1. Paint does more than make your vehicle look great. It’s also the first line of defense against rusted body panels. The best way to protect the paint is to park the car in a garage. If that is not possible, park in the shade or purchase a car cover. The sun’s ultraviolet rays break down paint and cause it to fade.
2. Touch-up paint won’t adhere well to rust. So be sure to keep some matching touch-up paint on hand so you can touch up any minor nicks, often found around door edges and keyholes.
3. A cracked taillight or turn signal cover can be much more serious than it seems. If left alone, your light compartment could fill with water and cause some real damage. A good short-term fix is to tape over the crack. Use the red or orange tape that’s available at auto parts stores and that’s made for this.
4. Take your car to a windshield repair shop when the windshield has a rock chip, crack, or ding. For far less cost than replacing the windshield, they can fix chips and cracks, even quite long ones. The repairs not only keep the chips and cracks from spreading and restore structural integrity, but they also improve clarity.
5. Cracked washer/de-icer fluid tanks are fairly common once a car is of a certain age. Until you can buy a new tank or find one at the junkyard, insert a plastic freezer bag into the tank and fill it with the washer fluid.
6. Protect your car’s roof from scratches with an old blanket before tying lumber, bicycles, or luggage to your roof rack.
7. The beginning of the end for the finish on many cars and trucks is a poorly stowed load. It’s the same for wagon and hatchback interiors. Invest in the appropriate racks for bicycles, cargo, and luggage. To keep tall objects from sliding around in a pickup truck bed, use a shower curtain rod (or two) as a brace. Just push the cargo against the front wall of the truck bed and install the rod behind it. Twist to secure. Cargo nets will also help keep objects from banging around and damaging a truck bed.
8. Wheel-well splashguards are often flimsy, but they’re important. They help keep water and winter’s salty slush from splashing up into the engine compartment, where it can damage sensitive electrical components. Unfortunately, these guards tear off easily, so check for damage when you wash your car. Resecure with the appropriate fasteners or replace as needed.
9. The fastest corrosion occurs when the temperature repeatedly rises above and then falls below freezing. Washing is more important in the winter than any other time of the year. All that sand, slush, and ice mixed with road salt is exactly what makes your car rust—especially the undercarriage.
10. New self-adhering urethane films have been developed to protect the most vulnerable painted areas on your car from stone chips and other minor abrasions. You can wash and wax these surfaces, just as you would the rest of the paint job.
11. Too much pressure will scratch the clear plastic lenses on your dashboard. Use a soft damp cloth to lightly wipe the dust off. Too many scratches can make it difficult to read your gauges under certain lighting conditions.
12. Wipe a rubber protectant (such as Armor All) or silicone on door and window weather stripping to keep it in good condition. Don’t use an oil-based product, such as WD-40, because the oil will damage the rubber. Bad weather stripping should be fixed immediately.
13. All manner of food bits and liquids can accumulate under a baby seat, where they can permanently stain the upholstery. Place a sheet of heavy plastic and an absorbent towel under the seat to prevent damage, and resecure the seat according to the manufacturer’s directions.