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| Click on a
Subject |
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| Maintenance
Cleaning
Accident
Paint
& Finish
Weather |
|
| Maintenance |
| Once a week
or at each fill-up: Check your oil, water, wiper fluid,
engine coolant/antifreeze level, and tire condition and
pressure |
| Monthly:
check Inspect transmission fluid and brake fluid, windshield
wiper blades, and power steering fluid. Review condition of
belts, hoses, and battery cables. |
| Every 3
months or 3,000 miles: Change oil, oil filter, and air
filter. Inspect engine drive belts, shock absorbers, and all
lights on car. Check battery. |
| Every 6
months or 6,000 miles: Check the brake system, and inspect
and/or rotate tires. Review condition of clutch system (manual
transmissions), and chassis lubrication. |
| Once a year:
Have underbody flushing performed, and service engine cooling
system (which should include inspecting the radiator, water
pump, fan belt, thermostat(s), radiator cap, and anti-freeze).
Check accelerator control system, and lubricate doors, locks,
hinges, and parking brake. |
| 15,000 miles:
Inspect automatic transmission. Change auto transmission fluid
and filter. |
| 30,000 miles
or 2 years: Change spark plugs and fuel filter, inspect
spark plug wire, check engine timing. |
|
Note: In some cases, automakers do not advise tire
rotation. Check your manual to find out when wheel alignment
and wheel balancing are necessary.
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|
Cleaning
your Vehicle |
Inside
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|
Dashboards |
- Apply protectant with a rag and avoid spraying directly
on the dash.
- Use a vinyl protectant regularly to prevent fading and
cracking.
- Once vinyl protectant is applied, it will need to be
re-applied regularly to prevent drying and cracking.
- Vinyl dashes can also be cleaned using Lemon Pledge,
which leaves a nice smell, too.
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|
Upholstery |
- Vacuum regularly to remove dirt, salt, leaves and other
items that can damage carpets and mats.
- Clean Leather interiors with leather products that are
designed to penetrate the pores.
- For leather, avoid high-alkaline content which can
bleach the color.
- Use only upholstery cleaners designed for cars, not
household cleaners.
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| Outside |
- Remove leaves and bird droppings from your car as soon
as possible to prevent the release of acid that can
permanently stain your finish.
- Avoid parking under trees that release sap. If sap falls
on vehicle, use finger nail polish remover on a cotton
ball to remove. Use a paste of water and baking soda to
wash off the remover, then apply wax.
|
| Car Washes |
- Avoid brush-style car washes as they cause dirt to
scratch the car's finish.
- Use the lowest setting in do-it-yourself car washes to
avoid "blasting" grit into the car's finish.
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| Hand Washing |
- Avoid washing your car in the sun.
- Avoid household detergents and soaps as they strip your
car's protective surface causing the finish to dry out and
age prematurely.
- Wash in straight lines with overlapping strokes to
reduce the standing water you need to dry off.
- Clean tires first, then the wheels to prevent
irreversible corrosion caused by brake dust and road salt.
- Be sure to wash the inside bottom edge of doors, lift
gate, hood and trunk to eliminate the trapped dirt and
moisture that can cause premature rusting.
- Never wax your car in direct sunlight to prevent the
surface temperature of your car from causing the chemicals
in the wax to damage your finish.
- Look for car wax which contains imported vegetable wax,
which is safe for your car's finish.
- Avoid waxes that promise to remove dirt, oxidized paint
or scratches as they are not pure wax and can actually
remove paint from your vehicle.
- Do not "polish" light scratches as new car
finishes have a clear coat finish that can be damaged.
|
| Moldings
& Bumpers |
- Mask off all textured moldings and bumper parts before
rubbing on wax to avoid discoloring or other damage.
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|
|
Accident,
what to do?
|
- Turn off your vehicle's engine and leave it where it is if you
feel it is safe to do so. If you feel threatened, or your car is
in danger of being hit by another car, slowly drive to a place
where you feel safe, such as the side of the road or a well-lit
parking lot.
- Keep calm.
- Are you injured? Assess the amount of impact and judge to what
degree you may be hurt. If you think you're injured, stay in
your car and try to relax. Be honest if anyone asks how you are.
Ask someone to call for help and let a professional assess your
condition.
- Assess your situation. When examining the possible damage to
your vehicle, NEVER walk directly between the two cars - if one
is hit again, you could be trapped between the two vehicles.
- Provide medical help to others ONLY if you are trained to do
so.
- Call the police. Dial 9-1-1 first. If that doesn't work, dial
0 and ask for the police.
- Don't say the accident was your fault, even if you believe it
was.
- Be tactful and courteous, even if you're angry.
- Get the names, addresses and phone numbers of any witnesses.
If you can't get their names, at least get their license plate
numbers.
- Exchange names, addresses, license numbers and insurance
information with any other drivers involved in the accident.
- Know where you want to get the damage to your vehicle
repaired. Be it known that, we at Auto Concepts stand ready to cheerfully
assist you in any way possible. Call on us!
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AUTO
CONCEPTS
505 Straus Rd.
Cedar Hill, Texas 75104
Reservations:
(972)
291-0252
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