Tag Archives: Car Care

Car Glass San Diego

Maintaining your car glass San Diego is something you should do regularly. This way, you can ensure your car is in tiptop shape, runs smoothly, and is safe. Therefore, for a flawless car, you should follow these five vital car care tips:

Cleaning Your Windshield Inside and Out

A clean windshield helps accomplish a couple of great things.

  • You can prevent sun glares
  • You can prevent scratches
  • And you can have a clearer driving visibility

Thus, it is a wise idea to wash your windshield inside and out as often as you can. Be sure to rely on a windshield cleaner and a microfiber cloth for the job. You will have an immaculate, clear windshield and stay safe on the road with this fantastic car care tip.

Refill on Windshield Washer Fluid

Frequently filling up on windshield washer fluid can help you maintain your windshield’s cleanliness. Plus, the less dirty your windshield is, the less sun glares you will have. This way, you can stay safe on the road. Additionally, this car care tip is great for preserving your car’s value.

Do Not Wash Your Car Under the Heat

A lot of drivers do not know that washing their cars under the heat can leave behind watermarks and stains. Not only is this an unappealing sight, but it is also terrible for your car’s health. Stains can create glares on your windshield as well as leave behind scratches. Similarly, stains can cause your car paint to dull in color. Thus, it is best to wash your car when the sun is not sharp.

Swap Sponges with Microfiber Cloths When Washing Your Car

A lot of drivers wash their cars with a sponge and dry them with a towel. It should be noted that that is a terrible thing to do. Sponges and towels can scratch the paint and glass over there. As a result, it is not a good idea to use them. Instead, swap them with microfiber cloths. They are gentle and safe on auto glass and car paint.

Clean Your Headlights with Baking Soda and Vinegar

This last car care tip is amazing! Clean your car’s headlights with a baking soda and vinegar mixture. This mixture eats away at the hazy dirt blocking the lights. In a few minutes, you will have shiny headlights as if you had just purchased your car.

Maintaining your car is crucial for its safety. With these five amazing car care tips, you will keep your car in tiptop shape and have total comfort.

Safe Halloween Driving

halloweenWith Halloween fast approaching, the Car Care Council reminds motorists to drive slowly, especially through neighborhoods, to be extra careful when entering or exiting driveways, and to make sure their vehicle’s brakes, lights and wipers are working properly for a safe Halloween.

“Motorists can help keep young pedestrians safe on Halloween by reminding children of basic safety rules, taking extra precautions when driving through neighborhoods, and inspecting vehicle safety items, like brakes,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “With daylight savings time on the horizon, October is also an ideal time to check vehicles lights and wipers to ensure maximum visibility.”

Check Your Windshield

A dirty windshield may look spooky but does not help to see children crossing the street. If the weather turns, cracked or torn wipers will also pose a problem to visibility. Check that all your lights are working for maximum performance and visibility on Halloween. This year the end of daylight saving time is after Halloween and that means children will likely be trick-or-treating at dusk when the sky is still bright, yet objects on the road can merge with shadows and fade into darkness.

Check Your Brakes

A vehicle’s brake system is the most critical safety item on a vehicle, but brakes wear out and eventually need replacement. Several factors that affect brake wear include driving habits, operating conditions, vehicle type and the quality of the brake lining material. Never put off routine brake inspections or any needed repairs, such as letting the brakes get to the “metal-to-metal” point, which can be potentially dangerous and lead to more costly repairs.

Note to Parents

“Parents should remind their little ghosts and goblins to get out of cars on the curb side, not the street side, to stop at all corners and to use crosswalks,” continued White. “Children should look left, right and left again before crossing, stay on sidewalks, avoid crossing through yards, and wear bright, reflective and flame-retardant clothing.”

reprinted from the Car Care Council. The Car Care Council is the source of information for the “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers.

Car Care Tips

windshield replacement San DiegoTaking a good care of your car not only keeps your car looking nice but also protects you on the road. The better you preserve your car, the better it works. So, if you want to stay safe on the road, be sure to keep your car in the best shape. A couple of ways to do that is by following these amazing car care tips:

Cleaning Your Windshield Inside and Out

A clean windshield helps accomplish a couple of great things.

  • One, you can prevent sun glares.
  • Two, you can prevent scratches.
  • Three, you can have a clearer driving visibility.

Therefore, it is a wise idea to regularly wash your windshield inside and out. Be sure to rely on a windshield cleaner and a microfiber cloth for the job. You will have a flawless, clear windshield and stay safe on the road with this fantastic car care San Diego tip.

