Understanding How Engines Work: My Automotive Blog

If you are planning on selling your car, and want to make sure you get the most value possible, then make sure you take car of how it looks. While it is very important that your car run well (and have good brakes, no audible transmission problems, etc…) nothing will sour a sale like an ugly looking car. So, here are three areas to address before you list your car for sale.

Steam Clean The Engine

The engine might run well, but if it looks ugly when the potential buyers look at it, it could be a big turn off. Many people don't know much about engines, but if they see a grimy engine block, thy might think that the car wasn't cared for. While this might not necessarily the case, it's better to have a clean engine then try and convince them it's in good shape and you were diligent about changing the oil and doing other routine maintenance. You should bring your car in to have the engine block steamed. The cleaners will wash away years of grime, burnt on oil, old leaves that have blown in and dried to dust, and lots of other gunk.

Shampoo and Deep Vacuum The Interior Upholstery

People who are buying a used car don't want a smelly car that stinks of cigarette smoke, or that has stains from old coffee spills. Maybe you have a dog that you let ride in the backseat. Well, then you probably are aware of how much hair that dog will shed and also the "dog smell" your car might have. So, have a deep vacuum and shampoo. This will get rid of the smell as well as remove all the dirt, hair and other bits of debris that will make a car look ugly.

Fix Any Minor Collision Damage

Now for the big one. If you got into a minor accident years ago, and have just ignored the dent, you should fix it. People don't want to buy a car with visible collision damage. It's just a huge turnoff. If the dent was minor enough, then you could have it "pulled". This is where the collision repair show will use large suction cup devices to pull the dent out. The only problem that can turn up is if there is some chipped paint. In that case, a matching paint will need to be used. If the dent is large, or if you have let it rust, then the collision repair shop will have to use body fill and also sand out the rust. You want to avoid trying this yourself because working with auto-body fill is a super tricky process and if you do it wrong it will be uneven.

For more information, you will want to check out a company such as Fenza's Auto Body Inc.