Car left standing for a long time: what should you check?

Check the car in a set order: first from the outside, then under the bonnet, then when starting and finally during the first few metres. That way you spot a problem before it causes damage.

1. Walk around the car. Look for stains under the car, flat tyres, damage, and gnaw marks or nesting material under the bonnet.
2. Check the paperwork. Is the APK still valid and is the car insured? If the registration was suspended at the RDW (in Dutch: geschorst), lift the suspension first.
3. Measure the tyre pressures. Inflate the tyres to the value on the door pillar, the fuel flap or in the owner’s manual.
4. Check the oil and coolant. Do this with a cold engine on level ground.
5. Start the car. If the engine turns over slowly, the battery is probably too flat.
6. Watch the warning lights. After starting, all warning lights should go out.
7. Drive a few metres and brake carefully. Do this somewhere quiet. Feel whether the car brakes in a straight line and whether the wheels turn freely.

A battery runs down because systems in the car use power even when the car is switched off, such as the alarm, the clock and the receiver for the remote key. According to the ANWB, the Dutch motoring organisation, a flat starter battery is more common on a hybrid after 2 to 3 weeks of standing still. For a hybrid that is driven very little, the ANWB advises a drive of at least 20 minutes once a week.

If the car will stand for around six months, the ANWB gives three options. If the car is in a frost-free space, the battery can usually stay in place and it is often enough to disconnect the negative terminal. If it may freeze, charge the battery fully, remove it and store it somewhere dry and frost-free. If there is power at the parking space, connect the car to a trickle charger. According to the ANWB, a few hours of charging a week is usually enough. Please note: according to the ANWB, on many cars from the past fifteen years you cannot disconnect or remove the battery without further steps. If in doubt, ask first.

If the car starts again after charging or a jump start, the battery may still be too weak for the next cold morning. Our winter car checklist explains what else the cold asks of your car. With a battery test the mechanic measures whether the battery still has enough starting power and whether the alternator charges properly.

Rust forms on the brake discs and the brake pads can stick to the discs. Brake manufacturer Brembo explains that rust normally forms on brake discs and disappears again when you brake. When a car stands still for a long time, the rusty areas grow. If the handbrake is on, the brake pads keep pressing against the discs or drums and can become stuck through corrosion.

Brembo advises moving the car once a week if possible: release the handbrake, drive a short distance forwards and backwards and brake gently as you do so. If that is not possible, take extra care on the first drive. The brakes may squeal or grind for the first few kilometres. This is usually the rust being worn off.

When should you have the brakes checked? If the noise is still there after a few kilometres, the brake pedal or steering wheel vibrates, the car pulls to one side when braking or one wheel is clearly warmer than the others after driving, have the brakes checked. The mechanic then looks for deep rust edges, seized brake calipers and the thickness of the brake pads. Read more about replacing brake pads and discs.

Tyres slowly lose air, even when they are not punctured. A tyre that stands at too low a pressure for a long time can develop a flat spot on the part that rests on the ground. After inflating and driving for a while, such a spot often disappears. If the car keeps vibrating at higher speeds, have the tyres checked.

Look at the age of the tyres too. Rubber dries out over time, even if the tyre has covered few kilometres. If you see small cracks in the sidewall or between the tread, have the tyre assessed. In the Netherlands, the minimum tread depth for all tyres is 1.6 mm.

Before a long period off the road, set the tyres to the specified pressure, or slightly higher if the owner’s manual says so for storage. After the storage period, set the pressure back to the normal value.

Sometimes they do, because fluids age even when you are not driving. That is why manufacturers give a service interval in kilometres and in time. The service is due at whichever comes first. How to read these intervals is explained in your car’s service schedule explained. If your car has covered few kilometres but the last service was more than a year ago, a service is often already due.

General explanation from the workshop. The intervals for your car are in the service schedule.

