DIY Car Detail – Interior
Summertime is finally here, and you ready to put some miles on your car with road trips planned, concerts to see, and summer night drives with friends. But you can’t live out your summertime adventures in a mess of a car, you want your car in tip-top shape for all your trips this summer! That means it’s time to detail your car, but don’t worry it won’t leave your wallet empty.
Why DIY? Everyone loves a little DIY and saving money, right? Well detailing your car’s interior can be really easy and can take it from frumpy to fabulous in just a few steps all while saving the bank!
- Rid the interior of any dust: You’ll need a vacuum, foaming carpet cleaner, scrub brush, microfiber cloth, and q-tips. You should first use the microfiber cloth to dust off all surfaces of the interior. Next, you’ll want to vacuum the carpet in the car, and then remove them (if possible) to be washed and scrubbed clean. Finish off the carpets with another vacuuming.
- Cleaning the inside of your windows: You’ll need glass cleaner, glass-specific microfiber cloth, and a plush microfiber cloth. Windows are easily overlooked when cleaning your car, and over time this results in a buildup of nasty chemical film. Luckily, it’s easy to remove! All you need to do is spray the windows 2 or 3 times and with the microfiber cloth making, liner strokes (not circular) rub the windows clean. When the windows are clean, use the plush microfiber cloth to remove any remaining streaks.
- For seats and leather: When cleaning your seat, leather, and other soft surfaces, spay a generous amount of cleaner directly onto the surface. Use a soft brush, in a circular motion, gently rub the seats to loosen any dirt or debris. Then grab your microfiber cloth and wipe the surfaces clean.
- Finally, the most forgotten part of your interior is your vents! If you don’t clean your vents you’ll get a build up of dust and debris that blow back in your face, and frankly, that’s gross. So, take your microfiber cloth and wipe down the vents to the best of your ability, then take your q-tips to help get into the nooks and crannies that you could get to with the cloth.
- Finally, grab some air freshener, and spray directly on to the floor. Don’t overdo it, you don’t want to be choking the smell if you sprayed the whole can in your car.
We might be busy people, and sometimes finding time to give our cars the love it deserves fall short. But dedicating a little time to our cars can go a long way. And think about it, cars aren’t the cheapest, so why are you going to treat them like they are? Give your car a little love, then stand back and admire your hard work!
Paint Care Protips
Taking care of your vehicle is one of the most important things you can do to ensure that you’re riding in style for years to come. One great way of doing that is to care for your vehicle’s paint to the best of your ability. Check out our tips on caring for that paint job to prevent future damage and keep your car shining brightly wherever you go!
First, make sure that you’re washing your car properly. Whenever you wash your vehicle, make sure you’re using an automotive soap or shampoo in conjunction with a microfiber cloth or wash mitt. There are a lot of great YouTube videos out there about washing your car properly – take a look! Just make sure that you’re washing your vehicle regularly and not damaging the paint when you do it.
Waxing your vehicle is the next important step. The wax (or protectant spray) not only makes sure that your paint looks great after you’ve washed it, but it can protect from dust and dirt and damage and preserve your paint for longer than it would normally last without any kind of protection.
Try a clay bar! These can be bought at pretty much any auto parts store, or online, and are very effective in removing stuck-on or embedded contaminants from your paint and restoring the shine. Always lubricate the surface before using your clay bar, and follow the directions (or a video) to make sure you’re treating your paint well.
If you find that your vehicle is susceptible to rust, or you’ve had problems with rust on your past vehicles, consider getting your vehicle undercoated to make sure that the undercarriage stays strong and free of rust, regardless of the weather.
The final thing to do is to spot-check and spot-fix if needed. If you notice a scratch on your vehicle, take care of it with touch up paint and a polish to keep rust from developing. If the scratch is deep, bring it to us as soon as possible so that we can take care of it for you. Always keep a weather eye out!
Wiper Wisdom For Summer
Helloooo, Summer! We’re very excited for the season to begin, but we also understand that just because the calendar says what season it is, rain will still happen. Summer thunderstorms, anyone? Because of this, your windshield wipers are as important as ever, and they tend to degrade fast in the summer heat and sunshine. And if you haven’t changed your wipers since before winter, you’ve got even more damage from the salt and ice. Check out how to make sure your wipers are in good condition, how to know if they’re on their way out, and what to look for to tell that it’s time to replace your blades.
You should take a look at your wipers at least every time you get gas. When you’re inspecting your wiper blades, look for the following:
- Broken frame, which is the detachment of frame arms at joints or connection points.
- Metal corrosion, especially at joints and claws.
