What good is a speeding roadster, a luxurious sedan, or a powerful SUV if the inside of it smells like death? Sure you’ve got all that power under the hood, but if a nasty smell hangs inside the cabin, would you even get inside to drive? Maybe in certain circumstances when you’ve no choice, you’d still drive in a nasty-smelling vehicle. But the thing is: you don’t have to suffer through that.

Lots of stuff can be done in order to prevent and even completely get rid of any and all nasty odors haunting the inside of your cabin. In fact, here’s a short list of how to do just that:

1) Lock those windows and doors, preventing rain, bugs, small critters, and whatever
else from leaving a nasty surprise in your car. Rainwater seeping into the
windows means the smell of fresh mildew in the morning. Likewise, dead bugs and
small animal droppings can really “freshen” up the cabin. So, never ever forget
to close your windows all the way and lock your doors before leaving your car
alone.

2) Open the windows if you smoke in your car as cigarette smoke is notorious for
clinging onto soft, cottony fabrics—which is what basically covers most of your
car’s interior.

3) Make sure you always leave your interior clean and free from anything perishable. A
piece of pizza or a donut can easily transform into a small ecosystem if left
overnight in the right conditions. If you forget to take note of this, you
won’t soon forget the odor it’ll leave in your cabin.

It’s just a matter of basic hygiene and responsible car ownership. Keep your car clean and you won’t be bothered by any odors. But if we’re pass that and you’re now forced to deal with these nasty odors, here are some quick and cheap remedies you can do to fix the situation:

1) Baking soda isn’t just for baking. Take a small to medium sized box of it, open it,
and leave it in the car overnight. It’ll suck the odors right out of your car.
If you’re willing to clean up the mess afterwards, you can even spread the
baking soda around a bit, making the process even more effective.

2) Charcoal is another effective solution. Take a medium-sized basin and fill it in with
different sizes of charcoal—from nearly powdered to almost rock-like. Like the
baking soda, the charcoal will slowly siphon in the offending odors.

If all else fails, turn-over the inside of your cabin. Have the seat covers cleaned, the floors swept, and the seats vacuumed. If that doesn’t do the trick, we suggest seeing a professional.

The ‘trick’ here is to just keep your car clean. Basic car hygiene goes a long way in preventing bad odors from causing bad driving experiences. So don’t just worry about what’s under the hood: follow our tips to keep your car fresh and healthy both inside and outside.

Safety should always be every car enthusiast’s priority—that’s a universal rule that we all should adhere to. Why? Simple: because statistically, automobiles are one of the most dangerous machines on the planet. There are more deaths and accidents caused by land-based automobile transportation than anywhere else in the transportation industry; so we have to at least do our part to keep our roads the safest they can be. Remember: children, families, mothers, teachers, and a lot of good people use those roads; keep that in mind the next time you’re off for a drive.

But don’t worry too much. Recent innovations have made the modern automobile a lot safer than it used to be. There’s the common seatbelt that’s repeatedly been proven to be able to save lives, even through the most terrible crashes. Add the air bag to that and you’re pretty much looking at the safest car on the road—for its drivers and passengers at least. So yes, while the modern car is already a relatively safe machine, there are a couple more things you can do to make it even safer. Here’s how:

1) If you haven’t already done so, install side marker safety lights. Armed with some bolts, wrenches, and your own owner’s manual (for the electronic connections), you can easily install these lights to the side of your car. What they’ll do is improve your car’s road visibility by informing nearby pedestrians and fellow motorists of your position, direction, and size—allowing them to better avoid any collision with you.

2) Get some motion sensors installed. Through beeping noises (and flashing lights for some models), these motion sensors can warn you when your car’s already too close for comfort against any obstacle, be it another car, a wall, the curb, or a pedestrian.

3) Make sure your tires are still treaded properly. Tire treads are designed to wave off moisture, giving your car a better grip on the road. Today, most modern tires come with markers that are positioned under and perpendicular to the treads. When your treads have worn out to the point that they’re already at the same level as the markers, then you either need to buy new tires or have your old ones retreaded.

With all that said, we can finally end with the best piece of advice we can give you regarding road safety: drive defensively. Not only will that make you a safer driver, it’ll even reduce the undue wear-and-tear of your brake calipers, engine, and other important car components. So remember: when you’re on the road, think and drive safely—not just for your sake, but for everyone else who uses our roads.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tread

There’s one hassle about driving in the city that we can’t change: the various mandatory windshield stickers that not only hampers your view of the road, but can also derail a car’s overall look and style. Whether it’s for a parking or entry permit at school, work, or home, windshield stickers are here to stay. And since these stickers aren’t designed to be permanent, there’s the added hassle of having to replace them regularly, risking damage to your windshield. So if you’re stuck with stickers that need to be removed, read on.

The main problem with removing these things is that they’re designed for semi-permanent use; their adhesives should be powerful enough to keep the sticker on the windshield for a year or two without peeling off. And industrial strength adhesives are no joke. That being said, here’s the proper procedure to follow for removing windshield stickers:

1) Find some vinegar and paper towels. The vinegar should be the strongest one you can find. Why? Because for this procedure, we’ll be counting on the acidity of the vinegar to loosen the sticker’s adhesives. For the paper towels: any thick, rather tough brand will do the trick. And while not completely necessary for the job, a rubber squeegee for window cleaning or t-shirt printing will help you later on.