If you see a puddle or stain under the car after it has been standing, look at the colour. Brown or black stains can be oil. Green, pink or blue stains can be coolant. Blue can also be screenwash. Have a leak checked before you drive the car any further.

No, you do not have to, but you can if the car will not be on the public road for a longer period. Suspending (in Dutch: schorsen) means you ask the RDW, the Dutch vehicle authority, to put your car’s registration on hold. If you do not suspend it, the car must stay insured according to the Openbaar Ministerie (the Dutch Public Prosecution Service), even when it is standing still. This is the compulsory third-party liability insurance (in Dutch: WA-verzekering) that every car with a Dutch number plate must have.

You apply for a suspension at the RDW, online or at an RDW registration counter (kentekenloket). According to the ANWB, a suspension lasts for a maximum of 1, 2 or 3 years and you can extend it. During the suspension you pay no road tax (motorrijtuigenbelasting), and the insurance obligation and the APK obligation do not apply. You stop or change your insurance yourself through your insurer. Suspending comes with a fee. According to the ANWB, if you lift the suspension early, you do not get that fee back.

The fees are on the RDW website. Rules and fees can change, so check the current conditions with the RDW before you suspend.

On an electric or hybrid car, the 12V battery is the biggest risk after standing still. This small battery switches on the high-voltage system. According to the ANWB, a hybrid cannot reach READY if the starter battery is too weak. On an electric car too, a problem with the 12V battery can stop the car from starting, according to the ANWB, while the large battery pack is full.

If you are going to put the car away for a longer period, check the owner’s manual for the charge level the manufacturer recommends for storage. The brakes on an electric car can rust faster, because the car does much of its braking with the electric motor. You can read more about this in our guide to servicing an electric car.

Have the car checked if you notice anything on the first drive that you do not trust. Think of a warning light that stays on, a brake pedal that feels different, a car that pulls or vibrates, a leak, or a smell of burning or coolant.

At Autobedrijf Willemsbrug in Rotterdam-IJsselmonde you can walk in without an appointment for a quick question or check. We are open Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 17.30 and on Saturday from 9.00 to 15.00. If more work is needed, you receive a quote in advance and we only carry out repairs once you have agreed.

That depends on the battery and the car. According to the ANWB, a flat starter battery is more common on a hybrid after 2 to 3 weeks of standing still. Brembo advises moving a car that is standing still a short distance once a week if possible, so that the brake pads do not rust in place. If the car stands still for months, the ANWB advises disconnecting the negative terminal or keeping the battery topped up with a trickle charger.

No. Idling charges the battery slowly, but the brakes and tyres do not move. Brembo advises driving the car a short distance forwards and backwards once a week if possible, braking gently as you do so. For a hybrid, the ANWB advises a drive of at least 20 minutes a week.

If the car stands still for around six months in a frost-free space, the ANWB says it is often enough to disconnect the negative terminal. If it may freeze, take the fully charged battery out. With a trickle charger the battery can stay in the car. On many newer cars you cannot disconnect the battery without further steps, so check the owner’s manual first.

Yes. According to the ANWB you may, if you can show an inspection appointment during the drive, take the shortest route to the garage and the car is insured again. For any other drive you have to lift the suspension first.

Because of rust on the brake discs. This rust is usually worn off in the first few kilometres. If the squealing or grinding continues, the brake pedal vibrates or the car pulls to one side, have the brakes checked.

Yes, once the time interval has passed. Engine oil ages even if you drive very little. That is why manufacturers give an interval in kilometres and in time, and the service is due at whichever comes first. You can read more in how often to change your engine oil.

• ANWB: Accu (in Dutch)
• Brembo: How to avoid brake stiction: Brembo advices
• ANWB: Schorsen van het kenteken (in Dutch)
• ANWB: Profieldiepte (in Dutch)
• Openbaar Ministerie (Dutch Public Prosecution Service): APK, verzekering en kenteken (in Dutch)