Thursday, June 28, 2012

Monday, June 25, 2012

When to Wax & Polish Your Car


Knowing when to wax your cars paint and how often you should be polishing takes a bit of personal judgement to decide, however, it's normal to polish the paint once per year and wax every 3 to 6 months.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Colors and Cars: Does It Matter?


What difference does the color of someones car make? Well, it makes the biggest difference to the person buying the vehicle. Everyone has their likes and dis-likes when it comes to personal style. A car is no different. Color seems to mean a different thing to many and you would be surprised at some of the colors that are liked by many. People also take the current trends, re-sale value, and the appeal of colors into consideration before making a final choice.

Current trends show that car colors style varies based on the age groups. Older buyers prefer the traditional black, white or silver, while younger buyers prefer to add a little color and be fashion forward. When cars were first introduced the only option was black. Over time more options such as white and silver became available. Older buyers like the black color due to its timeless nature. Black is simple, classy and very conservative. On the other hand, younger buyers tend to explore the color choices of orange, purple, yellow and pink. These exotic car colors can be seen as a reflection of who they are and make that the deciding factor.

Taking the re-sale value into consideration is a great idea. If you decide on an odd choice of color there could be some effects in your ability to resale. Considering new buyers are looking for a car based on their particular likes the color choice falls into that category. When trying to sell the condition of the paint job could affect the asking price. The color you chose can sometimes be hard for the new buyer to find resulting in them being stuck with a badly worn out car exterior.

There was once a time where certain colors were presumed to attract the boys in blue, also known as, the police. It was a popular trend in movies and commercials for a speeding car to always be the color red. Red is a color that exemplifies someones status in life, their strength, energy, passion and will power to name a few. Although, there is no proven statistics to show red cars get more traffic tickets, it definitely was the perception. Some reports show that gray or silver cars actually receive more tickets than any other. So, with that information you can choose a color that depicts who you are and still find a likely buyer to purchase the car without remorse.

One can never know if the color of a car is their way to describe themselves. While color plays a role in the buying it is sometimes the price that will get the final say so. With more and more manufacturing companies producing cars in all colors you're almost assured to find one that you like at a reasonable price and design. So, picking the traditional black, gray or silver can be a safe bet depending on what you like! If you decide to pick a pink, purple, orange or red car you should still have the same interest in your car as the other. One thing is for sure that the most unlikely person to purchase a car of bold color could be the buyer, as well as, the one looking for the classic clean look of a neutral and safe color could surprise you. One thing not to worry about Is your insurance company basing you rate off the color alone.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6917056

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Are Painted Rims Better Than Powder Coat?


Painted rims and powder coat rims both have their fair share of advantages and disadvantages. Learn whether painted rims are better than powder coat with help from an automotive expert in this free video clip.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

How to Keep Your Car Cool in Summer


It is important that the vehicle care is maintained, and the summer presents various challenges to drivers as the heat may cause various problems to your vehicle if it is not well maintained. Keeping your vehicle cool does not require any huge investment, but rather requires a lot of knowledge to ensure that you do get to have a pleasant time in your vehicle in the searing heat of the summer. Below are some of the points that need to be taken into consideration to ensure your vehicle works as expected.

The battery of the vehicle is one of the important parts that should be looked at, especially during the summer. A lot of batteries are destroyed during the summer as heat and vibrations within the cells of the battery go not go well together. Ensure that your vehicle battery is well fastened to the vehicle so that there is minimal or no vibration of the battery. Further, if you have a battery that is over 3 years old, ensure that its efficiency is tested by a trained technician.

The engine of the vehicle works harder during the summer as it has to work in already hot conditions. It is therefore important that you ensure the coolant is adequate in the radiator. There is also a requirement of changing your coolant every 50,000 miles or five years whichever comes first to guarantee of its efficiency.

Make sure that your vehicle's tires have the recommended pressure to them. Driving on under-inflated tires creates a huge problem as braking and handling of the vehicle is not right. This causes the tires to overheat and increases the probability of a tire blowing out while you are driving, with higher incidences in hot weather. This in turn means that the safety of the people in the vehicle is at risk in such a scenario.

It is also vital that you check on other fluids of the vehicle, specifically the oil of the vehicle which does not only lubricate but also serves as a coolant in the vehicle. If you happen to have low oil levels in hot weather, the cooling efficiency of the vehicle is compromised and this might in time lead to a problem.

