Funny Vehicle Hacks for Lazy Car Owners

Posted on January 24, 2022 by junkcars17

Life is full of all sorts of obligations and to-do lists. So, who really has time to take perfect care of their vehicles? Not many! If you are a self-diagnosed lazy car owner, you are not alone. There are thousands, if not millions of other drivers out there looking for an easier way to maintain their vehicles. Accordingly, you will be thrilled to learn some funny and effective hacks that help you stay current on your car care responsibilities.

Continue below to get started!

Car Maintenance Hacks You Need to Know

Of course, you cannot rely on just a few simple car hacks when it comes to taking good care of your vehicles. Routine maintenance implemented by a licensed mechanic is vital to overall vehicular performance, and most importantly, safety. However, there are some silly, yet effective, automotive hacks that can truly make life a lot easier for you! Here are some top-recommended ones to try out right away:

Use a Penny to Check Tire Tread

Are you always wondering about the condition of your tires, but you are too lazy to take your car into a tire shop for service? Well, just use a penny to check your tire tread. When treads are 4/32 of an inch or lower, tires should be replaced; anything below 2/32 of an inch is illegal! To measure your tire tread, just place a penny headfirst inside the tire groove. If you can see if Lincoln’s head, your tread is low.

Headlight Restoration With Toothpaste

Yes, toothpaste. You can use toothpaste to clean your teeth, treat acne, and even clean your headlights and taillights! Headlights can oxidize overtime, which causes them to cloud up. You can eliminate this cloudiness with a simple toothpaste polish. Any paste will do; just squirt some on and polish it off with a clean wet rag!

De-Clutter With Cereal Containers and Shower Caddies

Are you one of those car owners whose vehicle is always clutter with an endless pile of trash, accessories, makeup, and more? Well, buy yourself a plastic cereal storage container to use as a portable car trashcan! Then buy a shower caddy to place in your car and use as an organization station for sunglasses, blush, lip balm, notepads, tablets, chargers, and all other things that typically get lost in the clutter.

Keep Takeout Warm With Seat Heaters

Does your car have seat warmers? If so, be sure to turn them on when you have Chinese takeout or pizza carryout on your passenger seat! It really works! This is especially helpful for those long, after-work commutes home or unanticipated traffic delays.

Freshen Up the Interior With Dryer Sheets

When you don’t have time to take your car into the detail shop or stop by the store for some new car air fresheners, just take a little trip to your laundry room instead. Stuffing fresh dryer seats in the creases of seat cushions and underneath the driver and passenger seats can create a fragranced and refreshed interior cabin environment. Plus, it saves you a lot of money!

Apply Nail Polish to Window Cracks for a Temporary Fix

Do you have a crack in your window, but you don’t have time to take your car in to the shop right now? Just apply a little nail polish to mitigate the growth of the crack. As a temporary solution, you can use a clear nail polish on a window crack in your car to prevent the crack from worsening. This will give you little more time before having to take your car in for repair.

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Vital Car Fluids and What You Need to Know About Them

Posted on December 3, 2021 by junkcars17

Your vehicle is an important asset that requires routine maintenance and responsible driving to perform safely, efficiently, and for many years. Among the various car maintenance requirements for all vehicles, regardless of make or model, automotive fluid management is arguably the most important task. Your vehicle requires 7 of them, all at once, without exception. Do you know what they are?

Continue reading to learn the seven essential automotive fluids every vehicle needs to drive safely and stay in good condition for years to come.

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Your Vehicle Needs These 7 Car Fluids

Motor Oil

Engine oil is of course one of the most well-known and significant fluids for cars and trucks. It lubricates all the inner workings and moving parts of a car engine’s crank case to reduce heat-causing friction. Without proper lubrication at all times, parts like pistons, valves, and more, are subject to damage. This renders a motor useless.

Depending on the make and model of your particular vehicle, the schedule for oil changes will vary slightly. Check your owners’ manual or consult a trusted local mechanic for information about your vehicle’s factory scheduled maintenance. Generally, motor oil should be changed every 5,000 or 6 months, whichever comes first.

Radiator Fluid

Your vehicle’s coolant is a must, since without it, your car is sure to overheat. Radiator fluid, also called coolant or antifreeze, is a 50/50 combination of solution and water, and can come in a variety of colors depending on the brand and type you buy. It keeps the engine from overheating by circulating through the engine and collecting heat, returning it to the radiator, and then dispersing this heat outside. This should be changed as needed, depending on how often you drive and your driving habits. Generally, coolant should be changed every 3 to 5 months, or 3,000 to 5,000 miles.

