car care 101

[advan]

hi,

i probably use my car every other day, not so heavy driving, its a 5 year old corolla with (ive been told) very good engine, and i'd like it to stay that way :-) beyond driving, im lculess how to maintain it. i figured i should start learning how to take care of my car... im really new at taking care of cars and so i woud like to ask for your advice.

apologies for the excessive questions.

1. i was told i should have tune ups every 6 mos- correct?
2. i was told my car needs rustproofing- can anyone recommend a good shop? is there a significant diff. between 3m and dupont which one shop tells me are my options? one shop offers it at 2,200 for the 3M option. Is that a good price?
3. how often should i get a wheel rotation and alignment? any shop suggestions would be great.

my car's dark green and it looks like the color's lightening up and dull (even after a wash and wax!) i'd like to make it shiny so i was researching on buffing and read one of the older threads re: diamond gloss and polishing and sealants. my questions are-
4. is buffing the same as polishing (via autodetailing shop)? the buffing i canvassed charged 1,800 (mahal ba?) in case they're different, can polishing removed scratches?
5. are there any other DIY ways other than having a shop do it? like applying a certain liquid or something?
6. for a 5 year old car, i think the DG of ziebart is too expensive? but what othr paint protection can i opt for that comes with a reasonable price? i think i need to do something to protect the paint because unfortunately the car's not regularly wash or waxed as much as i want

7. last question regarding daily cleaning-- isnt washing the car every two days excessive and also removes the wax? how can i keep it clean everyday just so dust won't build up? a feather duster hardly does the trick, but i'm hesitant to use a "flanella" (sp?) kasi the dust might scratch the body while wiping, correct? or is it better to just clean it with water only then chomois-dry, no shampoo?

sorry for the NUMEROUS questions! advanced thanks for any advice.
any other reminders i should know about regarding car maintenance, please do let me know! :-)

zas

[theveed]

1. i was told i should have tune ups every 6 mos- correct?

Wouldn't hurt, especially for EFI cars, it's cheap and quick anyway.

2. i was told my car needs rustproofing- can anyone recommend a good shop?

Rustproofing is different from undercoating, do a search on these topics...

is there a significant diff. between 3m and dupont which one shop tells me are my options? one shop offers it at 2,200 for the 3M option. Is that a good price?

Performance mostly depends on how it is applied and how long you were able to harden the undercoat. Price is about right, could be cheaper in some gas stations, though.

3. how often should i get a wheel rotation and alignment? any shop suggestions would be great.

It should be in your owner's manual... Once or twice a year wouldn't hurt. I guess Servitek outlets are the easiest to find... Rotation, anybody can do this as long as you have a couple of jacks and jackstands, most gas stations with lifters can do this for a very small charge.

4. is buffing the same as polishing (via autodetailing shop)?

In essense, yes, the term denotes something different for each... "buffing" is usually used by painters for finishing touches... basically using a high speed rotary buffer and usually a wool pad to level paint.

Polishing is a more refined procedure utilizing less abrasive methods...

Basically, it's just a term difference for the untrained (both customer and shop).

the buffing i canvassed charged 1,800 (mahal ba?) in case they're different, can polishing removed scratches?

Price is about average of what most charges... Regarding scratches, it all depends on the actual depth of the scratch. Has to be seen to be determined.

5. are there any other DIY ways other than having a shop do it? like applying a certain liquid or something?

Check the Detailing Thread.

6. for a 5 year old car, i think the DG of ziebart is too expensive? but what othr paint protection can i opt for that comes with a reasonable price? i think i need to do something to protect the paint because unfortunately the car's not regularly wash or waxed as much as i want

Won't quote, won't be right for me to do so, but you can run a search as well, I believe there's an old thread about DG.

7. last question regarding daily cleaning-- isnt washing the car every two days excessive and also removes the wax?

No and Yes. Washing often prevents dirt from creating further damage on the paint such as etches, stains etc... Any form of cleaning, even just rainfall will affect wax durability, so simply rewaxing often will sove that problem.

how can i keep it clean everyday just so dust won't build up? a feather duster hardly does the trick, but i'm hesitant to use a "flanella" (sp?) kasi the dust might scratch the body while wiping, correct? or is it better to just clean it with water only then chomois-dry, no shampoo?

