Tips for Maintaining the Interior

For some, interior looks are more important than the exterior. This is because this is where the passengers ride, and to them, this is the area that really matters the most. If you don’t take care of your vehicle’s interior you are making your car look dirty, while at the same time deteriorating your car’s interior. This in turn decreases your vehicle’s value (just in case you decide to sell your ride) because no one would want to buy a car with a messed up interior for the same price that they would find the same vehicle with a well maintained interior. Here are some tips to keep the inside of your car looking great:
1) Wipe off any surface dust from the dashboard and door panels on a regular basis. You can also use cleaners such as ArmorAll to help protect the surfaces from UV light damage.
2) There are also products available to help remove dirt and smudges from the vehicle’s glass. Be sure that if you are cleaning the glass from the inside you use a cleaner that won’t deteriorate your vehicle’s window tint (the bottle should say if it is okay to use on window tint).
3) Buy a shop vacuum to help remove any dirt from the carpets and seats.
4) Use floor mats to help protect your carpet.
5) You can also use seat covers to help protect your seats or to cover up a seat that is starting to get torn apart. If you choose to use seat covers, be sure that you aren’t covering up any of the vehicle’s airbags (this applies especially to vehicles with leather seats).
6) You could possibly use leather or upholstery seat cleaners in order to help protect your seats from heat damage after being exposed to a lot of sunlight.

Cars with Clean Interiors:





Interior Care Products:

Car Care Videos

How to Change a Flat Tire



Exterior Maintenance:



Checking Engine Oil:

How to Wax a Car

Another important car care detail that is sometimes forgotten about is waxing the vehicle’s paint job. Arguably, waxing a car has many benefits. For one, it helps protect the car’s body from corrosion. It can also help remove and prevent against water spots. In addition to these things, wax also protects a vehicle’s paint job from heat damage which can be caused from continuous exposure to sunlight. At the same time, waxing a car also makes it appear shinier and smoother than a car without wax. Here are the basic steps towards waxing a vehicle:
1) Be sure that the car’s surface is clean, preferably directly after a car wash
2) Put some wax on a clean rag (small ones work best and are the easiest to use)
3) Apply the wax by putting pressure in a circular motion against the body of the car
4) Wait a few minutes than remove the wax by using another clean rag (for this step you should use a larger rag)
5) Repeat these steps for the entire vehicle, but make sure that the hood and roof are thoroughly done because these are the spots that are the most susceptible from damage due to prolonged heat exposure.
Some recommended and high quality wax brands include Meguiars, Turtle Wax, and Hawaiian Island Shine.

How to Wash a Car

One of the most important skills that I feel apply to teenagers when comes down to vehicles is knowing how to wash a car. In addition to making your vehicle look better, having a clean car actually helps keep your paint job in a good condition for longer periods of time. This is because having dirt on the surface of your car actually deteriorates the clear coat of paint that comes with the car. To get this job done properly, just follow these simple steps:
1) Put some car soap (the amount depends on the size of the vehicle) and a sponge into a large bucket
2) Fill the bucket, containing the soap and sponge, with water
3) Spray the entire vehicle down with a hose
4) Using the wet sponge, cover the entire vehicle with soap (don’t forget about the wheel’s and side-view mirrors)
5) Spray all of the soap off using a hose
6) Dry the vehicle down with a shop rag
7) Don’t forget to dry inside the doors, hood, and trunk in order to prevent rusting in these areas
Extra Notes:
-Avoid getting water into the vehicle’s exhaust pipe
-You can also use a squeegee in order to help remove a lot of the water after you spray the car down for the final time
-Some recommended car wash soap brands include Turtle Wax, ArmorAll, and Meguiars.

Vehicle Maintenance Tips

Vehicle Maintenance:

In order to keep your vehicle in good condition, both visually and performance wise, over longer periods of time, some maintenance will have to be done. Here are a few basic tips that will probably save you a lot of time and money down the road:
1) Be sure to change your oil and oil filter every 3000 miles or 3-4 months, whichever comes first
2) Check your car’s oil levels at least once a month, and add oil as needed
3) Keep all of tires, including the spare, properly inflated to the manufacturer’s specified pressure
4) Wash your car if needed because dirt deteriorates the vehicle’s paint job
5) Wax your car a few times each year in order to polish your car and also to prevent against corrosion
6) Carry around a pair of jumper cables in your trunk just in case your car won’t start
7) Make sure that your tires have a good amount of tread on them.
8) Use the manufacturer’s recommended fuel type (unleaded or diesel) and octane (applicable for all unleaded gas vehicles).
9) For unleaded vehicles be sure to use unleaded fuel only. Most car’s will only require the lowest grade (also the cheapest) gas, but others (namely high performance and turbocharged cars) require the use of premium unleaded (the most expensive octane) fuel.

Proper Tire Pressure

Blog Post #8

Proper Tire Pressure
One of the most looked over car maintenance details is the importance of maintaining the vehicle’s proper tire pressure. Although some people may not realize this, keeping the car’s tires at the recommended pressure is important for both keeping the vehicle safe, and for preventing future problems down the road. If the vehicle’s pressure is not at the recommended pressure, then the car’s handling characteristics could be seriously altered. Also, without the proper tire pressure, the tires would develop an uneven wear pattern; therefore the tires would have to be replaced sooner than expected. Here are the steps needed in order to maintain a recommended tire pressure:
1) Find the vehicle’s recommended tire pressure. This can be found either on the inside of the driver’s door, or inside the glove compartment.
2) Remove the tire’s valve cover. Using a tire gauge, check the tire’s current pressure, measured in PSI (Pounds-Per-Square Inch), and then compare it to the recommended value.
3) Pump air into the tire using a pump (which can be found at most gas stations) until the recommended value is met. If too much air is added, press the stem which is located in the middle of the valve until the desired pressure is found

Tire Valve:


Tire Gauge:


Tire Being Inflated:

Changing a Flat Tire

When you encounter a flat tire, you pretty much have two options. You can either call a service company, or you can decide to fix it yourself. If you decide fix it yourself, be sure that you know what you’re doing and that you are following all of the proper safety procedures. Here are the major steps to get this job done:
1) Locate the spare tire and tool kit. For most vehicles, these things can be found in the trunk underneath the primary covering, but for some trucks and vans, these things are located underneath the vehicle near the rear of the car.
2) Set up the jack and begin to lift the vehicle to a workable height. Only lift the jack on the vehicle’s designated jack points which will be obvious when you look underneath the vehicle. When the car is supported only by the jack which comes with the car, be sure not to place any part of your body under the vehicle.
3) Unscrew the flat tire with the given tire wrench from the tool kit.
4) Mount the spare tire by first centering and then putting the wheel bolts back on.
5) Screw the bolts back on as tight as you can by hand, and then lower the vehicle.
6) With the car lowered, re-torque the bolts by stepping on the wrench.
7) Replace the spare tire with the original as quickly as possible.
For Future Reference:
1) Unless you have a full-sized spare (a spare tire which is the same size as the original), be sure not to drive faster than the speed indicated on the tire.
2) Keep the spare tire properly maintained (ex: proper tire pressure and non-rusted wheel)