What Do You Need To Wash Off Fast? (Tips on Keeping Car Paint Nice)

You never know what will happen Halloween night.  Spooks and goblins (aka princesses, pirates and Justin Bieber) knocking at your door for candy is a given.  But once the little ones are in bed, sometimes hooligans come out to have a little fun, too.

This is the time of night when your jack-o-lanterns are at risk for getting smashed, you house toilet-papered and your car egged.  There are several things you need to know to get off your car paint fast before it ruins the finish and bleaches the color.

Although there are many things that can ruin a car finish (bird poop, sand, UV rays, bug guts, and tree sap) around Halloween, it's important to watch for household products and auto-use chemicals many of which can destroy a car finish is a couple of hours.

Brake cleaner, brake fluid, brake dust carburetor cleaner and gasoline can destroy a car's finish in time.  Wipe spills immediately and don't top off gasoline at the pump.  Of these, brake fluid can ruin a finish fast, so make sure to keep it off the paint or douse with water immediately.

Mustard, fertilizer, shaving cream and eggs are household products that will kill the finish of your car.  Shaving cream and eggs are particularly potent, so if someone pulls a prank, don't let it wait for the next day.

Rumor has it the bologna will ruin a car finish, too.  eHow says no way and argues that bologna only leaves grease spots which are easily washed off.  Answerbag claims that not only will bologna ruin a car's finish, but it will ruin rapidly in the sun.  I'd rather be safe than sorry.  Pull the bologna off quickly and wash with auto detergent.

No matter if you are visited by angels or devils Halloween night, you know how to keep your car's finish in top shape.

TPMS is Totally Different From PMS

Every fall as the air turns chill, a cute little light (with an exclamation point) comes on in my car.  This light is the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and it lets you know when a tire is low on air.

The TPMS light is designed to look like a tire. 

Now why does this light come on every fall?  I mean, that's weird.  I haven't run over anything, my driving is the same, then why am I suddenly low on air?

As the temperature falls, air condenses, including the air in your tires, which leaves your tires a little low. All you need to do is bring your tire to the correct PSI (pounds per square inch) and after driving a few miles, the light will automatically go off.

Besides making the pesky little light go off, why does it matter what your tire pressure is?  The quick answer is that tires are expensive, so you want them to last as long a possible.  To get the slowest and most even wear, your tires need to be at the correct PSI.

There is also too much of a good thing.  It's not a matter of, if some is good more is better, when tires are over inflated you feel every bump and crack in the road.  Like under-inflation, your tires wear out more quickly because they wear out unevenly.  And, if it's over-inflated, you run the larger risk that your tire will pop if you hit something wrong.  (I once watched a driver in a small sudan pop a tire in a parking lot when he hit the curb--something we affectionally call "a curb check.")

To find the correct PSI, the best place to check is your owner's manual.  The tire itself has a maximum PSI listed, but the reality is, that you don't want your tires at the maximum PSI it can handle. Plus, let's be honest, it's really, really hard to find words on your tires that are the same color as your tires.  In order to see it, you need to be in direct sunlight, hold your hand to the level of your eye, say some magic words and do seven squats.  Then, if you're really lucky, you might be able to make out some of what the tire says.   Your owner's manual is quicker, easier and more accurate.

After going through the aforementioned tire reading ritual, my husband said that my tires say that the max PSI is 40.  (I never could see it, but I'm taking his word for it.)  My owner's manual, however, recommended that the front tire PSI be 33 and the rear tires 35 PSI.  For driving comfort, this is an important difference.

This is where I make a confession.  I am a 36-year-old mother of five and I have never put air in a car tire.  Period.  Ever.  I grew up the middle of three girls.  My dad traveled a lot when I was a teen, so when he was home, he prided himself on helping out with the things he could.  Car maintenance was definitely his baby.  I got married at 21 and happily handed car related issues to my husband.  He has done a fantastic job keeping everything running.  I think the last time my TPMS light came on, I only called him 14 times* before he had that baby to the gas station and the tires filled.

But, with the patience of Job, this very day, my husband taught me how to check my tire pressure and fill the darn things.  In case you, like me, have never checked air pressure or filled a tire before I'll explain how to do it, so you won't feel as dumb as I did.

1. Unscrew the lid off the tire valve stem.

2. Push your air pressure gauge on the value stem securely.  Check your reading.

3. If your tire is low, go to the gas station and pull your car up next to the air pump.  (It's usually around the edge of the gas station.)

4. Snap the air hose onto your tire.  If you hear air leaking, then it's not on correctly.  Fill and go through steps 1 and 2 to check your air pressure again.

5. If you overfilled the tire, or find that it's overfull when you checked your pressure, release air by pushing on the valve stem.  Check the pressure again and--voila!--you're done.

*This may be a slight exaggeration.

