Bruce Bekkerus from A-1 Automotive in Moorhead, MN answers KFGO listener questions about their automobiles, trailers, RVs and more. In the age of COVID-19, Bruce talks about what happens if you aren’t driving and your car sits idol – such as stale gasoline, rusty breaks and more. Plus all the regular technical questions and some advice on what to do with your annual maintenance needs when you don’t need to go anywhere.
IN THIS EPISODE:
Are you worried because your car has been sitting in the garage or your parking space for the last few weeks? Working from home and social distancing is keeping you at home instead of running errands, cruising the lake country or just running through the drive-thru. Bruce has some answers about your idle ride that should shed some light on your questions.
Stale Gas?
Bruce reminds us that gas doesn’t go bad overnight. In fact, it takes more than you would expect to spoil the gas sitting in your car’s tank right now. If you filled up on March 1st – no cause to even think twice about it until late summer. Even then, there are plenty of additives you can put in your tank to keep gas fresh longer. Of all the things that can happen to your car while it is just sitting there – stale gas shouldn’t be near the top of your list.
Squeaky Brakes?
Brakes can rust when they sit idle. If you hear a squeaking when you are driving (forward or reverse) from a particular wheel, odds are that you are scraping off the rust that built up. Worst case scenario is a build up of rust on the rotors that will need to be addressed.
Battery?
If you really are not driving your car at all, it is time to put a battery tender on that car. Something small can add the small trickle your car needs to run the minimal electrical equipment that runs all the time. For example, your car saves information about the clock, radio pre-sets (all on KFGO, right?) or maintains your autostart connection. These draw a small amount of electricity, but over time it can drain your battery below the level of being able to start.
Trailers?
Yep, fishing season is right around the corner. Your yearly reminder that a quick walk around the trailer can save you some time and quite a few headaches at the storage spot versus the highway!
Best advice?
Take a drive! Stay socially distanced by going for a quick drive through the neighborhood or take a tour through the spring areas of your county. You’ll re-charge that battery, keep the gas moving through the lines and keep the brakes from rusting up. It is also the perfect time to check in with your vehicle to see/hear/feel for any potential problems.
If you end up needing to address something with your car or you have a fleet of vehicles that are sitting idle – consider getting the work done now in the downtime! A-1 will pick up your vehicle and ensure the safety of their staff and clients through the entire process.
(Bruce Bekkerus in the KFGO studios)
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(Amy Iler & JJ Gordon are talk-show hosts at 790 AM KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. “It Takes 2 with Amy & JJ” can be heard weekdays 11am-2pm. Check out the show page on FACEBOOK. Follow Amy on Twitter @AmyKFGO . Follow JJ on Twitter @JJGodon701 .)
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