make sure lenses for head and tail lights are not so dirty that their function is reduced.

A good vacuum inside a car may also prevent months of dust from being recirculated through the car and causing a sneezing-fit while you’re out in traffic.

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