More on cars and driving
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Use the defroster setting to dry air and clear windows.
The AC compressor runs to remove moisture from the air.
- Not all cars activate the A/C when the fan is set to defrost.
2 people, independently
Rub The Works tub and shower cleaner on car rims and rinse after 60 seconds.
It makes rims shine like new.
one person who lived it
Keep a portable car jump starter in your vehicle for emergency starts.
It can resolve situations where the car fails to start.
one person who lived it
Let the tailgater pass if it reduces overall risk and does not create new dangers.
Doing so is often the best choice if realistic.
- Allowing overtaking may increase danger on tight winding roads, low visibility, or wet conditions.
- It may severely degrade travel quality with little gain in certain situations.
one person who lived it
Perform physical blind spot checks even if you have good mirrors, as driving tests in some regions (like BC) require them.
You may fail your driving test otherwise.
- Specifically noted for BC driving tests.
one person who lived it
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Wedge a folded piece of thick paper, such as junk mail or an envelope, into the window track.
Thick paper may expand slightly with moisture, tightening the hold if rain gets in.
- This is not a permanent solution.
one person who lived it
- Fold the paper wedge thicker than necessary and force it in so it feels almost too tight.1
Replace a droopy headliner by buying similar plush fabric and spray glue.
One person reported this fix takes three hours tops.
one person who lived it
Use a credit card to scrape ice off the windshield if necessary, but use one that is not important because it may break.
It works well for quickly cleaning ice.
- The card can break while doing this.
one person who lived it
Use a vacuum bleeder or a bleeder bottle with a check valve to bleed brakes alone, making the process easier and preventing air from entering the lines.
It makes the job easier and prevents air from getting into the lines.
one person who lived it
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Keep a portable air compressor in your vehicle to inflate tires independently.
It helps get you to a tire shop during flats and prevents spare tires from becoming deflated.
one person who lived it
Clean out your evaporator using evaporator cleaner aerosol foam; one user did this in twenty minutes and restored their AC to like-new performance.
One user reported that cleaning the evaporator with aerosol foam took twenty minutes and made their AC work like new.
one person who lived it
Secure drooping headliner fabric with headliner pins.
It is a quick and cheap solution.
one person who lived it
Use Eneloop low self-discharge batteries for emergency flashlights.
They last for years without needing recharging.
one person who lived it
To prevent motion sickness on buses, cars, or coaches, look out the front window at your destination or the back window at where you have been; avoid looking out side windows.
- Based on personal experience
one person who lived it
Slowly release the parking brake simultaneously with releasing the clutch and accelerating when starting on a hill in a manual car.
One person reported never stalling on a hill using this method.
one person who lived it
Manually run the AC for half an hour periodically to keep components lubricated, as defrost cycles are often too short.
keeps everything lubed
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Place a solar rechargeable flashlight in the dashboard defrost vent to prevent it from rolling.
one person who lived it
one person observed a roommate using a spatula to scrape ice off windows before work during the first frost of the year
one person who lived it
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When signaling a trucker at night, turn your low beams off and on instead of flashing high beams.
Check lights and tires every time you get gas to catch issues early.
Waiting to replace a burnt bulb can lead to losing the other bulb shortly after.
one person who lived it
Do not argue against physics, as it will determine the outcome regardless of your thoughts.
Physics does not care about your thoughts and will always win.
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Do not apply Armor All to floor mats, as it can cause slipping.
One person reported slipping and sliding for six months after their father applied it to plastic-like mats.
one person who lived it
Check for locking lug nuts when buying a used car.
Missing keys can prevent you from changing a flat tire.
one person who lived it
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Do not trade in a used car with the check engine light on.
Dealerships will lower your trade-in value without explaining the issue.
one person who lived it
Use nail polish instead of a paint pen to touch up minor scratches on plastic bumpers to save money.
It saves about $10 and works well for small scratches on non-metallic colors.
one person who lived it
Replace sealant/inflator kits with a complete spare tire and scissor jack.
It is much more convenient.
one person who lived it
When signaling a trucker at night, turn your low beams off and on instead of flashing high beams.
High beams reflect into the driver's face via big mirrors.
2 people, independently
Test Nufinish on a small area first if using it on older vehicles, as it may seep into existing paint cracks.
One user reported that Nufinish got into every crack in their 20-year-old vehicle's paint.
one person who lived it
Check your dash cam footage after your car returns from repairs to ensure the power cable was not disconnected.
Some mechanics may disable cameras to avoid being recorded while working on the vehicle.
one person who lived it
Carry a portable tire inflator and sealant to manage flats or low tires without needing a spare.
It is quicker and cheaper than calling a tow truck.
one person who lived it
If a repair shop damages your car, inspect the damage yourself before allowing them to fix it.
They might cover up extensive issues like frame damage or broken sensors by replacing only visible parts, which could cost you thousands to repair later.
one person who lived it
Remove the entire plastic seal from a jug cap before pouring liquids to prevent pieces from clogging the system.
