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Zal
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Vibhor
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    Tips to keep your car always in top condition!

    Vibhor
    Vibhor


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    Thumbs down Tips to keep your car always in top condition!

    Post  Vibhor 6th February 2009, 4:00 pm

    Hello Friends!
    Here are some tips from ACi site, To keep your car always in Top condition..... :)


    1. Shampoo your car at least once a week. Use a sponge and a good quality shampoo from a reputed car care product manufacturer. You could also use a hair shampoo This is an expensive but effective way to clean your car. As the detergents in hair shampoo are mild they do not damage the car’s paint. Use a pressure water hose to remove all the accumulated dust and dirt.

    2. A good polish is key. Use a Carnauba wax. Its hard coating will ensure that the wax lasts longer and protects better. Stick to reputed brands like Autoglym, Armor All, Soft 99, Formula1, etc. Wax your car about once a month. Before waxing though, make sure you wash and wipe the car dry. Apply the wax in a circular motion using a sponge away from direct sunlight. Use a buffing wheel if you have access to a powerpoint. It makes a world of a difference in the finish. Once a fortnight use a zip-wax whilst washing your car. Its simple, just add a packet to a bucket of water and wash.

    3. Use plastic polishes to keep black/grey plastics on your car’s bodywork like your front grille, body mouldings, mud-flaps etc. Dull plastics easily give out the age of your car.

    4. Use muslin cloths, toothpicks and ear-buds to clean panel gaps, like areas between lights and bumpers, window channels and wheel bolts. Use a toothbrush to clean gaps between panels and carpet.

    5. Internally clean. The best way to clean your interiors is to keep them clean in the 1st place. As the old saying goes ‘prevention is better than cure.’ Use the air-conditioner on dusty roads and traffic to keep the interiors clean. Use a plastic polish to on your dashboard and plastic panels to prevent them from fading. Vacuum clean the carpets and fabric seats. Home sofa upholstery cleaners work well on velour seats or leather care sprays from a reputed manufacturer to keep your interiors sparkling like new.

    6. Sparkling power plant. Clean your engine with a damp cloth and soap water. Use a mild water hose or put water gently from a bottle to clean. No high pressure water here. Water in electronics and spark plugs is bad news. Use a vacuum cleaner or pressured air to dry after cleaning. Plastic polishes must be applied on the engine cover, air box and other plastic parts. Anti-grease sprays can do wonders to take grime of the engine. Use a toothbrush to clean such areas clean.

    7. Replace cracked plastic parts, broken switches, puffed-up sun visors and door stoppers. Fix broken light lenses, bent or missing wheel caps and body rattle immediately. Avoid parcel trays with speakers fixed on them. Also avoid fixing gadgets on your dashboard. Screws and two-way tapes leave ugly scars and fittings tend to rattle annoyingly over time.

    8. Precautionary measures. Avoid driving through puddles, wet and dusty roads. Ok, ok, at least try to find an alternative route. Avoid “tradin’ paint” with 2 wheelers, 3 wheelers, trucks and busses. Play the waiting game Aftermarket touch up jobs tend to fade and do not necessarily retain gloss like factory paint jobs.


    9. Keep the rims gleaming. Clean the rims with soap and use pressure water to remove grime and dirt. Use a clothes washing brush to scrub your tyres thoroughly. Brake dust can make your car look ugly even when it is spotlessly clean. Use a pressured water hose to wash the wheel wells as well. Aged alloy wheels look ughh… Alloy wheel polishes can make them look new and prevent them from pitting further.

    10. Most importantly, use a tyre polish to finish off and give your car a wet and shiny look.Extreme tyre shine polishes are more expensive to buy but last better in our conditions. Caution: Do not apply on tyre tread as it can cause loss of grip, also refrain from using a tyre polish too often as an overdose can reduce tyre life.

    I found these tips really very useful, If you also know some tips like these, then please post in this thread.:)
    archit
    archit


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    Post  archit 6th February 2009, 6:36 pm

    yea i like these tips
    i follow some of them!!
    Crazy cat
    Crazy cat


    Posts : 2587
    Location : Coimbatore

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    Post  Crazy cat 6th February 2009, 7:06 pm

    Thanks a lot for the info vibhor :) . These are very essential for me, as I hardly take care of my car :8P: .
    zinam
    zinam


    Posts : 650
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    Post  zinam 6th February 2009, 10:45 pm

    Hmm. I do follow most of the points said above :) But will be helpful for beginners!
    Zal
    Zal


    Posts : 184
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    Post  Zal 12th February 2009, 2:25 pm

    Great tips Vibhor. I just take the car through the car wash
    thackervijay
    thackervijay


    Posts : 1812
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    Post  thackervijay 13th February 2009, 12:16 pm

    Gr8 info vibs, mostly what all do is washing and cleaning interiors with regular services, apart of that these are good tips which are helpful
    abhi_qpotsiavs
    abhi_qpotsiavs


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    Post  abhi_qpotsiavs 2nd April 2009, 5:50 pm

    How about keeping the engine performing like new? I'll add for this..
    1) Regular servicing at recommended intervals..
    2) Maintainence as per maintainence Chart provided by manufacturer in Service Book
    3) Maintaining low RPM in run-in period (New Cars)
    4) Maintaining Low RPM when engine is cold
    5) Avoid unnecessary revving the engine
    6) Timely Gear Changes
    Out of these I guess 1st and 2nd poits are taken care of most of the times.. But most of us are ignorant about 3rd and 4th point.. But following them is very important for longer life of engine.. 5th and 6th point improve fuel efficiency along with longer engine life.

