New Car: What are the first things you do
Discussion
Never buy new cars so:
Remove the dealer stickers before the glue sets
Check the oil & washer fluid
Fill with petrol
Check tyres and fit a new set if miss matching/old (after giving up on the inevitable argument with the dealer about the need to matching tyres)
Get geo checked
New tin of sweets for the glove box and a new road map (although I suspect my next car will have sat nav)
Drive 100 miles plus
Remove the dealer stickers before the glue sets
Check the oil & washer fluid
Fill with petrol
Check tyres and fit a new set if miss matching/old (after giving up on the inevitable argument with the dealer about the need to matching tyres)
Get geo checked
New tin of sweets for the glove box and a new road map (although I suspect my next car will have sat nav)
Drive 100 miles plus
First thing for me is to get the car warmed up fully and then thrash it to within an inch of its life - focusing on the engine and leaving the brakes to bed in for a while. Its important to get those first few miles of abuse in then the car knows what sort of life its in for. If exhaust isn't making noises that suggest its just suffered some serious mechanical abuse then its not been driven hard enough. All about learning the car and what it does, lets say 'getting acquainted' in a non-sexual manner and getting the tyres and other s
t run in. Red line within the first 20 mins for sure.
Its quickly followed by a 2 day obligatory detail including a full machine polish and application of a ceramic based sealant, but from then on its simple maintenance with a spray sealant. I can have the car back in pristine condition faster than most of you can sponge and leather your car (flexes biceps).... Just kidding.
t run in. Red line within the first 20 mins for sure. Its quickly followed by a 2 day obligatory detail including a full machine polish and application of a ceramic based sealant, but from then on its simple maintenance with a spray sealant. I can have the car back in pristine condition faster than most of you can sponge and leather your car (flexes biceps).... Just kidding.
Up date the parking permits - so I can park infront of my own house and the Mrs can park at work, without getting a ticket on my new pride & joy.
New car appropriate keyring, not the dealer one.
Sort out presets for the radio. Then read the manual, as I can't sort out the radio presets.
Followed by a road trip.
New car appropriate keyring, not the dealer one.
Sort out presets for the radio. Then read the manual, as I can't sort out the radio presets.
Followed by a road trip.
Fluid check, tyre pressures, then a crawl round to see what's broken or about to break. Then, 9 times out of 10, a trip to the breaker to get a spare wheel, the previous scrote having flogged it on Fleabay before he dropped it off with the local Arfur Daley who has sold me 3 out of my last 4 cars, in most cases for the price of a packet of Smarties.
1) Remove any novelty tax disc holders / air fresheners / keyrings etc
2) Fit my own novelty keyring (I've had a "lucky" Darth Vader keyring for a long time... he's now a multiple amputee, but he follows me from car to car.)
3) Clean car... a lot!
4) Check oil, water and washer fluid, making sure washer jets are pointing in the right direction
5) Brim with petrol (super unleaded where applicable)
5) Set radio pre-sets
6) Go for a long and preferably unnecessary drive
7) repeat stage 5... (and hopefully not stage 4!)
JD
2) Fit my own novelty keyring (I've had a "lucky" Darth Vader keyring for a long time... he's now a multiple amputee, but he follows me from car to car.)
3) Clean car... a lot!
4) Check oil, water and washer fluid, making sure washer jets are pointing in the right direction
5) Brim with petrol (super unleaded where applicable)
5) Set radio pre-sets
6) Go for a long and preferably unnecessary drive
7) repeat stage 5... (and hopefully not stage 4!)
JD
Edited by JD PH on Friday 31st July 10:43
Wow, lot of car cleaning going on here. And radio tuning.
As I can't afford new cars I usually spend 10 mins checking obvious stuff, installing toolkit / towrope / fire extinguisher and get on with driving it, knowing that when it breaks I have a chance of fixing it.
Much as I enjoy clean cars there are more important things in life.
As I can't afford new cars I usually spend 10 mins checking obvious stuff, installing toolkit / towrope / fire extinguisher and get on with driving it, knowing that when it breaks I have a chance of fixing it.
Much as I enjoy clean cars there are more important things in life.
clean interior (almost every car I have bought has had dirty interiors)
wash/was exterior (almost every car has have zero wax on them)
perform an oil change no matter when the previous owner claimed to have done it
get rid of the wanli/junyu/infinity tyres that are on 99% of the cars I look at (even the performance/hot hatch type cars)
clean the engine compartment (helpful tip, a clean engine compartment makes it easier to identify leaks, etc)
wash/was exterior (almost every car has have zero wax on them)
perform an oil change no matter when the previous owner claimed to have done it
get rid of the wanli/junyu/infinity tyres that are on 99% of the cars I look at (even the performance/hot hatch type cars)
clean the engine compartment (helpful tip, a clean engine compartment makes it easier to identify leaks, etc)
I've never actually thought about this, but now that I have we really are quite OCD;
1. Oil change to Castrol Edge
2. Fill her up with V Power
3. Mini service
4. Suspension and perishables give a once over and replaced where necessary
5. New wiper blades (bosch aero's)
6. New tyres all round (usually Eagle F1 Asy 2's)
7. Laser wheel alignment
8. All interior trims off; thorough clean throughout.
9. Full professional valet
10. New "fully connected" stereo (BT blah blah)
11. ECU remap (most of my cars tend to be forced induction)
1. Oil change to Castrol Edge
2. Fill her up with V Power
3. Mini service
4. Suspension and perishables give a once over and replaced where necessary
5. New wiper blades (bosch aero's)
6. New tyres all round (usually Eagle F1 Asy 2's)
7. Laser wheel alignment
8. All interior trims off; thorough clean throughout.
9. Full professional valet
10. New "fully connected" stereo (BT blah blah)
11. ECU remap (most of my cars tend to be forced induction)
drewbagz said:
I've never actually thought about this, but now that I have we really are quite OCD;
1. Oil change to Castrol Edge
2. Fill her up with V Power
3. Mini service
4. Suspension and perishables give a once over and replaced where necessary
5. New wiper blades (bosch aero's)
6. New tyres all round (usually Eagle F1 Asy 2's)
7. Laser wheel alignment
8. All interior trims off; thorough clean throughout.
9. Full professional valet
10. New "fully connected" stereo (BT blah blah)
11. ECU remap (most of my cars tend to be forced induction)
Oh and change the light bulbs for ones that actually work! 1. Oil change to Castrol Edge
2. Fill her up with V Power
3. Mini service
4. Suspension and perishables give a once over and replaced where necessary
5. New wiper blades (bosch aero's)
6. New tyres all round (usually Eagle F1 Asy 2's)
7. Laser wheel alignment
8. All interior trims off; thorough clean throughout.
9. Full professional valet
10. New "fully connected" stereo (BT blah blah)
11. ECU remap (most of my cars tend to be forced induction)
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