10 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Trade-in

When it's time to buy a new car, there's a lot on your mind.  After all, you've researched, done test drives and finally arrived at "the one." It's easy to forget about your old car, so I've put together a few quick tips that will help you get the most from your former ride.

1. Keep your car clean. Many of us live in our cars.  In time, that lived-in feel can be a bit much.  Keeping up with regular car washes and cleaning the interior of the car can add life to the car that will show up when you get your car appraised.

2. Detail your car.  I know that this tip a close relative of tip #1, but it can be a money maker when it comes to trade-in time.  A good detail will cost between $100-$150.  The detailing process means going over the car with a fine-toothed comb.  When your car is done, the outside will shine, the inside will smell delicious and the manager appraising your car won't even be able to find a stray crumb.  You're guaranteed to get your money back on the detail, but the reality is your car's value will rise hundreds of dollars if it looks impeccable.

Photo Courtesy: ocnissanirvine.com

3. Get regular oil changes. Pay attention to your vehicle's maintenance minder system, which alerts you when your oil is dirty and needs a change.  If your vehicle is 10 year's old or older, you may want to stick with the 3000 mile recommendation, but newer vehicles don't need the oil changed that often.  If your car doesn't have a maintenance minder system, check your owner's manual for details. Even with improved lubricants and tighter tolerances in the engine itself, oil does eventually gets dirty which can clog the engine and devalue your car.

4. Get all factory recommended maintenance done, including any replacements for manufacturer recalls.

5.  Bring records of what work you've had done on the vehicle.  This process is simplified if you bought the car new and always had it serviced at the manufacturer's service department since they keep records on your car for you.  But even if you've taken your vehicle elsewhere, bring receipts of the most recent work.  Have you already replaced the timing belt and water pump?  Now the dealership won't have to and that's money back in your pocket.  Did you get new tires or brakes recently? Providing receipts of the work you've had done shows you care about your car and will translate to a higher value.

6. Don't crash.  Or at least get the damage fixed right.  A $99 paint job is going to show badly at trade-in time.  Take your vehicle to a reputable repair shop and request OEM parts.

7. Fix rock chips in the windshield.  Like getting your car detailed, making sure your windshield is free from cracks and dings guarantees you your money back, plus some.

8. Bring in all keys, remotes, owners manuals and floor mats.  These are things the dealership will have to replace and will cost them time and money.  Having everything in order to hand over assures you the most money for your car, partly by reducing the headache the dealer has to go through.

9. Buy a car that holds its value. One of the reasons that Honda vehicles hold their value so well is that Honda refuses to sell fleet vehicles to car rental companies. Car rental companies generally get brand-new cars and resell them in a year.  Because these are high-milage, heavily used vehicles, they sell significantly below a true resale value, but because virtually all car rental companies resell vehicles at the same time, the market becomes flooded with devalued vehicles, thereby making your car lose value just by association.

10.  Don't get a trendy color.  Trendy colors are great for purses, jewelry, and home decor--not for cars.  A trendy color (think pea green) can make a car sale-proof and devalue a car thousands of dollars as compared to non-trendy counterparts.  White and silver may be boring, but they also appeal to a broader range of consumers making it easier for the dealership to resell and that difference goes to your wallet.

Photo Courtesy: alserrablog.wordpress.com

Want a $3000 Fuel Card?

Honda and Clean Energy are teaming up to hand out $3000 fuel cards to all new Civic Natural Gas customers.   

After doing a few quick calculations, I realized that it would take an eon, at current natural gas prices, to use the entire three grand.  Honda said, "With a combined EPA fuel economy rating of 31 mpg and a fuel cost savings of up to 40 percent compared to a typical gasoline-powered contact cat, the Civic Natural Gas Vehicle can significantly reduce the pain at the pump."  And that's only once you start to pay for it!

Filling up with natural gas is very similar what you normally do at the gas pump.  It only takes a few minutes to fill and you're usually able to travel about 200 miles between filling up.  (I know on my gas-run Odyssey, I can usually go about 230 miles before filling up, so it's likely quite comparable to what you're currently doing.)

In addition to the personal benefits of free then lower fuel costs, it's also great for the environment.  The 2012 Natural Gas Civic was named the "2012 Green Car of the Year" by Green Car Journal and one of the "greenest vehicles of 2012" by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.  

"It you're looking to save money at the pump . . . and reduce your environmental impact, the 2012 Civic Natural Gas Vehicle is a great choice," noted Steve Center, vice president of the American Honda Environmental Business Development Office.

"Drivers have increasingly seen a greater percentage of their dollars going down their car's gasoline tanks," said Peter Grace, senior vice president of Clean Energy for sales.  "For the average driver, the $3000 Clean Energy fuel card provided by Honda will translate into two to three years of not paying for fuel."

