A guide to lockdown minibus maintenance

08 January 2021

With the UK now navigating lockdown 3.0, your vehicle may find itself once more confined to the driveway. We at Marshall Minibus leasing have compiled this guide to lockdown minibus maintenance, to keep your vehicle ticking over and running in good order for when schools begin to return.

Keep it clean

You might want to dedicate a little of the extra time on your hands to washing your minibus. In these winter months, your minibus is likely to have been subjected to ice and road salt, which can cause damage to your paint work and the undercarriage of the vehicle.

It’s also the perfect opportunity to disinfect ‘hotspot’ areas inside of your minibus, such as the steering wheel and gear stick.

Check your tyres

If your minibus is left standing on the driveway for extended periods of time, it’s a good idea to regularly check your tyre pressure to ensure that there are no slow-punctures or deflation. Whilst you’re there, it’s a good idea to check that your tread-depth meets the legal requirement of 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre.

Battery

Leaving your vehicle unused for extended periods of time can have a detrimental effect on your battery. If you have the appropriate equipment, you should charge your battery once a fortnight. An intelligent charge can be permanently connected to the battery and will do the monitoring and maintaining for you.

If you don’t have this equipment, you can alternatively idle the engine for 20 minutes at least every two weeks, but three times a week is preferable.

For safety reasons, do not idle your vehicle in an enclosed space or whilst left unattended.

Brakes

Brake discs are vulnerable to corrosion when not used for long periods of time, which may cause some resistance at first when you next go for a drive. After a few applications of the brake, this should return to normal and is not a cause for concern. Once the UK’s lockdown restrictions are lifted and you return to the road, you should listen for any brake noise and pay attention to shuddering or vibrating from the brake pedal, which may indicate that your brakes need further inspection. For customers of Marshall Minibus leasing, if you feel that you have a problem with your brakes, please get in touch with our 24/7 helpline for assistance on 03456 021286.

Lights

Fines for driving with defective headlights can reach up to £1,000. Other ‘lighting offences’, such as a broken rear light, can result in a fixed penalty notice (FNP) which carries a fine of £50. We recommend that you check your lights are all working correctly and that there is no dirt or debris covering them.

General maintenance

The little things are often easy to forget, but important to maintain. If you’ve been meaning to change your oil and check your fluids, but haven’t found the time… well, now you have it.

To keep your minibus running smoothly and avoid any leaks, make sure to check and refill your engine oil, coolant, power steering, brake and transmission fluids where needed.

Why not replace your windshield wipers whilst you’re at it? Maybe even your air filter…