Car maintenance
goes beyond oil changes and tune-ups. Keeping a car clean is essential
- and not just for cosmetic reasons. If a vehicle
isn't kept clean on a regular basis, it will be de-valued at the time
of trade-in or resale. According to auto trade-in experts such as Kelley
Blue Book, cars in excellent mechanical condition and appearance can
be valued as much as $1,500 higher than those in good or fair condition.
More
than $24 billion a year is spent
battling automobile corrosion damage
Source: http://www.carlove.org
Here are just
a few of the enemies that your car has out there on the road:
Road Salt - Road salt is
very helpful in keeping the roads we drive safe but, they are damaging
to a cars' undercarriage and paint job. Road
and marine salts are estimated to cause more than $14 billion in damage
each year to American automobiles.
Acid Rain -
Unfortunately, acid rain is becoming more common. When the moisture
evaporates, the acid remains - often forming a blemish that
looks like a splattered raindrop. Acid rain eats through a car's finish,
permanently etching it. Annual precipitation in New York averages about
32 to 45 inches, so it's important to wash a car soon after a rainfall.
Once damage is done, the only solution is to repaint.
Bird Droppings-Bird droppings are also very acidic and can eat away at the paint job on your car.
