Five things to gift your car for this festive season

Words: Ganesh Murthy

Giving proper attention to your car always goes a long way to create that gentleman image. After all, a man is also judged by how the car he drives is maintained, right? So whether you drive a Maruti or a Mercedes, here are a few essential tips that can make your car look good, feel good and leave you with a wide smile every time your step out of her.

Car wash!

Yes. Let’s start with cleanliness shall we? A car that feels clean elevates the sense of freshness for you and the passengers. It can be fun too, giving your car a bubble bath all by yourself. And to start with that, you need to equip yourself with sponges, car shampoo (Nirma washing powder would also do) and of course a bucket of water or a hose if you have one. And once you finish giving your car a bath, an additional Teflon coating will bring that sparkle back. Teflon coatings are done by local mechanics as well as in your car’s authorized service centres. So go ahead and make your car dazzling this Christmas!

Oil change and air filter

Remember when the car service guy last changed oil or cleaned the air filter for your car? Time for you to take a closer look at it, especially in this cold climate. With all the festivities you are constantly taking your family out for shopping, while going out on special dinners with the wife and you don’t want your beloved car to have breathing problems and an upset stomach.

Isofix child seats

Child seats are fast catching up and they offer proper seating and protection to your little one. A kid in the car can be quite a distraction and there in comes the Isofix child seats, keeping them comfy and safe, at the back. And yes, kids up to 10 years of age are not allowed to ride in the front seat, because of safety issues. So better to huddle those bundle of energies safely on the child seats in the back, if you are planning on going for that long planned road trip.

Tyres

A good set of boots are a must, given our pitiful state of roads. Checking tyre wear can be useful to determine when to make the next change with the help of tyre wear indicators located on the side of the tyre that highlight the intensity of tyre wear. When there is too much wear in either side of the tyres, there might be possible alignment problems. Check for dead weights on the rear tyres for balancing. Too much wear on the tyres may cause aquaplaning and will result in loss of traction.

Air Purifier

Keeping the interiors of your car smelling fresh and fragrant is very essential and helps a lot to keep your better half in a good mood, especially when you are stuck in a traffic snarl and are surrounded by trucks and autos that emit their thick black smoke screen engulfing your car. Typically they last for about a month and a half if used sparingly and last less than a month if you always tend to drive with your AC on and keep the fragrance level high.