Car Tips

Car Tuneup

Frankly, tuning up your car can be a bit tricky and letting a shop do it for you can be confusing. For one, you might not know that the things that are tweaked and checked during a car tune-up might vary depending on the shop or mechanic. And due to that, the price of getting your car checked and maintained can wildly differ from shop to shop.  
 

If you feel like doing it yourself, we will be happy to provide you with some tips below. 
 

Battery Scrubbing 
To ensure that your battery will not be too strained whenever you driver during a hot day or leaving it under the sun for quite some time, it is best that you clean your battery terminals from time to time. 
 

An easy way to do that is to get some baking soda, and sprinkle a small amount on the terminals. Get some water, and spray it on the terminals, which are covered with baking soda. Leave it for an hour. After that, wipe the mixture with a wet sponge. 
 

Fluid Levels 
Of course, never forget to check the fluid levels in your car, especially its coolant or antifreeze. Make sure that your car has decent amount to avoid your engine from overheating. As a precaution, never check your coolant tank when the engine is still hot. 
 

Tire Pressure 
We are sure that you frequently check your tires’ pressure levels. You do not need to check it just before you drive to office. Check it when you will driving for a long time. 
 

In this part, be meticulous. Always estimate the number of passengers you have and the weight of the items or cargo that you have in your car whenever you drive. Correct the tire pressure according to those considerations. Aside from helping you prevent an accident and prolong the lifespan of your car tires, making sure that your tire pressure is always optimal can help you save fuel and improve the fuel economy of your car.  
 

Wiper Blade Check 
One of the most ignored part of a car is the wiper blade. Always take into heart that you should replace your wiper’s blades every 6 to 12 months. However, if you find your wiper blades are dry or they are squeaking and providing you poor vision of the road, be sure to replace them immediately.

Selling a car is not that difficult. But without proper guidance, it can be hellish. If you do not want that to be that way, listen to us. This article might even let you land the perfect deal that you want.

 

 

1. Do Not Just Wait for a Buyer  
Be a bit aggressive. You should start with placing advertisements for your car. Thankfully, there are multiple channels that will allow you to advertise free of charge.

 
 

One of those channels is your social media account. Just post your ad on your wall, and definitely, your friends will notice it fast. On the other hand, you can join social media groups that focus on selling and buying cars. Join a group like that, and post an ad about your car.

 

 

2. Be Informational When Selling Your Car  
Do not just skimp on important details. Tell your car’s price upfront. You do not want to waste your and a potential buyer’s time by letting him ask for the price. Also, be sure to include any feature or information that can make your car a great buy for anyone.

 

 

3. Setting the Right Price  
In this part, it is best that you observe other car sellers and their ads. Check the current markup price second hand cars. And be sure to check cars for sale that are similar to your car. On the other hand, you can browse around used car dealers and see how much they sell the same brand and model of your car to their customers.
 

 

4. Make Your Car Appealing  
Before posting that ad, be sure to take a flattering picture of your car. Send it to a car wash first, and if you have enough cash to spare, replace anything that could be replaced in it. To make sure that buyers cannot easily devalue the price of your car, send it to a car shop and get it tuned up.

 

 

5. Always Be Ready for Meet-ups  
The next person that messages you can be your car’s future owner. Be sure to be ready to meet them and show your car. If you do not have a lot of time in your hands, be sure to indicate the place, date, and time you can be available to entertain your potential buyers.
 

 

6. Expect Some Haggling to Happen  
You cannot really expect people to buy your car impromptu. Even if you price your car lower than the average, buyers will still definitely haggle. Do note that some of them are not really actually looking for a car that they will use. Some of them are buy and sell people. They want to buy cars at the lowest price possible, and sell them at a higher amount.

Looking for a car audio system and needs it to be expensive? The best answer for that worry is to get a used one. If you are just into getting some FM blaring off your car, then that will be the perfect answer. But if you have other considerations other than that, then you might need to read everything here.

 

 

In case you are into good quality sounds, you might think that used car audio system might not be right of your alley. Unfortunately, you could be wrong. First of all, a new system does not guarantee some good sounds. And if you are truly nitpicky, you must buy some expensive audio system stuff. But that will defeat the purpose of saving up some cash.

 

 

If you were convinced that used audio system is the way to go, then read on.

 

 

Before you even look for one, please consider these things. First, you need to check for the audio systems that will match your car. Not all systems will fit into your car — remember that.

 

 

Second, you must choose between buying from a used item shop or an individual seller. Used item shops’ prices can be quite a bit high. But the advantage here is that some of them offer refunds. You can also freely shop the make and models that you want to get.

 

 

On the other hand, getting your system from an individual seller can be tricky, but can be rewarding — if you play your cards right. You can bargain with some of them, and in some cases, perform trades to lessen the amount that you need to give.

