Ok so i'm not sure if someone has made a post like this yet. But I had this idea for a post about car maintenance. Maybe like a checklist or something. Now there are some really obvious ones on there but some of these things people don' do. So lets get the best possible things together to make our cars look great and last a long time.

-Apply armor all via rag onto almost all of the interior of the car. Also apply it to the rubber on all of the doors and hatch. You can also apply it to the black strips on the roof of the car. This prevents cracking on the rubber.

-Every other time you was your car, throw on a coat of wax to prevent paint aging. Gives the car a real nice shine too

- Vacuum the seats/floor mats/and hatch area. Also shake out the floor mats and hatch mat as best you can.

-Every so often while driving you car, put down all 4 windows and let the car air out a bit of any dust that is floating in the air.

-Keep your first aid kit up to date and filled.

-Clean out all of the cupholders in your car to get out any soda or juice spills.

-Clean out the AC vents as best you can with a rag.(Doesnt hurt to get some dust out)

-Check your tire pressure.

-Check your oil.

-Check your battery connectors to ensure that there is no acid leaks or corrosion.

-Wipe off your seatbelts with a wet rag.( You would be suprised what can get on there)

-Clean the insides of all the windows when washing your car. Especially the windshield because use of the defroster can create a sorta moisture buildup that you wont notice til your in the sun. It gets really smudgy.

-Check all of the light functions on your car so you dont get pulled over for something stupid.

-Replace your windshield wipers as needed. Mostly after a summer. The sun destroys them and you dont notice til winter.

-Check the gas cap area for any leaks or broken seals.

-Check your window tint regularly if you have it. In case any bubbles start to appear.

Now these are just the ones I had on my mind while bored today. PLEASE post any other maintenance tips you have to help out everyone you can. Thanks a lot guys! Enjoy the Scions :D

 

Ooooo good list!

- Check your tires for uneven wearing.

- Check underneath the car to make sure everything is intact.

You covered a lot so thats all I could come up with

 

Yeah nice list, and good add ons too!

-Check and clean your intake filter
-Check and clean your air filter for the cab of the car (located behind the glove box)
-Check your spare tire, all it takes is a flat and your spare flat too or your tire changing tools not to be there!

Thats all that I can think of right now, I am actually excited to see what else people can come up with...

 

if your turbo...

-Check all your vacuum lines
-Check coolant levels and and oil in the coolant
-Check oil levels
-Check Engine breather for any abnormal venting
-Once a month, check charge pipe for any oil
-Check oil return line

 

Wow great tips guys, and gals . My main goal here is to get a giant master list of all this together. Turn it into a checklist. And go through most of them once a month. Others more often. But keep rolling in with the ideas.

 

i didint add on anything...just arranging them by exterior, interior & engine bay. hope it helps!..happy maintaining!

Exterior
-Every other time you was your car, throw on a coat of wax to prevent paint aging. Gives the car a real nice shine too
-Check your tire pressure.
-Check all of the light functions on your car so you dont get pulled over for something stupid.
-Replace your windshield wipers as needed. Mostly after a summer. The sun destroys them and you dont notice til winter.
-Check your tires for uneven wearing.
-Check underneath the car to make sure everything is intact.

Interior
-Apply armor all via rag onto almost all of the interior of the car. Also apply it to the rubber on all of the doors and hatch. You can also apply it to the black strips on the roof of the car. This prevents cracking on the rubber.
- Vacuum the seats/floor mats/and hatch area. Also shake out the floor mats and hatch mat as best you can.
-Every so often while driving you car, put down all 4 windows and let the car air out a bit of any dust that is floating in the air.
-Keep your first aid kit up to date and filled.
-Clean out all of the cupholders in your car to get out any soda or juice spills.
-Clean out the AC vents as best you can with a rag.(Doesnt hurt to get some dust out)
-Wipe off your seatbelts with a wet rag.( You would be suprised what can get on there)
-Clean the insides of all the windows when washing your car. Especially the windshield because use of the defroster can create a sorta moisture buildup that you wont notice til your in the sun. It gets really smudgy.
-Check your window tint regularly if you have it. In case any bubbles start to appear.
-Check your spare tire, all it takes is a flat and your spare flat too or your tire changing tools not to be there!

Engine Bay
-Check your oil.
-Check your battery connectors to ensure that there is no acid leaks or corrosion.
-Check the gas cap area for any leaks or broken seals.
-Check and clean your intake filter
-Check and clean your air filter for the cab of the car (located behind the glove box)

if your turbo...
-Check all your vacuum lines
-Check coolant levels and and oil in the coolant
-Check oil levels
-Check Engine breather for any abnormal venting
-Once a month, check charge pipe for any oil
-Check oil return line

 

Don't forget to get an undercarriage wash after winter to remove any salt/sand build up in snowy areas. This is what creates a majority of rust problems. Also good to put some undercoat or spray on truck bed lining to helo prevent this.
Check the volts of your battery with a voltometer.
Push down on your fenders to check your suspension, when pushed down it just just budge back up and stay there, more motion shows more signs of wear.
Rotate your tires every 5000 miles I believe.
Adjust your emergency brake when necessary, should only take 3-5 clicks to hold the brake.
Top off fluids when neccesary.

