CORONAVIRUS is likely having an indirect effect on car health in Ballarat with almost one in two call-outs for roadside assist the past week related to flat batteries.
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As we are doing a good job in obeying the government's lockdown rules and staying home amid the pandemic, cars are slowly failing and particularly so as winter-like weather sets in across the region.
RACV senior vehicle engineer Nicholas Platt said a 10-minute workout once a week should be enough for most cars.
This could just be in a return trip to the supermarket, which was one of the four reasons Victorians can leave their house under stage three restrictions. Other reasons for leaving the house are for medical care or care giving, exercise and work or education.
While many in Ballarat were working from home and home-schooling children, cars are sitting idle.
Mr Platt said the RACV reminds motorists it was vital to stay home, unless travel was absolutely essential, in a bid to slow the COVID-19 spread. But, an essential trip like going to the supermarket could be enough to save your car.
"As a general rule, it's best to take the car out for a run every two or three weeks. If your car has a newer battery, a month between drives should be fine, but a car with an older battery, let's say three years, needs starting and running at least once a week," Mr Platt said.
"You don't have to go for a long drive...brake rotors and pads and tyres will also benefit from a drive that's long enough to warm everything up to operating temperature.
"Again, a 10-minute trip to the shops to collect your groceries will be enough to give your car a workout."
There were 315 roadside assist call-outs to the RACV in the Ballarat region last week with 157 calls relating to battery problems.
There were 55 RACV calls in Ballarat on Monday, in what was a busy day for help needed, with about half the jobs for battery issues.
Mr Platt said motorists should bear in mind car batteries had a finite life, usually lasting about three years depending on the type of car and how it was driven.
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