I don't know how that translates for you, but not having to pay for gas would save me upwards of $80 a month.  I can think of a lot of things I can do with $80 a month for the next three years!  

To learn more about the CNG fuel card promotion check out: www.CGNfuelcard.honda.com.  Want to more about CNG filling stations around the country?  http://www.cleanenergyfuels.com

And to check the inventory of the Natural Gas Civics here in Orem click here.  

Safety Experiment You Never Want

When my husband and I bought our first Honda Accord, one of the big factors was Honda's superior safety rating.  It was a fundamental thing that I was taught as a child--that you want to be safe. When I was a kid--in the days before airbags and booster seats--my parents still insisted that we wear seat belts, even if we were in a friend's car and we had to dig the seat belts out of the crack all covered in crumbs. So caring about safety has always been a big thing and a big part of why we bought a Honda.

One day, home with our two young kids, I got the phone call no one wants.  It was from my husband's cell phone but I couldn't hear what he was saying. There was something strange in his tone and I frantically tried to call him back over and over with no answer.

When he finally got ahold of me--on someone else's phone--he told me that he'd been in head-on collision.  As my husband approached a green light, a guy, thinking he had a green arrow, turned suddenly into my husband's lane.  Only he didn't get very far before the two vehicles--both Honda's--met head on.

Our 1994 Honda Accord was totaled in 2001

Both drivers made a trip to the hospital for a precautionary check-up, but both men walked away from the accident with nothing more serious than whiplash and seat belt bruises.  My husband's cell phone didn't survive the accident and the car was totaled, but that night we went to bed really grateful.

See, we'd been driving a loaned beater (obviously, not a Honda) as our second vehicle.  It was the one my husband usually drove, but that day, knowing I didn't have anywhere special to go, he took the Accord on his errand.  It was a little miracle for our family, but to Honda engineers it wasn't a miracle at all.  It was exactly the way they'd planned it--with everybody going home after the accident safe and sound.

Taking Care of Your Blind Side

Did you see that movie, Blind Side?  You know the one with Sandra Bullock about the kid from the projects who goes on to professional football fame?  His position is left tackle and his job is to protect the quarterback's blind side.  Left tackle has become one of the big money positions--one professional football teams save top draft picks in order to get the best one.  And the teams that have a great left tackle, tend to be really good late in the season.

In your car, your blind side is on your right.  It's the spot you have to look the furthest to see--across your entire car, then over your shoulder.  Your side view mirrors help a lot, but they still leave you with a blind spot.

According to a recent study from Johns Hopkins, more than a quarter of a million car accidents occurs each year because of faulty lane changes. Anything that blocks the vision including people, visors, even the build of the vehicle can contribute to blind spot related accidents.

Enter the new 2013 Honda Accord with Lane Watch.  This little camera is like your left tackle--except it's on your right side.  With the camera on (which happens either when you turn on your right turn signal or when you press the button at the end of the turn signal lever) the display, just to the right of the steering wheel, shows the whole right side of the car with tremendous accuracy.

This first picture was what I could see using just my right side-mirror.  

This next picture is the Lane Watch view.  It's amazing how much more you can see.  I can even see the garbage cans that my kids forgot to bring in.

In an article on blind spots, Construction Exec magazine said, "Until mechanical vision systems such as blind-spot detection systems become standard, blind spots [will continue to be] a serious problem for every driver."

Thanks to the 2013 Honda Accord, Honda buyers now have the option to not have blind spots be a problem anymore!  Like one of those the "big money" players in the NFL, this is a quality product that's worth having.  And it's the kind of product that will even help us "later in the season."

Test Driving the Sleek 2013 Honda Accord

I have finally gotten behind the wheel of the brand spankin' new, super sleek, completely amazing 2013 Honda Accord EXL-V6.  I know I'm gushing, but it really is something.  The new Honda Accord is a luxury car, without the luxury pricing.

Ken Garff Honda of Orem has had some trouble keeping the 2013 Accord on their lot.  Just as soon as they get one in--it's sold!  So when I finally saw the car I'd get to drive I was stoked.  It's a beauty!

After being thoroughly walked through all of the bazillion new features, I was on my own.  Looking at the view the backup camera provided,  I pulled out of the parking spot and onto the road.

Back up camera view

The ride is incredibly smooth, the engine--though powerful--is super quiet, and the leather seats felt like they'd been specifically designed with my back in mind. I loved the blind spot camera that comes on whenever your right blinker does.

I drove immediately home to take pictures (and get marshmallows to placate my four-year-old, so I could drive for awhile).  One of my goals on this drive was to test out all of the various new beeping features.  Honda has installed a system--the Forward Collision Warning--that beeps if your front bumper gets to close to something (i.e. you're at risk of a collision).