Small pieces of the seal can come off unnoticed and clog things.
one person who lived it
Keep car maintenance records.
It helps when you go to sell the vehicle.
one person who lived it
Use a wireless charging phone mount in your car.
It is subtly amazing.
one person who lived it
Check the bill provided by the mechanic to verify the parts they replaced.
The bill usually lists the parts they replaced.
one person who lived it
If you are on a motorcycle at a traffic light and cannot trigger the sensor, pull forward to let a car behind you cover the detector.
Cars can activate the loop detector that motorcycles often miss, changing the light.
one person who lived it
Power off the dash cam properly before removing the SD card after an accident.
Video recorders often save temporary files in intervals; abrupt removal may result in the final moments of footage not being written to the card.
one person who lived it
When buying used window switches from a junkyard, choose ones from cars that were parked with windows closed during rain, as they are less likely to be water-damaged.
One person found a switch from a car with closed doors/windows during rain worked perfectly, unlike others.
one person who lived it
Check your speed against the limit to see if you are driving too slow or if the tailgater is speeding.
Focusing on the environment rather than the angry person can solve the problem.
one person who lived it
Avoid overfilling your glove compartment so that it closes fully.
If the compartment has a light, failing to close it all the way can slowly drain your battery.
one person who lived it
Consider Mothers or Griotts brands for car care products.
They are described as good and readily available.
one person who lived it
Use a supercapacitor jump starter instead of a battery-based one.
It does not require keeping it charged and can charge itself from a completely dead car battery.
one person who lived it
Avoid using Armor All on seats to prevent an annoyingly shiny, cheap plastic toy appearance from buildup.
Years of Armor All buildup creates this look.
one person who lived it
If you swerve to avoid a deer and collide with another object, explicitly state that you swerved to avoid the animal.
This explains why the collision occurred at that specific location.
one person who lived it
Pretend to adjust your rearview mirror repeatedly while keeping your eyes forward.
The tailgater may get spooked into thinking you are watching them and back off.
one person who lived it
Have a professional inspect your car after an accident, even if it appears undamaged, as hidden structural damage may exist.
One person discovered their frame was bent by a deer despite the damage not being obvious.
one person who lived it
Flash hazard lights briefly to get a tailgater's attention without braking.
It gets their attention immediately and is less abrasive than other methods.
- This likely will not work for an aggressive tailgater who is out to get you.
one person who lived it
If a dealership quotes a high price for repairs after diagnostics, ask them to reassemble the vehicle before you leave; this process may resolve alignment or connection issues without part replacement.
Reassembly can fix alignment problems or loose connections that were disturbed during diagnostic disassembly.
one person who lived it
If you are speeding and see a police officer, ease off the gas gradually rather than slamming on the brakes.
Sudden deceleration is noticeable even without seeing taillights and draws closer attention from officers.
one person who lived it
Consider replacing carpet with truck bed liner in off-roaders used for dirty or wet activities.
To avoid worrying about dirt and wet conditions after biking, kayaking, climbing, or hiking.
one person who lived it
Clay the windshield to completely remove all particles before applying abrasives or polishes.
Failing to remove particles will scratch the glass much worse.
one person who lived it
If reading in a moving vehicle causes nausea, stop reading entirely.
Motion sickness can occur when your inner ear and neck receptors signal movement while your eyes signal stillness, creating conflicting messages for the brain.
one person who lived it
Check the VIN on independent sites other than the dealer-provided report to uncover hidden salvage or theft history.
One lesser-known site revealed a salvage sale that was missing from the dealer-provided report, preventing a bad purchase.
one person who lived it
Record the license plate number and make a subsequent telephone call if a driver repeatedly threatens your life with aggressive behavior.
This may help prevent others from being similarly threatened.
one person who lived it
Get your hair styled immediately before taking your driver's license photo so you have a reference image for future haircuts.
You can refer the stylist to that picture when getting a haircut later.
one person who lived it
Write essential vehicle information, such as tire size and security codes, on the driver's sun visor if door jamb stickers are worn or illegible.
One person found their van's sticker partly worn, dirty, and with characters fallen off, making the visor easier to read quickly.
one person who lived it
Use replaceable employee badges as scrapers if your workplace provides them or they are easily replaced.
One workplace started supplying badge-shaped scrapers after many employees broke their badges using this method.
one person who lived it
When inspecting a used vehicle, verify that onboard diagnostic monitors have completed their cycles; if they have not run, it indicates error codes were likely cleared recently to conceal problems.
Uncleared monitors suggest recent code clearing, which is a significant warning sign of hidden issues.
one person who lived it
When buying a used car, look for listings with images, detailed descriptions, high-resolution photos, low odometer readings, and minimal aftermarket parts.
One person used this filter to find well-maintained vehicles.
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