Car Fanatics: Teach Me

[bc-chris]

Originally Posted by DFO

I think the most neglected part of vehicles is the undercarriage. I think the underside should get as much attention as the top side. Find a car wash with some sort of undercarriage spray contraption in addition to the wand wash.

I wrapped the entire AMG wagon and have no regrets about that expense. That being said I'll probably just do the front and mirrors/pillars on the new F-150.

get one of these for the win!


it doubles as a "water broom" too!

https://www.amazon.ca/HOWDY-Dual-Fun...%2C226&sr=8-16

[habernac]

Sliver, thanks for the Aerospace 303 suggestion. I struggle with dust on the dashes, etc.

[Tron_fdc]

As a former car detailer in a former life backpacking in Australia, I can tell you without a doubt the cleanest you will ever get a car is with water and a chamois. If it’s REALLY dirty use a wand with soap, rinse and chamois.

Get a large deer skin chamois (not the cheap towel), and before you use it rinse it with a car wash wand. A hose will work but not as well as a high pressure wand.

Your chrome will never look better, your windows will be streak free, and your paint will look like it’s been freshly waxed because there isn’t a spec of dust on it. Newspaper and water works wonders on the interior windows as well.

[The Yen Man]

I would never buy another new vehicle without 3M. We deal with a lot of gravel on the roads in Calgary. My first car, I made the mistake of not doing it, and the front bumper and hood had so many unsightly chips on it after just one year. I've had on my two cars after that I've bought, and have never looked back. It's well worth it IMO.

[TorqueDog]

1. 3M the front bumper, hood, and (painted) mirror caps. Especially as this will be a year-round vehicle, you'll be saving yourself a lot of grief with rock chips. Doesn't need to be an AMG GT, rock chips are a great way to make an otherwise well-maintained car look like sh-t.

2. If it's dirty, wash it. You don't need to if it's wet out and/or the roads are sloppy because you'll only make the car dirty again on the drive home, but pick your spots and keep it clean. Don't forget the wheels, and take care to spray out your wheelwells and door jambs when you wash, especially in the winter months. Not doing so is a great way to start developing corrosion and rust in those hard to reach areas.

3. For winter, get deep-grooved rubberized winter floor mats and knock as much snow off your boots as you can. Salt stains in carpeted mats suck and you don't want that crap lingering on the floorboards (also it'll start to smell stale).

4. Speaking of interior, don't forget that. Even just a lightly damp cloth along the dashboard to get rid of dust and the corner of said cloth to clean the vents will go a long way. Vacuum the seats. If you have leather, a lightly damp cloth will do fine there too, unless you want to go all out with leather cleaner, and avoid leather conditioners that make the seats slippery. Don't forget the trim where feet enter/exit the cabin, such as door sill plates, door panels, seat trim, and footwell trim. Use a foaming glass cleaner on the inside of the windows every other exterior wash. The HVAC blowing on the windows will leave a film eventually.

Originally Posted by bc-chris

get one of these for the win!


it doubles as a "water broom" too!

https://www.amazon.ca/HOWDY-Dual-Fun...%2C226&sr=8-16

I love how it shows a Ferrari in the photos that it will never fit under.

[WhiteTiger]

I'm on the 3M train, too. It's just such a cost to saving ratio that for me it's a no-brainer, given how gravel/rock heavy Calgary roads are. Cars with tons of rock chips just look so beat up, and it's such an easy fix.

Also with Sliver's suggestion on the get in the habit of taking your garbage/stuff with you when you go and not treating your vehicle like a rolling garbage can/mobile storage unit.

[Erick Estrada]

I would get Expel Ultimate front end, headlights, full fender/hood coverage, A pillars and strip at the front of the roof over the windshield, That should keep your paint protected. Talk to Richard at Refine Automotive Salon as I feel he's the most consistent of all the popular PPF installers.

[edslunch]

It IS only a RAV4 but considering it’s a 13 year leap forward in technology from what I was driving it feels like a million dollar ride at the moment. Great suggestions, I’m definitely leaning 3M. The dealer tried to sell me a glass treatment that minimizes stone chips - is that a valid thing? Glass chips are the most frequent PITA for me.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by edslunch

It IS only a RAV4 but considering it’s a 13 year leap forward in technology from what I was driving it feels like a million dollar ride at the moment. Great suggestions, I’m definitely leaning 3M. The dealer tried to sell me a glass treatment that minimizes stone chips - is that a valid thing? Glass chips are the most frequent PITA for me.

