Jamie Willis, Technical Support Supervisor at Autodata, shares the services that workshops should consider offering for customers’ vehicles during a season of staycations.
With remaining uncertainty over which countries will allow holidaymakers to visit from abroad, it’s looking set to be a season of staycations, with loosening lockdown restrictions in some areas making it possible to visit relatives or go on camping and hiking trips.
Property Reporter recently reported a surge in demand for purchasing holiday homes to let, with beach resorts especially popular.
With the potential for road trips and in-country holidays back on the horizon, we can anticipate a surge in post-lockdown requests for service – as well as an increase in breakdowns as vehicles are taken on a long run for the first time.
If a customer is looking to get their car ready for a road trip, workshops need to check what service might have been done over the past year and consider upselling them any upcoming service items to make sure the vehicle is roadworthy.
Tyres
Research from Autodata shows the most demand for tyre data is early winter, as customers change into winter tyres. However, lack of use can also damage tyres if they are left to stand under pressure without being rotated, as consistent pressure on one angle leads to cracking and degradation.
Tyres are becoming as high-tech as the rest of the modern vehicle, with wirelessly updated TPMS sensors inside the tyre powered by a small non-replaceable battery. TPMS sensors aren’t foolproof and can be triggered by driving over a pothole or road calming measure. Often the TPMS indicator light can be reset by driving the car at 50mph for 10 minutes. Failing that, the following methods are likely to be effective:
- Disconnect the battery; turn the ignition key to ‘On’ and actuate the horn. This will discharge the remaining power in the vehicle circuit. Reconnect the battery
- Overinflate the tyre by 3 PSI (0.2 Bar) then deflate them completely. Reinflate the tyres to the correct PSI. This should force the sensors to update
As a note, spare tyres also increasingly have a TPMS sensor. When diagnosing a persistent TPMS warning light make sure the spare tyre in or under the boot has also been reinflated.
Engine oil
Cars left standing for a long period of time can suffer from oil seepage. Leaking oil can damage the seals around the valve stems and crankshaft, especially in diesel engines. If the vehicle has missed an oil change, workshops need to make sure it’s in their service suggestions.
Air conditioning
Workshops should also consider offering customers an air conditioning regeneration; while the highest demand for air-con is in summer months, cars parked for a long period of time can accumulate moisture in the air conditioning. As well as creating an unpleasant musty smell, this can damage the system by corroding the valves or rubber seals.
Windscreen wipers
In the UK at least the front windscreen wipers must be in good condition to pass an MOT – able to clear the windscreen to give the driver a clear view of the road ahead. Cold conditions will degrade the rubber portion of a wiper blade, which should be replaced at least once a year, making new wipers a simple upsell for a post-lockdown service.
Suspension and wheel alignment
With non-essential road repairs suspended in some countries over lockdown and coming out of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s important to make sure suspension is in good shape. As water freezes in cracks in the road, it expands, creating potholes that can damage suspension and move wheel alignments.
Battery
If the customer is planning a long road trip after the vehicle has been unused for some months, workshops should consider offering a new battery. Off-the-shelf jump starters can be convenient in getting an infrequently used vehicle moving, but can harm long-term battery life. Cold can also damage a battery’s lifespan – with around twice the usage of its Battery module in winter months. Vehicles are becoming increasingly complex and, with so many electrified systems, battery disconnection and reconnection is no different.