2) Now lay two pieces of the paper towel down on the offending sticker, soaking the entire area covered by the paper with the vinegar. Take a break; let it sit for 10 minutes or so.

3) Remove the paper towel. Push and pull on the surface of the sticker to see if it’s loosened up. If it has, use a fingernail to slowly peel off the sticker from one side, being careful to not rip anything off. If it hasn’t loosened completely, repeat step 2. Otherwise, continue.

4) If the sticker’s still difficult to remove, here’s when the rubber squeegee will come in handy. Use its “sharp” edge to poke at the adhesive part of the offending sticker. If it’s still difficult, apply vinegar to the sticker as you poke with the squeegee.

That wasn’t so bad now was it? And it only cost you some paper towels and vinegar (plus the rubber squeegee if you needed it). Now it’s just a matter of getting whatever new sticker you need to get. Should you need to repeat this job in the future, just check back with us if you’ve forgotten a couple steps.

Sources:

http://www.ehow.com/how_6693245_remove-stickers-windshields.html

A specter is haunting America, a silent killer which, given the right circumstances, can kill an engine. In the old days, auto engineers gave this specter the moniker “Black Death”, and for good reasons. We’re talking about the specter of car cholesterol in your engine oil. Also known as sludge, the Black Death is the buildup of overused and overheated lubricating oil that’s circulating your engine. In the same way rising cholesterol levels are slowly clogging American hearts, improper oil use in internal-combustion engines are really doing a number on American cars.

If left unchecked, rising levels of sludge can seep into every part of your engine, acting as a rubber-like substance that goes anywhere it can—rendering an engine unable to move and useless. This kind of condition can only be fixed by an overhaul. And as we all know, an engine overhaul isn’t just daunting, it’s also way expensive. So to prevent that from happening, here are a couple things to remember when dealing with the Black Death:

1) Never lose your owner’s manual. If you’ve lost it already, order a new one. Your manual won’t just tell you how much oil you need to put in your engine, it’ll tell you exactly what kind of oil your engine needs in order to perform at optimum condition. Having the wrong type or amount of oil in your engine is a leading cause of sludge buildup.

2) There’s also the case of not knowing when to change engine oil on time. Some experts suggest that changing oil every 3,000 miles is enough to prevent sludge; but really, it depends on the make and model of your vehicle as well as how you use it. So to find out exactly when you need to change engine oil, consult your manual.

3) And even if you’re unassisted by your own car’s technical manual, there’s still something you can do: watch out for the early warning signs of sludge buildup. Look to your oil pan, a sump for the oil to collect in when not in use. If sludge, and not oil, is the first thing to pour out once you take off the oil pan’s drain plug, that’s a definite sign that you should have your engine checked.

4) Finally, you can always “listen-in” on your engine’s vibrations. Sludge causes blockages, and these blockages can and will cause strange, irregular rumblings in your engine. Try doing step 4 if you’re experiencing this.

While auto maintenance is no picnic, there are many things we can do to make the job easier. Remember: prevention is always better than a cure. So if your car’s showing signs of sludge buildup, immediately get it checked out by a professional. You don’t want the Black Death claiming another victim, especially if it’s your own car.

Sources:

http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Prevent_oil_sludge

Two years ago, those flame decals on your fenders and windshield must’ve looked awesome. But we’re guessing that due to harsh road conditions as well as unfavorable weather, nature might’ve already done a number on a couple parts of those decals—leaving your car stuck with weathered old stickers that just make it look tacky. Before you head on to your local auto-repair shop to have the problem resolved, why not take a shot at it first?

Removing any sticker from your car can be tricky. But by following these few easy steps, you’ll be able to remove not just those weathered down designer decals and brand-name stickers; you can even use this method to peel off an expired parking or car registration windshield sticker.

See, what all these stickers on your car have in common is that they’re applied with an industrial adhesive that’s designed to keep the stickers in place for years. What we’re going to learn today is how to break down or dissolve these adhesives in order to properly and easily remove any sticker without damage to the surface it’s stuck on.

First off, there’s a number of dissolving agents you can use to do the job, some of which might already be in your own kitchen or garage. The strongest vinegar you can find is one. You’ll also need a window cleaning agent. For the tools, you’ll just need some paper towels and a window cleaner with a rubber squeegee. And finally, if you have any olive or canola oil, it’ll be useful later.

Now, with your fingernails, start peeling off one part of the decal or sticker you want to remove. Peel as slowly and as steadily as you can until a part of the decal rips. Once that happens, cover the entire area with a paper towel that’s soaked with vinegar. Now sit it out for 10 minutes to let the vinegar work its magic.

Remove the paper towel and again, try to peel off the decal with your fingers. Once the decal is raised high enough, apply window cleaner on the adhesive surface to make the peeling even easier. Use the rubber squeegee to slowly scrape the decal off; do this while constantly making sure that the area is wet with window cleaner. Why use a rubber squeegee in place of a knife? Simple: to avoid any surface damage to the area.

Once you remove the decal, some residue from the adhesive might still be left on the area. This is where the olive or canola oil comes in. Simply soak a paper towel and rub the offending area in even, circular motions until free of residue. You can even use lighter fluid if you’ve no cooking oil to spare.

It’s as easy at that. And it’ll only cost you a few minutes of your time plus a couple easy-to-find household items. Remember these procedures and you’ll be able to remove any decal or sticker right in the comfort of your own garage.