Ultimate Car Care Guide
October is Car Care Month, so now is a good time to learn about the most effective ways to care for new and older cars. The types of products that you choose can make a big difference in your car care efforts. Make sure you select the right products to make Car Care Month easier.
Essential Tasks for Car Care Month
You probably already know a little about essential car care tasks like checking tire pressure, buffing scratches and cleaning upholstery. You may not, however, know the best ways to approach these essential tasks.
Take a few cues from the professionals so you can complete the following list of essentials quickly and affordably.
Checking Tire Pressure
As the temperatures fall, your tires will lose pressure. A tire pressure gauge will let you know whether you need to add more air. If your tire does need air, most gas stations will have change-operated air compressors or many tire shops will top you off for free.
Air leaks can also cause your tires to lose pressure. If your tires lose pressure rapidly, then you should seal the hole and have a professional repair the damage or install a new tire.
Stopping an Oil Leak
An oil leak can cause your engine’s temperature to get so high that the cylinders melt. Have a mechanic inspect your car if you notice blue smoke coming from your exhaust, puddles of oil under your vehicle, or the smell of burnt oil.
Cleaning a Car’s Interior
Cleaning a car’s interior requires several steps. For the best results:
- Use TriNova Interior Detailer to clean your interior surfaces and remove any stains on plastic.
- Protect plastic from UV rays with TriNova UV Protectant Spray.
- Vacuum the carpets.
- Remove and wash the floor mats.
Essential products: TriNova Interior Detailer, TriNova UV Protectant Spray
Buffing Scratches
One or two scratches can ruin your car’s appearance. Luckily, you can eliminate most scratches with TriNova Scratch and Swirl Remover.
You can apply the scratch remover by hand or use an orbital polisher to finish the job quickly. The product works for most scratches as long as they don’t penetrate too deeply. If you can feel the scratch with your fingernail, then you will need a pro to fix the damage.
Essential product: TriNova Scratch and Swirl Remover
Changing Oil
Changing a car’s oil isn’t as hard as you might think. You just need a few supplies, something to catch the old oil, and replacement oil and oil filter. You can find complete instructions at DIY: How to Change Your Car’s Oil Yourself.
In addition to new oil, it helps to add an oil treatment. The oil treatment improves gas mileage, keeps your engine quiet, and boosts the performance of older vehicles.
The oil stabilizer prevents rust and engine oil breakdown.
Replacing Power Steering Fluid
Practically every car comes standard with power steering, so you need to know how to change the power steering fluid.
Other Tasks for Car Care Month
You might not know much about the following car care tasks, but they are essential in your vehicle’s safety and performance.
Changing Brake Pads
Every time you use your brakes, your brake pad experience pressure and heat, which deteriorates your brake pads and rotors over time. You can replace them at home and hopefully save some money.
Replacing Old Spark Plugs
You can expect spark plugs to last around 100,000 miles. Eventually, you need to replace them. Otherwise, your engine can’t get the spark that it needs to create energy.
No matter what car care tasks you try this October, you can find the products you need in the automotive section of www.goldeagle.com.