What to Advise Customers about Maintaining a Car That Hasn’t Been Driven in a While

On average, people keep their cars for about 8.4 years. While most are being driven every day, some vehicles have been left sitting in a garage for months and even years.

Almost every auto shop owner has had at least one customer inquire about maintenance of a car that hasn’t been driven in a while, or bring in such a vehicle for a check-up. Leaving a car undriven for a long period can be dangerous.

Here are a few things to advise your customers about maintaining their car when it’s not in your shop. This blog also contains information on useful tools you might want to invest in, such as a 4 or 2-post auto lift for your Delaware shop.

Proper Car Maintenance Advice

You’ve probably had one too many customers come in who aren’t aware that, apart from getting help from an auto shop like yours, they still need to take care of their cars themselves. Here are some useful pieces of information you can share.

Warm up the car

This is the first and most important advice for any car owner. Driving the car every week for at least 10 to 20 minutes will keep it in a proper driving state. This will charge the battery, prevent it from dying, and keep the engine lubricated and cool. Brakes can get rusty and malfunction. Driving the car occasionally can prevent them from deteriorating prematurely.

Disconnect the battery

Batteries can die even when the car is not being driven. Suggest to your customers to disconnect it or have you do it if they know they won’t be driving the car for more than a few months. Make sure to remind them not to do it on their own if they have no experience with batteries.

Stick to the oil change schedule

Although the car may not be in use every day, you still need to stick to its oil-changing schedules. As recommended by all auto mechanics, oil should be changed every 5,000 miles or every 6 months, whichever comes first. Remind your customers to stick to either parameter and to make sure that the oil and other fluids don’t degrade over time.

Schedule regular check-ups

Most customers make the mistake of bringing their car to the mechanic only when there is an obvious problem. Even when your customers are not driving their car often, they should still bring it in for regular check-ups to ensure it’s up and running and safe for driving.

JMC Automotive Equipment — Everything Your Shop Needs!

Giving your customers the proper advice is important, but even more so is having the right equipment. At JMC Automotive Equipment, you’ll find everything you need for your shop.

Whether you’re looking for a 4 or 2-post auto lift, impact wrenches, or extra storage, we have everything you need. JMC Automotive Equipment is your one-stop shop for all automotive equipment, with over 10,000 products in our store.

Our team consists of highly skilled staff who know more than the basics and can answer any inquiry you might have. In our store, the customer always comes first!

Check our website for available products, or give us a call at 800-562-4791. We’re always happy to help!