Do Not Wash Your Car Under Heat

A lot of drivers do not know that washing their cars under the heat can leave behind watermarks and stains. Not only is this an unappealing sight, but it is also terrible for your car’s health. Stains can create glares on your windshield as well as leave behind scratches. Similarly, stains can cause your car paint to dull in color. Thus, it is best to wash your car when the sun is not sharp.

Refill on Windshield Washer Fluid

Regularly refilling on windshield washer fluid can help you maintain your windshield’s cleanliness. Plus, the less dirty your windshield is, the less glares you will have. This way, you can stay safe on the road. This car care San Diego tip is a great way to also preserve your car’s value!

Substitute Sponges for Microfiber Cloths When Washing Your Car

A lot of drivers wash their cars with a sponge and dry them with a towel. It should be noted that that is a terrible thing to do. Sponges and towels can scratch the paint and glass over there. As a result, it is not a good idea to use them. Instead, switch over to microfiber cloths. They are gentle and safe on auto glass and car paint.

Clean Your Headlights with Baking Soda and Vinegar

The last but not least car care San Diego tip is to clean your car’s headlights with a baking soda and vinegar mixture. This mixture eats away at the hazy dirt blocking the lights. In a few minutes, you will have shiny headlights like they had been when you first purchased your car. Hooray!

These five car care San Diego tips will not only preserve your car’s value and appearance, they will also keep you safe on the road.

windshield repair

Car Care with Windshield Wipers

Did you know that your windshield is very necessary for the structural integrity of your car? It’s true. Without the windshield, the roof of your car can easily collapse, since the glass is what holds it up. That’s why it’s essential to take care of your windshield by keeping it clean and sturdy, without any damages. Another way to protect your windshield from damage is by replacing the windshield wipers when they start getting old and worn out. This car care San Diego tip is a must to follow. Continue reading

foggy windshield

Why Do Windshields Fog Up?

What can you do when your windshields fog up after starting to drive? Why does this happen and what can you do about it? There are a variety of reasons why your windshield would fog including humidity, heat, and condensation.

Humidity

Humidity causes a buildup in water that turns into water vapor. You breathe the humid air. This air comes out from inside your body or off of it. Windshield fogging tends to be more of a problem when there is more than one person in the car since there is more breathing.

Heat

Temperature is actually molecules moving. More moisture is held with warm air than cold. However, this isn’t a chemical reaction. The molecules aren’t holding on to water molecules. More water becomes gas when it’s warmer than it does a liquid. And, there’s more space between each molecule with warm air therefore, the water molecules can fit into this space.

Condensation

Moist, warm air condensing when it hits your car’s colder windshield causes condensation. This usually happens in the early morning. This is also why on humid, warm days when you have your car air conditioner running you’ll see condensation form at the windshield’s base where it meets the cool air.

When there’s 100 percent relative humidity, if the temperature decreases more, the water needs to find its way out someplace. On a morning that’s cool outside when there’s fog or dew on the ground, that’s because the moist, warm air contacts the cold ground.

How to Clear Away the Fog on your Windshield

You can clear fog in many ways. And although there’s no special way of doing it that works best each time, the two that are more likely to work better are as follows.

  • Put your defroster on a high setting.
  • Set the temperature to hot.
  • Turn off the recirculation setting.
  • Turn on the air conditioner.
  • Crack your windows.

Dry the Air Out

Your best option is to run your air conditioner, depending on your comfort level. This method works well when the outside temperatures are above freezing and damp, wet humans getting into the car causes the fog. While cold is best when running your A/C, you can still run the air at a warmer temperature and get rid of the fog.

Evaporate the Water Vapor

For an easy and fast fix, turn the heat on and run it through your defrosters. This causes the condensation to evaporate kind of like the moisture on your clothes evaporating when you turn the clothes dryer on. This method works better when there are colder temperatures and you are catching the fog buildup early.

When your windshield is extremely foggy, you can use a small squeegee or dry cloth to clear up the fog quickly and then turn on the cold A/C. Slowly increase the air’s temperature if you find the A/C is too cold for you until you dry out the air inside your car.

Keep in mind that when you’re drying air that’s inside your vehicle, you need to pull in the outdoors air rather than simply circulating inside air. These days, most defrosters already do this.

Now, that you know what to do when your car windshield fogs, do you know what to do if your windshield has a chip or a crack? Call 7 Star Auto Glass today!

windshield damage prevention

Windshield Damage Prevention

While you can’t avoid your auto glass from getting damaged by things out of your control, you can take care of your car’s glass so that it stays in the best shape and doesn’t easily get damaged. The following 5 precautions will help you with windshield damage prevention.