Find out what a replacement windshield is and find out what the glass treatment is called and how much that costs.

Also, if you have a sunroof in that RAV4, you probably shouldn't waive glass coverage through insurance, which means a windshield would be covered anyway.

[Shazam]

I have limited glass coverage, everything but the front windshield is covered.

I just use self serve car washes for the exterior and the occasional touchless car wash.

I've been using Chemical Guys leather cleaner, works amazingly. And Chemical Guys Inner Clean for everything else but glass. It smells like pineapple and leaves no residue. Also cleans quickly if that makes sense.

Costco has mats from 3dmaxsiper that work a treat. There's also Findway on Amazon. And Tuxmat.com.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Lots of good info in this thread.

I'm a huge proponent of following maintenance schedules. They're in your manual for a reason.

On top of that, oil changes on schedule. Preferably early, preferably with a good quality synthetic oil. Yes, it costs more but in our climate, worth it. Get quality oil and air filters (I like Wix).

Treat your carpet with respect. Best thing I ever bought was a Bissel Pro spot cleaner. You can buy soft, circular brushes you put on power drills (I think battery powered drills here are better as they don't spin as fast as the plug in type). Get a decent shampoo and spray down your carpets. Hit em with the power drill with the brush and then rinse with the Bissel. With the crap we drag into our interiors during the winter, they keep your carpet looking fantastic.

Also love Aerospace 303. Fantastic product.

Spending a bit of money on a car vacuum is also a good idea. Totally forget which one I bought but has a nice long power cable, long hose and good attachments. Insane power. Really gets the dirt out.

[GreenLantern2814]

So long as our solution to snowy roads is to drop gravel on them, you should 3M your hood, fenders, mirrors, and A-pillars. Luggage strip as well if necessary - it’ll depend on the vehicle.

Your car will look like a pizza faced teenager by the end of your first winter.

RAV4 hybrid is a good vehicle. Solid choice.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

RAV4 hybrid is a good vehicle. Solid choice.

My only regret is that Primes had a 1-2 year waiting list. To me that vehicle would hit the sweet spot for electric vehicles given the current state of the industry and infrastructure.

[Nandric]

So far a lot of solid tips!

I have a question regarding rust. I’m starting to have some poke through on the rear wheel wells of my truck and am curious if there are any good products out there to stop the process in it’s tracks for the short term.

[Winsor_Pilates]

My dog sheds like crazy and her hair is all over my car, all the time.
Any good cordless car vacuums that really work?

[GoinAllTheWay]

Lily Brush works pretty good for dog hair. Bit of work but better than a vacuum IMO. I've only used the one that looks a bit like a credit card. They seem to have one that looks like an actual brush now but never tried it.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

So long as our solution to snowy roads is to drop gravel on them, you should 3M your hood, fenders, mirrors, and A-pillars. Luggage strip as well if necessary - it’ll depend on the vehicle.

Your car will look like a pizza faced teenager by the end of your first winter.

RAV4 hybrid is a good vehicle. Solid choice.

Sienna hybrid is the one that makes total sense. The Sienna had terrifying fuel economy before.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Sienna hybrid is the one that makes total sense. The Sienna had terrifying fuel economy before.

Not really. It's a 7/8 seater vehicle. 24mpg highway. 18mpg city. Not great, but typical for an eight-passenger vehicle.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Not really. It's a 7/8 seater vehicle. 24mpg highway. 18mpg city. Not great, but typical for an eight-passenger vehicle.

IRL I got as low as 13mpg in the city. That's horrifying. My 3.5 ecoboost f150 did better.

Toyota V6s sometimes sucked.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Shazam

IRL I got as low as 13mpg in the city. That's horrifying. My 3.5 ecoboost f150 did better.

Toyota V6s sometimes sucked.

That's dismal economy, yeah. I had an '07 Sienna and I currently have an '11. Even with my lead foot I couldn't hit that low of a number if I wanted to, but in city I've gotten as bad as 16. Prior to hybrids, though, moving around an 8-passenger vehicle was not efficient. Singling out a Sienna doesn't make sense. Look at a Yukon, Expedition, etc. Large vehicles suck back the fuel.

Ecoboosts do rule. I have a 2.7 F-150 and it's great on gas.