 

 

However, the drawback is that most of them do not allow refunds. Although, a few might be okay with it, but expect that they will need some compensations for the trouble. So, be sure that you are getting the right thing that you want.

 

 

The best resource people that you can ask to know what kind of audio system will fit in your car are audio specialists and car salespeople. Just ask them what will work in your car, and they will be able to provide you with information even if they do not check your car personally. Of course, for best results, you need to show them your car.

 

 

In addition, make sure that you do not buy from people that will not let you test the equipment. Most sellers nowadays are honest, but if you are in bad luck, you might stumble upon a fraud.

 

 

Getting a used audio system, or any other car part, can be a bit complex. But it will be assured that you will be rewarded for your efforts. However, if you cannot go through all that trouble, then go ahead and settle for a new one, which is a bit better if you value warranties a lot.

Want to avoid poor car performance or nasty expensive car repair? Well, you better perform these simple car checks and maintenance steps to ensure your car and engine are always healthy.

 

Change Oil

One should never forget to change oil. Without changing your oil, your engine will be prone to overheat due to the lack of lubrication that old and used oil provide. If you keep on using your car without changing your oil, the result will be a permanently damaged engine.

 

The frequency of changing oil primarily depends on the brand or make of your car (engine). Also, never forget to change your oil filter every now and then.

 

Maintaining Your Engine’s Cooling System

The oil is not the only thing that keeps your engine cool. Your engine has a dedicated cooling system to prevent it from overheating. The system is composed of the coolant, water pump, water, thermostat, and radiator.

 

Always check your engine’s temp whenever you drive around, especially during summer. If the engine’s temp rise faster than normal, you might want to get it check, or perform simple checks on your radiator and coolant.

 

Clean Your Air Filter

Aside from the cooling system, air flow keeps your engine from heating up too much. However, air does not easily flow inside your engine. It must go through an air filter first.

 

This air filter collects dust and dirt that may enter your engine. And it becomes too dirty, air will become more scarce in your engine. Consider cleaning it once and a while. However, if the dirt in it becomes too tough to remove, do not hesitate to replace it.

 

Check for Leaks

When you are doing your routine check in your engine, be sure to look for leakage. Two things that you do not want to leak in there are oil and antifreeze. Prioritize checking the tubes within your engine. Those tubes are the common hotspots for leakage.

 

Aside from using your eyes, you can use your nose to detect leakage. Both oil and antifreeze are pungent enough to easily catch your nose’s attention. If you smell something fuzzy or weird, make sure to be more meticulous in inspecting your engine.

Eddystone Car Repair

In your daily drives, it is natural to come across issues like engine noise, leaks, electrical issues, air conditioning or heater malfunction, brake pulsation, transmission problems, and plenty of others. However, there is no point in fretting in getting a technician to get your car fixed in a jiffy. If you are worried about the cost, do not. Many technicians and repair shops, such as Eddystone Auto Collision, that offer cheaper automotive repair fees.
But if you really dread to spend some money in getting your car fixed, below are some easy ideas that can let you save money and prevent your car from becoming a repair shop regular.

Act Early

Get your car patched up before it encounters a problem. With a little know-how in exploring within your car’s innards, you can immediately prevent engine troubles, transmission problems, and AC issues. And with heightened senses, you can immediately feel, see, hear, and even smell a car engine trouble or issue before you get stranded in the middle of traffic.

Be a Car Diagnostician

There is no use in acting early or detecting possible cause of problems if you have no idea what the problem is. Get to know your car more and learn some car science. Aside from helping you to easily fix your car before a serious problem happens, it can learn you identify what to fix when you bring your car to a tech.
Let’s face it. Some technicians and shops take advantage of a customer’s ignorance on what the problem is in his car. And it often leaves the customer to expensive car repair fee, which caused by misdiagnosis and unnecessary repairs.

Get to Know How Much Each Part of Your Costs and if They Are Fair Priced

The scariest thing that might happen during a car repair is a parts replacement. All is good if the car is still under warranty or it is a recent model. The biggest expense that might happen is that when the parts of the car have become as rare as an old Chinese coin. And people can take advantage of you if you have no idea if the parts you are getting is fair priced since some might claim that the part you need is already a rare occurrence in the parts market.

Recycle

You do not need to buy new parts for your car. You can actually get some spare parts from junk shops. They are cheaper, and might be reliable. Take note of the word might. Before you deal and work with recycled parts, especially if you are going to get them from eBay, make sure that they will actually work on your car.

DIY Repair for Minor Problems

You can easily fix minor scratches and dents. And most of the time, you do not need to perform a paint job. Car scratch gel and sprays are available, and you can use them to apply a fast fix on minor scratches.

Your car’s life does not always give you provide clean rides; humps and bumps are but natural occurrences along the way. And due to those, car issues or automotive accidents are generally inevitable.

