Keep Your 8 in Shape

A few hours of preventive maintenance can save you hundreds - or even thousands - of dollars a year. Regular care of both the minor mechanical items and the general appearance of your car will make it run better and last longer. Preventive maintenance not only will make driving more pleasurable, but will reduce the chances of an accident or major break-down.
Keeping Good Records
Keeping accurate records of your car's maintenance and repair history isn't difficult if done on a regular basis, and it will make it easier to determine when the various systems of your car need attention. That can mean many extra dollars when you sell or trade in your car.

All you need is a small book to keep a diary of your car's repair history. You can buy one at most auto parts stores, or you can make your own, following the example. You also need a large envelope or file folder in which to keep repair and maintenance work orders, along with copies of warranties for tires, batteries, and other auto parts.

Recording repair costs and keeping receipts will pay dividends in many ways. If your car is used for business purposes, the records and receipts can be used for substantiating tax deductions. Besides knowing precisely when regular maintenance should be performed, good records can alert you to watch for special sales on items coming up for replacement, such as tires, oil, or shock absorbers. And properly kept records give you a true picture of what it actually costs to own and operate a car. Such information is essential to proper household budgeting.

Owner's manuals contain lists of suggested maintenance routines and their recommended frequencies. This is an excellent way to start developing your car's fitness program, although you may need to increase the frequency of some tasks depending on your driving habits and locale. If you live in a particularly hot and dusty climate, for example, you may need to increase the frequency of oil changes. The recommended frequency of most maintenance items is usually given in miles and time, outlined in your owner's manual. It is best to preform the indicated maintenance at the earlier of the two.

Once you establish a routine, it isn't that difficult to take care of your car properly. If you haven't kept any records and aren't sure when something was last serviced, now is the time to start fresh. Invest the time and money it takes to get your car in tiptop shape and plan to keep it that way by performing maintenance at scheduled intervals. It's never too late to begin good car maintenance habits.

Getting Started
Once you've decided to start a regular maintenance program, the first thing to do is a thorough visual inspection of your car. Go over the interior, the exterior, and the engine, making notes of any items needing special attention. Simple tasks can be preformed at this time - such as checking and tightening all nuts, bolts, and screws.

For the most part, you won't need any special tools to accomplish this. Several "Phillips-head" screwdrivers and a set of open-end wrenches from 3/8 to 3/4 inch sizes usually will do the trick. (If you have a foreign car, you may need metric wrenches ranging from 10 to 17mm.) This will cover most fasteners you'll encounter. Tool kits available at many hardware and auto-parts stores include these basic tools in a handy carrying case. I strongly recommend you buy one.

It is surprising how many different rattles and creaks disappear after going over your car thoroughly. A little oil or other lubricant applied to moving parts - hood, trunk, and door hinges, for example - can work wonders. Several easy-to-use aerosol products, including "silicone sprays," are widely available. One such useful product, WD-40, has many applications.
Some of the things worth checking:

Interior door panels and the dashboard. They often are the sources of rattles that can drive you crazy. The problem may be simply a loose screw.
Under the hood, check the battery, air cleaner, and hoses. Other things - such as the distributor cap or carburetor - may be loose too, but you must be careful - some screws in the engine are adjusting screws. If you turn the wrong one, you could put something out of adjustment.
If your car is more than a year old, it is a good idea to have your engine compartment cleaned. After removing dirt and grime, it is much easier to locate and identify oil and other fluid leaks in the various engine systems. Many service stations will clean an engine for less than $10, or you can do it yourself at a car wash with a couple of cans of aerosol engine cleaner and some hot water under pressure.
(WARNING: A process called "steam cleaning" gets the dirt out of the engine compartment. It does an excellent job of cleaning, but it sometimes can bring problems to the surface. Loose or deteriorating hoses may break or become unattached; poor electrical connections may "short out"; some sealed areas may begin to leak.)

Looking Good, Inside and Out
In racing, we always say, "The best-looking cars are the best-running cars."

I can't overemphasize the importance of keeping your car's interior and exterior looking clean and sharp. Not only will you enjoy driving more, but your efforts will pay enormous dividends when you sell or trade in your car.

Interior. The seats and carpet require frequent attention. Items such as the dashboard, door panels, and ceiling usually stay cleaner and require less maintenance.

Seats are easily kept clean by regular vacuuming and applying the proper cleaning product for the material. Fabric can be cleaned with any good upholstery cleaner. If your car is new, "scotch guarding" the fabric can make it more stain-resistant and much easier to clean in the future.

I don't recommend covers to protect the seats. They detract from the beauty and employment of the car. Moreover, some fabrics are adversely affected by vinyl covers, which trap moisture and don't allow the upholstery to breathe.

Vinyl probably is the most practical seat material to maintain. It is easy to clean with any number of good spray products available in auto, drug, and grocery stores. After cleaning, an application of vinyl protective spray will keep it soft and looking new.

For leather, saddle soap works best. It keeps leather pliable and helps inhibit the natural cracks that appear when leather starts to dry out.

