Essential Vehicle Maintenance: Exterior Care

Aside from keeping your car running great, maintenance needsto be performed to keep your car looking great too. After you've repaired your worn out diesel injectors and diesel fuel pump, your exterior needs some TLC. Keeping your car clean andwaxed will prolong the life of your paint job and make your car more fun todrive. Here are some tips to properly washing, waxing, and detailing yourvehicle.

 Beyond the normal dirt and dust that collects on the surfaceof your car, there are other, harder to see contaminants that can damage yourclear coat over time. Airborne pollutants, bugs, tree sap, and bird droppingscan all degrade your paint so it’s important to scrub it all off frequently. 

Before washing and especially before waxing, make sure yourcar is parked in the shade if it is sunny outside. The sun can prematurely dryyour car leading to water spots, or hamper your waxing efforts. If you plan onwaxing your car you may even want to wash your car twice because dirt isdifficult to see when the car is wet.

Make sure to use the right solvents for washing anddetailing your car. Dishwashing soap is not good for your paint. Buy some kindof actual car wash, and make sure to buy a high quality wax like Turtle orMeguiar’s. Wash your vehicle thoroughly, using a soft sponge or towel, payingspecial attention to the front grill of your vehicle where bugs and debrisoften collect. Rinse and dry your car carefully, inspecting the paint foranything left behind. Make sure to go back and scrub spots that did not comeclean – if you attempt to wax the paint with dirt or debris on it, you willscratch the clear coat of your car.

 In decades past itwas agreed that the best wax to use was very-hard-to-apply carnauba wax – the“wax on, wax off” kind; nowadays technology has advanced enough to provideexcellent, more easily applied waxes that are just as effective at protectingyour clear coat. Some of the more advanced systems currently require just sprayon application and spreading evenly over the paint, no buffing required. 

If you decide to use a more traditional paste wax or creamwax, use the applicator recommended or provided by the wax manufacturer. Ifthey don’t have a recommendation, use a foam applicator pad to apply the wax.Work in small areas, rubbing a small amount of wax and spreading it to the surroundingareas. Apply the wax in a back and forth motion, not in circles, and make sureyour applicator and buffer are clean before you begin. If the wax residuedoesn’t buff off easily, switch to a very clean towel or cloth.

After you are done buffing, use a soft toothbrush ordetailing brush to clean the wax out of the cracks and crevices of your car.After you’re done waxing, your car should have a smooth, glossy finish thatlooks almost wet. 

Paste wax systems require you to re-apply the wax every 30-90days to protect your paint, depending on weather conditions. Newer syntheticsystems can last up to 9 months without re-application, but some people saythey don’t give off the same “three-dimensional” shine that carnauba waxprovides, so you’ll have to make a judgment call on what is most important toyou.  Either system will protect yourpaint and keep your car in excellent form for years.

Essential Vehicle Maintenance: Tires

If you want to upkeep anything in your vehicle, the objectsthat keep your car rolling, and off the ground, should be at the top of thatlist. Tires are often overlooked because a car with bald tires can still drive,and replacing all four tires can be expensive. When your fuel pump or fuel pump assembly goes out, you have no choice whether or not you want to replace it because your car will not drive - bald tires can get you down the street and back, and the dangers always occur when it's too late. Nevertheless, keeping track ofthe condition of your tires, and keeping them properly inflated, can meanliterally life or death for the people in the vehicle. Here are a few tips tomake sure your tires will keep you and your passengers safe on the road.

The main cause of tire failure (when your tire goes flat orblows out) is the friction caused from moving contact with the road. Thiscauses the tread on the tires to wear away. When the tread becomes too shallow,the tire is worn out and should be replaced. Bald tires give you littletraction on the road, especially when the road is wet or icy. This means thedifference in you maintaining control of your vehicle, and not maintainingcontrol, is dependent on proper tread on your tires. One trick to check if youhave proper tire tread is to place a penny, with Lincoln’s head down, betweenthe tread of your tires. If Lincoln’s head isn’t completely covered by thetreads on your tires, they need to be replaced.

 

 Underinflation is very detrimental to your tires, and yourfuel economy. Not having enough tire pressure causes excessive wear on thetires, and gives you less control of your vehicle on paved roads. You shouldcheck your tire pressure regularly. To check your tire pressure, make sure yourtires are cool (so when the vehicle has been sitting for awhile.) If you needto go somewhere else to fill up your tires with air, check the tire pressurebefore you leave and fill up appropriately. You can find out the appropriatetire pressure for your vehicle by looking in your owner’s manual, the driver’sside door panel, the glove box door, or the fuel door.  Remove the cap from the valve on one tire.Firmly press the tire guage onto the valve. Add air to achieve the recommendedtire pressure. If you overfill a tire, release air by pushing on the metal stemin the center of the valve with a fingernail or the tip of a pen. Recheck thetire pressure, and then replace the valve cap. Repeat for your other tires,including the spare.

