Valentine’s Day is just over the horizon and love is in the air. While you may not be able to book a table for two, it’s the perfect time to show your car that you care. If you’re worried your affection for your automobile might be waning, we’ve listed 10 ways to rekindle that spark and show your car you care.
Give It A DIY Detail
Restore your car’s healthy glow and ensure it’s looking its best by giving it a DIY detail. Washing your car regularly not only improves its looks, but also gives the paintwork and body all the protection it needs. And if you want to spice up your automotive love affair, automotive stores carry a range of cleaning supplies to help you get down and dirty. Make sure to pick up some fluffy microfiber towels for an added bit of luxury!
Keep The Inside Clean And Organized
Nothing ruins the mood for romance quicker than a grubby, disorganized car interior. To prove your dedication to your daily driver it might be time to take out the trash from your past. Cleaning a car interior is best approached methodically by removing everything that shouldn’t be there and ditching anything you don’t need to keep. Take it one step further with a massage. Interior cleaner and a once-over with a vacuum can give you and your car a fresh start, ready to create some special memories together.
Keep Up With Scheduled Maintenance
Just like a relationship with your significant other, your car is capable of lasting long term if you commit to working on it. When you find the car that is just right for you, following your car manufacturer’s recommended maintenance plan will avoid a premature breakup. As your car ages, oils and fluids lose their lubricating and cooling properties, and parts wear out and need to be replaced. This will not only keep your car happy, but will save you money in the long run.
Get To Know Your Owner’s Manual
Relationships work better when you get to know the other party first and your relationship with your car is no different. Your owner’s manual may not be the romantic comedy you’d enjoy reading, but it will end up as a tearjerker if you ignore it. Your vehicle’s owner’s manual not only outlines how to look after your vehicle, but also instructs you on how to use the safety systems correctly and provides you with troubleshooting advice.
Practice Safe Driving
It’s always an appropriate time to discuss safe driving habits. You shouldn’t be afraid to take control of your automotive safety and well-being. Even if you are the safest driver in the world, you are still at the mercy of everybody else on the road. Learning how to remain calm and focused and how to read traffic flow can greatly reduce your chance of being caught in an accident. You should also know how to change gears smoothly, when and where to use a parking brake, and how to get in and out of a parking spot.
Avoid Tire Problems By Rotating Them
To keep a relationship fresh, switch things up once in a while. The same goes for getting the most from your tires. A tire rotation means tires are rotated to a different position on the vehicle and should be done every 7,000 – 10,000 miles. Aside from maximizing tread wear, it ensures tires wear evenly, minimizes stress on driveline components, and makes your vehicle handle better.
Get Hands-On With Basic DIY
You don’t need to know your car intimately to get your hands dirty. There are a bunch of easy checks and maintenance items you can perform on your car to save money and keep your car running at its best. Learning how to check your car’s oil and fluid levels, battery, and tire pressure and wear don’t require any mechanical knowledge and will help ensure your car is in good working order.
Break Up With Those Old Wiper Blades
Just as bad habits will harm your relationship, worn-out windshield wiper blades will harm your driving. If your wipers aren’t up to the task and make it difficult to see in the rain or snow, it’s time to install a new pair. Replacing a set of windshield wipers is about the easiest automotive repair you can do and one of the cheapest automotive parts to buy.
Make Your Headlights Shine
One of the most rewarding ways to give your car a makeover is by restoring old or scuffed headlights and making them shine like new. Over time, sunlight degrades the polycarbonate plastic that your headlights are made of, making them look discolored and worn out. Restoring car headlights is a simple job and most auto parts stores sell headlight restoration kits with everything you need to give your headlights a healthy shine.
Find A Technician You Can Trust
Sometimes even the most loyal car owners need help fixing their problems. When that happens, a trustworthy mechanic can resolve any issues and get you back on the road with a minimum of fuss. So, how do you find a good mechanic? Ideally, you want to look for one that will provide you with an accurate and honest price estimate, perform high quality work, is ASE-certified, and cover the work they do with a warranty. To make things easier, mobile mechanic services like AutoNation Mobile Service bring all of these features straight to your driveway.