The harsh temperatures, poor weather conditions and degrading road conditions are not only hard on you as a person, but are just as hard on your car. Here are Bill Marino Auto Repair, we like to show our beloved cars and trucks our appreciation for keeping us warm when it was 10 degrees outside and helping us battle unplowed snow covered roads so we could get to work and help our customers in need.
How do you thank something that can't understand the meaning behind those words? This a case of actions speak louder than words.
- Pamper your car or truck with a good thorough washing. All that salt and sand caked in its frame rails and under-body can be very caustic over time. If not cleaned out, rust and rot can occur and slowly eat away the vital components designed to keep you safe. Going to a car wash is a good idea, they are designed to pressure wash the under carriage and get all that grime out. If you are not a fan of car washes, using a high pressure hose and thoroughly rinsing the underside will suffice.
- Check out the undercoating on your vehicle. Rocks and gravel kicked up from pot holes can damage and crack the protective layer of rubberized undercoating allowing water to seep in and get trapped. This can result in rot holes which will eat away at the floor panels in your car. If rot holes are found in time, they can easily be fixed by cutting out that section, replacing the metal and re-coating. We've done this for a number of vehicles, including one of our own.
- Give your car a good waxing. After washing all the salt and road grime that's been covering your car for the last 3 months, its good to give your paint a fresh coat of wax to not only protect it from the sun exposure coming but the rain and pollen as well. Your car will be so happy to have its shine back too! If time doesn't permit you to use a traditional wax, we recommend Lucas Spray Wax. Its fast and easy to use and doesn't leave a streaky residue behind.
- Now that the exterior looks shiny and pretty, its a good idea to give the interior a good once over.
- I use baby wipes to clean the interior panels and headliner. They're a good alternative and are safe on most surfaces. (and they do a really good job of getting coffee off your dashboard ;-)
- I also forgo the Armor All and use Pledge instead to give the dash and door panels a nice shine that doesn't leave a sticky residue or glare on the windshield. A little trick I learned from a friend and have been using it ever since. It also won't promote drying or cracking of the soft plastic if not kept up on. It also repels dust, not attract it.
- When cleaning your windows be careful if you have tint. You should not use windex or other ammonia based cleaners as they will leave a haze on the tint, promote "bubbling" and discoloration over time. We prefer Stoner Brand "Clean as Glass" It leaves glass and tint clean, streak free, haze free and is safe for tint.
- If your like me, your best furry friend goes everywhere with you. With shedding season upon us the hair will be flying and stuck to every possible surface in your car. I have cloth seats and the constant vacuuming is very harsh on the fibers. If you have access to compressed air, the best thing to do is blow out all the loose hair and dirt. Wear eye protection so nothing ricochets and hurts your eyes. Use a rubber glove to wipe the hair from the seats and air behind it to blow it out. If you don't have access to an air compressor, use your gloved hand to wipe the hair free and the vacuum to suck it up. Try to avoid dragging the vacuum on the fabric surfaces as much as possible. A good seat cover doesn't hurt to help contain the mess as well.
- Your trunk is not free from sin! All those extra pairs of boots, hats, sweatshirts, jackets, gloves and every thing else we lose in our trunks add up to a lot of pounds. Extra weight equates to robbed fuel economy. Empty out your trunk of all the unnecessary pounds you've been carrying and you'd be surprised how much money you can save. I once carried around 40 pounds in bowling balls and another 15 pounds in bowling equipment for a month. Out of sight, out of mind. I couldn't figure out why my gas mileage dropped from 29 mpg to 27 mpg. I emptied my trunk and was back to 29 mpg and very happy.
- Check your tire pressure. The changes in air density as the temperatures rise and barometric pressure changes affect the air pressure in your tires. You'll find you have a lower air pressure when it gets colder and higher pressures when it gets warmer. Even and appropriate amounts of air pressure will help not only with achieving good traction and even wear, but will also allow your tires to perform for optimal fuel economy.
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