Make Your Car Indestructible: 26 Tips for Car Maintenance
In second-hand car transactions, the key indicator is how well a car has been maintained. Why do some cars still look brand new after 5 or 6 years of use? It's because they have been well-maintained. Below, I will share with you 26 small tricks to keep your beloved car forever young.
Trick (1) How to eliminate wiper blade vibration and noise: Use pliers to adjust the gaps at the joints and where the rubber blade is attached.
Trick (2) How to extend the life of the bulb: After buying a car or replacing a new bulb, wipe it with alcohol to remove fingerprints and oil stains.
Trick (3) How to reduce tire noise: Stick a layer of black felt or velvet on the inside protective plate of the front wheels.
Trick (4) How to eliminate noise caused by uneven tire wear: After four-wheel alignment and balancing, find a bicycle repairman, borrow or buy a wooden file, and smooth out the uneven parts of the tire surface.
Trick (5) How to extend the life of the silencer: Drill a small hole in the lowest point of the silencer. The principle is simple: drainage prevents corrosion.
Trick (6) How to start and accelerate quickly: In the case of an empty load or less load, start directly in second gear (no need to worry about vehicle damage, because first gear gears and clutch are designed for heavy loads, and most cars shift from first gear to second gear smoothly), push into third gear after reaching over 3000 rpm, then reach over 3000 rpm again, at this point most cars will fall behind you, switch gears calmly to fourth and fifth gears, or directly change to fifth gear (suitable for highway toll stations), without increasing fuel consumption. You can try it.
Trick (7) Simple treatment for engine shaking when starting in the morning: Because some cylinders don't work well and valves don't close tightly, one way is to run on highways (costly), another way is to run at high rpm in third or fourth gear for a while (cost-effective), the effect is the same. If the car doesn't shake when warm but shifting isn't smooth (manual transmission), it might be due to uneven fuel injection from the injectors, which needs to be tested and cleaned. (There are many other methods that have been discussed by everyone.)
Trick (8) How to prevent the antenna from being stolen: Unscrew the antenna, apply strong adhesive to the threads, and tighten it. This works very well.
Trick (9) How to pass the brake test easily: Unplug the control wire harness on the ABS pump, then plug it back in after the test, it does not affect normal use, and clear fault codes when you have time at the repair station.
Trick (10) Where to store items that are not often used but must be carried: Open the trunk and check the spare tire area, it's the largest storage space.
Trick (11) How to improve air circulation inside the car and defrosting effect: Replace the dust filter core (inside the engine compartment) with sponge of the same size, it increases airflow and can be washed and reused, and defrosts faster in winter, so there's no need to turn on the fan when driving long distances, saving fuel.
Trick (12) How to keep the clutch (manual transmission) easy to use for a long time: When changing brake fluid, ask the maintenance personnel to drain the waste oil from the clutch slave cylinder. Since the clutch and brakes use the same oil reservoir, it may be difficult, but it should be done.
Trick (13) What to do if you feel the brakes aren't as effective as before: At red lights, press the brake pedal hard a few times, it will work effectively, like turning back the clock.
Trick (14) How to simply prevent the car from drifting: 1. Increase the air pressure of the drifting direction's front tire or decrease the air pressure of the opposite direction's tire; 2. Adjust the toe-in within the specified range; 3. After four-wheel alignment, take advantage of the merchant (a bit tricky).
Note: Most vehicles drift to the right because of using the right side to go up curbs.
How to adjust the height of the headlights yourself: If you find the in-car adjustment of the headlights is not ideal, open the hood, there is a small hole above the headlights, inside is a hex screw, adjust it with the screwdriver provided in the car.
Trick (20) How to use leftover oil: Combine the remaining oil from several oil changes, flush the engine. Or after running 4000 km, draw out some oil from the dipstick and add the remaining oil, then run another 3000 km before changing the oil. This is good for the engine and economical.
Trick (21) How to save effort when changing tires: Find a suitable iron pipe 30-50 cm long, place it in the car, and use it as an extension for the tire wrench, increasing torque. (It's not a weapon, but it can also be used for self-defense.)
Trick (22) How to prevent audio and window lifters from failing when changing the battery (non-professional places): Do not dismantle the old battery first, find two thin wires, connect one wire from the positive terminal of the new battery to the positive terminal wire clamp of the old battery, use another wire to connect the negative terminal of the new battery to the negative terminal wire clamp of the old battery (the car body also works), this way there will be no power interruption, change confidently.
Trick (23) How to use manual air conditioning to adjust the temperature inside the car: After turning on the compressor, adjust the temperature knob according to the temperature. Sometimes in spring and autumn, turning on the air conditioning feels cold, opening the window is dirty and noisy, and increases fuel consumption at high speeds. Suggest adjusting the temperature knob, this also reduces fan noise. Try it if you don't believe me. This method also applies to winter glass defrosting.
Trick (24) If you find insufficient battery power in the morning when starting the car, the battery has electricity, but the starter motor struggles to start. There is a temporary solution: Pour a bottle of hot water over the battery, turn off all electrical devices, including closing the car door (there is a foot lighting lamp below). Wait for 5-10 minutes and you can start the car. Then drive to replace the battery.
Trick (25) How to fix loose door handles and stiff key rotation yourself: Open the front door, you will see a plastic cover on the side, pry it open and you will see a screw inside, loosen it a few turns (don't let it fall off), from the outside you can pull out the lock core, there is a cable connected to the handle, adjust the tightness of the cable. The screws for the rear door are hidden under the seal strip, move it aside. Before installation, apply lubricant inside the lock core. This way, the door handles and locks will be easy to use, restoring them to their original state.
Trick (26) How to solve the problem of loose and raised decorative strips on the rear door: Pry them up, apply some glue inside, and press them down. Because loose and raised decorative strips not only affect the appearance, but also affect the seal (if the seal is poor, it will shorten the life of the window lifter) and the sound of closing the door.
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