Every car is a complicated contraption with a lot of parts, pieces, and components made from different materials. It really doesn’t matter if the car is brand new or an older model, it still is full of parts which can break and cause problems. However, some car parts can deteriorate over time even if you are not using them. In fact, some of the car parts can be unusable even if they lie around at some corner of your house and not on your car. We will bring to you a few tips and advices.

1. Use Your Car

The first and the most important thing is to drive your car since the car will deteriorate much faster if it is left to sit for a long time than driven. If the car sits for months without moving, the brakes, battery, fuel system, steering system and even electronics can cause problems, especially in such a humid country like Singapore.

2. Rubber Parts Have Short Life Spans

As a material, rubber is often used and is very important in car construction. However, it has the lifespan of a few years, after which it starts to break and lose its characteristic. Belts, hoses, seals, weatherstripping, and tires can not be stored for longer periods (a couple of years) or they will start to deteriorate. Sometimes, it is very dangerous to use old rubber parts and if you use old tires they have certainly lost their grip and friction characteristic and you can experience far worse road holding and braking than expected. The old rubber belts are much more prone to snapping and breaking your engine, and if you use old rubber hoses, they will start leaking (fuel, brake or coolant fluid) which can be very dangerous. So, always buy new rubber parts or tires to be safe.

3. Never Store Petrol

Not only is it extremely dangerous to store petrol in your garage or house, it also has no point. Modern petrol is unstable if it is left to sit for too long and the quality of petrol varies a lot from station to station and from country to country. That is why if you store petrol for over a month, it is not safe to be used anymore and you need an octane booster. You can store engine oil, brake fluid or similar things, but not petrol.

4. What To Do With Mechanical Parts?

Since mechanical components are made from various steel compounds they are capable of enduring far longer. However, there are a couple things you should do. Heavy mechanical parts like suspension, brakes, pistons, engine blocks or exhaust system will certainly not rot but they can get a surface layer of oxidation which requires cleaning before any use. So, it is recommended to wrap them in cloth or paper just to protect them. Some more delicate engine pieces like pistons, heads, valves or camshaft need a little more attention and you should find a proper box and cover them with a thin layer of engine oil or grease. This way, you will protect them from any form of oxidation.

5. How To Deal With Plastic Parts?

Plastic is almost as important in car manufacturing process as metal, so you can expect that many parts on the car are made of plastic. Of course, plastic is far more durable than rubber in terms of deteriorating, but it still needs attention. The most important thing is to keep plastic from sunlight or heat. Any plastic part will bend or crack if exposed to sun for longer. If you’re storing interior plastic pieces, there are numerous car care products on the market which will keep them from cracking and give, for example, the dashboard brand new look.