    2nd POST

    Other regular maintainence which is very important..
    1) Maintaining Manufacturer recommended Air Pressure.. It not only improves tyre life but also helps in optimum fuel efficiency, longer life of suspension parts and good ride and handling..
    2) Wheel Alignment after every 5000 kms
    3) Balancing after changing to new tyres or repairing a flat tyre at local Tyre wala (balancing not required when flat tyre is repaired on modern machines)
    4) Not to ignore any unusual noise from suspension/ engine, etc..

    MOD(Road Rocket) - Please avoid multiposting, Use Edit option instead, available under 15min. after posting.
    Vibhor
    Vibhor


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    Post  Vibhor 3rd April 2009, 1:18 pm

    Good points abhi, I agree that we should avoid unnecessary revving the engine which most of people do!
    Crazy cat
    Crazy cat


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    Post  Crazy cat 3rd April 2009, 11:47 pm

    abhi_qpotsiavs wrote:Wheel Alignment after every 5000 kms

    Is it alright only to check Wheel alignment every 5000 kms or whenever we complete a highway trip, should we check?
    thackervijay
    thackervijay


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    Post  thackervijay 4th April 2009, 10:22 am

    CC, not necessory to check your wheels alingment from highways trips but at recomended time period which is mostly 5000kms, but if in between you feel soe alingment problems or your teering balancing, get it done checked.
    Abhi good inputs which are very important, if kept all those points checked and maintained properly, your car lives for another couple of years more.
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    swapszone


    Posts : 425
    Location : Mumbai

    Thumbs down Regular Car maintenance tips for aesthetics

    Post  swapszone 21st April 2009, 10:51 am

    ARTICLE: The Car Care guide (Aesthetics)
    The key to have that smile when you look at your car.
    The key to have control on the expenses that take place due to undue negligence.
    The key to get a better price when selling.
    The key to an overall better ownership experience.

    By and large, aesthetic car care is neglected. An overall wash or wipe a day feels perfect to most people. Sadly, beauty is more than skin deep. Reading what I present here may raise a few queries and doubts. But if you use your understanding and discretion, the results will definitely be outstanding.
     
    The ideal way to nurture the aesthetic beauty of your car!

    Regular washing and cleaning:

    Don’t pour buckets of water on your car. It’s of no use, and a serious offence when it comes to water conservation. Honestly speaking, you don’t need more than three buckets of water to clean your car on a normal day.

    Use a separate cloth for the body and for the wheels. The yellow/brown shade cloth that we get at traffic signals is useless. Instead, buy the other cloth (mostly blue) that has a typical Indian towel feel. Dip that new cloth in boiling water with detergent to get rid of unwanted starch and lint. This will also help it to become softer. Your new cloth is now ready to be used.

    1. Soak the cloth in water (don’t squeeze) and wipe your car’s body with a light hand. Once you’re through with washing the entire car, clean the cloth in fresh water and start wiping the body dry. A good soft cloth should remove all watermarks from the body. Take one portion of the body at a time.

    2. With a separate cloth; wash inside the mudguard thoroughly (atleast twice a week), the running board (also known as the door panel) and under the bumpers (not visible to most people).

    3. Use a vacuum cleaner to clean the floor carpet at least once a week. Wash floor mats regularly, if need be.

    4. After a long trip or the monsoons, take the car to a service station and wash the under body. Rubber coating helps (at the cost of spending INR 4000 to INR 5000). Additional value of the rubber treatment is its
    noise-deadening quality.

    Few points to remember:

    - Don’t keep washing your car under the sun.
    - Pour water on your windshield to loosen dust and hard particles.
    - Try to avoid hard water (from the bore well) as much as possible. It’s the fastest way to make your paint fade and to invite corrosion.
    - Use newspaper (black & white) to clean the glass.
    - Remove road tar spots with diesel-soaked cloth.
    - Alloys (coated with brake pad dust) should be washed with detergent. Use a soft toothbrush to clean those hard-to-reach areas.

    PLASTIC TRIMS

    The grainy texture of door/body/bumper plastic attracts a lot of dust and grime. Use a dashboard/ plastic cleaner, as it creates a coat of oily film that prevents dust and water from settling down. There are a number of options available in the market.

