Use current location
Spring is here, which means that it’s time to pull the cover off of your nice sports car and take it for a spin around the block. But alas! Once you’re on the road you find that your brakes are shuddering, the battery isn’t holding a charge and your suspension has creaks galore. You take good care of your car, so how did this happen? More than likely, the dreaded “lot rot” has claimed another victim, and your vehicle has deteriorated from nonuse. There are varying degrees of deterioration and longterm damage depending on how long it’s been since the car was driven, which is why Vesas Automotive is here to help you learn a few tricks to diagnose the issue and (on occasion) prevent it altogether!
Vehicle age is not a factor
Lot rot is something that most people associate with older or used vehicles, but in truth new cars and trucks sometimes suffer from this problem just as much as their older cousins. New cars can spend months or even years parked in large auto storage lots on the other side of the country before making their way to your doorstep, and that means the dreaded lot rot can be lurking within the innards of your “new” mechanical beast. Now granted, most car dealerships survive on their testament to quality vehicles (at least at the time of sale), but since many symptoms of lot rot are not covered by conventional warranties, always check the car over before you buy it. Even an untrained eye can see that abnormallyhigh amounts of break dust or unusual tire wear isn’t normal, so if an inactive car starts showing any of these symptoms lot rot is the likely culprit.
Degrees of Rot
Just like anything else, lot rot can range from a minor problem that corrects itself all the way up to serious repairs, so it’s important to know when to shout doom and gloom and when to simply wait it out. Breaks and rotors are both some of the earliest areas of a car to show corrosion from sitting too long, mostly due to the materials having no protective coatings or alloys. When activating a vehicle’s brakes, it’s common to experience shuddering, increased vibration and longer stopping distances when lot rot is involved, but if subsides and/or disappears after a day of city driving (frequent stopping and going), chances are the rot was minor and should not seriously impact your vehicle. If however it takes several days before any improvement, the rotors have likely suffered more severe corrosion and will need to be professionally checked to see if the rotors need resurfacing or if new parts are needed
With higherquality materials in vehicles and more time spent on the road each year, modern drivers that experience lot rot isn’t nearly as high as it was twenty years ago. Still it’s important to be aware that the problem is real, and doesn’t differentiate between affordable sedans, expensive sports cars or highend trucks. If you do find yourself with a vehicle that’s suffering from the dreaded lot rot however, don’t despair! Call on your friends at Vesas Automotive. We’re here to help! Happy driving!
Please click anywhere to continue browsing our site.