While driver’s education may teach a person how to drive, it doesn’t teach everything a person needs to know about their car. Here are 15 ‘car hacks’ that all drivers need to know. These things could also help you in the case of an accident or emergency situation!
1. Use A Plunger to Remove Small Dents
Those annoying small dents in the car can amount to thousands of dollars to fix up! But a simple hack that works for most small dents is to use a toilet plunger by placing it over the area of the dent and getting the air pressure tight and giving it a nice little tug. Works for small and medium sized dents most of the time!
2. Know What Your Check Engine Light Means BEFORE Going To The Mechanic
While it may not always mean you’re going to destroy your car if you continue to drive it, in many cases, the check engine light does indicate a major problem. There’s a new device though that can actually save you thousands of dollars in car repairs. It’s called FIXD and plugs into cars manufactured after 1996. If your “check engine light” comes on it will tell you the exact reason why and will even give you an estimate of the cost to fix it. This is great because it means that mechanics won’t be able to lie to you in the hopes of taking more of your hard earned money (you’d surprised how many do).
All you have to do is plug FIXD into your onboard diagnostics port (which is usually located under the dash below the steering wheel) and then download the free FIXD app on your smartphone (Apple or Android). The app will let you know if there are any specific issues with your car in plain and easy to understand language. You also have the ability to reset your check engine light in the app with the click of a button.
3. No Tickets In 2 Years? Working Mainly From Home And Driving Less? Get A Lower Auto Insurance Rate Now
You might think you’re already paying a low auto insurance rate, but recent research shows that only 5% of Americans over the age of 30 are paying less than $50 per month for car insurance. If you’re currently paying more than $50 per month, and have had no accidents or tickets in the past two years, you can probably get a much lower auto insurance rate. Also, if you’re driving less now and working from home like many people are, you should be able to lower your rate. The best way to do that is to compare quotes from multiple insurers – let them compete for your business. Check out Quotza. Once you fill out the form on their website they’ll provide you with multiple quotes from different carriers you can choose from and there are absolutely no obligations. You can also call up your current insurance provider and try to haggle with them.
4. Change Your Air Filter Every 6 Months
If you want to help increase your fuel efficiency, make sure you change your air filter every six months or as recommended in your owner’s manual. A lot of people often neglect doing this, and they find that they just aren’t getting the fuel efficiency they were promised by their car manufacturer. This alone can save quite a few hundred dollars yearly.
5. Keep The 1Tac Roadside Emergency Flare In Your Car
Being stuck on the highway with a puncture or engine problem is most peoples idea of a really bad day. That’s why the 1Tac Safety Flare is something everyone should have with them, especially when driving in poor weather conditions. The 1Tac Safety Flare lets you alert drivers of your presence in even the worst road visibility. Think about how many accidents are because drivers aren’t able to properly see the car in front of them or off to the side… This safety flare can be used as a road flare and emergency beacon. But it can also be used for other things like camping or hiking in the outdoors.
It’s easy to use: Just press the button and hold to turn on and cycle through the different lighting options. The super bright array can be seen up to 1 mile away at night and can also provide additional protection during the day as well. The strong magnetic backing allows it to adhere to your vehicles hood.
6. AutoEvac – The Phone Charger That Could Save Your Life!
There are over 5.4 million car crashes every year in the USA. While we’d all like to think that we or our loved ones will never experience a serious car accident, it pays to be prepared.
Car safety experts have argued for years that drivers should carry window smashers and seat belt cutters that are easily accessible in a car wreck. Do you? Even if you are one of the few drivers that carry these safety devices, you’ve probably kept them in your glovebox – dangerously far out of reach during in an accident. Fortunately, there is a revolutionary new device called the AutoEvac which is designed to be within arms reach in any car emergency. This one-of-a-kind emergency tool comes loaded with features like being a phone charger, and is designed to be plugged directly into your car’s cigarette lighter outlet (12v power port) making it easily accessible for when you need it most. The AutoEvac can be used as a phone charger, window smasher, seat belt cutter, or even an LED flashlight!
7. Free Frozen Locks With Hand Sanitizer
Even if it’s only parked out front, getting from the front door to your car in the middle of a harsh winter can be pretty miserable. It’s worse if you get there only to find the door locks are frozen shut. Hand sanitizer is your key to getting inside. The alcohol works to thaw the ice, so you can hop in and get the heater turned on high.
