Caring For Wheels And Tires

Rims and tyres are subject to contamination by brake dust and road grime on a continual basis and are probably the hardest part of your car to maintain to a high standard. In this guide, find out how to wash and clean alloy rims and wheel covers, how to remove stubborn accumulations of brake dust safely and effectively, how to clean and protect tyres, and how to apply sealant protection to alloy rims and wheel covers and prevent corrosion from setting in and causing permanent damage ...

Brake Dust - The Bane of Car Care Enthusiasts

Your wheels are probably the hardest part of your car to safely clean and protect, as they are subject to continuous contamination by brake dust and road grime. Brake dust is a major problem for owners of cars with alloy wheels, as it is corrosive, unsightly and difficult to remove. Brake dust is the product of friction between brake discs and brake pads. When braking, the surface of brake pads is worn way, producing dust that is deposited on other surfaces nearby, i.e. your rims. The compounds used to make brake pads vary greatly in hardness and metal content, meaning that the amount of brake dust generated can vary significantly between cars.

Brake dust is actually a combination of carbon fibres, metal filings and adhesive residues. It is often deposited on rims at very high temperatures, meaning that it immediately etches into any protective coatings. The adhesive residues in brake dust not only cause it to firmly bond to everything it touches, but also initiate corrosion in their own right, as they are often acidic. If that wasn't bad enough, the metal filings contained in brake dust have a tendency to oxidise, and if they do this when in contact with the metal of the rim the process of galvanic corrosion sets in. Thus, brake dust gradually erodes protective coatings until they fail, after which point the rim itself starts to corrode. This gradual erosion not only makes the rim look unsightly, but can also eventually affect the structural integrity of the wheel.

There are three ways to control brake dust. The first is to fit aftermarket low dust brake pads. Both kevlar-based compounds and high metal content compounds are effective in this respect. The second option is to fit dust shields, which can now be bought for most types of cars. These sit between the rim and the hub and shield the rim from the caliper assembly whilst still allowing ventilation. The downside of such devices is that they look unsightly and aren't suitable for performance cars where high levels of ventilation are required. The third option is to establish a proper wheel care routine. An easy thing to say, but what does this actually mean? In our experience, if you want to keep your wheels in perfect condition, it means a minimum of weekly washing and quarterly reapplication of a wheel sealant. Anything less and corrosion will occur, as we have found to our own cost in the past.

Regular washing should be the easy bit, but is often overlooked, particularly during the winter months when cold and wet weather often means that weekends are spent indoors and the notion of going outside to wash the car seems pointless. Believe us, it isn't. Get your coat and hat on and give your wheels a quick wash and don't worry about drying everything off; just make sure you get any road salt and brake dust off. It only takes a few weeks for serious etching to set in on unprotected rims and in the winter many weekends can pass by without a nice day. Once etching sets in you're facing a problem a bit like rust; no matter what you do it persistently gets worse.

Caring For Interior Surfaces

The interiors of cars are often subject to as much abuse as the exterior surfaces, yet are often neglected when it comes to detailing. It wasn't long ago that the state of the nation's car interiors made the news; apparently a very high percentage harbour levels of dirt and bacteria that are potentially unsafe to human health! In this guide, find out how to clean and protect the interior surfaces in your car, including leather and fabric seats and trims, carpets and mats, plastic and vinyl surfaces, and the glass ...

Overview of Modern Interior Materials and Cleaning Methods

The interiors of cars are often subject to as much abuse as the exterior surfaces, yet are often neglected when it comes to detailing. It wasn't long ago that the state of the nation's car interiors made the news; apparently a very high percentage harbour levels of dirt and bacteria that are potentially unsafe to human health! If you stop and think about this it is not really that surprising. Most car interiors are only cleaned once or twice a year and the rest of the time dirt and grime is continually dragged in off the street, sticky messes are deposited by children (we know all about this one), bacteria are brought in by pets and all manner of other biological nasties are deposited by way of sweating, coughing, sneezing, vomiting or worse. In addition to the dirt and bacteria deposited by the occupants, the interiors of cars are subject to degradation by exposure to the more harmful rays of the sun, and the effects of regular variations in temperature and moisture content. Over time, porous surfaces such as vinyl and rubber tend to dry out, becoming increasingly brittle and in danger of cracking and splitting. The UV rays from the sun further degrade plastic and vinyl surfaces, resulting in fading and further surface damage. Large variations in moisture content, particularly during the winter months, can encourage the formation of mould and mildew, which can give rise to unpleasant musty odours.

