Used Car Maintenance and Cleaning

Maintenance is an essential part of owning a used car. Usually, once you take ownership of a car from a reputable used car dealer, you will be continuing a routine of good maintenance already set in place by the dealer to maximize the car's value. Now the purpose of maintenance will shift from keeping the car in a condition to sell to keeping the car running and safe for you to drive.

Used cars naturally require more frequent maintenance than new cars and, even with little experience under the hood, most used car owners are able to regularly complete the tasks outlined in this article.

Checking the tires regularly helps ensure the best handling and fuel consumption. You should check the pressure of your tires a few times a month with a tester that can either be purchased from most automotive accessory stores or found at some gas stations. It is recommended to purchase your own tire tester for use at home as, once you have driven to the gas station, the air in your tires will have warmed up, leading to an inaccurate reading.

The ideal tire pressure for your car can be found either in the owner's manual or printed inside the car.

An often overlooked maintenance task, particularly in areas with infrequent rainfall, is checking the windshield wipers. Windshield wipers that are cracked or have become bowed in a way that limits their contact with the glass should be replaced straight away.

Vacuuming the inside of your car is a quick way to get most dirt out before you take to the interior with a damp cloth.

Remove all the mats and seat covers that can be easily removed and vacuum them outside the car. The floors will be easier to vacuum without the mats in your way.

With the vacuuming complete, use a cloth damp with water to wipe the dashboard, door panels and any other areas that require cleaning.

To stay safe, and to avoid run-ins with the law, be sure to check your lights are working regularly. You should check your head lights, brake lights, tail lights and signal lights before you begin driving. If you do not have access to a second person to stand outside the car and tell you if your brake lights are working, just move your car close to your garage door or other moderately reflective surface and watch for the reflection of your lights.

While you can do many tasks yourself, a regular maintenance check-up and tune-up should be sought from a professional mechanic. In most tune-ups, mechanics will ensure the proper operation of your brakes, battery, air filter, fan belts, wheel bearings and shock absorbers. Spark plugs may also be replaced and your tires may be rotated and aligned.

A professional check-up is recommended every 20,000 miles to ensure the safe and reliable running of your used car.



November 13, 2009
By Bruce Haapman
Bruce writes on behalf of Wisconsin Used Cars

Car Cleaning

Car Cleaning Tips

There are basic tips on how to clean your car. There are also important things you can work and take note of starting from the time you wash your car up to maintaining its beauty and shape.

When it comes to cleaning your car, washing is one of the important things to be done. Make sure to wash your vehicle. You can utilize one in the morning and another one in the evening, to keep it away from water spots. Once they appear, it would take one week or more before you would be able to remove this dirt. You can then start washing at the top portion of your car, all the way down. Then, you can dry your vehicle immediately.

Just a cautionary piece of advice, particularly when using micro-fiber in cleaning your car, industrial sealant manufacturers admonishes it already for washing your automobiles. These micro-fibers are made up of 80 to 85% polyester, meaning it is plastic. In case you don’t know, plastic scratches for over a period of time of usage. This will strip off the coating of your vehicle.

Here is step by step process you can work with:

Step 1- Washing your car

• Wash your car thoroughly to be able to remove all kinds of dirt as well as debris from your vehicle.

• Be sure you use quality mitts. First, use only high-quality and “clean wash” mitts. After this, you can use two mitts. One would be for the upper and the other for the bottom part of you car.

• Don’t ever use dish soap or any washing solution due to the fact that this may strip away the wax, which protects your car. It will also dry the paint off your vehicle.

• On your last rinse, use running water. Never spray your vehicle with water using a hose. The end result will be that the water will dry off easily.

• When drying your vehicle, regularly utilize 100 percent cotton terry type of cloth towel. An alternative would be micro-fiber towels of high quality.

• Once you notice that your car is dry, check the direction of your car from both the sunlight as well as an artificial lighting. This is in order for you to check on the uneven tone of you car’s paint. Plus, touch the surface of the car using your palms. This is in order for you to check of any imperfection that may be quite visible to the naked eye. The perfect touch would resemble touching a piece of glass.

• Wash the tires of your vehicle at least four times a year to avoid cracking.

Step 2 - Cleaning your vehicle

• Just in case you forget to clean the upper part of your car and it will show some imperfections, you need to note down that you will have your car cleaned thoroughly. Aside from this, it should be ready for polishing and waxing. To get rid of stubborn dirt, you can use the abrasive method less.