#1 Make Sure Windshield Wipers Are in Working Condition When you have the time, examine your car’s windshield wipers and make sure they are working properly because the blades play a big role in keeping auto glass sturdy and in tiptop shape. If the rubber on the blades look old and worn out, you need to replace them with new ones. Generally, you should examine your windshield wipers every few months (particularly every six months) and especially take a look at them when they start scratching the glass and creating screeching noises against the glass. If the wiper blade’s rubber has cracks in it and is starting to fall apart, you should replace the wipers as soon as you can, preferably right away to avoid driving in a bad storm with improper wipers. By keeping the wipers in a good condition, you would avoid having to go to a San Diego windshield repair shop.

#2 Regularly Clean Auto Glass Another precaution that you can take to protect the glass and avoid having to go to a San Diego windshield repair shop is to regularly clean your auto glass. A clean windshield is less prone to damage and the reason for that is that without any dirt, the windshield wipers stay in shape and don’t scratch the glass.

#3 Don’t Use Sponges or Towels to Wash Glass Most people use sponges or towels to wash and dry auto glass, but doing so can damage them. While sponges are used to clean around the house, they aren’t ideal for auto glass. Sponges are meant to scrub, not gently clean. So when they’re used to wash cars, sponges can scratch the glass. While signs of scratches don’t appear on your car right away, over months of use, you’ll be able to see how using a sponge ruins your windshields and windows. Likewise, using a towel is just as bad for the windshield and should be avoided.

#4 Use a Clean Microfiber Cloth When you wash and dry your windshield, use microfiber cloths that are clean. These cloths are gentle on auto glass and can help you avoid damaging your windshield.

#5 Park Away from Loose Tree Branches When you park outdoors, be sure to examine where you have parked your car. If your car is located beneath a tree with loose tree branches, consider moving your car to a safer spot. If that branch falls on your windshield, it could cost you a lot of money to repair or replace the glass. Besides, there is no way to know for sure whether a bad storm will happen while you’re away that would make that loose tree branch fall. So take that precaution seriously.

If you want to prevent car glass damage and having to go to a San Diego windshield repair shop, these five precautions will certainly help you.

car windshield repair San Diego

Windshield Cracks

There are several types of windshield cracks, the majority of windshield chips and cracks come from small rocks or debris lodged or picked up by the tires from the cars driving near you. These rocks and debris are then released from the tires and ends up hitting your windshield. Let’s look at some of the common types of windshield damage and whether repair or replacement would be a suitable course of action.

These are most common windshield crack types:

Ding/Chip/Stone Break – This type of windshield damage is one of the most common, it’s  generally caused by a rock or debris striking the windshield while driving. A tiny to small piece of glass comes of the windshield creating the ding/chip. This type of damage can usually be easily repaired it’s known as a chip repair.  However, if you do not have it repaired the it can crack and a replacement would be necessary.

Cracked Chip – This type of windshield damage is a single crack that is about the size of a quarter that has an impact point. In most cases it can be repaired. 

Bull’s Eye – This type of windshield damage is also usually caused by a rock or debris of a larger scale. It is circular and a bit larger than a chip or ding. Often times it can be repaired depending on the size, if it is too large or too much glass has been removed a windshield replacement may be needed.

Combination Break – This type of windshield damage creates multiple kinds of breaks, such as dings, chips, and cracks.  If there are only a few breaks and they are small and on the surface (not to deep) a repair can usually fix the windshield. If the cracks are too deep then a windshield replacement is necessary.

Edge Crack – This type of crack starts within 2 inches of the edge of your windshield or starts at the edge of your windshield. The crack usually forms immediately and is roughly 10 to 12 inches in length. A windshield replacement is usually required.  

Floater Crack – This type of crack originates in the middle of your windshield. Depending on how deep and long the crack is determines whether or not your windshield will need to be repaired or replaced. 

Stress Crack – Over time your windshield weakens and a stress crack can form. The weather both hot and cold play a major role in this type of crack. For example if your car is parked in the sun for several hours and you turn on the air condition, this can weaken (stress) the windshield. Some stress cracks can be repaired however, if the entire windshield is stressed it is highly recommended that the windshield be replaced to prevent more cracks and repairs.

