Essential Car Care

During the winter season, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles offers two fantastic and valuable services available at any Volkswagen Van Centers and authorized repair centers. These two services are the Express Visual Check and the Warm-up package.

The Visual Check service will give a fast and free 29-point test to all key working parts of the vehicle. It means checking all vital fluid levels like brakes and coolants, and also checking the tire treads and lights condition.

The Warm-up Package includes a number of services including car wash and vacuum, battery condition check among others. These two services are just part of the company’s commitment to provide excellent customer care.

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Preventive Maintenance
Going by the book. Be Up to date and follow your car’s maintenance schedule in the vehicle owner’s manual and make necessary repairs promptly. Start saving money for car maintenance as well as for repairs as you would saving money for gas. If you think you’re saving money by skipping an oil change, think again. Missing even one oil change can accelerate premature engine wear and cause engine damage. The manual contains a maintenance schedule.
Use the right stuff. When it’s time for maintenance or repairs, use only parts and fluids meeting manufacturer specifications. Using the wrong type of oil or transmission fluid, for example, could result in damage leading to expensive repairs.

Know what to look for. Problems can arise at any time and for inexplicable reasons. So it helps to get in the habit of opening the hood and looking, listening, and smelling what’s happening in your engine bay. Look for fraying or cracks in belts, and cracks or bulges in hoses. Investing in a vehicle service manual, available at car dealerships and most auto-parts stores, will help show you what to look for and assist you with minor repairs.

Maintaining a Clean Car. Get out the cleaning products periodically. Regular cleaning inside and out can make the car a more pleasant place to be as you roll up the miles, and washing and waxing can help preserve the paint and keep the sheet metal below it from rusting. Vacuuming sand and dirt out of carpets and seats can minimize premature wear that leads to tears and holes.
Reliability. Buy a car with a good track record and that which is reliable. Consumer Reports offers comprehensive reliability ratings. Buy a car that has performed well in government and insurance-industry safety tests and has the latest safety equipment, like electronic stability control and curtain air bags. If you’re going to live with a vehicle for a long time, you will want it to provide maximum safety protection.

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When you have decided to give your car a wax, it only means that you have reached the level where you already have appreciation to your car. The remarkable power and quality of the appearance brought about by a carefully waxed car can make a compelling illusion that is really surprising to behold. If the car is not given a coat of wax, there is a risk that the car will be exposed to harsh elements. At the same time that when the car is exposed to undesirable conditions, an early corrosion of the car paint may occur. Some people wax their cars just to appreciate the beauty of it while others do it as additional protection and care for their cars.

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Ahhh.. This is the fault of watching Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift too many times, I want to drift but don’t know where to start. So First of all, what is drifting? Wikipedia defines drifting as:

Drifting refers either to a driving technique, or to a sport based on the technique; this article deals primarily with the sport. When the rear slip angle is greater than the front slip angle, and the front wheels are pointed in the opposite direction to the turn (e.g. car is turning left, wheels are pointed right), and the driver is controlling this, the car is drifting.

And now the moment you’ve all been Waiting for.. The Video from Youtube

Remember.. Safety First…

Jaren Cudilla Posted This really awesome Post on StudyDriving.com : Going On a Road Trip and now this is a good reminder for us and we can make this as a basic checklist template.. whenever we’re planning a roadtrip. Exciting, yes.. I love roadtrips. It’s an escape from the realities of life. Driving makes me happy inside. Driving is my Inner Peace.

Going on a Road Trip? Here are tips for a safe, pleasant, worry-free road trip.

Before planning a road trip, make sure to have your car checked or serviced first, things like under the hood (the car battery, A/C, Engine Oil) and under the chassis (shocks, align wheels, as well as the exhaust systems)

Now on the actually going to the road trip part, Before leaving make sure you check :

1. Check the Brake Fluid Level. Fill up to the recommended level
2. Radiator coolant Level. Fill up to the recommended level
3. Window wiper Washer Level. Fill up to the recommended level
4. Check Brake lights, Headlights, foglamps, and always bring a spare bulbs
5. Check Fuses, bring spare fuses
6. Fuel tank. A full tank is wise choice
7. Check tire pressure. Inflate to recommended level
8. Check your spare tire, set of car tools, Early warning Device, First aid kit
9. Maps

Simple Tips I’ve learned from driving on long road trips

1. Bring Water for all the passengers.
2. Eat light snacks to keep you alert
3. To keep you charged, drink energy drinks, soft drinks, or fruit juices.
4. Don’t drive all the way take short breaks to stretch your muscles, If you have a replacement driver even better.
5. Whenever you feel sleepy, take a rest or switch with your co-driver.
6. Listen to a happy driving song, ( I listen to Gin Blossoms & Better than Ezra, whenever I go on a road trip)

Lastly, Have fun and Safe Road Trip.

Ever noticed your neighbor’s dogs peeing on your all aluminum mag wheels, then wash it out immediately for the high salt content in their pee tends to eat away aluminum. This could lead to problems such as rusting at the wheel nuts and corrosion in the underside of the rims that can render them ugly and even lead to failure. Wash away debris and pee off the wheels so they don’t affect the appearance, you can also tell the neighbor so they get down to cleaning it for you as it’s their dog that did the thingy’.
Dogs have an insatiable appetite to mark their territory and having smelled scent from another dog triggers them to mark it over with their own product. This is bad news for alloy and aluminum wheels for it can find any kinks in the clear coat of the wheel rim (clear coat lacquer) that protects it from the elements. Getting some wiggle in your steering lately, might be some debris caught in the inner part of the rim you can’t see. Get the wheel taken out and better yet rotated so they wear out evenly. Have the service guy clean out the wheel to get rid of road tar and other contaminants which may be sticking to the other parts of the rim and wheel. Try some pepper oil and spray it onto the wheels, dogs hate it (produces a burning sensation onto their tender noses) and it’ll sure teach them not to do their business on your beautiful and shiny wheels.

Tires though made tough, need inspection from time to time which can give the driver an overview of their health. Unlike the other parts of your car, these rubber wonders of technology are the ones in contact with the road thus the ones that are sure to suffer even with normal driving. Have a tire that seems to get flat once too often, there might be a leak with the tire valve or a puncture that is too small to cause a major flat. There could also be a leak in the side walls where the rim meets the tire, this can be corrected easily by having it re-mounted. Technicians use a sort of sealant that makes the tire stick to the rims thus preventing leaks.
Erratic wear might be an indicator of unbalanced wear or a problem with the suspension, mention that to the mechanic next service appointment for inspection. Treads have a maximum wear indicator in the form of a bump (three or more) in between the tread impressions. Once they line-up with the tread’s surface, it’s time to get new ones. This is more a safety issue, for a worn out tire would not be able to grip the road properly in wet weather sending you hydro-planing across the road. Buckle Up and drive safe.

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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.