And unfortunately, most of them will require major automotive repairs. Due to this fact, it pays to be knowledgeable about the cost of car repairs today. Just in case one will put in the spot, and your pocket is already in deep trouble.

Look for Inexpensive Mechanics and Shops

When asking for a car restoration, keep in mind these few things to ensure that you are in control of the repair negotiation against the mechanic you are going to hire.

  1. Know the specific defect of your car. Perform some research and ask different drivers. In the event you’re not so sure about the problems you found, you can inquire from an auto mechanic to confirm your suspected trouble. Just ask, don’t pay.
  2. Survey the prices of at least three mechanics or car shops to find the cheapest. It is a tiring task, but it’s worth the savings you will get.
  3. When you have finally chosen the one you will hire, ask about the details about the repairs and the amount it will cost. Be aware that some outlets impose fees for just checking out your car and giving you a quote. Find one that does not. Ask your friends or relatives if they know a place or someone that you can deal with.
  4. You can also surf the web to search for software that gives an ordinary estimate for numerous automobile repair works. However, know that these are solely guides. The prices will vary depending on your car’s make and model.

Cost management is crucial, particularly in case you’re coping with a serious restore or if the cost is considerably large. That is especially true if lots of your car’s parts aren’t stock parts or your car is customized.

Do It Yourself

To avoid wasting on the cost of automobile repairs, you can opt to do some car tinkering on your own. For easy or customary repairs, such as changing oil pump or alternator or altering oil, you can easily learn to do them by watching free online demos or asking your friends how to do them. Your car’s manual can also be helpful on teaching you how to do basic repair and maintenance.

On the other hand, be wary of potential issues within your car. If you sense, odor, or hear something uncommon or defective in your car when you are driving it, attend to it promptly to avoid a bigger problem.

Lastly, you can consider getting or extending your car’s warranty for you to save more, especially if you know that your car or you have a history of getting into accidents.

Lowering the cost of automobile repairs and upkeep is possible. Just follow the above-mentioned suggestions and you will certainly be saved not only from automotive restore and maintenance prices but as well as from stress. With all these, you can add miles to your everyday peaceful journey and enjoy your car more.

Tint Repair

After a long time, your car’s tint will peel off, which is disgustingly ugly if you ask us. It would be better for you to remove or scrape it off, just to give your car some saving grace. Of course, the best course of action is letting us do that job for you. However, your budget might be tight this month, but it doesn’t mean that you should just let your car be like that.

What we’re saying is that you can fix that yourself. Though, be informed that that is not a job for people with poor dexterity. One wrong move and you might scratch your window so deep that air can pass through it. It’s an exaggeration, yes; however, we’ve seen a lot of cases of DIY fails.

Anyway, the materials you need are: a clean rag, a single edge razor, and a spray cleaner. Solvents can work, too, but make sure that you use protective garments. Also, make sure that you choose a solvent that is gentle to your car window material and paint if you go with the solvent route. You just need to remove the adhesive on the tint, not the window itself.

Do note that your car tint is just a film that sticks on your car’s windows. It’s not paint. Don’t even try to use a paint stripper.

Moving forward, use your razor to get the corner of the tint to come off. After that, the next step is to gently pull the film away from the window.

Don’t completely remove the tint yet. When you are a few steps away for detaching it from the window, spray some cleaner or solvent on the window. Once that’s done, put the film back to the window, and let it sit there for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse and repeat until all the adhesive and remaining tint is still on the window.

After all that, use your rag to wipe the residues of the cleaner, solvent, and tint on the glass. Then you’re done! To replace that tint, just go to your local car shop and just follow the instructions on the product. Basically, you just need to stick that new film, and your car will be good as new.

If you exert a lot of effort just to have your most-loved car a great look, you can start it by washing it once a week. This is a good idea to eliminate the contaminants on its surface. Therefore, before you do the cleaning, there are things that you need to know first or you will be harming your car’s cover and leave a major paint swirls. For sure, you don’t want this to happen, right?

To help you achieve the appropriate ways of car cleaning, read the following do’s and don’ts to prevent mistakes:

  1. Do not use a dish soap in washing as this can scratch off the paint of the cover. Instead, use a diluted shampoo or baking soda to result gleaming chrome once it dries off. Water would also do. It is free from any chemicals to spoil the car’s coat.
  2. Attach a sprayer crown on the hose before you rinse your car surface with the right amount of water.
  3. When you dry your car with a towel, do not rub it so hard nor scrub the cover or this will get streaks. Otherwise, use an electric car dryer. You will not only dry it out quickly but will blow the crevices out as well.

Remember these tips and you will never cry in secret.

You don’t need to be a mechanic, or even a car enthusiast, to perform basic maintenance on your car. You can save money and hassle by learning how to keep your car in good working order year-round. No more emergency calls to the mechanic on the weekend. No more desperate roadside AAA service. Perform regular inspections and tune-ups and your car will be reliable, safe, and road-ready.

