REV’S ROAD

★ REVIEWS ★

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REV’S ROAD

★ REVIEWS ★

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Maintenance Schedule Generator

The maintenance schedule generator can help you find some of the most urgent topics you may be interested in reading about.1

Car Maintenance Schedule Generator

Vehicle Maintenance Schedule Generator

  1. Values are based on average maintenance intervals for most vehicles. Schedule assumes routine maintenance has been done according to the displayed maintenance intervals in this schedule since mile zero. Consult your vehicle’s owner’s manual for exact maintenance intervals, replacement components, and fluids before performing any work. For information and educational use only. ↩︎

REV’S ROAD

★ REVIEWS ★

I’m Rev, and I’ve been into cars since I could talk. I love finding the latest and greatest products. I do all the research into the best parts and accessories so you don’t have to.

Check out some of my most popular posts below, or click here to learn more about me!

Categories

Cartoon illustration of a red car being washed with a bucket of soapy water, sponge, and soap bottle. Blue sky, house, fence, grass, trees.

Care and Detailing

Browse through our articles about soap, polish, wax, and other car and truck detailing products and tools.

Click here!

A cartoon illustration of a white car with an open hood, surrounded by tools on the ground. Blue sky, houses, fence, and greenery in the background.

Parts and Maintenance

Find recommendations for the best car parts. Whether it’s for maintenance or upgrades, we’ve got you covered.

Click here!

Illustration of blue truck with open doors, upgrades and truck accessories on ground. Blue sky, clouds, houses, green grass and bushes visible.

Gear and Accessories​

Searching for the newest and coolest gear and accessories for your vehicle? Look no further.

Click here!

Illustration of a garage corner filled with tools hanging on the wall and lying on the floor.

Automotive Tools

Don’t get caught working on your vehicle without the right tools. Find the best automotive tools for every job right here!

Click here!

Cartoon depiction of a garage with tools neatly arranged on the wall.

Garage Organization

What’s the only thing better than having a lot of tools? Being able to find them! Learn how to keep your garage organized.

Click here!

Illustration of a garage corner filled with tools hanging on the wall and lying on the floor.

General Purpose Tools

Reviews and buying guides for common tools that can help you out in the garage as well as your home.

Click here!

View All Posts

Categories

Cartoon illustration of a red car being washed with a bucket of soapy water, sponge, and soap bottle. Blue sky, house, fence, grass, trees.

Care and Detailing

Browse through our articles about soap, polish, wax, and other car and truck detailing products and tools.

Click here!

A cartoon illustration of a white car with an open hood, surrounded by tools on the ground. Blue sky, houses, fence, and greenery in the background.

Parts and Maintenance

Find recommendations for the best car parts. Whether it’s for maintenance or upgrades, we’ve got you covered.

Click here!

Illustration of blue truck with open doors, upgrades and truck accessories on ground. Blue sky, clouds, houses, green grass and bushes visible.

Gear and Accessories​

Searching for the newest and coolest gear and accessories for your vehicle? Look no further.

Click here!

Illustration of a garage corner filled with tools hanging on the wall and lying on the floor.

Automotive Tools

Don’t get caught working on your vehicle without the right tools. Find the best automotive tools for every job right here!

Click here!

Cartoon depiction of a garage with tools neatly arranged on the wall.

Garage Organization

What’s the only thing better than having a lot of tools? Being able to find them! Learn how to keep your garage organized.

Click here!

Illustration of a garage corner filled with tools hanging on the wall and lying on the floor.

General Purpose Tools

Reviews and buying guides for common tools that can help you out in the garage as well as your home.

Click here!

View All Posts

Answers to some common questions:

If you’re anything like me, washing your car isn’t the most exciting part of your day. Most professional detailers recommend washing your car every 1-2 weeks, regardless of whether it looks dirty or not. This will not only keep your vehicle looking its best, but it will help protect the paint. Here are some guidelines on wash frequency:

Every 1-2 Weeks: If your car isn’t kept in a garage or if you use it frequently, consider washing it every 7-14 days. This prevents damaging contaminants like bird droppings, tree sap, road grime (and salt for my cold weather friends), etc. from adhering to the paint and damaging it over time.

Monthly: For infrequent drivers or garage-kept cars, a monthly wash is all you need as long as you wax on schedule and wash whenever noticeable dirt accumulates.

Every 2 Months: In addition to washing, apply a coat of high-quality wax every 2 months. This protects the paint and makes it easier to keep clean.

Washing more frequently than every week is generally not necessary unless driving in harsh conditions. Over washing can prematurely strip the wax. This isn’t a problem too many of you have, but it’s worth mentioning for those who obsess a little too much. You know who you are…

Click here to read more about cleaning and detailing.

Ever been stranded with a dead battery? I’ve been there! I hope you never have to deal with it for your own battery, but this is useful to know in case you need to help someone else.

To jump start a car with a dead battery, you’ll need another vehicle with a functional battery and jumper cables. Follow these steps in order:

  1. First, park the two vehicles close enough for the cables to reach both batteries.
  2. Next, connect one end of the red cable to the positive (+) terminal of the dead battery, and the other end to the positive terminal of the good battery.
  3. Then connect one end of the black cable to the negative (-) terminal of the good battery.
  4. Finally, connect the other end of the black cable to an unpainted metal surface on the dead vehicle, away from the battery.
  5. Start the vehicle with the good battery and let it run for 2-3 minutes before attempting to start the dead vehicle.
  6. Now start the vehicle with the dead battery.