Windshield Wiper Fluid

Most often forgotten or overlooked, windshield wiper fluid is an essential part of driver and passenger safety. This is a fluid anyone can re-fill themselves, as needed. Simply by this well-known blue solution at a gas station or auto parts store. Refill as needed.

Transmission Fluid

Transmission fluid is red in color and very similar to motor oil in terms of its function. This is because it cools and lubricates the inner workings of a vehicle’s transmission. This keeps the vehicle’s gears in good condition, allowing for easy gear changes and functionality. Generally, this fluid should be changed one time per year. Again, check your owner’ manual, or download one online, for specific maintenance schedule information.

Brake Fluid

In terms of passenger safety, you might say brake fluid is the most important for a vehicle. Brake fluid allows for proper hydraulic functioning of the car brakes. When you push down on the brake pedal, the brake fluid compresses, sending hydraulic force to the brake pads and shoes, which provides the friction needed to stop a vehicle. Generally, brake fluid should be replaced every 2 years, or 30,000 miles. Check your owners’ manual for details.

Power Steering Fluid

Power steering fluid is pressurized by a small hydraulic pump that is powered by the vehicle’s engine. It allows the vehicle to turn easier. This fluid enhances the steering mechanism of a car or truck. Without it, it would feel as if the steering wheel weighs 100 pounds. Power steering fluid needs replaced generally every 4 years or 60,000 miles.

Battery Fluid

If your vehicle has a “maintenance-free” battery, then you will not be required to check its fluid levels. But for older model cars and trucks, batteries have individual cells that need to be refilled with battery fluid. This fluid, of course, maintains the car battery’s power, allowing for turning the ignition and starting the engine. Battery fluid should be changed generally every 6 to 8 months or 7,500 miles.

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The Most Effective Solutions for Smelly Car Problems

Posted on October 14, 2021 by junkcars17

Does your car smell? If the odors that are inhabiting or coming from your vehicle have become so pungent that you are no longer nose blind to them, it may be time to diagnose the issue and implement a plan of attack. Continue reading to learn the most effective solutions used to treat a variety of smelly car problems, as well as what to do if you have no luck after exhausting all efforts.

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What Does Your Car Smell Like?

In order to diagnose the culprit behind your smelly car problems, you must try to identify the type of odor you are detecting.

Does your car smell sour or rancid? If your car smells rancid or sour, you may have an empty milk carton or juice box collecting mold underneath a seat somewhere. Sour smells could also be indicative of rotten fruit.

Does it smell like gasoline? If you are smelling gasoline odors, you could have a faulty gas cap or a leak in your fuel tank, which would require immediate auto repair. Or, you may have just spilled some gasoline in your car.

Does it smell like something is burning? The smell of burning rubber is often indicative of slipping drive belts in the engine or loose hoses that are rubbing against the rotating accessory drive pulleys. The smell of burnt carpet indicates a problem with a vehicle’s braking system, which is a serious hazard that requires immediate repair.

Does it smell like rotting meat or rotting eggs? If you smell something like rotting meat or decay, you could have a dead animal somewhere in your car. It could also just be last season’s fast food burger you forgot to clean out. The smell of rotten eggs, or sulfur, is a sign that your car’s catalytic converter is defective.

Is it musty or wet? Smelling moist or musty odors can be a sign that your auto AC system is moldy or malfunctioning. It could also mean that your interior upholstery is very dirty and old.

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How to Treat Car Smells

If your car odor problems are caused by an automotive repair issue, the best way to treat the odors is to have your vehicle repaired or serviced. If the issue is simply due to your upholstery being old or a recent spill that left residual odors, an interior steam and carpet cleaning package at your local car wash is your best bet. Follow up with store-bought air fresheners and deodorizers specially designed for automobiles.

Getting Rid of Dead Animal Smell in Your Car

If your smell comes from a dead animal, you will need to perform a few tasks to rid the vehicle of odors. First, you have to find the animal and have it removed. This has to be done by a mechanic if the animal is inside the vehicle’s undercarriage parts. Squirrels, chipmunks, and birds are the most common critters found nesting inside vehicles.

Once you remove the dead animal, you can treat the odor. This should also be done by a professional. They will first use a saturated, ultra-hot dry steam to clear out the filtration system of the vehicle and kill all odorous bacteria. Then they will use deodorizing agents followed by an antimicrobial treatment.

How to Remove Gasoline Odors in Your Car

If you spilled gasoline on your car’s carpeting or upholstery, like your car seats or trunk bed, go for the classic baking soda and white vinegar combination attack. Combine equal parts water, vinegar, and baking soda, and then dip a cloth into the solution and delicately rub it into the spill.

