Essential Car Care

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Most car manufacturers advise car owners that they change engine oil once a year for a brand new car or when they reach 7,500 miles. Whichever comes first. That is for gasoline powered engines. But for diesel powered engines, the time or mileage is shorter, usually you are required to change oil every 300 miles or once every six months. All this recommendations are applicable in normal or ideal driving conditions. And unfortunately, normal ideal driving for most of us means, in actuality, severe service driving. Severe service driving, which we often think as ideal driving are the often short trips under 10 miles, city driving… most likely a stop and go traffic situation, driving in dusty roads and sustained highway driving in hot seasons.

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As we drive our automobiles today, most of us would want to enjoy the same comfort levels that we are accustomed to at home and at work. With the push of a button or the slide of a lever, we make the seamless transition from hot environment to cooling and back again without ever wondering how this change occurs.

Most people are so fixated with exterior appearance of their car; little do they know that the cleanliness of the interior part is as important. Vacuuming the carpets and wiping the seats and sides prolongs the life of the air condition. Not only does it maintain the cleanliness of the inside but it prevents the car’s air condition from accumulating dust. Thus helps the efficiency of the vehicle’s AC system.
This will significantly minimize the frequency repair and reduce higher operating costs and add comfort.

While it may be quite expensive to maintain a car, there are just some problems that should never be disregarded. Delaying repairs can often lead to more problems, and bigger cost. Here are the top 5:

1. Brakes - these are the no. 1 safety item on your car. If your pads are worn down, or your hydraulic system is leaking, fix it immediately.

2. Oil - changing your motor oil can help prolong the life of your engine and transmission oil changes can save you from a costly transmission overhaul.

3. Timing belts - a failure on timing belts can ruin your engine.

4. steering - not only is a worn-out steering system a major hazard, it can also cause your tires to wear out faster.

5. water pumps - once you hear a humming sound, that is an indicator that the internal bearing is going bad, and should be replaced.

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Yes Indeed. When people buy cars, one significant factor to think is safety. By that, we mean car features that can guarantee safety or at least minimize injuries during accidents and other road disasters.

MSNAutos.com reports that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a research and communications organization funded by auto insurers has come up with a list of safety picks for 2008 to conduct car shoppers in getting the safest vehicles possible. The safety picks were chosen from among the various car segments: small cars, minivans, SUVs and pickup trucks. The crash assessments were made in the front, rear and side of the cars and measurements were done on the intrusion into the passenger compartment, the injury on dummies, and the control of restraint systems.

Fourteen Japanese cars have completed it to the list such as Honda Accord, Subaru Legacy, Subaru Impreza, Honda Odyssey, Acura MDX, among others. Way to go, Japanese cars!

The retractable roof of a convertible gives it the edge that cannot be matched among breeds of automobiles. But the irony of which is that this feature that makes a convertible attractive is the same reason it is difficult to maintain. The convertible roof needs to be cared of and maintained in a special way. To address this dilemma, RaggTopp line of products will do the works. It is safe to use RaggTopp products in fact it is being endorsed by HAARTZ which is the leading manufacturer of convertible top fabric around the globe. RaggTopp products are silicone free that is why they can do no harm to your convertible.

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There have been recent studies that have shown that Nitrogen gas for use in inflating your car’s tires makes them last longer. Well, there might be a good scientific backing for this for many of the new muscle cars that are coming out onto the market have them in their tires.

Nitrogen being an inert gas that prevents the problems associated with regular compressed air which contains a sizeable amount of moisture that causes corrosion in aluminum and steel wheel rims. Oxygen causes oxidation which can eventually weaken wheels whatever type they may be. Nitrogen is also cooler than regular air which can translate to better mileage which may be needed due to ever increasing gas prices. As it turns out, the tires on your car looses air even if it does not have a puncture which translates to 2 psi per month compared to 6 months for nitrogen gas.

Nitrogen also causes less problems with your car’s wheel valves making them last a tad longer than usual. Wheel valves should be replaced everytime you have your tire changed to ensure they are at par with the wheel. They might be slowly leaking air which if added to the leak in the rubber tire can get you in an odd spot when you least expect it.

Also, it would be a good idea to make it a ritual to have the tire pressure checked everytime you fill up to ensure your wheels are running as designed. Uneven wear, cupping and other wheel maladies should be taken seriously for they are indicative signs of other problems such as in the suspension. Low tire pressure leads to poor mileage (it also heats up the wheels excessively even causing failure). If you have experienced having to run on a flat tire due to an emergency or unexpected flat the tire would surely be a goner for the plies of the tire tends to separate on the sidewalls for they are not designed to come in contact with the surface of the road. Till next time, keep safe on the road and off guys. Drive safely.

Thanks to Marcel for this Interesting post on StudyDriving : Nitrogen For Your Wheels

After you have applied and dried up the car polish, it is recommended that you apply car wax after. It may not be as strong and lasting as car polish, but continuous application can give your car a much deeper shine, glossier look and good finish. Applying it after a good car polish can multiply the shine which will produce an outcome that is almost unbelievable for some. Here are some important pointers in applying car wax:

• Apply in the same way as you apply car polish
• Car Wax is either in paste or liquid form
• Paste form is a bit more difficult to use. Let it dry to a haze and then buff dry after.

After cleaning your car and drying it up, it is advisable that you apply car polish for protection. Did you know that car polishes contains polymer blends which has no wax and it can last for one year and undergo a number of car washes? Here are some important pointers in applying car polish:

• Use a new terry cloth in applying liquid car polish.
• Apply the polish in circular manner and let it dry.
• Apply only in one section at a time.
• To buff dry the finish, use a clean towel.
• Two to three coats of car polish is recommended for maximum protection

It is important that you thoroughly clean the car. Here are the basic steps

• Spray The Car – You have to spray the car in order to get it wet. This will contribute much in lubricating the dirt present on the car. This will also lessen the possibility of damaging the pain when you wash it.
• Wash One Car Section at a Time – Do this using car wash soap. Concentrate on one section first then rinse it. Practicing this habit will insure that the soap won’t dry on the car and it will remove more dirt instead.
• Clean it with a Towel – Do this after you rinse the car. It is better if you dry up the car first before you proceed in applying wax or polish.

Have dings and dents on your car? If yes, then you must remove it as soon as possible. You can consult a paintless dent removal company to get rid of these and help you enhance the look of your car. Removing a single ding or dent might cost you $25 to $85. The rate is already cheap if you would analyze. Using headline cleaning and restoration kit is also good. These are the materials used by professionals to make their old headlights look as good as brand new. Using these can even help you save up some money because you don’t have to undergo expensive replacements. It will also give you a good and safe driving adventure and will make your car look better.