One of the simplest ways you can extend the life of your automobile without paying for costly tune-ups is to check your oil, if it’s low. Also, examine the rag. If you noticed any sediment or chunky-looking oil, you’re probably in need of an oil change. Put the dipstick back and remove it once more to check the level. Notches on the dipstick should tell you how full the compartment should be.

Another tip is to inspect the tires. Nothing’s worse than a busted tire at the wrong moment, when you’re running late to work in the rain. Regularly inspecting tires and rotating them can help to avoid this irritation. Check both the air pressure in your tires, and check the tread for wear and replace the tires if you need to. Also, find the windshield washer fluid, brake fluid, as well as the anti-freeze compartment to make sure they’re both full and clean. This is not something you will need to check every week, but doing it semi-regularly will ensure that your car is in good working order. The brake fluid is housed in a white plastic reservoir in the engine compartment, labelled ”brake fluid.” This should never go down, unless you’ve got a leak in your line somewhere, which means you need to take it into be serviced immediately, or check the lines yourself. Radiator fluid needs to be checked when the engine is stone cold. If you notice a strange, sickly-sweet smell that comes through your air-conditioner ducts as you’re driving, you might have a coolant leak, causing glycol to drip onto the engine compartment and burn. If your levels are low, this could be the cause.

Inspect your car’s battery for corrosion and other signs of wear. If you’re noticing the car does not start up as crisply as it used to, inspect the contact points. Clean them, if necessary, with baking soda and an old toothbrush. You can also a tiny amount of soda pop to cut through the corrosion and clean them up. Loosen the bolts that secure them, if necessary, and clear out any build-up. It is also a good idea if you regularly perform light checks to make sure all your lights are functioning properly and that nothing is burned out. To check the bright, you can park aimed at a wall and flash them. They’ll sometimes need aligned to make sure they’ll sometimes need aligned to make sure they’re illuminating the right amount of road and giving you the vision necessarily for safe night driving.

When an issue comes up, there’s no time like the present to get out in the driveway and start tuning things up. Driving around with a squeaky alternator belt for weeks at a time is both bad form for your engine and for your neighbour’s sanity.

Your car’s body picks up a lot of dust and grime while driving. Anyone who drives a dark car can tell you that. All of that grim slowly chips away at your vehicle’s paint, exposing the sheet metal beneath. Winter is especially rough on your vehicle’s exterior. Though salt is great at melting the ice on the road, those same properties make quick work of your exterior. And once the sheet metal is exposed, the rust moves in and gets very comfortable. And it’s a greedy, hungry guest.

Weekly washing is best because some contaminants quickly do serious long term damage to paint if they are allowed to remain. Two such organic compounds are bug remains and bird droppings. These bio-hazards contain complex proteins that bind to the surface and organic acids that penetrate and break down the surface, eating into your clear coat if not removed promptly. Weak spots in the clear coat make your vehicle susceptible to corrosion and discolouration.

It’s best to clean your car on a warm day in the shade, especially if you are cleaning the interior, as it will need to dry quickly. Choose quality car care products over household cleaning products for the best results. Car care products are designed to clean the surfaces without damaging or removing the protective coatings that need to stay. Start with the wheels as they often hold a lot of gunk that you won’t want sprayed or splattered over your newly cleaned car. First, wet the wheels with water, then spray them with a wheel cleaner. Scrub them well with a cloth or scrub brush. Rinse completely with water. Then, wash the exterior. Spray the entire car down with water. If you want to detail, use a small brush to get in the cracks and crevices. When drying the exterior, use a terrycloth or microfibre cloth to remove the water and dry the exterior. If possible, open all of the doors for 5-10 minutes to allow the water drips in the door frame to dry. Wipe these areas to speed the process along. Once the exterior is dry, you are ready to wax it and make it shine. Choose a quality wax (black wax for black cars) and follow the instructions on the package to apply and remove it. Now that the outside is clean, it’s time to move to the inside. Remove any cups, trash, papers, etc. that may have been left. Use the attachments to get into the tight areas and vacuum out the rest of the loose debris. If you have an upholstery or steam cleaner, this is a great time to clean the fabric seats. Remove the dirt build up with a quality shampoo. Keep the windows open until the seats dry completely. For leather seats, use a leather cleaner and conditioner to keep the seats in top condition. The final step is to clean the windows and mirrors. This will remove any oversprays that may have occurred while cleaning and give the car a finished look.

Owning a car comes with a lot of responsibility and can generally eat away at your wallet. You have to register it, purchase car insurance for it, and make sure it gets the general care and maintenance it needs. All cars need to preserve their value longer, and might be the simplest thing you can do for your car, is to always keep your car clean and well maintained.