- Visible cracks, tears, and missing pieces in the rubber squeegee’s edge.
- Flex the rubber squeegee back and forth to see if it is still flexible. Aged squeegees will have difficulty conforming to the shape of your windshield and create streaks.
- Check the squeegee wiping edge for rounded edges which can prevent the wiper blade from making strong contact with the windshield and reduces wipe quality.
- Tug to ensure that the wiper blade has been securely installed on the wiper arm.
- Check to make sure that the squeegee is secure in the wiper frame.
As we (should) know, the materials that your windshield wipers are made of are not ones that will last until the end of time. There are a lot of ways that the world around you can degrade your wipers:
- Sun: Ultraviolet light and ozone deterioration
- Oil: Car waxes and exhaust hold rubber-deteriorating oil
- Airborne debris: Sand, mud, and dust carried in the wind
- Moisture: Acid rain and salt water (in moist air both near the shore and inland)
Now to the signs that your wipers need a change. There are a few to look out for, and if you experience multiple items on this list at once then it’s definitely time to head over to the auto store to buy new wipers.
- Streaking: occurs when the rubber squeegee dries, hardens and cracks. It can also be caused by tree sap, road tar and other foreign substances collected on either the glass or the blade.
- Skipping: occurs when the blade develops a curvature from lack of use (e.g. left in the ‘parked position’ for an extended length of time).
- Wearing: occurs with extensive use and is when the rubber edges are rounded instead of squared.
- Splitting: caused when the sun’s ultraviolet rays penetrate the rubber squeegee, causing it to break down and separate from the frame.
- Bent refill vertebra and bent frames: cause inconsistent contact with the glass surface, creating streaking or skipping.
If you’re wondering how to take care of your wipers throughout their life – i.e. before it’s time to replace them – here’s how you can do that!
- Clean your windshield every time you fill your gas tank.
- Gently wipe the rubber squeegee with a damp paper towel to remove any loose dirt or oil.
- Never use your windshield wipers to de-ice your windshield. Instead, either use an ice scraper or use your defroster to melt snow and ice.
- Pull your wiper blades away from the windshield during winter months to prevent ice build up on the rubber squeegee and to prevent them from sticking to the windshield.
Lesser Known Oil Change Factoids
We all know that one of the most essential services that we can provide for our vehicles is the oil change. Your shop sticks a little sticker on your windshield to remind you when you need it, your dealer might send you an email or little flyer in the mail to remind you that you’re just about at the point where you need a change, your owner’s manual has mileage recommendations… you know about how important the oil change is. Or do you? Keep reading to find out some of the littler-known facets of getting your oil changed.
Did you know that some vehicles don’t need to get their oil changed as regularly as you might think? We usually have this idea of 3,000 miles or six months between every change. However, there are some factors that go into determining that interval, such as the age of your car, the type of oil you use, how many miles are on your car, what conditions you usually drive in, and how hard you drive your car. Depending on these factors, you might not need to get your oil changed as often as you think. This is especially true if you drive a newer vehicle, and it also depends on the type of oil you use in your engine.
However, no matter how often you get your oil changed – whether it’s every 3,000 miles or every 10,000 miles – you still need to be checking your oil regularly. The oil in your engine is a great diagnostic tool with the ability to tell you if there’s something going wrong under the hood, as well as a cleaning solution that prevents the buildup of grime and other unpleasantness in the delicate workings of your vehicle’s engine.
Of course, the best source is your shop – we can point you in the right direction! – and they will help you know what the correct oil change interval is for your unique vehicle.
Get Rid Of Blind Spots Today!
Blind spots are, for most people, an inevitability. You will pretty much never be able to see the absolute entirety of the road when you’re driving, and that’s fine! Of course, having the most visibility possible is what we all try for, and thankfully there are some great hacks for getting rid of the blind spots that are getting you down. The best part is that you can choose whether your blind spot solution is temporary or semi-permanent.
The more permanent solution is to purchase aftermarket stick-on convex mirrors that adhere to your wing mirrors. The best placement is in the outer corner, either upper or lower (or if you get bigger ones, just the outer side as opposed to the inner). Make sure your mirrors are clean and free of dust and dirt before you attach the mirrors. If you’re leasing your vehicle, it might not be a good idea to use this technique.
The other solution is to adjust your mirrors for a less permanent solution. It’s simple to do and gets rid of blind spots easily. Here is how to do it:
- Adjust your rearview mirror to give you a view directly to the rear. Make it so that it best covers your rear window view. Don’t tilt it to get side views – just straight back through your window.