A few family members and I were musing if this system would drive you crazy and go off all the time.  So I may have revved up to the back of a few cars trying to make the thing go off.  It didn't. See, I wasn't about to put myself, my four-year-old son, and the brand new 2013 Accord in actual risk.  And the Forward Collision Warning system can, apparently, tell the difference.  Since I wasn't in actual danger of collision--no beeping.  It put those fears to rest: you won't have to improve change your driving to enjoy this car.

Leather seats, mmmm.

I did, however, get FCW beep when a car suddenly pulled out in front of me.  It wasn't a particularly close call, but it did require a little aggressive braking on my part.  What was interesting for me, was when the beeping went on, I instinctively began braking harder. Among safety features available, I really like this one.

The next system that I had to try was the Lane Departure Warning.  In this system, when you drift from one lane to another without a turn signal one--the LDW beeps at you.  After turning left onto a wide, empty stretch of State Street, I gave it a go. Drifting to the left, the beeping went off!  I drifted back to the right and more beeping!  With a turn signal on--no beeping.  It worked exactly as advertised.  In all of my swerving up and down various roads in Orem, only once did it not go off.  Honda explains, "LDW only alerts drivers when lane drift is detected without a turn signal in use.  LDW may not detect all lane marking or lane departures; accuracy will vary based on weather, speed and road condition. Driver remains responsible for safely operating vehicle and avoiding collisions."

There are so many things to love about this car.  From the Blue Tooth connection that lets you talk to people without ever looking at your phone, having your text messages read to you in a cool computer voice, having Pandora stop the moment you arrive somewhere and pick up--mid song--exactly where you left off, the amenities are jaw dropping.

As someone who has a serious problem losing her keys, I LOVED the keyless entry and start.  I stood in my driveway locking and unlocking the car.  To lock, you only have to push a button on the door handle.  To unlock--this is the coolest part--you just reach out and grab the handle.  Seriously.  It's like being in a sci-fi movie.  It made me feel kinda of powerful, like, "Hah!  This car obeys my commands."  As long as you never lose your purse, or briefcase, you never have to even get your "keys" out again.

The list of what this car can do and why it is so cool, goes on and on.  In reality, it deserves another post, but I'll wrap up this post with the eco button.  Everyone I know wants to be eco-friendly, right?  I recycle, donate used items to charity and generally like the idea of saving the earth.  But I don't like to do it if I have to sacrifice comfort.  I have ignored, for years now, the plea of our local power company to switch to the euphemistically labeled "energy efficient service" because, in large part, that means that my air conditioning won't come on during the hottest part of the day because everyone else's AC is already on.  "It'll save you money!" they say.  "You won't even notice the 5 degree temperature increase," they insist.

Perhaps I should give it a chance, but I like being cool in my house in the summer and we live in a desert for crying out loud.  So, I was a bit worried about the leaf-looking "Eco" button on the new Accord.   I was informed that it pulls power from the AC to increase gas milage.  Even though I had my misgivings, I gave it a shot anyway.  Initially, my AC lowered in power a bit, so I turned up the fan.  Problem solved. The entire time I drove around I was perfectly cool, in fact my four-year-old eventually said he was cold so I closed the vents in back.

I love the thought that, by pushing a button, I can increase my gas milage from the already impressive 36 MPG Highway rating (27 MPG City) without sacrificing a thing.

 Edmonds.com and I both agree that Honda has restored the old magic to the new Accord.

Why Drive a Honda?

As newlyweds my husband and I had driven both of our college clunkers into the ground and decided to go on a hunt for our first bonafide family car that we purchased together.  We got a copy of Consumer Reports from a family member and scoured it's pages before embarking on our journey.

Honda Accord topped the list of best used cars--best at holding value, best repair record, and top of the line safety record, among others--and so we began our car hunt with a Honda in mind.  As we shopped, we eventually narrowed our choices to a 1994 Accord and a vehicle made by another manufacturer.  We test drove them both, but fell in love with the Honda.

Super sylin' 1994 Accord.  Photo courtesy: cardomain.com

Just like Consumer Reports had mentioned, the Honda was a bit more expensive, but the cool aquamarine paint of the Accord verses a hideous pale metallic green of the other car sealed the deal for me.  We purchase our first used Honda and have never turned back.

I'm far from the only one who feels this strongly about my Honda.  Edmunds.com notes, "Why are Honda vehicles so highly regarded by American drivers?  Certainly, their excellent reputation for reliability and quality is a major factor.  But it also has to do with the overall driving and owning experience.  Read any Honda review and you'll likely notice common themes such as thoughtful design, a friendly nature, better-than-average fuel economy and attention to safety."

Edmunds.com continues, "Today, Honda's lineup runs the gamut.  Included are fuel-sipping hybrids, a spacious minivan, reliable family sedans, practical SUVs and even a pickup. Honda's brand as a whole continues to be one of the most well respected in the industry, with millions of loyal and satisfied customers."