Car covers keep your vehicle clean when you’re not driving it and protects the paint from fading due to ultraviolet light. These products keep snow off cars, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles during the winter and protect them from tree leaves, seeds and sap the rest of the year. 

Protective Advantages

Birds and insects won’t do their business on your car’s beautiful paint job when you have the vehicle covered with a high-quality product. You’ll never find little cat paw prints tracking dirt on the trunk or hood. Dust and sand from the general environment also won’t settle on your vehicle’s paint. Instead, these substances land on the car cover. In our post about Car Transport Reviews, we’ve listed important ways to avoid when transporting a car – and a car cover can help out as an additional piece.

Relevant Statistics

More than 70 percent of passenger vehicles in the United States are not kept in a garage or an enclosed storage unit. A large number are parked in lots at apartment complexes. Many single-family homes and duplexes do not have off-street parking, so vehicle owners must keep their cars on the street. In other cases, a garage is available, but the residents store so many belongings inside that there isn’t enough room for their vehicles.

Car Covers in Classic Cars

Protective covers are especially important for classic cars. Older vehicles were manufactured with materials that are more susceptible to corrosion. People who live in regions that treat roads with salt in the winter typically don’t drive their classic cars during this season. Nevertheless, as the automobiles sit in storage, they are vulnerable to paint damage from dust and other bits of debris that settle on the exterior.

Available Car Covers

You can buy a really cheap car cover, but these products aren’t likely to provide all the results you want. Certain kinds of materials do not offer complete UV protection, for example. You don’t want a car cover that tears easily or that is vulnerable to developing tiny holes that rainwater can seep through. If your region is susceptible to severe storms, you may want a padded or inflatable cover that can stop the damage from hail. 

It may not matter to you what color your car cover is, or you might have a specific preference. Black, silver, and gray are common choices, but you can also find these items in red, blue, beige, and other hues. 

Concluding Thoughts

These effective products provide numerous advantages for protecting vehicles. Before starting to shop, make a list of the features that are most important to you and then take a look at pricing. Soon you’ll have the car cover you need to keep your vehicle looking great.

The car’s engine is the beating heart of your vehicle, and it’s essential to keep it in good shape. Minor issues that aren’t attended to can quickly grow, eventually leading to failure. As well as being a danger when driving, a failed engine is expensive to fix, especially with a catastrophic failure that damages other parts.

Our auto transport reviews post suggested that you must be your own inspector if you are transporting your car with a help of a company. It will save you a lot if you check both interior and exterior of the vehicle.

How do you know when your car’s engine needs a little attention? Here are seven signs to watch out for.

1) Lit Car Engine Light

If the ‘check engine light illuminates on your dash, book an inspection at your local repair shop without delay. The light switches on whenever power from the engine drops without a good reason. It might be a minor issue that’s easily fixed, but ignoring it could lead to serious problems, so get it checked out.

2) Sluggish Power or Complete Loss

If you have a full tank of fuel and the engine is turning over, but there’s no power output to get you moving, then there’s likely a mechanic problem in either the compression or combustion parts of the engine. Both can be sizable problems and can mean the engine needs a complete replacement. However, an experienced mechanic can quickly isolate the problem, and can make a quick and inexpensive fix.

3) Increasing Fuel Consumption

Do you need to fill the gas tank more often than you used to? Falling fuel efficiency can have many causes, but it’s often the first sign of engine problems. So have it investigated before the issue goes too far.

4) Unusual Car Engine Noises

If your car’s usual silky purr is spoiled by rattling, hissing, or popping noises, there’s likely some obstruction in the fuel flow. The problem could be minor but a mechanic will be able to put your mind at ease with a quick inspection.

5) Strange Smells

If you smell exhaust fumes while driving, it could signify that the engine is putting out more gases than the system can handle. A smell of gas probably indicates a problem with the fuel intake, while an odor of burnt oil usually means there’s a seal or gasket failure. But whatever the specific smell, it’s unlikely to be good news or a sign of perfect engine health, so don’t ignore it.

6) Frequent Stalls

Modern cars shouldn’t stall under normal driving conditions, especially with today’s advanced transmissions. There could be a simple blockage in the fuel line or something more serious if the car’s engine cuts out for no reason. However, stalling itself can cause damage, so schedule an inspection before things get any worse.

7) Continued Running

On the other hand, if the engine continues to run for a little while once the ignition is turned off, usually with a sputtering sound rather than a smooth one, then there’s likely a problem with the gas-air mixture. This problem is most common in performance vehicles but it’s a warning sign you shouldn’t ignore.

A complete and sudden engine failure can often be too expensive to fix. This is mostly found in an older car with aging parts and a lower overall value. If you spot any of these warning signs, get your car checked over as soon as you can to nip any problems.