Spring Car Care Tips

[Nick McKees37]

We're almost 3 weeks into spring (insert round of applause here) which means most of us have re-arranged our shelf of detailing supplies to reflect the new season.

I thought it would be cool to make a thread where everyone could share their spring car care tips.

I'll start:

Spring = Bug Splatter

It is VERY important to remove bug guts before they etch your paint (bug guts are acidic). Check out the how-to guide below for more information on how to properly remove bug guts before they damage your paint.

Bug Removal: The Products & Know-How to GET IT DONE! (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/48718-bug-removal-products-know-how-get-done.html)



http://www.autogeekonline.net/nick/Diamondite%20Bug%20Eraser%202012/Intro.jpg


"Ewwww! That's nasty!"

Bug season is here in southern Florida which means the front end of your car will be getting way too personal with the insect that fills our highways, the "love bug." I don't think the love bug is a good match for the front end of our cars and neither does Diamondite, which is why they have a product designed to erase bugs.

Bug Eraser, by Diamondite, is an intense cleaner designed to break down bug remains before they cause any damage to your vehicle's delicate finish. As soon as you spray Bug Eraser onto your vehicle's paint, glass, chrome, or plastic trim, it immediately starts softening the bug remains, making removal effortless. It's so advanced you can even use it without water for on-the-go bug removal.



http://www.autogeekonline.net/nick/Diamondite%20Bug%20Eraser%202012/DSCN2039.JPG


By the time I had sprayed down the front end of Jason's Tundra with Diamondite Bug Eraser, the Safe Scrub Bug & Tar Pad was ready for use. For anyone that has used a Safe Scrub Bug & Tar Pad, you're well aware of how soft it gets after a couple minutes of soaking in a high-quality wash solution. It becomes very malleable, reassuring its claims that it's paint safe.......




Engine Detailing

Kick off the warm weather by detailing your engine! Learn how to detail your engine like a professional in the guide below.

How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/50352-how-detail-your-engine-like-professional.html)



http://www.autogeekonline.net/nick/Engine%20Detailing%20How-To/engine%20detailing%20intro.jpg


One of the most overlooked aspects of car care and detailing is our engine bay. Why? Because when you polish paint, there is no fear of damaging a $283 sensor or having water go into your intake, causing potential engine failure. Take a second and think back to the first time you started researching paint correction and the proper steps necessary to ensure success. At first, the thought of touching your precious paint with a power tool made you cringe, until you learned that, like anything else, there is a right way and a wrong way of doing things. Fast forward to present time and try to imagine going without your Flex XC3401 or Porter Cable 7424xp and picture all the swirls, water spots and scratches that you previously ignored until you discovered a machine polisher. Now if that doesn't make you cringe, nothing will.


The finished product

Check out the before and after!



http://www.autogeekonline.net/nick/Engine%20Detailing%20How-To/engine%20detailing%201.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/nick/Engine%20Detailing%20How-To/engine%20detailing%2052.JPG


Now that you have the knowledge to detail your engine like a professional, all you need is the products and a sunny Sunday afternoon. From here on out, there should no longer be any dirty engine bays on AutogeekOnline.net....


Don't be shy - share YOUR spring car care tips! :dblthumb2:

[Finemess]

Good tips Nick, thank you. This is the time of year I break out the Cal. duster for pollen removal. Be sure to use a light touch with it. Also cleaning windshield every day when I get home.

[Nick McKees37]

Good tips Nick, thank you. This is the time of year I break out the Cal. duster for pollen removal. Be sure to use a light touch with it. Also cleaning windshield every day when I get home.

Great tip Rich! :dblthumb2:

[FUNX650]

Hi Nick...

After this weekend...there's supposedly going to be a stretch of weather with no below freezing
temperatures in my area of the Country. Perhaps, then, I can finish ordering my supplies.

(This is nothing like the inclimate weather some folks up-north
and in the plains-States are currently experiencing.)

Speaking of my area of the Country...
This time of the year brings out a plethora of bugs;
dirt/mud-riddled roads from: The tilling-of-the-soil;
and (even more of) the construction orange barrels.

Because of this:
I've found it best to keep on hand:
-A plentiful supply of Bug&Tar remover;
-Auto-glass cleaners;
-Good hose/nozzle assemblies;
-And, Ro-Mix's: Back-Set...to remove/wash-off concrete-slurry as soon as possible.

:)

Bob

[KillaCam]

Thanks for reminding me to clean my engine bay! That's my least favorite part to clean on the car. I might have to touch it up a bit when I change the oil this weekend.

[Nick McKees37]

Keep 'em coming! :dblthumb2:

[A1MobileDetailing]

Great articles Nick! Also great tips everyone.
With spring often comes lots of rain and storms, so it is a good time to clean your windows and protect them. Also a good time to check your wiper blades and washer fluid levels. One of my biggest pet peeves is riding with someone that has a dirty unprotected windshield and bad wiper blades. :doh:
It is also a good time to polish your headlights and restore them if need be. Just remember that driver visibility is key to safe driving.:xyxthumbs:

[ihaveacamaro]

I got a video on how to make bulk chemical dilutions quickly and easily coming up.

While the idea may originally seem stupid, mixing in a spray bottle and having to remake it throughout the detail is frustrating and worst of all time consuming. Making chemical dilutions in bulk makes it easy to get to work and stay at work.

[Durallymax]

Where is this spring you speak of?

Yesterday within a 10 mile stretch I drove through sun, rain, sleet, blizzard, and back to sun again. Did that everywhere.

Today is our first whole sunny day in a long time.

[A1MobileDetailing]

Where is this spring you speak of?

Yesterday within a 10 mile stretch I drove through sun, rain, sleet, blizzard, and back to sun again. Did that everywhere.

Today is our first whole sunny day in a long time.

Apparently winter hasn't gotten the memo. :(