    ALLOY WHEEL

    Good alloy wheels make the aesthetic look of the car, and you probably paid through your nose for them. Add to that, those broad tyres to give the look and performance. There are lots of wheel cleaners available in the market, of which the easiest available is SONAX. By and large, all wheel cleaners remove brake pad residue and road grime. The operation is pretty simple; Apply the wheel cleaner onto your rims. Allow them to work for five minutes. Wash with water. Wipe clean dry. At times you may find stubborn marks on your wheel. To remove those, use a soft toothbrush. After applying the wheel cleaner, wait for few minutes for the liquid to work through. Carefully scrub the stubborn marks out with a toothbrush.

    Chrome alloys need extra special care. Follow the same process as mentioned above. Later, use a soft cloth or white cotton waste to wipe dry and restore that bling look.

    LEATHER UPHOLSTERY

    Try to use the air-conditioner as much as possible. Body acid and sweat are the main culprits here. Use a moist cloth with a light detergent to remove strong stains. After that, use good quality leather cleaner to treat the leather. For the steering wheel’s leather wrapping, use the same leather cleaner but wipe it after application. Excessive cleaner usage gives out a shine and tends to become slippery. This may work out a little expensive but remember that you’ve paid through your nose for the leather.

    FABRIC UPHOLSTERY

    It’s fun to eat munchies with your girl, but try to avoid doing that inside the car. A vacuum cleaner and fabric protection covering is the answer here. Please take proper care. Fabric wears out faster than leather.

    WAXING

    Toughest exercise of them all.
    Great workout for your muscles.
    Great recipe to burn calories.

    If your car has not gone through a proper rubbing and polish for a long time, I suggest a visit to a professional car care centre. This will get you back the “wet look”; after which it is only a matter of maintenance.

    The car polish process does not mean that you need to use a rubbing compound prior to applying polish. New generation car polish come with road/ weather grime removing properties. Besides, current generation automotive paints (known as generic 2K paint) are way stronger and longer lasting than the usual NC base paints.

    Car polish (read waxing) means applying a coat of wax over the paint. This coating works as a protection so that water/dust does not sit on that slippery surface. Today, we have a vast range of car care products available in the market. Unfortunately they are not consistent when it comes to demand/ supply ratios.

    1. Wash your car and wipe dry before applying polish.
    2. Always wax your car under the shade.
    3. For a normal polish, use one that has swirl remover/cleaner.
    4. Do not apply polish to the whole car. Go part by part.
    5. Use applicator (comes with all tinned polish) to apply polish evenly.
    6. For polishing, use cotton waste (white).
    7. Do not use the same waste for your next polish.
    8. Do not go overboard and put wax on plastic trims. You’ll spend double the amount of time to remove it.
    9. Be careful not to choke your windshield washers with wax. Dried up wax looks ugly and sticks out like a sore thumb from those curves and trim joints. Remove dried up wax with wooden toothpicks.

    RUBBER PARTS

    Wiper blades should be cleant with a light shampoo. Not regularly, but once in 15 days. This process will keep the blades soft and also prevent scratch marks on the windshield.

    Tyres should be scrubbed with detergent (at least once a week). Apply tyre shine after that if you wish. To remove shine and have that matte-black finish, wait for half an hour and wipe it with a dry cloth or cotton waste. If you like your tyres to shine, leave it as is after applying.

    UNDER THE BONNET

    Service stations usually use soap/diesel to scrub out the grime from the engine bay, but they seldom use their air hose properly to dry the area completely. Insist on that (if need be, pay extra to that washing guy). Diesel soaked rubber/plastic parts have the potential to retire from their respective duties at odd hours.

    Few contacts and links

    The Professional Car Care Centre,
    D-19, Shivdarshan Co-op. Soc., S.V. P. Nagar, Mhada,
    Off Four Bunglows, Andheri (W), Mumbai - 400 053
    Tel: 022-20634684 / 26365094 / 26365095
    The Professional Car Care Centre This is the place for Turtle Wax product range

    SONAX range of products is available in India through Methods Automotive.
    To check out their range go to SONAX

    Our own home-grown company, WAXPOL has progressed a lot. Their products are good and you have a wide choice. Have a look at those at WAXPOL

    If you're from Bombay or go there regularly, check out Heera Panna shopping complex for imported car care products.

    Few links for information
    For interior leather:
    Armor All®️ - Leather Care Gel
    Armor All®️ - Leather Protectant
    Armor All®️ - Leather Care
    Turtle Wax

    For tyre cleaner:
    Armor All®️ - Protectant
    Armor All®️ - Wheel Cleaner
    Turtle Wax


    SOURCE : www.team-bhp.com

    MOD NOTE: Please mention the source :)


    Last edited by abhinavgupta on 21st April 2009, 3:18 pm; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : Source Added)
    Vibhor
    Vibhor


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    Post  Vibhor 22nd April 2009, 3:02 pm

    Please Do a search before starting new topic.

    THREADS MERGED.
    napster
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    Post  napster 9th May 2009, 12:12 pm

    nice maintenance tips dude, i follow most of them but im new to few of them, ill follow them from now

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