Car care tips during COVID-19

During this time, we understand that you may not be using your vehicle as much as you previously were to assist in stopping the spread of COVID-19.

The CMI Toyota team have put together some car care tips to help ensure your vehicle stays safe and in top condition. Plus, we've also included some handy hints around sanitising your vehicle.

If your vehicle is staying at home for a while:

• It’s good practice to start the vehicle’s engine for 10-15 minutes once a week to allow the battery to charge and ensure the engine is lubricated whilst getting to optimal temperature.
• Depending on your battery’s condition, if the voltage drops below a certain amount, some of your vehicle’s electronics may not work and may require initialisation. To avoid this, it is best to start your air con, lights etc. whilst the engine is running.

Why is it important to keep to your regular vehicle service schedule?

• It is important to ensure your vehicle is regularly serviced and meets its service schedule for a number of reasons, most importantly, your and your passenger's safety.
• No matter how often your vehicle is driven, oils and lubricants will deteriorate over time. This is why it’s so important to ensure your vehicle is regularly serviced so that our team can ensure it is in a safe driving condition. Think of it like a piece of food's best before date - it tastes much better before the date!
• Regular servicing also maintains scheduled servicing requirements and the factory warranty of the vehicle.
• Having your vehicle regularly serviced also ensures you have peace of mind when driving the vehicle. Just some of the items checked during a routine service include – inspections on brake pads, hand brakes and disc rotors, checks on all fluids and levels, exterior and interior lights checks, tyre pressure, safety checks, plus lots more.

Don't forget we're currently offering a range of contactless services during this time, including service pick up and drop-offs. Find out more here.

Sanitising your vehicle

• Always read the bottle before using any type of disinfectant.
• Check with our team if you are unsure of which disinfectant you should be using.
• We recommend disinfectants and sanitisers which are not alcohol based as this may damage your vehicle’s leather (where applicable), if used for an extended period of time.
• Regularly sanitise your vehicle’s high touch points (steering wheel, door handles, gear shift etc), particularly after being in public places.

Other tips

• If your vehicle is equipped with a Smart Start or Smart Entry system, we suggest ensuring you keep all smart keys away from the vehicle after it’s locked. If the key is detected or within range, the vehicle is in the wake up stage which can use more battery power. This may lead to a low battery and not being able to start the engine after a period of time.

If you do have any questions regarding your vehicle, servicing or car care, please feel free to contact us today!