Preparing Your Car for Hurricane Season

Convertible Top Care

While, convertible tops look great when a car is new, without proper care they won’t look nice for long. Material like fabric, clear plastic and vinyl are far more delicate and vulnerable to the elements than painted surfaces. Sunshine can be especially damaging. Here are some tips on to keep your convertible top looking like new.

You should thoroughly clean your convertible top at least twice a year, but more frequently if the car is parked outside. Make sure that you use a cleaning product that is specifically designed for convertible tops and, if possible, bio-degradable. Do not use detergents or powders that contain chlorine-based bleaching agents. These cleaners can remove essential oils in vinyl tops that are essential in protecting the vinyl against the sun’s UV rays.

Before you even wet the top, try to move the car out of the direct sunlight and make sure the top is cool. Once the top is wet, spray a light coating of top cleaner evenly across the top and gently work the cleaner using a soft sponge to remove dirt. Once the top is cleaned, rinse of the cleaner while brushing a using lots of water. You want to continue to until the water runs clear.

Now, you don’t need to use a top cleaner every time you wash your car. Usually you can keep it clean with water. But if it is dirty, just use a pH neutral car wash and make sure that you rinse it thoroughly.

When you are cleaning the window, you do not want to use ordinary glass cleaners if the window is plastic. They can cause damage to the plastic. You want to use cleaners and polishes that are specifically designed for plastic windows. They will remove minor scratches and dirt while helping to prevent the plastic from discoloring.

After the top has been cleaned, use a top protectant to preserve the color and texture of the top material. This will prevent fading and cracking, and help repel dirt, grease and oil. Should you get bird dropping on your top, remove them immediately. They are very acidic and can quickly damage tops.

Once the top is thoroughly cleaned, you want to let it dry before folding it down to prevent mold and mildew.

Here are a few extra tips to make your convertible top last:

• If possible, park your convertible in a garage or carport. If not, then use a high quality, breathable car cover.
• To prevent creasing and scratching plastic windows, place a soft towel or baby blanket over the plastic rear window before folding down the top.
• Use a lint roller to remove dust and lint from the top and clean the plastic window without scratching.

Emergency Car Kit

If you have had your license for a while, you know that anything can happen. You can break down anywhere at any moment. And usually it’s usually out in the middle of nowhere. If you are lucky your cell phone will work, you have a membership with an auto club, or you have OnStar. As for the the unlucky ones, you will either have to hail a passing car or spend the night where your car broke down.

To make sure that you are prepared for all situations, keep a roadside emergency kit in your car at all time. It can mean the difference between getting back on the road or being stuck for a long time waiting on help or rescue. Some of the basic items include:

• At least two roadside flares
• a quart of oil
• small first aid kit
• extra fuses
• flashlight
• A multipurpose tool commonly containing pliers, wire cutters, knife, saw, bottle opener, screwdrivers, files and an awl
• tire inflator
• rags
• pocket knife
• pen and paper
• a help sign
• emergency blanket.

This will all take up minimal room in your trunk if you have a smaller car or little trunk space. But if you have a large SUV or full sized truck that can haul more stuff, here are some other items that might come in handy:

• 12-foot jumper cables
• Two quarts of oil
• Gallon of antifreeze
• First aid kit (including an assortment of bandages, gauze, adhesive tape, antiseptic cream, instant ice and heat compresses, scissors and aspirin)
• Flat head screwdrivers
• Phillips head screwdrivers
• Pliers
• Vise Grips
• Adjustable wrench
• Tire pressure gauge
• Rags
• Roll of paper towels
• Roll of duct tape
• Spray bottle with washer fluid
• Ice scraper
• Granola or energy bars
• Bottled water
• And heavy-duty nylon bag to carry it all in.

There are a few companies that offer pre-assembled emergency roadside kits. While these kits contain the basics items in a small convenient carrier, you might want to a supplement yours with a few of the items listed above to suit your needs. Before you actually use your kit in an emergency situation, take some time to familiarize yourself with the items you've collected and learn how to use them properly. Unfortunately, there isn't one tool for all your roadside emergencies, but with a little planning and a little trunk space, an emergency roadside kit can save the day.

Lights, Wipers and Filters

There are many people out there that consider themselves DIYers (Do it Your Self). They would rather do things themselves than pay someone else to do it. Vehicle maintenance is one of those tasks that many of us try to do ourselves. While there are some things that should be left to the professionals, there are certain maintenance items that any DIYer can do.

Windshield Wiper Blades Replacement

Windshield wiper blades and wiper blade inserts are essential to visibility when it is raining. If the wiper blades or inserts don't function properly, they won't remove the water, they can cause streaking, and they can also damage your windshield. Replacing the windshield wiper blade or insert is a simple task to perform. Plus, wiper blades can be found at any automotive store for fairly inexpensive.

Filter Change

There are several filters located on a vehicle. Some, like the fuel filter, may need to be changed by a trained mechanic, but there are others, like the air filter and in-cabin filter, that you can change yourself. The air filter is easily accessible and can be found at most automotive stores. The in-cabin filter can be easily accessible, depending upon the manufacturer of the vehicle. Even if they are little harder to get to, a DIYer can still gain access it to change it. Now, the air filter and the in-cabin filter should be changed at regular intervals. To find out when the filters should be changed, refer to your owner's manual.

Light Replacements

There are several types of lights on a vehicle. The ones that we worry about the most are the headlights, taillights, and brake lights. When one of these goes out, not only could you get a ticket, it could also be dangerous. If a headlight goes out, then it could reduce your visibility. If a tail light goes out, then it could make you less visible to another vehicle. On most vehicles changing a light bulb is a very simple task, but on others it is not so easy. Newer vehicles come with HID lights and once those fail to work properly, then you will need to take it to a repair shop to have the lights replaced.

While these maintenance items may seem simple and within the reach of a DIYer,  they are very important in keeping your vehicle operating properly. Also, if the air filter and in-cabin filter are not changed when recommended, then is could affect the validity of your factory warranty or extended warranty, if applicable.