#auto maintenance tips

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Washing your own car doesn’t just make you feel great because your ride looks great. Keeping the exterior clean maintains the new-car finish that could translate into a higher resale value. That extra value can’t be realized if you only pull out the bucket and sponge when mud and grime accumulate. Weekly car washes will remove the dust, dirt, pollen, pollutants, bird droppings and other contaminants that chip away at your car’s finish.

Five do’s and don’ts of car washing

Washing a car isn’t too complicated, but there are definitely a few best practices to take into consideration. Some traditional ways of cleaning cars – perhaps even what mom and dad taught you (No, it’s not ok to use dish soap! Ever!) – can actually damage your car’s exterior. Follow this list to clean your car and help boost its value:

Don’t wait until your car is visibly dirty. Bugs, bird droppings, acid rain and pollutants can dull your car’s finish and, in extreme cases, strip the paint. Don’t think of the weekly car wash advice as all or nothing. Monthly washes are likely sufficient to maintain your car’s appearance. The exception is in areas where there is acid rain. Always rinse your car after acid rain or the paint could be permanently scarred.

Don’t wash a hot car. High temperatures can make cleaning more difficult and cause deposits that eventually damage paint. Park your car in the shade or wait until the heat of the day passes before getting started.

Do invest in the proper supplies. A cleaning product created specifically for cars, a large sponge or wash mitt and a hose with running water are must-have items for car washing. Cleaners designated for cars are essential. They are gentle enough for paint, though you may need a specialty product, such as tar remover, for trouble spots. And a clean sponge or wash mitt is important to help avoid scratches. But, most importantly, you need water. If you don’t have access to a hose with running water, Ed Kriston, a longtime industry expert of Westminster, Maryland, recommends against washing the car yourself. If you rely on water in a bucket for rinsing, you may work grit into the surface and scratch the paint. Working with only a bucket of water also makes it impossible to properly rinse grit from the car.

Do wash the car in sections. Work on one area at a time: washing, rinsing and drying. But don’t move the sponge or mitt in circles; circular motions can create swirl marks. Instead, move the sponge in straight lines.

Do wax your car twice a year. Although some people believe waxing damages a car’s finish, Kriston disagrees. He believes it preserves the finish and proves to be a beneficial maintenance effort, particularly if you own your vehicle and want to sell it or trade it in someday. The best times to wax your car include: in the fall, before the first snow falls and in the spring before hot weather moves in.

A lot of performance promises have been made since the advent of the internal combustion engine more than a century ago: miracle lubricants, gasoline additives, new-fangled carburetors, fire-injector spark plugs, and a host of other miracle paths to power, each with its own disappointments.

But there are no free lunches in the world of high-performance engines. Engines are mostly about physics, math, and the process of turning heat energy into mechanical motion. So how to get more twist from that heat energy and rotary monkey motion? We’ve got 10 quick and easy ways to increase your car’s horsepower and engine performance. Do be sure that all work is done properly and that it doesn’t void your manufacturer’s warranty.  

1. Synthetic lubricants

Because synthetic lubricants, such as Mobil 1™ synthetic motor oils, reduce friction, they help engines live longer. Synthetic lubricants create better lubrication between moving parts than conventional oils do. They don’t break down in high-heat, high-stress situations, which is why you see them used a lot in performance applications. They also offer excellent cold weather performance and extreme temperature protection. For example, Mobil 1 synthetic oil is engineered to be more robust in terms of low-temperature pumpability, high-temperature stability and protection against deposits.

2. Ignition

Because ignition systems have become low maintenance in the past 20 years, we don’t check them until we get a misfire and a "Check Engine" light. The fact remains, car maintenance still should include ignition systems. And spark plugs still need to be changed periodically. When it’s time to replace ignition components, opt for the best high-performance ignition parts you can find, meaning coils, ignition wires and platinum tip spark plugs.

Original equipment grade is your best approach or high-end aftermarket parts like MSD. The reason: precision ignition operation means power. A misfire or lackluster light off means lost power, wasted fuel and increased tailpipe emissions. A potent spark from a high-energy ignition system does make a difference in power no matter how small. The lesson here is it all adds up to significant total gains in horsepower.

Ignition timing is also a power dynamic you should play with carefully because too much of it can damage your engine. With conventional distributor ignition systems, set total timing at 2500 rpm beginning your efforts at 32 degrees BTDC (Before Top-Dead Center) with a road test or dyno pull. Then, move timing one degree at a time – 33, 34, 35 and so on along with road/dyno testing. Never take total timing beyond 36 degrees BTDC.

Some tuners go to 38, 40, and even 42 degrees BTDC, which is foolish. Anything beyond 36 degrees BTDC total represents risks due to detonation. If you have a sudden lean condition coupled with early timing, you can have engine failure in a nanosecond at wide-open throttle. Ignition timing with electronic engine control calls for a professional who knows how to dial in both ignition and fuel maps to where you get power without doing engine damage.

Rumors began flying when NASCAR confiscated tires from racing cars driven by Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch of Stewart-Haas Racing, Ryan Newman and Paul Menard of Richard Childress Racing, and Joey Logano of Team Penske.