Once started, allow it to run for 15-20 minutes before disconnecting the cables in the reverse order. Be careful not to let the cable ends touch or create sparks near the batteries.

Read more about batteries here.

These days there are more distractions than — haha that’s a funny cat video. What was I saying? Oh yeah, here are some car accessories to help new drivers stay focused on the road:

Phone Mount

A sturdy phone mount allows for safe hands-free calling and voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation access so you can keep your eyes on the road. It also discourages handling the phone and texting while driving.

Blind Spot Mirrors

Stick-on blind spot mirrors give an expanded view of your vehicle’s blind spot. Blind spots are particularly troublesome when you’re just starting out driving. Changing lanes safely when there’s a vehicle in your blind spot takes practice and focus. Blind spot mirrors can help bridge that gap and give new drivers an edge.

Backup Camera/Sensors

Installing a backup camera or rear parking sensors can help with backing up and avoiding collisions when you’re still getting comfortable with spatial awareness in the vehicle.

Steering Wheel Cover

It might sound trivial, but a non-slip steering wheel cover can improve grip and handling. This can be important for new drivers who may have sweaty palms from nerves and anxiety behind the wheel. They’re also useful on older vehicles with worn or slippery steering wheels.

There are many more products and accessories to learn about here.

Every home mechanic should have a few essential tools for basic repairs and maintenance on their vehicle. Here are some you’ll need to get started:

Socket and Ratchet Set

A good quality socket set with both metric and SAE/standard sizes is a must. Look for one with 1/4″, 3/8″, and 1/2″ drive sizes. The set should include extensions, ratchets, and a variety of deep and shallow sockets.

Wrench Set

Starting out, get a set of combination wrenches in metric and SAE/standard sizes. Combination wrenches an open-end on one side and a box-end on the other. A set ranging from 1/4″ to 1″ should cover most automotive applications.

Jack and Jack Stands

If you’re planning on doing work from underneath your vehicle, a floor jack along with a pair of jack stands will definitely be required. Make sure you get jack stands rated for your vehicle’s weight! Ramps are also an option but they take up more storage space. It’s also a little tricky to find ones that fit your specific vehicle.

You’ll add specialized tools to your collection over time. I generally wouldn’t recommend getting specialized tools until you need them. These tools include torque wrenches, pry bars, oil drain pans, and so on. If you’re already starting to think ahead, start reading about garage organization now before it’s too late!

Click here to research automotive specific tools.

Before completely organizing my garage, I had to move my table saw to get to my lawnmower, then move my lawnmower to get to my floor jack, then slide my floor jack over in order to work at my workbench. Sound familiar? Here are some quick tips to improve your current “system.”

  • Start by clearing everything out and sorting items into keep, donate/sell, and discard piles. Designate zones for different activities like automotive, lawn care, storage, etc. This sounds like a pain, but it’s worth it.
  • Install shelving units, cabinets, and pegboards to maximize wall space. Use clear bins on the shelves to neatly store and easily see smaller items. Keep frequently used items at eye level for easy access.
  • Make use of vertical wall space. Mount pegboards or slatwall to hang tools. This frees up space while keeping frequently used tools visible and within reach. Hang larger items like rakes, shovels, and ladders on the walls as well. Keyword here is wall space. Walls are your friends.
  • Take advantage of ceiling space. Install overhead racks or hang bicycles, canoes, and other large equipment from the ceiling using pulley systems or hooks. This clears the floor and walls of clutter. Have a kayak you haven’t used since Pierce Brosnan was James Bond? Stop working around it and hang it up!
  • Designate zones with labeling. Section off areas of the garage for different activities like automotive work, lawn care, sports equipment, etc. Clearly label bins and zones so everything has a designated place.
  • Do a quarterly clean-out. Go through the garage every few months to donate or discard any unused items taking up space. This helps reduce accumulated clutter over time. When was the last time you used that pipe threader you got at Home Depot on Black Friday 2007? I want to remind you that Facebook Marketplace exists.

For more garage organization tips, tricks, and product reviews, click here.

Many basic hand tools can pull double duty for automotive repairs as well as general projects and maintenance around the home. Some multi-purpose tools include:

Screwdrivers

Screwdrivers are one of the most useful tools you can buy. A set of both flat-head and Phillips screwdrivers in various tip sizes and shaft lengths are needed for different jobs. Starting out, a multi-bit screwdriver can cover most of your needs until you’re ready to start buying individual screwdrivers.

Flashlights

There’s a simple formula to determine how many flashlights you need: however many you have plus one. Flashlights help you get a better view in almost any situation while working on your car. They also give you the bonus of being able to see parts of your home you never knew existed. Huh, how long has that been behind the sofa? Don’t let your friends catch you using your iPhone flashlight to change your serpentine belt.

Pliers

An assortment of pliers like needle-nose, groove-joint, locking, and cutting pliers will always come in handy. These tools are used for various tasks in the garage and throughout the house for gripping, bending, cutting wire, etc.

Safety Equipment

Items like safety glasses, gloves, and ear plugs protect your eyes, hands, and hearing whether working on your vehicle or doing loud/dusty projects around the house.

For information about other useful tools, click here.