MAINTAINING YOUR CAR DURING LOCKDOWN

As the UK faces a period of isolation due to the Coronavirus outbreak, many of us will be spending a lot more time at home and less time driving our vehicles.

To ensure your vehicle operates at peak efficiency for essential travel, there are a number of steps you can follow. These require little effort and will maintain the best operating conditions for your vehicle.

Since 2009, all Land Rover diesel vehicles have been fitted with a Diesel Particulate Filter. This important device captures 99% of soot and particulates from the engine to help significantly reduce emissions. It is essential that to prevent the particulates from building up in the filter, and to avoid any impact to the performance of your vehicle, that this soot is ‘burned off’ through a process called regeneration.

If your Diesel Particular Filter warning light shows as amber on the dashboard, this indicates your filter is filling up and needs to be regenerated. To do this, it’s recommended you drive the vehicle at speeds between 40 and 70mph on roads designated for these speed limits, for 25-35 minutes. A red warning light on the dashboard indicates that your Diesel Particulate Filter is full. In this scenario, we recommend contacting Land Rover Assistance as soon as possible to resolve the issue*.

For more advice on regenerating the Diesel Particulate Filter in your Land Rover, please refer to your vehicle handbook.

To ensure the optimum performance of your Land Rover, it is important to keep your Diesel Exhaust Fluid – also known as AdBlue – topped up. The fluid is essential for neutralising harmful gases generated in the engine and helps to reduce the emissions from the exhaust by up to 90%.

If your Diesel Exhaust Fluid drops to zero, then you will not be able to restart your vehicle. Topping up your Diesel Exhaust Fluid is a simple process, and the fluid is available to purchase at most local garages. To determine the grade of fluid your vehicle requires, please refer to your vehicle handbook.

Warning lights on the dashboard and messages to your InControl message centre will remind you when your levels are running low and instructions on how to fill the tank are included in your vehicle handbook.

To ensure your Land Rover operates efficiently when returning to more usual travel patterns, there are a few simple steps you can follow.

To build up sufficient charge in the battery, it is recommended that you turn on your vehicle once every seven days. In the first instance, start your car for a 30-minute period, with the heat in the cabin set to 22 degrees. Repeat this process for 15 minutes, once every seven days in the weeks thereafter, to ensure the battery is maintained.

To avoid flat spots developing and ensure your tyres remain sufficiently inflated, check the tyre pressure against those listed in your vehicle manual. In addition, we advise adjusting the parking position of your Land Rover by a ¼ of a wheel turn once every 14 days, to change the point of pressure. Repeat as required.

After extended periods of no use, we’d recommend gently applying the brakes when first driving your vehicle again, at a low speed. This will help to remove any surface corrosion on the brake discs.