Checking Your Vehicle Before Traveling
There is always this excitement surrounding a trip, whether it’s going somewhere new or familiar. Clothes? CHECK! Snacks and drinks? CHECK! GPS? CHECK! MUSIC? CHECK! These are all the typical things that are checked off before our expedition, but is it everything? Before you’re well on your way, here are several other things that you should CHECK!
Getting an oil change is probably the more common maintenance we do to our vehicles. If you’re nearing the point of an oil change, go ahead and get one before you leave. Normally when you get an oil change, as a courtesy all fluid levels are checked. If you’re unsure if other fluid levels are being checked, just ask the technician working on your vehicle to take a peek.
On a long trip tires heat up and can cause worn tires to blowout, so make sure the tread on your tires are in good shape. If you don’t need to replace your tires, you will need to check your tire pressure. Properly inflated tires can help improve gas mileage. You can find the recommended pressure in your owner’s manual or on a sticker in the driver’s side door jamb.
You never know what kind of weather you’ll drive through on your journey. Making sure you have good visibility comes down to checking that your wipers are in good condition and all lights are working properly. It’s not necessary, but a coat of Rain-x on your windshield helps repel rain, sleet and snow. It also helps remove frost, bugs, and mud easily. When it comes to checking your lights you’re going to need another set of eyes. Check that all lights are functioning properly and replace bulbs as needed. If replacing a bulb doesn’t help, the problem could be caused by a blown fuse.
No one likes to think about the possibility of an accident or breakdown, but keep an emergency kit handy in case of an unfortunate event. Flares/flashlight, first aid kit, cell phone, spare tire and emergency tools are all great things to keep on board even if you aren’t traveling.
So now you know before you go, CHECK!
Favorite Car Commercials
There have been some entertaining car commercials out, but here are a couple of our favorites.
Tires
When it comes to making large purchases, we usually do our research. Never want that money to go to waste. In this case it’s tires. If you’re not sure when to get new tires, what kind to get or how to maintain them, don’t fret because Consumer Reports has a tire buying guide. They break it down how to start, to types of tires, brands, to knowing early warning signs of tire failure. Loads of great info and everything you need to know is there!
Insurance
When it comes to getting insurance some of us just see what will cost the least and meets state minimum requirements. But if and when you do get into an accident, the low cost policy you chose may not benefit you. We’ve seen the commercials and maybe we are the ones that got caught up in how much an insurance company can save us. But do they really save us if we have the misfortune of getting into an accident?
The last place you need to be wondering and worrying what kind of coverage you have is at the scene of the crime. You just rammed into someone’s car, hit a pole, or hydroplaned into a ditch and you’re wondering “Does my auto insurance cover this?…Do I have rental coverage?” No, but really, do you know? Of course there are more extreme situations and maybe that isn’t even the next to first thought that crosses someone’s mind, but you get the picture. The thought does eventually come.
There are a lot of factors that play a role in what kind of premium you’ll pay. Whether it is your age, how old and what type of vehicle you drive, where you live, how many cars will be under a policy, etc. etc. Knowing the different terms that are used like collision, deductible and liability can help you when deciding what kind of coverage you want and what fits your needs best. Here’s a glossary (ßclick that) for more auto insurance terms.
The higher your deductible (the more financial risk you’re willing to take on), the lower your monthly premiums will be. But be prepared to pay that deductible if you do get into an accident (IF YOU’RE AT FAULT). The lower your deductible the higher your monthly premiums will be. Some insurance companies give discounts if you can pay for 6 or 12 months in one lump. In the long run this can save you some money.
Maybe this will make you stop to check out what kind of coverage you have. GOOD, you need to. Shop around and ask questions if you need to, making sure you are protecting you and your family with the right policy.
Gift Giving Bliss
It’s that time of year again and some of us may be stumped about what to gift the people we love. Relax because we are here for your gift idea needs. Despite working at an auto body repair facility, I never thought of giving a car accessory as a gift. But then the thought came and before I knew it, I had a list of about 30 accessories. Here are the top choices.
For that directionally challenged friend or family member, you guessed it a navigation system. This can also be for anyone that loves to travel. They’ll no longer get lost and finding an alternate route, easily, won’t be a problem. There are several brands and prices range between $80 and $400 for a portable device. For navigation system that can be installed into the dash, will cost more. The wants or needs of who you are buying for may influence what price point you’ll be purchasing from.
Everyone loves to listen to music while their riding down the road or going on a road trip. No one likes to have speakers that crack or have poor quality delivering sounds, so make car rides more enjoyable with a new sound system. Before you make a purchase, do your research. Make sure that what you’re purchasing is what you’re looking for. There are a lot of variables when deciding on what sound system will be best.