In contrast to other detailing tasks, cleaning and protecting the interior of your is not as straightforward as you might think. If you own a relatively new car or have looked after the interior of your car relatively well then the chances are the advice given in this guide will be sufficient to enable you to achieve great results. However, if your interior has one or more of the following problems, you would be better off in the first instance employing the services of a professional valeter; badly stained fabrics and/or carpets, obvious mould or mildew, unpleasant musty odours and strong tobacco smoke odours. Such problems need to be remedied using specialist chemicals and professional cleaning equipment, and it is quite easy to make them worse by trying to fix them yourself. The reasons for this are twofold. Firstly, car manufacturers are increasingly packing more and more electronics into modern cars, meaning that the act of shampooing has become a bit of lottery (professional valeters often have to individually inspect every car to locate any electronics before commencing work). The benefit of using a professional valeter in this case is that they should know what they are looking for and should be able to work safely, plus they are generally insured if things go wrong. The second reason for employing the services of a professional is that they will have specialist wet and dry equipment and steam machines, which enable seats and carpets to be cleaned and dried in a short space of time. In contrast, attempts at home shampooing often leave seats and carpets wet for days on end, which can encourage the formation of mould and mildew, and give rise to unpleasant musty odours.

Another potential minefield is the actual quality of the fabrics and leathers used in modern cars. What appears to be leather these days is often more likely to be textured vinyl, particularly when found on the backs of seats and on door cards. Real leather is often only used on the cushion and upright of seats, and even then it is often quite different to traditional leather. In days of old, manufacturers would take a hide and shave it into three layers. The bottom layer (suede) was discarded and used for other purposes, while the top two layers were used for various parts of vehicle upholstery. However, the modern approach is to swell the hide using a chemical process and then shave it into as many as ten layers using computer-controlled machinery. These thin layers are then pressed and stamped with a leather texture in order to mask any imperfections, and then laminated between a fabric base and an uppermost layer of clear breathable vinyl. In effect, many modern leathers are actually vinyls with a thin layer of leather veneer and require different cleaning methods as a result, in particular the use of water-based cleaners and protectants as opposed to traditional oil-based leather feeds. These issues also extend to the fabrics used in many modern cars, which are often easily stained even by small amounts of water or other liquids. The reason for such staining is not well known, but is most probably due to reactions with chemical residues left over from the manufacturing process. The upshot of all of the above is that we recommend that you should avoid shampooing or making your upholstery wet and take great care with any leather, making sure you identify what type it is and use appropriate products to clean and protect it accordingly. If the interior of your car is already in good condition then the following advice will enable you to keep it that way, meaning that you will probably never need to call on the services of a valeter. We recommend that you detail the interior of your car on a monthly basis and clean and protect any leather present on a quarterly basis.

Safe Washing And Drying

Washing is the process of removing loose grime from the exterior surfaces of your car and should normally be done on a weekly or fortnightly basis. In the following guide, find out about the benefits a lambswool wash mitt offers over a traditional yellow sponge, how to use the two bucket method, when to use a microfibre wash mitt, how to wash and rinse exterior surfaces efficiently, how to dry exterior surfaces safely, and the benefits a microfibre drying towel offers over a traditional chamois leather ...

Q. How Often Should I Wash My Car?

Washing is the process of removing loosely bonded surface contaminants, such as dust, dirt, bug remains and road salt, from the exterior surfaces of your car. Generally speaking, if your car is used as a daily driver, then washing it once a week should be sufficient to enable you to stay on top of the dirt and grime and keep it looking good most of the time. If you choose to wash your car more frequently than this, you should be aware that you run the risk of accumulating sub-surface paint defects more quickly than normal. This is because the vast majority of common sub-surface paint defects such as swirl marks and fine random scratches are inflicted during the wash process, as a result of dirt and grime being moved around over underlying surfaces. By using appropriate products and techniques this risk can be minimised, but never completely eliminated. Therefore, the frequency at which you wash your car will dictate the frequency at which the bodywork will acquire sub-surface paint defects. We recommend washing your car as little as required to keep it looking good most of the time, and certainly no more than once a week.

