Some important tips to maintain your ACE Equipment during the lock down:

* Remaining idle for a long time means that your equipment requires more care than usual. We list down the top tricks to keep in mind.

* Over the past few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a considerable toll the world over and India is just catching up. With the number of cases being reported in the country rising fast each day, stringent corrective measures became the need of the hour, resulting in the recent announcement of a nationwide lockdown for three whole weeks. Maintaining hygiene and remaining in isolation seem to be the cornerstones in the fight to contain the rapid spread of the disease.

During the course of these 21 days, don't forget that it's not just you who'll be practicing social distancing. In all probability, even your Equipment will lie idle. To ensure that it remains in a good working condition and stays free of niggles, it is essential to keep in mind a few key things. Here are the top tips to maintain your equipment during the prolonged lock down:

* Preserve the battery: * The most of equipment owners will know that the battery gets depleted even when the vehicle is not in use. To prevent it from getting discharged, start your equipment once a week and keep it running for at least 10-15 minutes, which will allow the alternator to replenish the juice. If that isn't possible, and the vehicle is likely to remain idle for a month or longer, then automakers suggest disconnecting the battery from the negative terminal to prevent discharge. Following this advice will save a lot of trouble and help avoid the need to jump start your Equipment.

* Keep the vehicle running: * In essence, vehicles are machines and machines perform their best when they are kept running. While 21 days might not seem like a period long enough, the possibility of restricted movement further beyond should certainly be a cause for concern. So, start your vehicle every few days, as recommended earlier. And do remember to operate all the systems. This will not only help to keep them in good shape but will also allow you to diagnose any faults and niggles well in advance of actually being able to operate.
If circumstances permit, move your equipment to a distance. And if that doesn't prove to be feasible, move your equipment forwards and backwards to keep it from remaining stationary for too long. This will help prevent flat spots on the tyres.

* Parking: * The equipment should be parked on a leveled plane hard ground and must avoid engaging the handbrake, the same can jam the brakes over a long period of time. So, simply park the equipment in gear instead. OEMs recommend leaving the vehicle in reverse gear if parked on a downhill gradient and in the first gear if parked on an uphill gradient , the smarter thing to do would be to place chocks at the wheels for preventing the vehicle from rolling over. * Hydraulic cylinder's to be kept in close conditions.
Clean the cabin: * Your equipment is likely to miss proper cleaning in the cabin for most of the three weeks, hence it would be a good idea to remove leftover knickknacks and food wrappers to prevent any foul odours from developing. Thoroughly dust off and clean the interiors, paying close attention to the muddy bits like the floor mats. And if you plan on following up the advice of regularly starting the equipment, do wash your hands before and after to avoid contaminating the equipment interior with possible COVID-19 contagions that you may have picked up somewhere else. And to err on the side of caution, try to disinfect the cabin as well.

* Clean your equipment on a regular intervals as the accumulation of dirt, bugs and bird droppings for a long time could damage the paint.

# Lets fight the Corona Virus together.