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Why Routine Air Filter Replacement is Important for Your Car

Posted on November 4, 2020 by junkcars17

In a similar way to most living creatures, vehicles also need to be able to “breathe” clean air. Although vehicles do not have lungs, they rely on a need to “breathe”, or more accurately, “filter air.” To ensure your car is filtering air properly, you will need to stay current on air filter replacement. Otherwise, you can set your car up for premature failure, and run it into the ground before it’s due day. So, your vehicle’s cabin air filters should be inspected or replaced on a routine basis, according to the owners’ manual. If your car is fitted with permanent air filters, they will need to be cleaned, dried, and replaced routinely. If your car has disposable air filters, they will just be inspected, and replaced if needed.

Continue reading to learn more about the importance of clean automotive air filters, and what you can do if your car is too junked to pay for more repairs.

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Airborne Contaminants

Your vehicle’s air filters play an important role in terms of interior cabin air quality and comfort. But it also plays a significant role in how your vehicle operates. Clogged or defective filters can cause a decrease in engine performance and capacity, as well as lose their ability to protect you against harmful airborne contaminants. You see, dirt, oil, and other harmful contaminants are trapped in air filters, and after some time, they accumulate to mass amounts, which cause the filters to lose their value.

When the filters become too saturated, they cannot trap anymore contaminants. As a result, these contaminants enter the engine and damage pistons, piston rings and bearings, cylinders, cylinder walls, and more. This causes the engine to then lose power. For fuel injected cars, air filters protect the air flow sensor from contamination.

Interior Air Quality and Comfort

As for interior air quality and comfort, dirty air filters jeopardize the cabin environment. Without anything between you and airborne contaminants, you are left to suffer from dirty indoor air. This results in musty odors, stuffiness, allergy-agitation, and more. When it comes to cabin air filters, try to have them inspected and replaced every 12,000 to 15,000 miles. If you are a frequent driver or frequently drive long distances, decrease this rule to every 10,000 to 12,000 miles.

Engine Performance

When you have clean air filters, your car engine can get more air. As a result, the engine operates more efficiently, allowing your vehicle to perform better. If you neglect to change out or clean your air filters, overtime, your car engine will begin to experience an on-set of problems that will only increase in cost and danger.

Is Your Car Junked?

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Get a Free Quote for a Junk Car in Indianapolis

Call GC’s Junk Cars at 317-608-2188 to sell your junk car for cash in Indianapolis. We offer free towing with our in-house tow truck, so all you have to do is call and accept our offer! We will schedule a time to pick up your vehicle and pay you cash. Call 317-608-2188 to request a free estimate, today.

Is My Car Totaled if Motor Oil Gets Inside the Engine Coolant?

Posted on June 17, 2020 by junkcars17

Motor oil and engine coolant are two of the seven essential vehicular fluids. Motor oil lubricates the engines internal workings, while coolant manages the internal engine temperatures. Although both fluids are vital for all vehicles, they can also be harmful under certain circumstances. You see, if motor oil leaks into the coolant, it can be highly damaging to an engine. In fact, it is among the most damaging circumstances a vehicle could face internally.

Continue reading to learn why motor oil can leak into engine coolant, how to identify signs that suggest this type of damage, and whether or not it means the end for your car.

Motor Oil Engine Coolant Damage

When oil and coolant mix, it forms a viscid milk-like substance that closely resembles a melted chocolate milkshake. This combination is problematic because coolant contains glycol, which will not boil away and disintegrate. It stays in the oil and forms organic acids that turns the oil into a thick, viscous substance. This, subsequently, reduces the oils ability to disperse itself through the engine. Not only does this cause internal engine corrosion and damage, it effects other areas of a vehicle as well.

Causes

The most common cause of finding oil in engine coolant is a blown head gasket. A blown engine gasket can create an internal leak that is unnoticeable to a driver until it’s too late and damage has already been done. A less likely cause could be a cracked cylinder head or engine block. A crack in the cylinder head can occur between the oil galleys and coolant passages, thus allowing oil to leak inside the coolant.

An internal crack in the engine block is an even less likely cause of motor oil leaking into radiator coolant. There could be several other reasons as well, including poorly sealed or stripped head bolts, oil cooler leaks, water pump defects, and more.

The Forecast for a Car With Severe Engine Damage

When a vehicle has a blown head gasket or cracked engine block, the repairs are typically very high. On average, a person can expect to pay around $2,000 for a blown head gasket. For cracked engine blocks, repairs are not usually possible. Instead, engine replacement would be necessary, which can be even more expensive than a blown head gasket repair.

For these reasons, often times, a vehicle is deemed totaled by the insurance company since the cost to repair is worth more than the current market value of the vehicle. If this happens to you, sell your totaled car to a local Indianapolis junk car buyer for instant cash profit.

Sell a Junk Car For Cash in Indianapolis Today!

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