WATCH: AC Motors holds The Mechanic car care webinar

MANILA: The dealer network of AC Motors recently held its first webinar, "The Mechanic," for its loyal customers. The topics revolved around car care during the COVID-19 pandemic — particularly when the car is not in use.

The webinar moderator was Jason Dela Cruz, the sales training manager of Volkswagen Ayala Dealers.  The Mechanic webinar can be viewed here.

The webinar commenced with an introduction of AC Motors as the motoring arm of the Ayala Group. The company began its operations through a dealership with Honda in 1991. The company eventually expanded into different car brands such as Volkswagen, Isuzu, Kia, Maxus, and KTM over the past six years.

Dela Cruz introduced the two resource speakers for the webinar, namely Dr. Harold Trinidad, who is a specialist in terms of medical acupuncture and occupational medicine, and Mr. Geronimo Campilan, the aftersales manager of Kia Philippines.

The topic of Dr. Harold Trinidad was “Anti-Coronavirus Car Care.” Dr. Trinidad discussed the background of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the composition of the virus, and its mechanism of transmission.

According to Dr. Trinidad, what is currently existing are trials or unproven treatments. This is because there is still no vaccine for COVID-19 and that there is also a shortage in terms of protective gear or PPE, medical supplies, ICU beds, and testing facilities, along with poor contract tracing abilities in local government units (LGUs).

Dr. Trinidad also explained the risk areas and factors of COVID-19 such as the spread of the infection and the severity of the virus. Exposure risks in the vehicle, and the three Cs (Cover, Clean, and Contain) were also tackled.

Dr. Trinidad also added that COVID-19 could reside in different car surfaces for at least four to seven days, depending on the type of surface. He also discussed the importance of taking into consideration the principles of safety inside the car, such as maintaining physical and social distancing and opening the driver window and rear passenger windows slightly.

Towards the last part of Dr. Trinidad’s presentation, he also pointed out the importance of applying car cleaning solutions on a microfiber cloth to prevent scratches on the car interior. According to him, it is very crucial to clean high-touch areas such as the door handles, side and rearview mirrors, and the inside of the trunk.

Before the start of the second topic, a short segment involving the various brands of AC Motors was also shown.

Ron Campilan discussed the topic “Taking Care of the Car when not in Use.”  He explained that the vehicle needs to have at least 1/4 of its tank full. A sufficient amount of gas inside the tank will help prevent rust formation.

It is also essential to maintain the battery charge, and this can be done by allowing the engine to run for at least 15 to 20 minutes at 1,500rpm. It is also essential to ensure that the engine hood is up. Campilan also encouraged car owners to drive their vehicles every other day in an open area, aside from engaging in shift knob and handbrake.

He also said that the car needs to be parked in a secure area. For the vehicle to be placed in Park mode, it is vital to shift gear in P position and change to first gear if going uphill, and the reverse when going downhill.  A few points on accurate parking in an inclined or hilly road were also discussed.

Toward the last part of the second topic, Campilan also shared some tips on preventing flat tire spots, especially if the vehicle has been stored for a long time.

He also discussed how to protect the engine bay from pests such as rodents. Campilan mentioned in the webinar that some of the household rat repellants that can be used to protect the engine bay are mothballs or naphthalene balls, rat poison containing zinc phosphide, and a solution of white vinegar and ammonia.

A Q&A portion was also done after every topic for viewers to have an opportunity to ask questions and clarify some points in the webinar.

Photos from AC Motors Facebook Page

Also read: WATCH: Volkswagen PH ambassador Gary V talks about car care during lockdown