How Long Can Your Car Stay Idle Without Being Driven?

The average number of days your car can stay idle in the car-park without being driven is about 15 days. Even though we are already well into phase 2 of re-opening of Singapore, many of us are still working from home. The specialists at Otua Auto recommend that you start your engines every 2 to 3 days and here’s why:

1. Keeps the car battery charged

The car engine uses the alternator to charge the battery. Thus, Otua Auto recommends that you start your engine occasionally to keep it charged. If your vehicle is left parked for a prolonged period of time (more than 7 days) without use, you might be faced with a painful bill at the end of it.

1. Prevents your tires from going out of shape

There are two main reasons why the tyres will go out of shape. Firstly, your tyres might be already worn out in the first place. The lack of movement on the tyres along with Singapore’s relatively harsh weather conditions can warp the shape of the tires or make the rubber materials more brittle.

Secondly, when your car is parked for a long period of time, the surface area that is in contact with the road will form flat spots which cause the tyres to lose air. 

1. Prevents cockroaches, insects or unwanted guest from residing in your car

Insects fester in the car due to food crumbs and open airways that are in the car. When there is a lack of activity within the car, it promotes the growth and spread of said pests. Thus, it’s important to wash and maintain the car’s cleanliness even if you do not really use the car frequently.

Older car parks also tend to have the thrash disposal centre located in the middle of the open-air car park. Cars that are parked near to garbage collection tend to face more problems with pests. This damage could, in turn, significantly diminish the resale value of your car, so if you want to get the highest price for my car, you’d better take care of it. 

1. Keeps the engine and gearbox parts lubricated and active to prevent any damages

We are not going to go into the technical details, since that would be a blog topic all on its own. A car is a complicated machine consisting of many moving parts. These parts need to be lubricated regularly and lubrication happens as your car is being utilised and driven around.

Ironically, when your car is left idle at the car-park for long periods of time, the relevant gears and moving parts fail to receive the necessary lubrication and this causes increased wear and tear on your car. This is actually one of the key reasons why we at Otua Auto recommend that your servicing schedule be always at intervals of 10,000 km or 6 months, whichever comes first; because even if your car is not utilised frequently, the vehicle still needs that fresh coat of lubrication that comes from the change of engine oil etc.