- Lean your head until it almost touches your driver’s side window. Adjust your left side mirror so you can just barely see the side of your car – no more.
- Lean your head to the passenger side as far as you can comfortably while still sitting up and adjust the right mirror so you can barely see the right side of your car.
You shouldn’t be able to see the side of your car when your head is all the way upright!
This is a great solution for those of you who might not be ready to make the commitment to stick-on mirrors!
Finally, you can buy an aftermarket mirror that clips over your OEM rearview mirror and expands your field of view. These are available at many auto parts stores, and we can recommend some if you can’t decide!
Your Family Playlist, Hot And Ready!
Hello to all of my internet friends!! It’s late spring which, as we all know, is basically summer and that means it’s ROAD TRIP SEASON!!! Are you ready?? We’ve got so many plans for this summer – some High Peaks, the Great Escape, maybe Niagara Falls and hey, we might even skip up to Montreal – or Maine for some fresh lobstah!!
Whenever my family is traveling, we’re all about the tunes. The kids have their own music that they love and honestly, I am coming around to it. I’ve also brought them around to some of the classic songs that everyone loves… or at least everyone from my generation loves! This is a segment of our favorite family road trip playlist – I thought I’d share with you, just in case your family is like mine! Listen and enjoy, and remember to get out there into the wild yonder this summer!
Road Trip Playlist
- Shut Up And Dance – Walk The Moon
- All Right Now – Free
- Sharp Dressed Man – ZZ Top
- Slow Ride – Foghat
- Roadhouse Blues – The Doors
- China Grove – The Doobie Brothers
- Runnin’ Down A Dream – Tom Petty
- I’ve Been Everywhere – Johnny Cash
- All Day And All Of The Night – The Kinks
- Ramblin’ Man – The Allman Brothers Band
- Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen
- Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Shiny Happy People – R.E.M.
- Wouldn’t It Be Nice – The Beach Boys
- Send Me On My Way – Rusted Root
- Summer Of ‘69 – Bryan Adams
- Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver
- Africa – Toto
- Purple Rain – Prince
- Take On Me – a-ha
- Beer For My Horses – Toby Keith and Willie Nelson
- Hot Blooded – Foreigner
- My Sharona – The Knack
- Bennie And The Jets – Elton John
- You Make My Dreams – Daryl Hall & John Oates
- Please Mr. Postman – The Marvelettes
- Down Under – Men At Work
- All Along The Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix
- Are You Gonna Be My Girl – Jet
Get Unstuck From The Muck And Mire
Just because the weather is warming up doesn’t mean it’s not still springtime. And you know what comes with springtime – mud. And lots of it. For a lot of folks, mud is a fun substance that you can drive through and have a lot of fun doing so. But those people have modified vehicles that have been built to handle the mud with no trouble. If you’re in your regular, everyday daily driver, you’re not going to be able to free yourself so easily once you’re stuck in a muddy mess. That’s why we have these tips for you on how to get your car out of the mud and back on the road easily and quickly!
A couple of the options you have at your disposal are nice, grippy tires, a tow strap or tow chain, or hiring a tow service. Tires are expensive, and your vehicle needs to be powerful enough to use them properly. Tow straps and chains mean that you need a reliable friend, with a truck, to come pull you out… and waiting on your friends can be tough and sometimes not even worth it. And the tow service? Well, that costs money as well, and you’ll still be waiting an age.
If you want to fix your own problem, try our favorite technique. Sure, it’s a little messy, but it works and it works fast. What is the solution, you ask? Using your floor mats.
To use this technique, you need your car mats (or old blankets, your trunk liner, or pieces of old carpet that you keep in your vehicle for this express purpose – hint hint) and a stuck car. Don’t try to get yourself out without help once you realize you’re stuck! You’ll just dig yourself in deeper.
Put your car into park, then take your mats and put just the very tip or edge under your stuck tire, with the rest of the mat in front of the tire. Get back behind the wheel and drive forward very slowly, onto the mats, until you’re out of the muck and mire.
Finally, to avoid a similar situation again, make sure that you’re consistently checking your tires. Make sure you have them filled to the proper pressure and that the treads are still in good shape… not bald or balding! If you have questions, come ask us any time!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Carriage Traders Celebrates Prom Season by Donating a Kia Forte
South Glens Falls, New York – May 11, 2018 – Carriage Traders is pleased to announce their donation of a 2018 Kia Forte to one lucky student who is in attendance at the South Glens Falls after-prom party on May 17, 2018. The winner will be chosen at the end of the event.
Carriage Traders is honored to work alongside Community Coalition for Family Wellness during this event. It is our mission to create a safe, fun, and drug-free environment for the students of South Glens Falls High School. The after-party will take place on May 17, 2018.
