How To Care For The New Car, Truck, Van or Suv the First 12 Months
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Here's a few Special Tips For the First 12 Months of Ownership
- Drive the new car or truck the way you normally drive. Don't baby-it excessively.
- Don't brake hard (make an emergency stop) in the first 500 miles. If you do, you'll likely groove the brake rotors which will either cause a vibration when braking or cause the pads to "grab" early and make a jerky stop.
- Don't change the oil on that brand new car till you're supposed to - many Manufacturers put additives in at the factory to help seal the rings.
- Don't forget about rotating the tires in the first 12 months - 50% of all car owners do not - to avoid uneven wear.
How To Care For The New Car, Truck, Van or Suv the First 12 Months....and As Long As You Drive It
Some day you're going to want to sell your car or truck and how it looks then goes a long way in how much you're going to get for it. Here's a few tips on keeping the cars finish looking like new.
- Wash it by hand - don't use the automated car washes with the large rotating brushes. They're filled with dirt and grit from the car that used it right before you and the dirty brushes will beat your cars finish to death.
- Use a new sponge every 6 months - the dirt and grime collects in the sponge and will damage your paint. Dish detergents (Ivory Liquid, Dawn, etc.) are not made to clean your car. Those soaps are designed to eliminate animal and vegetable fat from your dishes. They'll also eliminate that great coat of wax. Try to avoid powder car wash detergent as well because some of granules will not dissolve and can scratch your paint. If you can't wash it by hand, use a "touch-less" car wash - the ones with the high powered spray that surrounds your car.
- Foaming window cleaner cleans alloy and chrome rims like nothing else
- Don't wax a new car for at least 8 months - the factory paint is still curing and vigorous rubbing can damage it.
- Spray off the engine and engine compartment every 6 months with a high-pressure hose you find at the car wash. When it's time to sell your car or truck, the engine will be oh-so clean and will impress any potential buyer
How To Care & Protect Your Car's Vinyl Interior
Treat your Vinyl Interior al least once every 3 months to keep it looking brand new
- Almost all of the nationally advertised over-the-counter products do not contain any UV (ultra-violet) protectant's. They do, do however, contain silicone oil based products and those oils act as a magnifying glass for the UV rays.
- Silicone oil also has electrostatic properties which will attract dust like a magnet.
- The best vinyl protectant on the market is Lexol Vinylex Protectant Car Care Spray.
Although not very well known, it has exactly what your vinyl needs - top notch UV protectant, anti-static properties, natural oils and gives a soft, shiny finish to your vinyl. It's what's in my garage.
How To Care & Protect Your Car's Leather Interior
Treat your Leather Interior al least once every 2 months to keep it looking supple and to avoid cracking or splitting.
- Rule Number 1 - Do not use vinyl cleaners or vinyl protectant's on leather. It's the fastest way to ruin a leather interior
- Clean every Leather surface at least twice a year. The best on the market is Lexol pH Car Leather Cleaner.
As the name says, it's pH balanced which makes it an extremely gentle cleaner.
- Condition every Leather surface after cleaning to restore lost oils and emollients. Again, I recommend a Lexol product - Lexol Car Care Leather Conditioner.
Leather sucks it up and it doesn't leave a greasy finish like most other products do.
How To Care For Your Cars Paint
Wax your vehicle at least once per year - preferably twice.
- Only wax your vehicle when you can hold your hand to the metal and not have to pull it away because of the heat
- Work the wax in small circular movements in a 2 x 2 area.
- Our personal choice - another relative no-name - Zymol Natural Liquid Car Cleaner & Wax.
It's a non solvent based wax with an all natural formula that both cleans and protects.
How To Save Gas
Here's a few easy tips on how to save gas and improve your mileage.
- Don't top off your gas tank when filling your cars gas tank. That additional gas you're trying to force in is just going to slop around or seep out. Stop pumping when the automatic nozzle clicks off.
- Check Your Gas Cap - Almost 20% of the cars, vans, trucks and suvs in use today has a damaged or loose cap. What does that do? How about more than 147 million gallons of gas vaporizing ever year. If you've dropped your gas cap on the concrete several times when filling-up, it's time to get a new one.
- Replace your Spark Plugs when the manual says. A dirty spark plus causes misfiring, which does nothing but waste gas.
- Replace your Air Filters when the manual says - An dirty air filter stops the intake of air into the engine which causes the engine to burn "rich" (to much gas being burned because of the lack of air). By simply replacing your dirty air filter, you can improve your gas mileage by up to 10 percent
- Properly Inflated Tires - When your tires are under-inflated, it can can cost you a mile or two per gallon. With the tires inflated properly, you can improve your gas mileage more than 3%.
- Want to improve your mileage by 2%? Then make sure you use the correct grade of engine oil - and choose synthetic oils. They really reduce engine friction which leads to increased mileage.
How To Repair Minor Paint Scuffs
Have you ever brushed up against another car and ended-up with a nasty paint scuff? Here's how you can get rid of it.
- Purchase some ultra-fine 1500-grit or 2000-grit waterproof sandpaper, a polishing compound with mild abrasives and car wax.
- Dip the sandpaper into bowl of water and with a very light touch, sand the area. Go slow and very soft until the scuff is completely gone.
- Although the scuff is gone, the clear coat finish is a little dull, so take the polishing compound, put it on a damp sponge and rub the area till the shine returns.
- Then finish up by applying the car wax.
How To Repair Minor Abrasions and Scratches
Minor scratches are those that you get by maybe tree branches lining a road. If you can't get your fingernail caught in the scratch when you rub it, it's minor. Two easy steps and it's taken care of.
- Purchase a polishing compound with the finest grade of abrasives. Put a little of the polishing compound on a damp sponge and with very light pressure, buff the area in a circular motion until the scratch is gone.
- Clean the area well and then use a good car wax on the area you polished. It's now good as new.
How To Repair Deep Scratches or Rock Chips....Before they Start Rusting
A deep scratch is one where your fingernail will get hung-up a bit when you rub your finger across it. If that happens with a scratch on your car or truck, here's how to fix it.
- Purchase matching touch-up paint from a car dealer using the paint code for your car. The paint code is on the vehicle info tag on the inside of your door frame.
- Wash the area where the scratch is.
- Fill the scratch using a toothpick - no brushes. Just dip the toothpick in the paint and apply a thin layer of paint to the scratch. If it starts to drip, wipe it all off and start over. Just use less paint on the toothpick.
- Let that dry and review your work. If the scratch is not yet filled completely, continue applying thin layers with the toothpick till it's completely filled.
- After the paint has cured, wash the area again, dry it, then finish it up with a good coat of wax.
I do have an obligation to point out that not all Car Makers, Dealers, Salespeople, Insurance Companies and Banks are greedy or crooked. This site is dedicated to honest Companies and their Professional Employees who've grown weary of the ignorant and classless giving the automotive related industry a black eye......a black eye that I feel is very close to being permanent.
By using these new and used car guides, I hope to be able to help you find the Best Businesses, and the Professionals that represent them, with very little effort on your part and help you....
Save More Money and More Time Than You Ever Have Before.
It is also my hope that these Companies and the Professionals that represent them will have more business than they can handle - a reward they justly deserve.
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Tom O'Leary - "A Concerned Dad....and Automotive Analyst"
New Car Purchase - Exceptional New Car Purchase Advice and Automobile Purchase Strategies for your next new car or used automobile purchase.
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