Part 2 in a 2-Part Series
Since Kelley Blue Book reports the average cost of a new car today is $36,270, it’s in your best interest to take care of it so it will last as long as possible. To help in that regard, in this two-part series, we have compiled our top 50 maintenance tricks for extending the life of your car. Click here to read the first 25.
The following 25 completes our list.
- If you plan to store it for a long period of time, put the car on jack stands to take the weight of the vehicle off the wheels and tires.
- Another tip for long-term storage is to disconnect and remove the battery to keep it from draining. Place the battery on a trickle-type charger. Or periodically drain the battery, using a small light bulb. Recharge, when ready, with a low-volt charger.
- Finally, if your car is not in use, plug the tailpipe with a rag to prevent moist air from infiltrating the tank.
- Use a sun shade! They come in two basic types: those you unfold and place on the front windshield and rear window, or pleated types, which attach to the windshield with adhesive posts, to window frames with Velcro, or directly to the windows (with suction cups).
- When washing your car, blast rubber or carpet floor mats with a hose to keep dirt from settling in and degrading the integrity of the mats.
- After vacuuming interior carpeting, apply foam rug cleaner to stains. Gently work foam in, a few square feet at a time. Use a wet sponge or brush. Then, vacuum when dry.
- If weather stripping is allowing rainwater to leak into the interior of your car, consider whether it needs to be repaired or replaced. Small leaks can be handled with brush-on seam sealers.
- Use the same upholstery cleaners on your car as you do at home. Use them sparingly, to avoid saturating the fabric. Wipe away the foam with a clean, dry cloth.
- For velour seats, brush fibers gently to avoid mats and preserve the original texture of the fabric.
- Renew upholstered auto seats by spraying with a fabric protectant, such as ScotchgardTM. This will make them dirt and stain-resistant, as well as easier to clean. Thoroughly clean fabric before applying product. And test it on an inconspicuous spot to make sure it won’t discolor fabric.
- If applicable, extend the life of your vehicle’s interior by placing a clean towel underneath child car seats.
- Paint is the first line of defense against rusted body panels. The best way to protect the paint is to park the car in a garage, as we mentioned in our previous post. But if that is not possible, park in the shade or purchase a car cover.
- Touch-up paint will not adhere well to rust. Keep matching touch-up paint on hand so you can immediately touch up any minor nicks before rust has a chance to form.
- Replace cracked taillight or turn-signal covers. If left untouched, these may permit water to fill the light compartment. If you can’t get to the repair immediately, temporarily tape over the crack. Use the red or orange tape made for this purpose. It is available at automotive parts stores.
- Before changing a bad bulb, clean dirty or corroded sockets with fine steel wool or a small wire brush. Wipe the socket so it is free of debris before you install the new light bulb.
- Don’t leave chips in windshields. Call a traveling windshield repair company or take your car to a windshield repair shop or auto body shop, such as C&L Auto Body in Covina, before damage spreads.
- Never add water to the windshield washer reservoir. Water won’t clean the same way that washer fluid will. In fact, it may freeze in cold weather and could damage your system.
- Fluid tanks often crack once a car hits a certain age. Until you can buy a new tank or find a suitable replacement at a junkyard—try this quick fix. Insert a plastic freezer bag inside the tank and fill it with washer fluid.
- When traveling, don’t exceed your car’s roof load specifications and weight limits. Check the weight limit for your roof rack. Observing these guidelines will save wear and tear on you as well as your automobile.
- Before loading the luggage rack, protect your car’s roof from scratches by placing an old, clean blanket on the roof before tying anything (like a needle-covered Christmas tree) to it.
- Properly stow your load. Invest in racks for bicycles, cargo, and luggage. Cargo nets will also help keep objects from damaging truck beds.
- Take care of wheel splash guards. Don’t know what they are? The rubber mats that live behind your tires. They keep water and salty slush from splashing up into the engine compartment. Unfortunately, they tear off easily if you run over a curb or hit debris on the road. Regularly check for damage whenever you wash your car. Re-secure with fasteners or replace as needed.
- Wash your car all year round! If you think you can wait until spring to wash your car, think again. Washing is more important in the winter than other times of the year because sand, slush and ice conspire with road salt to rust your car. So, wash 12 months of the year, wherever you live.
- Wax your car not just because the wax makes the finish look great but because wax protects your vehicle. Car wax preserves paint by slowing oxidation and forms a barrier against yucky stuff like bird droppings, sap, and pollution.
- Treat your car to a new skin. Self-adhering urethane films protect the most vulnerable painted areas on your car from stone chips and other minor abrasions. You can wash and wax these surfaces. It is best to have these films professionally installed. But you should be able to peel them off yourself.
- If you plan to service and repair your car, invest in a fender cover. This drapes over your fender, providing a safe place to rest tools without scratching paint. Another benefit, this drape will keep your belt buckle from marring paint as you lean into the engine compartment to work.
Happy Thanksgiving, from all of us at C&L Auto Body!
About C&L Auto Body in Covina, California
Whether or not your car includes advanced systems, you have options when it comes to auto body repair needs which result from an accident. And it is illegal for your insurance company to demand you use one shop over another. The “go-to” partner for auto body repair in the San Gabriel Valley since 1970 is C&L Auto Body. We will even help you arrange for a rental car. And we will work directly with your insurance company, so you won’t have to! C&L Auto Body is owned and operated by the Buonsanti family, who strives to treat clients like family. Come by the shop at 781 E San Bernardino Road in Covina, contact us via email today, call (626) 445-6630 or visit CandLAutoBody.com.