How to look after your car during lockdown

[Noonoo632]

Good afternoon all

I changed my car just over three weeks ago from a Seat Leon 1.4 tsi to a new Vw polo sel with winter pack and style pack in deep pearl black. ( my 4th. VW and third polo ).Car has done just over 100 miles by me and I have not been out in it for over two and a half weeks and my question is how would you look after it during this lockdown perhaps for a few more weeks??

[aaddaamm94]

I've filled my tank up to 100% to prevent the fuel from evaporating and causing rust. You can get fuel additives as well that stop the fuel going bad because I think petrol only last a few months.
I make sure to take it out once a week for the food shop so that the tyres arn't sitting in the same position for weeks.

[OomStu_ZA]

I've filled my tank up to 100% to prevent the fuel from evaporating and causing rust. You can get fuel additives as well that stop the fuel going bad because I think petrol only last a few months.
I make sure to take it out once a week for the food shop so that the tyres arn't sitting in the same position for weeks.

Are'nt these new vehicles sold with a plastic petrol tank these days?

[monkeyhanger]

I've filled my tank up to 100% to prevent the fuel from evaporating and causing rust. You can get fuel additives as well that stop the fuel going bad because I think petrol only last a few months.
I make sure to take it out once a week for the food shop so that the tyres arn't sitting in the same position for weeks.

Are'nt these new vehicles sold with a plastic petrol tank these days?

Nope, mild steel tank, carburetor and distributor cap - don't forget to do your points and decoke the engine.

Plastic tank, plastic sump and anything else you can get away with for "weight saving" (not cost reductions )

[stuartrendall]

Also wont adding the amount of fuel just add the amount that can evaporate?

[stevereeves]

(cough) take it for a spin every few days or so to put some charge into the battery, reccomend stop / start disabled, ideally at least 10 miles round trip - obviously buying essential foodstuffs from local shops (get a receipt in case stopped by plod). I can't be bothered to check but isn't there advice in the handbook for storing car for a period of time ?...

[SRGTD]

(cough) take it for a spin every few days or so to put some charge into the battery, reccomend stop / start disabled, ideally at least 10 miles round trip - obviously buying essential foodstuffs from local shops (get a receipt in case stopped by plod). I can't be bothered to check but isn't there advice in the handbook for storing car for a period of time ?...

My 4 year old previous generation Polo GTI is currently getting one 14 mile round trip to the supermarket once every two weeks (a visit on foot to the local village store for milk, eggs, bread etc. if needed between supermarket visits).

It’s starting fine at the moment (on the original battery) after being left for two weeks between uses - the engine turns over just as well as it did when the car was new and was being used much more regularly. In the short term, leaving it two weeks between uses is probably no worse than leaving a car at an airport car park for two or more weeks when on holiday in better times!

I wonder how receptive insurance companies would be to requests to refund part of the premiums we pay to insure our cars, on the basis that for many people their cars are being used very little or not at all just now, so the accident / damage risk is significantly reduced.

[monkeyhanger]

You'll get nowt back from the insurance companies. What you could do is reduce your declared miles for next premium, to even things out.

[SRGTD]

You'll get nowt back from the insurance companies. What you could do is reduce your declared miles for next premium, to even things out.

Yes, that’s an option. Most - if not all - car insurers will almost certainly be getting fewer claims, so their profits will increase as a result - one of the few winners from Clovid-19.

[monty831]

You'll get nowt back from the insurance companies. What you could do is reduce your declared miles for next premium, to even things out.

Yes, that’s an option. Most - if not all - car insurers will almost certainly be getting fewer claims, so their profits will increase as a result - one of the few winners from Clovid-19.

My insurance via Hastings advised you can change your mileage. It reads as if you can do this now before your next policy. I am not sure by how much the policy would drop (if any)

"If you think your mileage is going to be reduced significantly for the foreseeable future, you can lower your predicted annual mileage"

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk

[monkeyhanger]

^ I think mine does that too - quotemehappy, you can make online changes to your policy without admin fees. Might have to look at it later.

[Griff74]

My biggest concern is the GPF on mine, all it's being used for is a run to the supermarket once a week (if that) and while the coolant and oil are getting up to temp it's not enough to clear the GPF. We are mostly using our newly acquired 2012 Swift Sport for our shopping runs(bought as a temp 2nd car when the lease on our i3 ended a few weeks ago) but today I am going to go to a supermarket further away and go the long way home, get it nice and hot and put the DSG in manual mode so it gets lots of over run off the throttle to hopefully clear it out a bit.

[ho8882000]

I've filled my tank up to 100% to prevent the fuel from evaporating and causing rust. You can get fuel additives as well that stop the fuel going bad because I think petrol only last a few months.
I make sure to take it out once a week for the food shop so that the tyres arn't sitting in the same position for weeks.

Are'nt these new vehicles sold with a plastic petrol tank these days?

I checked my 2019 VW Polo 1.6 MPi yesterday, the fuel tank is plastic.

I also check my 2018 VW Caddy 1.6 Crewbus, the fuel tank is also plastics.

[ho8882000]

My biggest concern is the GPF on mine, all it's being used for is a run to the supermarket once a week (if that) and while the coolant and oil are getting up to temp it's not enough to clear the GPF. We are mostly using our newly acquired 2012 Swift Sport for our shopping runs(bought as a temp 2nd car when the lease on our i3 ended a few weeks ago) but today I am going to go to a supermarket further away and go the long way home, get it nice and hot and put the DSG in manual mode so it gets lots of over run off the throttle to hopefully clear it out a bit.

I think GPF regenerate in a different manner compare to DPF.

GPF regenerate under "No Load" + "Deceleration" conditions.

Have a look at the following link, FYI:

https://www.hypermiler.co.uk/emissions/ ... filter-faq

[Griff74]

Yes, exactly what I said I was going to do, in fact have now done - GPF regeneration can only be performed in “non power” conditions, meaning that regeneration is normally achieved under deceleration. Deceleration increases the amount of oxygen following through the engine and exhaust system.