 

thanks a lot man...that rocks!

 

updated....sorry if i arranged it wrongly...

Exterior
-Every other time you wash your car, throw on a coat of wax to prevent paint aging. Gives the car a real nice shine too
-Check your tire pressure.
-Check all of the light functions on your car so you dont get pulled over for something stupid.
-Replace your windshield wipers as needed. Mostly after a summer. The sun destroys them and you dont notice til winter.
-Check your tires for uneven wearing.
-Check underneath the car to make sure everything is intact.
- get an undercarriage wash after winter to remove any salt/sand build up in snowy areas. This is what creates a majority of rust problems. Also good to put some undercoat or spray on truck bed lining to helo prevent this.
-Push down on your fenders to check your suspension, when pushed down it just just budge back up and stay there, more motion shows more signs of wear.
-Rotate your tires every 5000 miles

Interior
-Apply armor all via rag onto almost all of the interior of the car. Also apply it to the rubber on all of the doors and hatch. You can also apply it to the black strips on the roof of the car. This prevents cracking on the rubber.
- Vacuum the seats/floor mats/and hatch area. Also shake out the floor mats and hatch mat as best you can.
-Every so often while driving you car, put down all 4 windows and let the car air out a bit of any dust that is floating in the air.
-Keep your first aid kit up to date and filled.
-Clean out all of the cupholders in your car to get out any soda or juice spills.
-Clean out the AC vents as best you can with a rag.(Doesnt hurt to get some dust out)
-Wipe off your seatbelts with a wet rag.( You would be suprised what can get on there)
-Clean the insides of all the windows when washing your car. Especially the windshield because use of the defroster can create a sorta moisture buildup that you wont notice til your in the sun. It gets really smudgy.
-Check your window tint regularly if you have it. In case any bubbles start to appear.
-Check your spare tire, all it takes is a flat and your spare flat too or your tire changing tools not to be there!
-Adjust your emergency brake when necessary, should only take 3-5 clicks to hold the brake.

Engine Bay
-Check your oil.
-Check your battery connectors to ensure that there is no acid leaks or corrosion.
-Check the gas cap area for any leaks or broken seals.
-Check and clean your intake filter
-Check and clean your air filter for the cab of the car (located behind the glove box)
-Check the volts of your battery with a voltometer.
-Top off fluids when neccesary.

if your turbo...
-Check all your vacuum lines
-Check coolant levels and and oil in the coolant
-Check oil levels
-Check Engine breather for any abnormal venting
-Once a month, check charge pipe for any oil
-Check oil return line

 

loving the input peoples. keep it going.

 

Get some engine birght and clean you engine bay i usually after an oil change

 

Forgot that, yea.

Keeping your engine clean will help later down the road to see if there is any engine leaks as well as looking pimp

 

bumping for a good cause. print that list out peeps

 

armor all is bad for your plastic, just fyi

oh and. do not use soap to wash your seatbelts, use only water. soap can break down the seatbelt webbing and cause failure

 

armor all no go with plastic?? for clear plastic or for all any other plastic in the car? the dash, door panels??..no good to armor all?? will it degrade the plastic??

 

I don't like Armor All at all. I prefer the Meguiar's vinyl cleaner, just have to buff it a bit more to get the shine to go away. The AA seems to dry out quickly on the vinyl too, which is why I don't care for it.

 

I would add to NOT use ammonia based window cleaners on cars that have tinted windows. Buy an spray bottle and fill it with water and add a little soap, like a dish soap.

to me the biggest things is become familiar with the sounds your car makes, yes this may mean turning down the radio. any time i have ever had car trouble i either heard it right before the issue

water pump making noise, alternator growling, front axle making clunking noise, or even once I heard a wheel that was loose and was down to the last lug nut! or i have smelled it, hot radiator fluid has a distinct smell, as does burning oil, and electrical wires getting too hot and a burned clutch. Im not sure how you would learn these smells if you are not around repairing cars or racing a lot.. anyway if you smell something odd, figure out what it is quick.

One thing about washing, avoid the car wash place, both the automatic kind and the self-serve. Those scrub brushes are FILLED with dirt, oil, rocks and god knows what else. Had wash your car. Use your sponge on the painted things first, then on the tires and wheels, then like what said, throw the sponge away.

With each gas fill up or every other one, check oil, and glance at the other fluids and check the air in the tires. If you do nothing else, these three will help more than anything else.


to me the biggest things is become familer with the sounds your car makes, yes this may mean turing down the radio. any time i have ever had car trouble i either heard it right before the issue

water pump making noise, alternator growling. front axle making clunkin noise ect) or i have smelled it, hot radiator fluid has a distint smell, as does burning oil, and electrical wires getting too hot and a burned clutch.

 

I get my car detailed occasionally and i just recently bought a cover from carscover.com for my scion and i was wondering is it safe to put the cover on after the car gets detailed? help?

 

q-tips are great for cleaning vents and console. gets into those hard to reach places.

 

How do you adjust the emergency brake? I pull mine up all the way and it doesnt hold the car on some hills.