7 Star Auto Glass is a family owned business, with over 25 years of experience. Their services include the following:

  • Auto Glass Replacement
  • Windshield replacement
  • Chip Repair
  • Windshield Chip Repair
  • Rock chip repair
  • Broken Auto Glass
  • Cracked Windshield
car glass repair San Diego

Car Care Products To Avoid

We all make mistakes sometimes, but the important thing is to learn from them. One mistake most of us have done is using unsafe car care products on our car windshield and windows. The thing is, though, we did not know they were unsafe products. Today, we are going to highlight these unsafe products so that you can learn from your mistakes and keep your San Diego auto glass in tiptop shape. Let us begin! Continue reading

car care San Diego

Car Care Tips

Maintaining your car is something you should do regularly. This way, you can ensure your car is in tiptop shape, runs smoothly, and is safe. Therefore, for a flawless car, you should follow these five vital car care tips:

Cleaning Your Windshield Inside and Out

A clean windshield helps accomplish a couple of great things.

  • You can prevent sun glares
  • You can prevent scratches
  • And you can have a clearer driving visibility

Thus, it is a wise idea to wash your windshield inside and out as often as you can. Be sure to rely on a windshield cleaner and a microfiber cloth for the job. You will have an immaculate, clear windshield and stay safe on the road with this fantastic car care tip.

Refill on Windshield Washer Fluid

Frequently filling up on windshield washer fluid can help you maintain your windshield’s cleanliness. Plus, the less dirty your windshield is, the less sun glares you will have. This way, you can stay safe on the road. Additionally, this car care tip is great for preserving your car’s value.

Do Not Wash Your Car Under the Heat

A lot of drivers do not know that washing their cars under the heat can leave behind watermarks and stains. Not only is this an unappealing sight, but it is also terrible for your car’s health. Stains can create glares on your windshield as well as leave behind scratches. Similarly, stains can cause your car paint to dull in color. Thus, it is best to wash your car when the sun is not sharp.

Swap Sponges with Microfiber Cloths When Washing Your Car

A lot of drivers wash their cars with a sponge and dry them with a towel. It should be noted that that is a terrible thing to do. Sponges and towels can scratch the paint and glass over there. As a result, it is not a good idea to use them. Instead, swap them with microfiber cloths. They are gentle and safe on auto glass and car paint.

Clean Your Headlights with Baking Soda and Vinegar

This last car care tip is amazing! Clean your car’s headlights with a baking soda and vinegar mixture. This mixture eats away at the hazy dirt blocking the lights. In a few minutes, you will have shiny headlights as if you had just purchased your car.

Maintaining your car is crucial for its safety. With these five amazing car care tips, you will keep your car in tiptop shape and have total comfort.

Car care San Diego

New Year’s Resolution for Car Care

The tradition of making New Year’s resolutions started over 4,000 years with the Babylonians. They wanted to find favor with the gods and start the year off right. While we don’t have that kind of goal, it is still a good practice to review and remind ourselves of what’s important and what we want to improve. Every area of your life can be improved – your fitness, your finances, etc. Did you ever include car care on that list? Your car is a very important component of your life to keep you and your family safe. Maybe you should as proper car care can help to keep you safe.

Here’s few items to check for your car care resolution:

Tire Pressure – as the temperature drops, so does your tire pressure. Driving with under inflated tires can be dangerous but on the bright side, it can improve fuel efficiency to have your tires with the proper psi.

Battery – Keep your battery erosion-free. Batteries don’t give warning lights.

Brakes – Have your brakes checked. You don’t have to be reminded on how important it is to have proper brakes.

Oil – Change your oil at regular intervals. Oil is the life blood of your car.

Wiper Blades – Change in temperature can make the rubber on your wiper blades hard and brittle. Torn or cracked blades won’t properly clean your windshield.

Gas tank – Try to have your gas tank at least half full at all times, especially if you live in a colder winter climate. This decreases the chance of moisture forming in the gas lines and possibly freezing.

Headlights – Replace before burnout when possible. The problem is – most drivers don’t know their headlight is out. Driving with a burned out headlight on a dark road poses a risk to both the driver and others.

Spare Tire – Be sure you have your spare tire on your vehicle and not laying in the garage.

Emergency Kit – Try to carry an emergency kit which includes jumper cables, flash light, basic tools, first aid kit, and water supplies – all things to help you survive until help comes to get you back on the road.

Mobile phone – Be sure you have your mobile phone fully charged or carry a back-up battery.

Car Wash – Have your car washed or wash it yourself at least once a month.

Once you follow this list, you will be happier and your car will, too.