Car Hacks - Some That Work and Some That Don't from our Long Beach Auto Body Shop
In Long Beach and LA county we spend a lot of time in our cars. It's always helpful to find some tricks and tips to make life easier. Whether it makes your car run better and safer or just keeps it cleaner we've got some ideas.
DO - Use your head to extend your remote range. This one actually works and comes in very handy if you're trying to locate your car in a parking lot. You can increase the range of your remote by 2X by using your head to boost the signal. Then just listen for the beep or look for your lights to flash.
DO - Another trick to find your car in the parking lot...use your phone. Here's the low-fi version - just take a photo! If it's a parking lot that has levels or location markings, snap a photo of your car near a marker you can easily find. Of course, there's also an app for that. A few actually, check them out.
DO - Protect your doors. If you park in a garage or regular car space with a wall, use your noodle! Pool noodle that is. Cut a pool noodle in half and stick it to the wall. Simple. Another cool product to try is clear door guard tape. It give your door edges a layer of protection no matter where you park. (Avoid the tubular hard plastic type that can actually damage paint on install and removal.)
DO - Cloudy headlights? If you live in Southern California there's a good chance your headlights will get a little cloudy from dry dusty conditions. You can polish your car's headlights with white toothpaste (not the gel kind). This only works to a certain degree though, if your car is more than 10 years old and the plastic has yellowed polishing doesn't help that much. The harsh sun oxidizes headlights and turns them a little yellow. PS: We offer complimentary headlight polishing when you car is in the shop. We're happy to do it!
DO - Keep your car organised with a shoe rack. This is great if you have kids with lots of small toys. You can buy fancy organizers made for cars or head to a dollar store for a bargain.
DO - Update an older vehicle with a USB charger. This is a no brainer. Jump into the 21st century and charge your phone, GPS or whatever else needs plugging in. You can pick on up for a few bucks at any gas station or corner store these days.
DON'T - Don't even think of taking your own dents out of your car. Especially with a plunger! You can wind up making more damage and there's a good chance of scratching or cracking your paint if you slip. Come and see us, we use PDR (paintless dent removal) technology for smaller dents and can give you a great price on an expert repair that will include proper repair and painting. Guaranteed.
DON'T - Scratches and chips will not look better if you touch up with nail polish. The color won't be right and even worse you can make a real mess. Even the experts can't always get a touch up right which is why we don't often recommend touching up a car at all. It's always obvious and oaten looks worse than when you started. A paint repair at a body shop will always look best as we use factory authorized paint and guarantee a color match.
DON'T - OK this one isn't unsafe or damaging but is it sanitary? This is just a big ew! There are tons of aftermarket cup holders available online under $10 bucks there's no excuse for this one. :)
Got questions about keeping your car in tip-top shape? Paint jobs? Dents? Give us a call and let us guide you through the process with a free estimate and friendly advice. Call us today 562-426-2639
