You spend an awful lot of time in your car on your daily commute but sometimes, things can get really inconvenient especially when you least expect it. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so for this segment of AT&T, we’ve compiled a list of some automotive hacks that you may find handy!
PS: Some of these tricks might not work on your car but good luck trying!
1. What side is the tank on?
If you are borrowing a car and they requested you to fill-up the petrol along the way, use this trick to save yourself from embarrassment by pulling up to the wrong side, like this poor lady!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9-MYIX11iA
Mot cars have an arrow on the petrol gauge which points to which side the tank-filler is on, so either left of right depends on your vehicle’s gauge points.
2. Need to clean those faded plastic headlight covers?
Simply rub your headlights with toothpaste using a soft cloth, and rinse it off completely with clean water and let it dry. Do it a couple of times and soon your headlights will look as good as new. You can also use toothpaste to scrub white tyre lettering. Rinse with water, then scrub again with bleach to make those white letters shines!
3. Can’t get the road tax sticker off?
Yup, everybody hates it when the remnants of the road tax sticker adhesive sticks to your windshield after you try to take them off. However, you can solve this problem in a jiffy with the help of a newspaper. Simply use warm water and place the newspaper over the sticker for 10 minutes. This lets the warm water penetrate the sticker and will almost fall off into your hands. If you don’t have time for this, good old WD-40 and a paper towel does this nicely too.
4. Need a smartphone holder?
If you need to use your smartphone to navigate but you shouldn’t hold it while driving, all you have to do is thread a rubber band through your air conditioner vent for a phone holder. As an alternative, you can also use sticky pad on your dashboard to keep your smartphone in one place.
5. How to use Google maps without Internet connection?
If you are travelling abroad and planning on a road trip, you can save a map to your device and use it when you’re offline via Google Maps. All you have to do is search for the location, like “Penang” and save the map. The biggest size for an offline map is 50km x 50km. If you try to save an area bigger than that, you’ll be asked to zoom in to a smaller area. You can also located where you are by turning on the GPS function in your phone.
6. Need a tissue holder?
You can use an old coffee cup as a tissue holder as it will fit perfectly on your car’s cup holder. However, make sure that it is clean and empty before you use it!
7. How to treat paint scratches?
If you have minor scratches on your car, use matching colour nail polish to cover up those scratches. Although this might not be a permanent solution, it will keep the damage from getting worse until you can find a proper solution.
This same tricks can also be applied if you have a small crack on your windshield. A gentle brush of clear polish on both sides of the glass can temporary aid the crack before you send your car to the workshop.
8. Your wiper getting worn off?
If your wipers are beginning to wear down, you can extend their life by rubbing them briskly with sandpaper. You can also clean windshield wipers with a good scrubbing of baking soda and water.
9. How to treat small dents with minimal cost?
If you have small dents in your car, just push a plunger firmly against it and pull out. While it might not necessarily work, most of the time, the dent will go back to normal. I’ve also heard that dry ice can help pop out dents. All you have to do is apply it to the dent repeatedly until it’s gone.
10. How to cool off you car without air-conditioning?
There’s nothing worse than opening up your car only to find out its turned into an oven. However, cooling your vehicle by blasting the air-conditioning is a waste of fuel. An alternative way to cool the cabin after it is soaked in a hot sun is by rolling down one window and open and close the door on the other side 5 to 6 times. The hot air escapes through the door you’re opening and closing, while the cool air enters through the window on the other side, and vice-versa. (I’ve tried this, it works! – Ed.)
11. Running out of petrol but can’t find a petrol station nearby?
A lot of people perhaps have experienced this kind of problem. While some cars don’t indicate how far left you are able to travel, you can actually save your remaining petrol significantly by turning off the air-conditioning. Some cars even have ECO mode buttons to help save fuel so that might come in handy especially during desperate times!
12. Need to eliminate those nasty odours?
When travelling with family and pets, you are bound to have spilled food or dirty diapers that can get a bit rank on the road. Bring along dryer sheets to eliminate odours and to clean off those dirty stains on your car. We also learned recently that if you carry durians in your car and want to get rid of the lingering smell after you’ve removed them, cut the stalks off the durians, split one end and jam them into your A/C vents, apparently it works via the same principle as washing your fingers in the durian shell after eating.
13. How to lock out dirt and footprints?
You’ve stocked up plenty of spare shoes in your car but don’t want to mess your car’s carpet with footprints and dirt? Place your shoes in a shower cap or in an old box. Additionally, you can use a blanket bag for storing foul-smelling clothes in your car.
14. How to hide small valuable items in your car?
Sometimes, storing valuable items in your boot isn’t just good enough. Some cars offer hidden storage spaces located beneath the boot but if you don’t have one, you can hide them on your spare tyre compartment!
Have we missed anything? Hit us up in the comments section if you have an automotive hack that you’d like to share!