Search on "duster"...

When in doubt, wash...

Flannel/Pranella is absolutely crap.

Chamois is a not an ideal tool for the layman... Washing without soap is a no-no, especially if you plan to dry it with a chamois. Again, read the Detailing Thread from the top.

[aceshark]

^ ayos talaga si sir theveed. sinagot lahat.

[advan]

Hi theveed!

Thanks so much for the advice! You were right- what i should have been canvassing for was undercoating!:-)

Chamois is a not an ideal tool for the layman...

--YIKES! Have been using this for so long... what's an ideal material to dry after? Cotton type?

Added question tho-- I've been reading up on waxing-- and i always bump into this advice: for quality maintenance have your car waxed every 6 mos- what kind of waxing are they referring to? Washing the car even just few times already removes the shine... are they referring to some kind of high-grade waxing like the DG?

Thanks a lot! Will pass by big berts ortigas within the week. (BTW your URL isnt working?)

[ILuvDetailing]

advan: With our weather a wax application typically lasts only a couple of weeks. If you want durability, try using sealants, they will last 2-3 months.

--YIKES! Have been using this for so long... what's an ideal material to dry after? Cotton type?

Try using Microfiber towels. Specifically Microtex.

[advan]

ILD: Thanks! Will do. Is this correct: soak the car, soap, rinse, dry, sealant? then wax? if i do it this way, i wont have to wax each time i wash the car?

I forgot to ask earlier-- when soaping the car, we use a foam (the one that looks like a cheese block with big holes) -- should i be changing this to a mitt, which a lot of people here seem to be using? or is the foam ok?

[ILuvDetailing]

Well yup tama. BTW whats your car's color?

Get a wash mitt. I use the SM Reynolds Wash Mitt (available in concorde), there are better one's in the market but this is the most readily available. You can also try Meguiars Wash Mitts, mas mahal lang.

[chain]

hmm.. andun lahat ng sagot sa mga tanong mo dito

[theveed]

It's SM Arnold's hehe...

[ILuvDetailing]

[chain]

ok ah ILD.. :bwahaha:

[advan]

dehadista: nakakaoverwhelm kasi yung thread... 1000++ posts, it was a bit diffcult to follow certain questions... but i saw the 3 important and very useful threads at the page's bottom. thanks!

I suggest you download the little detailing guide I made for newbies at
http://groups.msn.com/PinasDetailin...gdocuments.msnw Hope that helps...

theveed, can I please request for a copy of this? The link directs to a dead list. also follow up lang regarding ILD's advise of steps: wash, dry, sealant, wax-- you mentioned in a different thread not to use both consecutively (sealant and wax), to just use one... will a sealant also give the car shine like a wax does?

ILD, thanks. will buy mitts- one for washing... and another waxing- right? Also, the car's dark green.

[advan]

Hi! Follow up questions, hope no one minds the mixed subjects. After wanting to have a wheel alignment, i was informed of other problems:

1. my brakes were checked at a popular car shop-- they measured the thickness of the front drums. they said that below a certain measurement (0.78mm) the drum hould be replaced, mine measured 0.69, bec it could be hazardous. i went to another shop for a second opinion and they test drove the car and poked around a bit (no measuring tho) and said they were usable but i have to change the brake pads--- should i quit worrying and go for the second opinion and just cnaged pads or is there a danger im not seeing with the first advice?

2. Brake pads- I was reading the thread and it basically boiled down to 3 ok brands: akebono ceramics, bendix and bosch, (a shop recommended arstech? (arstec?) but it seems no one knows about it ... ), any last input would be VERY MUCH appreciated before i buy this weekend, probably akebono (the obly brand no one complained of of being noisy).

3. changing tires-- they also told me to change one of the tires because of a bump, was told both front tires had to be changed sabay, i cant just change one and not the other. my question is- i've two tires lying around (used for a civic and a galant) can i just use one of these instead of buying two new ones? is it as simple as that?

4. Just to confirm. The detailing FAQ mentioned "Applicators- Foam is good for waxing"- meaning i can use the cheese-block with big holes kind of foam? Or is this referring to a specific kind of foam? feeling up the mentioned foam when it's dry, parang ang gaspang kasi, altho i suppose it will soften up once it has wax in it....

Much much thanks for any advice.