Fiat Punto: Car inactivity

Fiat Punto Owners Manual

If the car is to be left inactive for longer than a month, the following precautions should be noted:

• park the car in covered, dry and if possible wellventilated premises;
• engage a gear;
• check that the handbrake is not engaged;
• disconnect battery terminals (first disconnect the negative terminal) and check the battery charge.

  This check is to be repeated every three months.

  Recharge if the optical indicator shows a dark colour without the central green area;

• clean and protect the painted parts using protective wax;
• clean and protect the shiny metal parts using special compounds readily available;
• sprinkle talcum powder on the rubber windscreen and rear window wiper blades and lift them off the glass;
• slightly open the windows;
• cover the car with a cloth or perforated plastic sheet. Do not use sheets of non-perforated plastic as they do not allow moisture on the car body to evaporate;
• inflate tyres to +0.5 bar above the normal specified pressure and check it at intervals;
• if you don’t disconnect the battery from the electric system, check its charge every month and recharge it if the optical indicator shows a dark colour without the central green area;
• do not drain the engine cooling system.