Finally, checking the A/C refrigerant level is important to ensure that the vehicle interior can cool adequately. This will help you in enjoying your drive at all times and keeping cool while you are on the wheel or at any other time that you require a gust of cool air.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7104801

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Washing and Waxing Your Car Without Water


Meguiar's guide on how to apply Ultimate Wash & Wax Anywhere, which will allow you to wash and wax your vehicle without a hose or bucket of water, all without scratching your vehicle with the use Hydrophobic Polymer Technology.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Do You Need Auto Body Repair Services?


If you drive a car then it is very likely that you have been at the end of someone else's mistakes at some point in your driving life. In fact, let's face it, we can all make a mistake, and that can be costly when it affects the bodywork of your car.

Accidents can affect just about any part of the car and even if there is only minor damage to your auto you should still have it repaired as leaving it or trying to fix it yourself can set it up for even worse problems to occur. For example, if there is damage to the bodywork and that is not correctly or competently repaired, your car can be at the mercy of the elements, allowing rain to seep under the inferior repair work causing unseen rust to occur. The first you may know about it is if a hole develops, and that will then cost a lot more to deal with.

If you have had a minor or major run-in with another vehicle, or wall for that matter, then you should take your car to an auto body repair shop that will assess the whole of the damage and advise what exactly is needed to return your car to its original condition. This professional advice is usually free and once you accept the quote for the auto body repair services then the work can be started. All work is usually guaranteed for a specified period of time. Clearly, if you are involved in another collision or accident in the guarantee period, this will not be covered under the auto body repair guarantee.

Sometimes you may only need slight alterations or replacements rather than full auto body repairs and good repair shops will help you with this too. Very often minor bumps with an obstacle or other car can affect the auto's bumper. This can range from a slight ripping to it hanging on for dear life. Clearly if it is not adequately attached to the car you will need to have it replaced. However, even for minor damage to your car's bumper, it is worth considering replacing it.

Your car is your pride and joy and once you know there is a problem on the bumper, this will affect the way you feel about it. Even if it is barely visible to others, you will be aware every time you look at your car. To remove this irritating feeling you can choose to have it removed and a new one attached. This is usually a quick and easy process, unless your bumper is specially customized or is in a specialized color to match your car. In cases such as this it will take a little longer, but the result will be worth it.

You may not be aware, but auto repair body shops will take care of minor damage as well as extensive damage to cars. So, you should not be worried if your auto only needs minor work to address any imperfections gained as part of its life on the roads.




Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7036875

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Monday, June 4, 2012

Headlight Cleaning Tips


Have a car with hazy or cloudy headlights? Replacing the lenses or having them professionally cleaned are options but can cost $200. For a fraction of that, you can use a headlight lens cleaning kit.

Friday, June 1, 2012

How To: Check Tire Pressure and Inflate Tires


Filling tire pressure is a pretty simple process. The first thing you have to determine is what is proper inflation for your tire. There are two numbers and most people do not realize this. There is what we call operating pressure and there is what we call maximum pressure. What it says on the side of the tire is maximum pressure.

This one says maximum inflation 44 PSI. What that means is that is the maximum amount of air you can put in that tire without jeopardizing the structural integrity of the tire. That is not where you should inflate your tire. You should inflate your tire to operating pressure which is determined by the car manufacturer. So I looked on the tire sticker which is on the door. It is also in your owners manual and the operating pressure on this car is 30 pounds, even though the maximum inflation for this tire is 44 pounds. A lot of people make this mistake and over inflate.

We are going to set this one at 30 pounds. You take your little cap off, and if your cap is ever missing you can buy a 4 pack of these at any auto parts store for just a couple of dollars and it is well worth replacing them. And then again a tire gauge, fairly simple, you can buy a tire gauge for a couple of dollars at most any department store or auto parts store and then you can check your tires yourself. And you just push that on there and you will see the little gauge runs out and this one is at about 31 pounds. So, we want 30, 31 is fine, it is okay to be a pound or two on either side of the actual inflation that you want.

And that is it. If it is okay, you put your cap back on and you go to the next tire. If it is a little low, you can use the air hose at the local gas station or, you know, wherever you are going to go and you just put a little air in there if it is low. If it is over-full, which this one now is, there is a little knob on the back and you can just push down on the center of there and let a little bit out, and now we are right back at 30 pounds where we want to be.