• Be sure to use white coat-safe materials. Regular rubbing compounds can be very damaging to your car and must be avoided at all times.

• If needed, ask for assistance from any professional that has complete materials for getting rid of paint problems.

Step 3 – Polishing your beloved car

• Although polishing is not that important, it should be done frequently, especially with dark vehicles so as to be able to bring out its outstanding shine and beauty.

• To get that expensive looking shines, after polishing of your car, use a wax type of coating.

• A clean polish is excellent for vehicles. This is especially convenient if you want a polish solution that can help your car avoid any building up of dirt.

• Unlike waxes, clean or pure polish is used best for new paint only. This is due to the fact that it can bring out the best from the color of your vehicle.

Step 4 – Waxing your car

• Make sure that you will also work on the dark side and cool surfaces of your car.

• In waxing you car, make sure you apply the wax very thinly. You can then spread the coating so as to get the best color.

• Take note that when you are waxing your car, you need to use dual action products or white foam.

• You should apply the wax entirely. Leave it for a couple of minutes. Then, remove it by polishing it gently in order that the gloss of your car can be maintained.

• Check out the market for quality towels or micro-fiber clothing. This is the best material to use in taking off the wax you placed on your car.

Step 5 – Maintenance of you car

• Once you notice any dangerous agents being applied on your car, you need to have this removed at once. This can also be done if there are any water spots. For animal dirt, you can use an instant detailing agent before this will result to further damaging your car.

• To keep your vehicle always looking good and in best shape, make sure you use quality products available in the market. This is especially with products used for sealing the color and protecting your car regularly.

• If you notice that the products you applied seem very hard to polish, this is a good time to apply new wax on your car.



September 18, 2009
By David H. Urmann
For more information on Car Cleaning Tips please visit our website http://www.AUTO-CLEANING.COM

Car Cleaning Tips

There are basic tips on how to clean your car. There are also important things you can work and take note of starting from the time you wash your car up to maintaining its beauty and shape.

When it comes to car cleaning, washing is one of the important things to be done. Make sure to wash your vehicle. You can utilize one in the morning and another one in the evening, to keep it away from water spots. Once they appear, it would take one week or more before you would be able to remove this dirt. You can then start washing at the top portion of your car, all the way down. Then, you can dry your vehicle immediately.

Just a cautionary piece of advice, particularly when using micro-fiber in cleaning your car, industrial sealant manufacturers admonishes it already for washing your automobiles. These micro-fibers are made up of 80 to 85% polyester, meaning it is plastic. In case you don't know, plastic scratches for over a period of time of usage. This will strip off the coating of your vehicle.

Here is step by step process you can work with:

Step 1- Washing your car

- Wash your car thoroughly to be able to remove all kinds of dirt as well as debris from your vehicle.

- Be sure you use quality mitts. First, use only high-quality and "clean wash" mitts. After this, you can use two mitts. One would be for the upper and the other for the bottom part of you car.

- Don't ever use dish soap or any washing solution due to the fact that this may strip away the wax, which protects your car. It will also dry the paint off your vehicle.

- On your last rinse, use running water. Never spray your vehicle with water using a hose. The end result will be that the water will dry off easily.

- When drying your vehicle, regularly utilize 100 percent cotton terry type of cloth towel. An alternative would be micro-fiber towels of high quality.

- Once you notice that your car is dry, check the direction of your car from both the sunlight as well as an artificial lighting. This is in order for you to check on the uneven tone of you car's paint. Plus, touch the surface of the car using your palms. This is in order for you to check of any imperfection that may be quite visible to the naked eye. The perfect touch would resemble touching a piece of glass.

- Wash the tires of your vehicle at least four times a year to avoid cracking.

Step 2 - Cleaning your vehicle

- Just in case you forget to clean the upper part of your car and it will show some imperfections, you need to note down that you will have your car cleaned thoroughly. Aside from this, it should be ready for polishing and waxing. To get rid of stubborn dirt, you can use the abrasive method less.

- Be sure to use white coat-safe materials. Regular rubbing compounds can be very damaging to your car and must be avoided at all times.

- If needed, ask for assistance from any professional that has complete materials for getting rid of paint problems.

