| Three-month break
Question : MY wife and I are going overseas for three
months. Can you advise on what we should
do to protect our Proton Wira before leaving
it idle for such a long time?
Answer : THREE months is certainly a long time to have your
vehicle laid up. Although there will be no physical wear and tear on your
vehicle components in your absence, certain components can become damaged through lack of
use.
Tyres, for instance can develop a flat spot,
rendering them unfit for future use since it
would be virtually impossible to balance a tyre
with a flat spot.
Clutch and brake components can stick
together, making it impossible to shift into
gear or move away once the engine has started.
However, some of these problems can be
avoided by taking a few simple precautions
before going away.
For a start, drive the vehicle for a consider-
able distance -- say 10-20km -- so that the heat
from the engine and other components will
drive out any residual moisture remaining on
the vehicle. This ensures that there are no
damp components which can rust and reduces
the risk of a sticking clutch.
The engine oil and oil filter should be
changed so that the internal components are
protected against rust by fresh oil and there
are no deposits that will settle at the bottom of
the sump.
The battery should be fully charged and then
disconnected. Better still, have the battery put
on a trickle charge for approximately three
hours once a month, if you can find someone
willing to do so for you.
Tyres should be inflated to at least 25%
above the recommended pressure or better
still, have the car jacked up on stands so all
four tyres are off the ground. This will guard
against flat spots forming on the tyres.
Contrary to common practice, there is no
necessity to have someone start the vehicle
regularly while you are away.
Indeed, this practice could do more harm than good. The vehicle fails to
warm up properly and this results in water condensing in the
exhaust and engine that will result in
corrosion. Also, the extra fuel required to keep
a cold engine running will, to some extent,
wash protective lubricant off the cylinder
walls. |
