In this post, I want you guys/girls to share what little things you do to care for your car. No-matter how ridiculous it is, or smart it is, please share. Here are some of the things I do. 1. Saran wrap the front on long trips or night drives to block the bugs. 2. I have a large white towel that I bought from Wal-Mart that I place on the dash so that way when its parked in the sun, the dash and controls won't get sun baked. (I need to buy the shades.) Even though my car is never parked in the sun because it's in the garage. 3. I use Zaino wax which is the best. Makes the paint look like glass. 4. Wash at least once a week.
i drive mine VERY gently, keep her warm and safe in the garage, clean as a whistle on the inside and have her oil changed every 5K. oh, and check the tire pressure once a month. and washer flud.
Oh, you got me there. I don't check the tire pressure often... Same here, I have a air conditioned and heated two car garage (it's like my man cave) to keep her nice and cool, or worm.
We do our own oil changes. Car wash frequently, as needed. Take him out on the freeway and DRIVE occasionally... he likes that
Same here, not only does my Prius like it, but I like it too. The Prius is surprisingly comfortable on the freeway. I took a trip a few days ago 300+ miles to Indiana to meet with Steve from AutoBeYours.com and I was listening to some good music that was calming and I got so relaxed. I also averaged 52mpg!
I definitely don't drive mine easily--at all. My last avg fuel economy was 34 mpg for 327 miles But I am usually in a hurry and 85 mph on the freeway isn't rare for me. On the other hand, I take exceptional care of the interior and exterior. Wash it about once a week, and make sure the inside isn't messed up. The inside of my car looks BRAND NEW and it has 133,000 miles on it. Pretty cool.
Question: How do you get the saran wrap off the front after the trip is over? Doesn't it melt? We recently took a trip from Washington State to Minnesota and the front took a real beating as far as bug guts, so I am VERY interested in this idea... (Note that there were no bug problems in Washington:rain:, but Idaho was quite nasty! )
- Regular washes (inside and out including vacuuming and washing of rubber mats) - Wax at least once a year (twice if I have time) - Claybar once a year (<-- really helps your wax perform if your surface is smooth) - Windshield sunshade to minimise dashboard fade - rear bumper protector (came with my package) - Check tyre pressure with large temperature changes or once a month in the summer - Touch up any chips asap to prevent rust
Unless you wrap your whole car, you will have bug murderer stained all over your car. Easiest is just to get a car wash when you get to where you are going. $5/$6 USD at a gas station, and it all washes away.
I just wash and wax on a regular basis. I use Menzerna FMJ. As for avoiding insects on your car on long trips: painter's tape works very very well (but it's not super cheap). Most people use it because it won't harm the paint and will protect against minor rock chips and debris.
I try to take exceptional care of my cars - that doesn't mean that I "baby" them while I drive them - but I believe that the life of a vehicle is in the maintenace (+ it improves the trade-in value). 1. Tire Pressure checked (when cold) at least weekly 2. Engine oil and onder hood fluids checked at every fill-up. 3. Exterior wash at least 2 x month (more if there is salt on the roads) 4. Vacuum inside and dust/clean windows when the vehicleis washed and check to confirm that all bulbs are working. 5. Keep all maintenace up to date based on owners manual. I have the paint shield on my Prius - and after ~2000 miles of highway driving it *seems* to have helped the hood, but the bumper is another story ... what a mess! I use "bug-off" and soften the "residue" up a bit before I start scrubbing on them and use a running stream of water to keep the sponge lubricated and help make the residue easier to get off. Saran wrap sounds interesting. I might have to try that. I'm guessing that you apply it to a freshly washed bumper? Have you had any issues with it peeling off at highway speeds or in the rain?