Step 3 - Polishing your beloved car

- Although car polishing is not that important, it should be done frequently, especially with dark vehicles so as to be able to bring out its outstanding shine and beauty.

- To get that expensive looking shines, after polishing of your car, use a car wax type of coating.

- A clean polish is excellent for vehicles. This is especially convenient if you want a polish solution that can help your car avoid any building up of dirt.

- Unlike waxes, clean or pure polish is used best for new paint only. This is due to the fact that it can bring out the best from the color of your vehicle.

Step 4 - Waxing your car

- Make sure that you will also work on the dark side and cool surfaces of your car.

- In waxing you car, make sure you apply the wax very thinly. You can then spread the coating so as to get the best color.

- Take note that when you are waxing your car, you need to use dual action products or white foam.

- You should apply the wax entirely. Leave it for a couple of minutes. Then, remove it by polishing it gently in order that the gloss of your car can be maintained.

- Check out the market for quality towels or micro-fiber clothing. This is the best material to use in taking off the wax you placed on your car.

Step 5 - Maintenance of you car

- Once you notice any dangerous agents being applied on your car, you need to have this removed at once. This can also be done if there are any water spots. For animal dirt, you can use an instant detailing agent before this will result to further damaging your car.

- To keep your vehicle always looking good and in best shape, make sure you use quality products available in the market. This is especially with products used for sealing the color and protecting your car regularly.

- If you notice that the products you applied seem very hard to polish, this is a good time to apply new wax on your car.

(ArticlesBase ID #423010)



September 2, 2009
By: David H. Urmann
For more information on Car Cleaning Tips please visit our website.
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/car-cleaning-tips-423010.html

Washing Your Car

The spring and summer seasons are rapidly approaching, and that means that more people will be concerned over how their vehicle looks. For whatever reason, warmer weather seems to attract people like magnets. Suddenly, you're spotting your next door neighbor, who hardly comes out of their house, driving around the neighborhood in some old classic car that they haven't driven since the summer before. Car lovers can look forward to car shows and block parties in which people bring their toy cars to show off to one another.

Whether you live in the middle-of-nowhere or own five houses in Beverly Hills, one thing is certain, people love to wash their cars and/or have their cars washed! There is, perhaps, something more significant about washing your car though. What is it about having a car look clean on the exterior- especially when the weather is nice? In essence, it can be said that you are what you drive. Even if you have a car that is only worth $500, the fact remains that if you have kept up with the maintenance and are keeping it clean, who has to know what it's worth?

Many people take pride in their vehicles the same way that you or I would take pride in our own appearance to others. Therefore, having a filthy car is akin to walking around in dirty clothes that you haven't washed for days. Drive through any of the ritzy neighborhoods near where you live and nine times out of ten you'll find a few things to be true. First, most people who have a lot of money tend to invest more in sedans. You'll rarely see bulky SUVs laying around, unless of course there are children involved. Secondly, everyone's cars are typically really clean- to the point where it looks as if they just picked up the car that day!

For the pickier drivers out there, there are plenty of self-car washes. These are the kind in which you drive your car up to what looks like a see-through garage in which you can put money and wash your car by hand. Others aren't quite as committed, preferring to bring their vehicles to a major gas station that has a drive-thru car wash in which the driver purchases a ticket to drive their car through an automatic car wash. And then, of course, there are those who don't want to be bothered at all and will pay to have their car washed by others. Whichever method is the one you choose, just be sure that if you're paying someone else to wash your vehicle, be specific with them about what you expect as well as what you want done. There is no reason you should have to your car clean again after you just had it cleaned!

Sometimes when you go through an automatic car wash, you need to remember to always be careful. If you are sitting in your car, make sure that all of the windows are rolled up tightly. If you're having your car washed by someone else, make sure that there are no valuable belongings laying around in the areas that are being cleaned. If need be, if you know that you're going to have your car washed, take these items out ahead of time.



August 19, 2009
By Brenda Williams
Source: http://www.bharatbhasha.com/automobiles.php/124979

Removing Unwanted Paint From a Car

Buying a new car can be draining yet rewarding all in one. Once the new car is off the lot and in the driveway it is like bringing home a new toy. The beautiful glisten of the brand new paint, the new car smell of the interior and the smooth acceleration of the brand new engine can make any new car owner fall head over heels for their new car. You’ve been taking care of that car since day one; not getting a scratch on it and washing it once a week. But you can’t avoid everything. Driving to work one day you see paint splattered on the roadway but you can’t move into the oncoming lane of a two lane road because you are approaching a blind bend. The paint is unavoidable. You drive the car right through the paint and it still has its strong scent. That can only mean one thing. The paint is fresh and it is now all over your brand new car.

