- We understand how expensive buying fuel is now in Nigeria, and many Nigerians are parking their cars at home. But parking your car for a long time leads to serious issues too.
- These issues range from the fuel in your car going bad, to your car battery going bad or even your car rusting.
- While it’s not financially feasible for many Nigerians to fuel and drive their cars daily, taking short drives regularly will save you from losing your car completely.
Cars are some of the most valuable things an average Nigerian owns, so it makes sense for drivers to take good care of their cars. Cars are complicated machines that spend most of their lives in many cases sitting around somewhere.
However, it’s actually not a good idea to let your car sit around for too long as it can cause damage to the car.
If you are wondering why parking your car in one place for a long period of time is a bad idea, here are five reasons why letting your car sit too long can lead to it not starting or getting completely damaged.
- Your Fuel Can Go Bad
One of the things that can happen when you allow your car to sit around for far too long is that the fuel in the tank can develop serious issues. This happens because it interacts with the oxygen, causing the fuel in your car to degrade. This usually starts to occur after a month, but the fuel won’t actually go bad until three to six months.
Once the fuel goes bad, it may not ignite, and it can damage the car’s fuel system. This is usually avoided by just taking the car out for a drive, which burns through fuel.
- Every Car’s Battery Needs Constant Exercise
Just like with fuel, a car’s battery needs to be used, or it too can have issues. This doesn’t apply to EV batteries, as it primarily applies to the batteries in a fuel-powered car because the battery is losing charge, and it’ll go dead in about two to three months. This can be prevented by simply driving the car, as the engine will recharge the battery.
- The Car Can Rust Faster
Rust happens for many different reasons, but one of the main things that can cause a car to rust faster is letting it sit without using it regularly or adequately protecting it. In the worst-case scenario, rust can start to form in just a week.
- Your Car Tires Can Develop Flat Spots
Another thing that can happen from letting your car sit for too long is that the tires can form a flat spot in the area where the tire touches the ground. This can happen after just a month of sitting around. When this happens, it can create a vibration when the car is finally being driven again. Sometimes, this problem can be fixed by simply driving the car around for a bit. Other times, you will just end up needing new tires.
- You Will Need to Replace Your Car’s Belts and Hoses
Most drivers who don’t have too much experience with car maintenance are aware that they should replace things based on mileage. But many parts of a car will need to be replaced after a certain amount of time, no matter the mileage. In the case of belts and hoses, these parts may need to be replaced after just three to five years, even if it’s been sitting around collecting dust.
Conclusion
We understand that the price of fuel across the country is now completely insane, causing many car owners to park their cars at home in favor of public transport or trekking to and fro their destinations. However, parking your car for long without using it causes more problems. Instead, warm up your car from time to time, and take it on a short ride once every week. It helps the car’s engine stay functional and active.