Now not everyone is a biker rider, but for those who are, a bike rack could make their day. How much more convenient it will be to tote their bike or bikes around! Definitely beats trying to stuff one inside their vehicles. Prices on these can range from $35-$600. The higher end prices are bike racks made for a specific Make of vehicle.
Who doesn’t want tinted windows? The summers in Georgia are almost unbearable! Tinted windows can make car rides more comfortable in the summer heat. Not only that, they protect from UV rays and reduce glare to help driving visibility. Prices vary depending where you get the tint done, how dark, and how much window surface is being tinted.
If you’re tight on money like many people are, you can go another route. Key chains, vinyl monogrammed initials for the back glass, personalized plate, cd holders, bobble heads, and air fresheners can be a more affordable option. A gift bag or basket can also be made with a combination of these smaller items. Hope this helps with any gift shopping woe and make gift giving blissful! Happy Holidays!
Here are some other car accessory items:
Stereo, seat covers, floor mats, trailer hitch, rain guards, rhino liner, toolbox, entertainment system, cleaning kits, detail gift certificate, bug shields, auxiliary connector, tonneau cover, sun roof reflector, undercoating, tires, rims, mud flaps, grill, performance chip, exhaust system, cold air intake, side entry steps, chrome handle covers, brush guard, remote start, alarm system and roof rack.
Keeping your car organized
Keeping your car organized and clean can be a hard, especially if you’re busy. If you take some steps to help your vehicle stay organized and clean, it will be easy!
First and easiest is, every time you stop at a gas station to fill up, empty out old fast food cups, receipts, napkins, and whatever else that can be disposed of in your vehicle. There’s always a trash can near the pumps. SUPER convenient and EASY! Keeping plastic shopping bags in your car can be helpful too. Most grocery stores or shopping centers have trash cans outside the entrance. Toss in what can be thrown out in a plastic bag and before you enter the store, throw away your trash. You can use an empty oatmeal tin or Ziploc bag to store plastic bags in.
For those emergencies where a little bit of this or that has spilled, I keep some antibacterial wipes on hand. If you get the travel size, they fit in any cubby hole in your vehicle. Yeah they’re antibacterial wipes, but they are useful for getting small messes if not entirely clean, bearably clean until you can get it detailed. So now you not only have wipes for your hands, you have wipes for cleaning up small messes. If you have kids keep having wipes around is extra handy.
The back seat can become pretty neglected since we (the drivers) don’t spend much time back there. Kids can make it look like a miniature tornado swept through. And you know who you are, you know, the one who tosses anything cluttering the front seats of our vehicles in the back. Instead of tossing stuff in the back seat you can use those plastic shopping bags to store items in until you can remove those belongings. This way, you won’t have items scattered. Another thing you can do is purchase a backseat organizer. This can help kids keep their crayons, coloring books, stuffed animals, napkins, etc. etc. contained. Help them to help you!
Now, to the trunk space. If you’re like me, you have many items in your trunk. I have a stroller, soccer balls, shoes, and jackets. To help me keep these items contained I purchased a storage bin. This also creates a neat space for anything I need to store in my trunk in the future.
We have created bad habits that ultimately make keeping our cars organized and clean overwhelming. You don’t necessarily have to purchase bins, cargo nets, or anything fancy like that. You can use things around your house, like a small cardboard box for your trunk space. For backseat organizers, you can repurpose an old backpack that isn’t too over-sized. It doesn’t matter what you use as long as it helps you keep organized and clean. There are many other ways to help, but these tips are just to help you get started.
We Can’t Stop Birds
At some point we all have fallen victim to bird droppings on our vehicles. Most of the time, we are not in an ideal situation to take care of the mess right away. Later we find that the bird droppings have damaged the paint. If you don’t know, time is the key. The sooner you clean away the mess, the better.
Now, the science of how it damages the paint. I came across several websites and articles saying it is the acid in droppings that causes the damage. Autoglym (UK based auto care product company) experts say it something else. You can read the article here, The real reason why bird droppings damage your car by David Williams. In the article the term paint lacquer was used, however we use urethane paint for our clear coating.
Regardless of how the damage does happen, the aftermath is never pretty. Swift action to remove the dropping is the best prevention from extensive damage. If the dropping is already dried, be sure to soak it with a damp cloth of a sort before wiping it away. This will help prevent scratching your vehicle.
Some of you may want to know what can be done to improve the look of the affected area of your vehicle. Depending how long the dropping has sat on the vehicle, will depend if a polish can reduce the evidence of damage. If the dropping has sat too long a polish will not help. The only other solution is to repaint the area. We can’t stop birds from doing what the doo, but someone has to clean it up. Happy cleaning!
eamespirational chairity auction
We are one of many sponsors for the eamespirational charity auction. To learn more about the auction, check out www.ecgrl.org