Is Your Car Road-Ready?

Before you pack your car and hit the road for your driving trip, the Car Care Council recommends conducting a pre-vehicle inspection to help avoid the inconvenience and potential safety hazards of breaking down miles away from home.

“A pre-trip vehicle check can determine how road-ready your vehicle is so you can take steps to have the problems fixed before your road trip,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “Having a thorough inspection done on your car will give you peace of mind as you travel and help make your journey safer.”

The pre-trip vehicle check recommended by the Car Care Council includes:

• Schedule a tune-up to help the engine deliver the best balance of power and fuel economy and produce the lowest level of emissions.

• Check the brake system and make sure the battery connection is clean, tight and corrosion-free.

• Check filters and fluids, including engine oil, power steering and brake and transmission, as well as windshield washer solvent and antifreeze/coolant. Dirty air filters can waste gas and cause the engine to lose power.

• Check the hoses and belts that can become cracked, brittle, frayed, loose or show signs of excessive wear. These are critical to the proper functioning of the electrical system, air conditioning, power steering and the cooling system.

• Check the tires, including tire pressure and tread. Underinflated tires reduce a vehicle’s fuel economy and uneven wear indicates a need for wheel alignment. Tires should also be checked for bulges and bald spots.

• Check that the gas cap is not damaged, loose or missing to prevent gas from spilling or evaporating.

How your smartphone can help you care for your car

(ARA) - If you can resist the temptation to reach for it while you're behind the wheel, your smartphone can be a great asset as you care for your vehicle. A smartphone can give you instructions for maintenance procedures while you are under the hood, help you find a part that needs fixing and get you to a trusted mechanic quicker and easier than ever before.

Whether you're a weekend mechanic or simply enjoy being able to keep a handy and accessible maintenance log, here are few ways your smartphone can help you take better care of your car:

* How-to videos. YouTube isn't just a great place to check out the latest hilarious viral video, it's a great resource for finding videos that can lead you through common car maintenance procedures. "Being able to pull up an installation video, often for your specific car, on a smartphone so you can watch while you replace parts is convenient for mechanics," says Tom Taylor, engineer and vice president of RockAuto.com.

* Parts catalogs. Knowing that it would come in handy for both professional and do-it-yourself mechanics, RockAuto.com recently released a mobile version of its comprehensive parts catalog. "Someone under a car looking at a rusty parking brake cable does not want to make a dozen trips back to the computer on their desk. We created a mobile version of our catalog for customers who want to research new parts while they are literally looking at the old parts on the car," says Taylor. With a smartphone-ready parts catalog, you can not only see your options for replacement parts, but place your order on the spot while you continue to work.

* Maintenance diaries. If you're like many conscientious car owners, you probably keep a log book in your glove box detailing everything from maintenance procedures to oil changes and even gas mileage from tank to tank. The good news is there are now a number of mobile device "apps" that can make this task even easier for you. A good car maintenance app will organize and present the notes you keep in a logical way, and even allow you to keep notes on multiple vehicles. Some even have the ability to send you reminders when you are due for an oil change or other routine maintenance procedures.

* Garage locaters. If you end up breaking down in unfamiliar territory, a smartphone can be of great assistance in finding a reputable shop. Your map app can help you locate the shops closest to you and then you can take to the Web, visit a shop's site and read reviews collected by mobile-friendly services like CustomerLobby to learn what other customers said about repairs they had done at the shop.

* Car buying info. Your smartphone can also help you if you're in the market for a new car. If you're on the showroom floor, you can use your phone to browse vehicle specifications and read reviews. Many car magazines now have mobile sites, making things that much easier, and you can even get a quick answer on what kind of fuel economy to expect at fueleconomy.gov/m.

"Car owners have long been using Internet resources for many things from answering common maintenance questions to ordering new parts," says Taylor. " There are limits on the amount of information that can be displayed on a smartphone's small screen, but the increasing availability of resources for mobile users has definitely made it easier to get many car questions answered and needs addressed while people are on the go."                        

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