 Another important factor in maintaining your tires is yourvehicles alignment. When you are driving, does your car pull to one side, orshake? A bad jolt from hitting a curb or pothole can throw off your alignment.Have a tire dealer check your alignment regularly to make sure your vehicle isaligned properly. If the alignment is off it will cause your tire to wearirregularly, which can lead to tire blowouts.

You should also rotate your tires periodically, typicallyevery 5,000 miles. Naturally your front and back, left and right tires weardifferently on the road. By rotating your tires from front to back, left toright, you can ensure your tires wear evenly and lengthen the life of yourtires.

I find inspecting the tires while filling up at the gas stationis convenient. While the vehicle is filling up, you can check your tires forwear, visually check for proper inflation, and inspect for any debris that iscaught in your tire tread and can damage your tires. This way you will alwaysbe on top of properly maintaining your tires.

Essential Vehicle Maintenance: Windshield + Accessories

Your windshield is an extremely important, but oftenoverlooked, part of your vehicle. You can try and drive using your center console screen or car navigation system all you want, but you have to be able to clearly see through your windshield to practice any kind of safe driving. Run through a few checks to make sure your windshield,and the things that keep it clean, are in good shape.

 First of all, examine your windshield for any cracks orinjuries in the glass itself. If you notice chips or cracks, have them repairedimmediately. Trash, pebbles, and sand particles can fracture the glass andcause dings, which if left unattended, can turn into bigger cracks that affectyour visibility. You can buy do-it-yourself products at home, but they areusually inferior to having a professional fix the ding for you, and having thework done professionally is  reasonably priced.

Avoid slamming your doors, as this causes the windshield tovibrate violently and any dings or cracks in your windshield can get worse.Also, try to park your car in the shade whenever possible, especially if it’sgoing to be sitting for a long time. Direct sunlight does damage the glass overtime.

Next, inspect your windshield wipers closely. You canactually scratch the glass by using dirty or debris laden windshield wipers. Ifthey are dirty, or if the rubber is cracked from the sun, it’s best to replacethem.  To replace old windshield wipers,carefully lift the entire assembly away from the windshield – it will propitself in the raised position. With one hand holding the wiper arm, use yourother hand to push down on the small tab on the underside of the wiper where itmeets the metal arm. With the tab held down you can slide the old wiper off ofthe metal arm. 

 Prevent the wiper arm from snapping back onto yourwindshield by carefully resting it against the windshield while you are gettingyour new wiper ready to install. You can seriously damage your windshield byletting the bare metal snap back onto the glass. Take your new windshield wiperout of the packaging and arrange it how it’s going to lay on your car. Lookingat the side of the metal where it attaches to the metal arm, you’ll see thatone end of the plastic clip is flat and the other has a curve across the top.Rotate the plastic clip until the curve is pointing toward the wiper blade. Nowhold the wiper upside down next to the metal wiper arm, where you’ll see thatthe curve in the arm matches the curved top of the plastic clip.

Now that you’ve lined everything up, you can slideeverything into place. Lower the wiper over the wiper arm, putting the armbetween the sides of the wiper and with the open end of the hook facing theplastic clip. Move the hook over the plastic clip, then pull the wiper upwardso that the clip’s rounded edge slides into the hook. Pull it tight so that theassembly clicks in place. Carefully lower the wiper back onto the windshield.Repeat the process on the other wiper blade, and you’re finished.

Maintaining your windshield is important not only for yourvisibility, but making sure your airbag deploys properly in a crash. Hopefullywith these tips you’ll be able to maintain a clear, good looking, and safewindshield for years to come.

DIY Vehicle Fluid Checks

There are many different fluids in your car that keep itrunning smoothly and accurately. The most commonly known are of course theengine oil and radiator fluid, but there are still other fluids that need to beproperly checked and maintained to ensure the proper functioning and longevityof your vehicle. Many people don't know that there is oil in your AC Compressor and A / C Compressor - though you do not need to check it as part of regular vehicle maintenance.

