- Car Care Guides
- Coastal and Salt
- Contaminants on Paint
- Headlights, Trim and Seals
- Paint Defects and Polishing
- Paint Failure and Body Shop Defects
- Uncategorized
- Water, Damp and Smells
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Flood-Damaged Cars: What to Look At Before You Buy
A valeted interior hides flood evidence. Check six places nobody cleans: spare wheel well, under-carpet edges, seat rails, seatbelt end, under the dash and the smell.…
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‘Old Car Smell’ Has Nothing to Do With Age
Old car smell has nothing to do with age. Use four quick tests to find whether it’s the vents, mould, smoke or odour absorbed into foam,…
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Cabin Mould Is Never Where You Go Looking
Wiping mould off car interiors fails because it’s a moisture problem. Learn the four locations that reveal where the water comes from and a 20-minute search…
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Internal Panel Rot: The Bubble Is the Last Thing to Happen
A coin-sized paint bubble is the last step of rust that started inside a box section. Learn why the inside is always bigger than the outside…
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Clearcoat Chalking: Run a Damp Towel Across the Panel
Flat, dusty paint has three possible causes and one two-minute test. Learn the damp microfibre test, why salt air speeds chalking, and when polishing is the…
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Caliper Seizing in Salt Air: Brakes Have to Move
A brake caliper has to move, and salt attacks the sliding fits and rubber boots that let it. Learn what to look at on any car,…
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Electrolytic Corrosion: Your Car Becomes a Battery
White powdery corrosion at a bolt or bracket isn’t ordinary rust. Learn how two metals plus salt water make a car a battery, and where to…
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The Beach Is Killing Your Car: Undercarriage Rust and Salt
Salt makes water conductive and pulls moisture from the air, so coastal and road-salt cars rot from below. Learn the five places corrosion starts and how…
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Fisheyes: The Awkward One (And Sometimes It’s the Owner)
Fisheyes are circular craters with a raised rim where paint pulled away from a contaminant, often silicone. Learn how to identify them and the one habit…
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Tiny Craters in New Paint: The Defect No Polish Will Fix
Tiny pinhole craters in fresh paint are solvent pop, not dirt, and polishing makes them worse. Learn how to identify it and exactly what to say…