Be careful: Many vinyl and leather protective sprays contain silicone and other ingredients harmful to window tint film. When applying these products, avoid getting them on your film tinted windows. In such cases, it's wiser to spray the solution on a clean rag and then apply it to the upholstery.

Carpets require regular and frequent vacuuming. Small, battery-operated vacuums simply won't do the job. A good home vacuum with the proper attachment probably will suffice. The more powerful coin-operated machine at the car washes and service stations are better.

Carpet stains should be removed as soon as possible using any of the many products available. Your favorite rug shampoo will work just fine for general cleaning. If you have floor mats, they should be removed regularly and the underlying carpet vacuumed thoroughly.

Door panels are made of a variety of materials. Vinyl and fabric can be treated much the same as seat material. Some door panels have plastic sections that may be cleaned with mild detergent and water; your vinyl cleaner generally will do the job if dirt is not embedded in the material. After cleaning the plastic, a treatment with your vinyl protective spray is in order.

Headliners - the interior ceiling - seldom accumulate dirt and need very little attention. If yours is vinyl, an occasional cleaning and coating with your vinyl protective product is all that is needed.

Dashboards should be cleaned regularly with your vinyl cleaner or a mixture of mild detergent and water. A liberal coating of vinyl protective spray on a frequent basis helps prevent cracking caused by sunlight. This same treatment usually will keep any chrome or brass trim on the dash looking good. If ashtrays are used, they should they should be cleaned regularly to minimize odors. If the gauges on the dashboard are covered with glass,use a glass cleaner; if plastic, use an all-purpose cleaner.

Exterior. The most obvious sign of a well-maintained car is a bright and shiny exterior. A sharp exterior is very important when you decide to sell your car because it is the first thing the potential buyer sees. No exterior will last forever, of course, but here are some measures that will substantially lengthen the lifespan of your car's finish.

Washing your car regularly is a good place to start. But exactly how you wash depends partly on the quality of your local water. If you have "hard" water, rings and film may be left on your car's surface. Because it is difficult to change the water supply, the next best thing is to dry the car before the water can evaporate.

Don't use detergents or common coarse soaps. Harsh detergents cause your car's paint to lose its residual oils. Use a non detergent soap made especially for waxed surfaces or a liquid soap used for dish washing by hand.

Use a nozzle with as much pressure as possible to dislodge dirt. Be sure to rinse the car thoroughly. Start washing your car from the top and work down. Abrasive dirt tends to flow down and away from parts you have already washed, resulting in less scratching of the surface. The best washing tool is a sponge, some type of car-wash mitten, or a soft towel. Which ever you use, keep it clean by rinsing frequently or replace it whenever it becomes dirty.

Try not to wash your car in direct sunlight, when the surface is extremely hot. Remove tree sap or bird droppings immediately, because they have a tendency to eat through the paint.

The wheels and tires should be washed last. Use a bristle brush designed for this purpose, or a house hold brush that isn't too abrasive. Spray water up inside the wheel wells and under the rocker panels. Salt and debris can get trapped there and cause rust.

When drying the car, use fluffy terry towels. A chamois will work well, but it also can drag dirt particles along with the water. Start drying at the top and work your way down.

Waxing is the next step, but you need to be careful about which of the many different products you choose.

Cleaners are made to remove the dirt from the top surface of the paint. Cleaners have no protective qualities; they clean the surface but don't protect it. Rubbing compounds or polishing compounds are used to remove stubborn stains and dirt as well as minor imperfections, scratches, and badly weathered paint. Polishes usually do not contain abrasives or waxes; they merely shine the paint by adding oils to it. Waxes are used as a protective coating for the paint and polish. The use of liquid, paste, or hard wax is a personal choice, but if protection is all you seek, use whichever is easiest to apply.

Oxidation - exposure to air - is paint's biggest enemy. You can't stop oxidation completely, but conscientious use of polishes and waxes definitely will slow it down. Follow directions carefully and don't assume that if a little is good, a lot is better. When you apply a second or third layer of wax, you remove the wax you just applied. Remember that all products aren't suitable for all finishes. Read the label before buying. Many products come with their own applicators. A clean piece of Turkish toweling or terry cloth will work well.
Here are some more tips on waxing your car:

For best results, work in the shade of your garage.
Clean or turn the applicator often to avoid contaminating one part of the car with debris from a previously waxed section.
Always apply the way to the pad, not to the car.
Apply sparingly. Follow the directions as to the proper motion - circular or back and-forth. If the directions don't specify, use a back-and-forth motion; a circular motion can leave swirl marks.
Allow the wax to dry thoroughly before buffing. If you buff too soon, your car will end up with a dull finish.
Use plenty of clean towels to remove the dried wax. Shake out and turn the towels often.
How often you wax your car depends on climate and driving conditions. The harsher the conditions and climate, the more often you should wax. In most areas, twice-a-year waxing is sufficient.

How do you know your car needs waxing? Simple: If water beads readily on your car's surface, the way is still doing it's job. If not, you're overdue for another coat.