 Your owner’s manual can help you locate all of the dipsticksfor checking fluids in your car, the necessary fluid changes to keep yourwarranty, and the proper levels of fluid that should be in your car. Keep yourowner’s manual handy for reference if you’re having trouble locating one of thefluid dipsticks or reservoirs in your vehicle.

First step is to park your car on a flat, level surface andset the emergency brake. Then, make sure you have a clean paper towel or shoptowel handy – white ones are easier to use as they show the color of the fluidsbetter. Open the hood, and use the stand to keep it open.  

I think it’s easier to check your transmission fluid first,as the car has to be warmed up and running in order to check it properly. Afteryour car is warmed up, leave it in park with the emergency brake on, butrunning. Locate the transmission fluid dipstick, hook your finger in the loop(and release any clips, if applicable) and pull it out completely. Wipe it offwith a clean rag, put it back into its opening, and push it all the way downuntil it stops. Remove it completely and look at the fluid on the dipstick. Therewill be indicators on the dipstick if the fluid is within the properparameters. Wipe this fluid off on your clean, white paper towel or shop towel– it should be a clear, reddish color. If the transmission fluid is very greyor black, it hasn’t been changed in a long time. You’ll need to schedule amechanic to drop the pan and change your transmission fluid.

The next and most important fluid to check is your engineoil. Your car needs to be cool in order to properly measure engine oil, so turnoff the car and let it sit for awhile; the car needs time for all the oil inyour car to drain down into the oil pan. There will be an oil dipstick – hookyour finger in the loop of the dipstick and pull it all the way out. Use aclean rag and wipe it clean, then place it back into its opening and push itall the way down until it stops. Take it out again, this time looking carefullyat the level of oil on the dipstick.

The dipstick has markings indicating an acceptable oil levelrange –if the level is down by the indicator for “low,” you need to add moreoil. If the oil is around the opposite end by “full” or within the properlymarked acceptable range, you’re fine.

Take the oil dipstick and wipe it on your clean, white papertowel or shop towel. Pay close attention to the color of the oil. Clean engineoil is clear, and golden. Dirty engine oil is dark brown or black.  Aside from engine oil color, your owner’smanual should indicate how many miles you should go between oil changes – it’sbest to heed this advice and change the oil at the proper mileage, and not whenit looks particularly dirty.

 The rest of the fluids can be checked by looking at theirrespective reservoirs. Most of these fluid reservoirs are plastic, and you cansee the fluid level through the plastic itself. On the plastic housing therewill be fluid indicator lines, much like the dipstick, that read low or full.If you are having trouble seeing the fluid line on the reservoir, jiggle it alittle so you can see it more clearly.

Find the brake fluid reservoir using your owner’s manual.Look at the fluid level in the reservoir and see if it falls within theindicator limits on the reservoir itself. Your car should not consume brakefluid – therefore it should not be low. If it is low, it means you have a leaksomewhere along your brake lines. Have your car checked by a licensed mechanicto see what is going on.

Next find your power steering fluid reservoir. Look at thefluid level, and see if it falls within the lines indicated on the reservoir,same as the brake fluid. With power steering fluid there may be two sets ofindicator lines – one for a hot engine, and one for cold. Make sure to read thelevel of your car’s current state.

Brake Fluid Reservoir

Now check the car’s coolant. VERY IMPORTANT – make sure theengine is completely cool before checking the coolant. Opening the coolantreservoir when the engine is hot can cause searing hot coolant to come sprayingout, burning you. You do not want this to happen. Make sure the engine is coolbefore continuing. The coolant will most likely be in a reservoir up front, bythe radiator. Check the fluid and the indicator lines to make sure you haveenough coolant. If not, you’ll need to top it off.

Cars are designed to operate with antifreeze as coolant, notwater. Antifreeze is a mixture that has a lower freezing and boiling point thanwater so it can handle more extreme weather conditions. Many people will tellyou to just top off your coolant with water – it is much better to heed theadvice of your owner’s manual and buy the correct fluid for your vehicle.Keeping your engine properly cool is essential. Read the label on theantifreeze you buy – some require to be mixed half and half with water, some godirectly in.

Lastly, check your windshield washer fluid. It won’t affectthe performance of your car, and there are no indicator levels for it, but itis nice to have fluid in the reservoir so you can clean your windshield whiledriving. Washer fluid that is formulated to clean off bugs and road grime ischeap and works significantly better than water, but you can use water as well.If winter is coming, make sure you use a washer fluid that has a lower freezingpoint than water – it will be indicated on the washer fluid bottle itself.

Hope this guide helps you maintain your vehicle and addressany problems you might be having early.