8. Get a Portable Handheld Car Starter
We have all experienced that moment where you turn the key and nothing happens. Nothing can be more annoying, especially when you are in a rush! Using a portable car starter is far quicker than having to find someone else to help you get the car started and finding jump cables to make it happen.
This portable car starter is the next-generation of rechargeable 4-in-1 multi-function power banks. It is compact enough to store in a glove box or under a seat when not in use, ensuring that drivers anywhere have a power option to start their vehicle in a number of situations without the need to rely on towing services or the generosity of a jumpstart from a stranger.
9. Use Toothpaste To Clear Cloudy Headlights
After many miles on the road, your car’s headlights are going to get scuffed up and cloudy. It might not majorly affect their performance, but it certainly doesn’t look good. Smear a little bit of toothpaste on a clean rag and start scrubbing the headlights. It contains mild abrasives that can remove a thin layer from the headlight housing and fill in any tiny scratches. Toothpaste is an easy and convenient compound to get your headlights clear again.
10. Prime Tracking – The GPS Tracker That Also Detects Poor Driving
When my kids started driving my car this is the device that I made sure was installed. It’s the Prime Tracking device and it uses a state of the art GPS locator to tell me exactly where my car is at all times in real time. It has some impressive battery life as well, so you only need to charge it maybe two or three times a month. I just pull up the free app on my phone and I can see exactly where my son is driving and if he’s been exceeding any speed limits. Even if you don’t have kids, this is an amazing device to have installed in all your cars.
11. Fill Window Damage With Nail Polish
Small stones and other road debris can leave chips and cracks in your car’s windows. Oftentimes a crack can grow, meaning you need to shell out for an expensive window replacement. Try filling in window damage with (clear) nail polish. Carefully apply a thin layer to the damaged area. When it dries, it will be almost completely invisible, and might even help prevent a crack from growing. The money you’ll save against a whole new window is worth it, but use this advice with caution.
12. Extend Your Car Warranty
While most manufacturers offer factory warranty coverage on new vehicles, they typically expire within 3 years or after 36,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Has your car’s auto warranty expired? Purchasing extended auto coverage offers the same peace of mind as a no-cost factory plan without the restrictions. That means if your car breaks down, malfunctions or requires a replacement component, you could enjoy huge savings on repair costs without the new car price tag. Make sure you shop around for rates on this.
13. Know When Your Oil Needs Changing
This is an obvious one that every car owner should know. While the rule of thumb used to be every three months or around 5,000 miles, that’s no longer true for all new cars. Read your manual to know when your vehicle’s oil change is due, we recommend setting the date on your calendar. If you’re not sure when you should change your oil, some signs to look for are if your oil looks black & gritty, your engine sounds louder than usual, or you notice the oil level drops. Some newer luxury models will also provide you with an alert when you need to change your oil.
14. Use ShineArmor – Get A Showroom Finish In Just 10 Minutes!
Stop spending a fortune on detailing your car. This new product called Shine Armor gives you car the most beautiful shine you’ve ever seen. Use it to give your car a 3-in-1 ceramic wash, shine and protective coating with long lasting durability. With this product you can say goodbye to car waxing products and the hassle that goes along with them.
15. Park Your Car Facing East to Defrost Windscreen in the Morning.
Although it seems simple you can save some considerable time in the morning. If you live in a place where frost is a big problem on winter mornings and leave your car parked outside then this is for you.
Whenever you can make sure you park your car facing east. As the sun rises in the east you’re using the suns warmth to defrost the ice on your windscreen rather than you having to stay outside in the cold and scrape it off yourself. With this trick you should be able to use your windscreen wipers to do the not so heavy lifting for you. Who doesn’t want a little bit of added comfort on a cold winters morning?
Bonus #1: Get Rid Of Impossible, Stains, Dirt & Grime With Shine Armor Interior Cleaner
We’ve already highlighted how good of a cleaner Shine Armor is for the exterior of your car, but they also make a really good interior cleaner as well. Shine Armor All Purpose Interior Cleaner is a powerful cleaner and protectant, made for all surfaces – instead of overpowering toxic chemicals, it uses smart nanotechnology that binds to stains at a microscopic level, separating it from the material for easy cleanup.