“We are honored to be working with Community Coalition for Family Wellness,” said Mike Romeo, General Manager of Carriage Traders. “It is important to us that students within our community have a fun prom night. But we want them to make smart, healthy choices, as well. That is where this donation comes in, we want to be a part of helping our students make smart choices.”
Students who attend the event will be entered to win a 24-month lease with 12 thousand miles a year on a new 2018 Kia Forte 4-door. In order to win, students are asked to attend the after-prom party and stay until the winner is drawn at the end of the event. It is both, Carriage Traders and Community Coalition for Family Wellness’s intent to give the students a fun, safe after-party event to enjoy while having the chance to make smart choices.
Contact:
Mike Romeo
mikeromeoct@gmail.com
170 Saratoga Avenue
South Glens Falls, NY 12803
How To Change Your Battery
With summer coming up soon, we’re going to want to avoid any time spent trying to figure out car problems, because trying to understand what’s happening under your hood while standing in the hot sun is NOT anyone’s idea of fun. Hopefully, your car won’t give you any trouble, but this week’s blog is dedicated to knowing how to change your battery successfully. Your battery won’t last forever and depending on when you bought it or when it was installed in your vehicle, you could be approaching the end of its life. Using the air conditioning puts a bit of strain on that battery, so if you should happen to need to change it in a jiffy, it’s better to have the knowledge and do it fast rather than puzzle it out in the summer heat! Check out how to do it:
First of all, the location of your battery is going to be in your owner’s manual. If you drive anything other than a regular old gasoline vehicle (i.e. a hybrid) you should 100% be checking your owner’s manual for instructions on how to change the battery.
When you’ve located the battery, make sure you know which post is the positive one and which is the negative, and which color the cables are that are attached to them. The positive post will probably have a red plastic cover, a red cable, and a plus sign (+) stamped on the battery next to the positive post. If the cables are not color coded, put some tape on them and label the cables.
With a wrench, loosen the nut or bolt that keeps the negative terminal and cable attached to the battery. Remove them from the battery, and then move on to the positive terminal. ALWAYS DO NEGATIVE FIRST!
Check your battery to see if it is being held down by clamps or tie-downs or similar and remove them if they are there. Set all of your loose parts aside where they will not be misplaced while you switch out the battery.
Now, lift out the battery without jostling it or tipping it. It is heavy, so be careful!
Next, it’s time to install the new battery! Place it in the same spot the old battery was in and make sure it is oriented the same exact way the old one was. Take the plastic caps off of the battery posts, and if there are anti-corrosion washers included then slide those on. A good idea is to smear a thin layer of Vaseline onto the posts before attaching the terminals to the battery to prevent corrosion and make sure your vehicle is always getting as much power as it needs.
Attach the terminals back on, positive first, and fasten it back down with the clamps/tie-downs that you removed before.
Give the battery a little wiggle and make sure it doesn’t move. If it does, tighten the clamps holding it down. And… you’re done! Great job! Make sure you recycle your old battery – a quick Google search will let you know the best place to do that.
That Magical Land Under Your Hood
The world under your vehicle’s hood can seem like a mystical land full of mystery and wrapped in an enigma – to some. However, if you’re informed and educated, it’s really just your engine! Inside of your engine are many different types of fluids that keep things moving along the way they should. From lubricating moving parts to keeping things cool to letting you drive the car, these fluids take care of it all. They’re incredibly important to the continued safe operation of your vehicle, and it really does behoove you to understand what they are, what they do, and how to maintain them! Check out our list of these fluids, learn more about them, and then come talk to our service pros about how you can proactively care for your engine!
- Oil
- Your oil cools your engine, lubricates moving parts, and keeps the moving parts clean.
- You should change it regularly based on dealer recommendation and check it monthly!
- Coolant
- Coolant regulates your vehicle’s temperature.
- It is located in a reservoir near the radiator.
- If the level is low (level is indicated on the reservoir) take the vehicle to the shop to get your coolant topped up.
- Power Steering Fluid
- This helps you steer the vehicle.
- It’s located in a reservoir at the base of your windshield.
- Do the same as above, if the level is low take your vehicle to the shop to get the fluid topped up.
- Brake Fluid
- Brake fluid helps braking mechanisms work properly.
- If the level is chronically low, your brakes could be wearing out.
- Windshield Washer Fluid
- As you probably know, this helps clean your windshield of dust, debris, bug guts, etc.
- If you run out, get more at your local gas station and just refill the clearly labeled tank.
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