How do you remove unwanted paint from a car? This method works but it takes a lot of time and a lot of elbow grease. The first step in removing the unwanted paint is to get the car out of the direct rays of the sun. If the paint is only on one side of the car; turn that side of the car away from the sun. Make sure you wash the car before doing anything else. There are plenty of different items that can be used for removing unwanted paint from a car. Some of them are paint thinner, goo gone and anything with acetone in it such as nail polish. Paint thinner can work but you have to be very, very careful. The paint thinner can ultimately remove the original paint from your car.

After applying these substances to the vehicle make sure you rewash the car and then put a coat of car wax on the area that was covered in the unwanted paint. When removing the unwanted paint from the vehicle make sure you don’t use your fingernail to scratch off the car paint but use a soft rag dipped in soapy water. Spray the paint remover onto the areas of the car you are working on at the time and rub gently but with some elbow grease. Also, don’t work on the same area for an extended period of time or the original paint job will begin to wear off. Move from area to area, slowly removing the unwanted paint.

Since you drove through the wet paint on the roadway, it is splattered on the tires and on the plastic covers above the wheel attached to the body of the car. Those plastic covers can be removed to clean them. Also, take off each wheel and clean it with soap and water. That should be enough to get the paint off of the wheel. If not, you can use paint thinner since there is no other paint on the wheel.

The process works but it takes a good handful of hours to get the paint completely off of the car without ruining the original paint job.



August 3, 2009
By Brenda Williams

http://www.nationaltransportllc.com/nashville-car-transport.php Nashville Automobile Shipping http://www.nationaltransportllc.com/nashville-car-transport.php Nashville Auto Transport
Source: http://www.bharatbhasha.com/automobiles.php/102300

Should You Spray Paint Your Own Car Or Take it to the Workshop Spray Painting

There are good and bad points to both car painting yourself or having it done at a professional shop.

Reasons to Paint Your Own Car.

1. It’s a money saver or at least can be if you do it right of course. If you don’t take the time to learn to do it properly then it can still be an expensive endeavor.

2. it’s a great achievement to complete this task and then be able to stand back and look at the great job you have done.

3. If you are into car restoration, it is one way you can cut down your expenses.

4. Often there is preliminary work that you will have to do yourself before you get to the point of car painting itself.

Reasons To Paint Your Shop In A Car

1. Its most likely a time saver. Unless you have the extra time to spend car painting, then this will be the route you want to go. Don’ t forget there’s more to it than just putting the paint on.

2. The shop more than likely has much better car painting equipment then you would have. This means they can get a much more even finish.

3. The quality of the paint they use perhaps is better than what you are able to buy.

4. They know how to complete the necessary body work first as they have professionals on staff specifically for that job.

5. Reputable companies will stand behind their work. In other words they will give you some type of guarantee.

6. They have the commercial products to clean the car prior to car painting, which is extremely important.

7. They have the proper facilities, whereas if you do it yourself you may not be able to protect the car against the elements in case you can’t get it finished.

So as you can see there are good and bad points for both arguments. If you can improvise and create the same circumstances as for the favorable points of using a shop then you may want to consider it. Car painting is a serious undertaking. Another thing you may want to consider as well is the value of the car. If it’s a second vehicle or a fairly old one then maybe you don’t want to pay the price of having it professionally painted. In this case you would probably be further ahead to do the car painting yourself. In these circumstances small flaws in the overall work isn’t going to make that much of a difference.

The other point is if you have some experience with car painting or even other types of spray painting then you may be able to do a great job without putting it into a shop. These are all things you will need to consider. If you decide that you are going to do it yourself though it would be a good idea to read some “how to” books or watch a video on the subject.



July 15, 2009
By Mario Goldstein
About Author
Find out how to spray paint your car easily and quickly: http://www.SprayPaintSecrets.com You can download *free* videos on car spray painting techniques, bodywork paint repair and much more... Visit SprayPaintSecrets now and start spray painting you car the easier and smarter way.
Article Url: http://www.bharatbhasha.com/automobiles.php/128923