Cars are fantastic possessions and one of the most expensive you’ll own in your life. They not only give you freedom to drive wherever you want to, but can be a status symbol (if you’re into that sort of thing). They’re tools that help us get through life and it’s hard to imagine living without them. Like any tool, your car needs to be kept in good condition at all times.
It doesn’t matter if you want to keep your car for the rest of your life, or sell it off after a few years. Keeping it in pristine condition means you’ll be able to get a decent amount for it and shows that you care for your possessions. If your car is a “classic” then using a car book value calculator will be able to show you how much it’s worth.
Here are a few ways to look after your car.
Your car is going to attract dirt. It doesn’t matter if you live inland, near the ocean, or in a dusty area. Not to mention that cars with darker paint jobs – like black or blue – will show up dirt easier than white cars. Keeping your car dirty can lead to the paint being damaged by things like bird droppings that aren’t cleaned off fast enough.
Make sure you wash your car often and give it a good scrub. This can be done by hand or by going to a local carwash. The wash doesn’t just get rid of the dirt, but keeps the car looking nice and new, which is impressive. Once it’s clean, look at using a wax to add an additional shine to your prized possession.
When it comes to your car – and anything metal at all – rust is a killer. It’s an oxidation that eats metal and weakens it. This can lead to parts of your car being destroyed or falling off. The moment you see rust, it’s a call for alarm, especially if you reside somewhere that’s close to the ocean. Ocean air will exacerbate the rust problem.
Be sure to take your car into a body shop to have the rust damage assessed. More than likely it can be cleaned up and the part salvaged. Sometimes the rusted part of the car, such as a windscreen wiper arm, will need to be replaced. In the end, it’s worthwhile spending the money to make sure the car looks perfect.
If you commute to work, you’ll be spending a few hours every day stuck in traffic. The inside of your car becomes your home away from home, which can lead to you treating it that way. That means that having takeaway papers pile up and receipts stuffed into the glove compartment.
That image may be a little harsh, but the inside of your car should be as clean as the outside. Make sure to empty out the trash on a regular basis, vacuum the floors, and wipe down the dashboard. You’ll preserve it better this way.
The windscreen wipers on your car play an important role They not only help to remove dirt from the windscreen, but remove excess water when it rains. Over time, the rubber on your wipers can tear, crack, and perish, which makes them unusable in every situation. You’ll need to replace these every few months in order to keep you and your car safe.
The lights on your car are there to protect you and the other drivers around you. They help you see the road, while making your car more visible to those on the road. These lights will blow on a regular basis and will need to be replaced as soon as possible.
Not only are your headlights important, but your indicator and brake lights are also vital. And when one of your lights dies, the other will become brighter, which is a hazard to other drivers on the road.
