Last week our upstairs HVAC unit stopped working. My husband climbed up into the attic to troubleshoot, and quickly determined that we had a clogged condensate drain line. [Read more…]
How to Clean Foggy Headlights
If you drive a high-mileage vehicle, your headlights probably aren’t as clear as they used to be. All of that exposure to sunlight is tough on plastic, and over time it causes headlights to become foggy and yellowed. That doesn’t look very nice, and it isn’t very safe either. Foggy headlights don’t give off as much light as they should, and that really hurts your ability to see – and be seen – at night. In fact, Consumer Reports did a study, and found that foggy headlights can cut your visibility by as much as 80%. Yikes!
Fortunately, cleaning your headlights, can remove that foggy haze in a matter of minutes. My husband cleaned the headlights on our Jeep yesterday, and I documented the process, so you could see what was involved. Check it out. [Read more…]
Repair a Chipped or Cracked Windshield
A year and a half ago, we bought a little Jeep Liberty. It has over 200k miles on it and a peeling clear coat, but it’s perfect for us. It’s nimble; has a good towing capacity; and does just as well on road as off. What isn’t perfect, however, is the angle of the windshield. In the short time that we’ve owned our Jeep, we’ve chipped or cracked the windshield three times.
We had to replace the windshield last fall, after a black walnut hit it and left us with a big running crack. Then, last week while we were headed to our cabin, a rock flew up and chipped that new windshield. Argh! I crossed my fingers that it wouldn’t run before we got home, so we could just repair it, and luck was on our side this time.
Instead of hiring a glass repair company to fill the chip, we decided to save some money and do it ourselves. This was new territory for us, but at $10 for a DIY repair kit, vs. $99.95 for someone else to fix it, we were up for the challenge.
My husband picked up a Rain-X Windshield Repair Kit, which had everything needed to do the job.
In fact, it came with enough resin and curing strips for several repairs. Apparently it was made with Jeep Liberties in mind.
And here’s the chip that we were up against. It was just a small, dime-size chip located in the top of the windshield on the driver’s side. That box in the corner of the photo is a close up of the damage.
My husband read through the instructions that came with the kit, and followed them to tee. If you’re thinking about tackling this project yourself, here’s what’s involved. [Read more…]
We Hit 200,000 Miles!
Earlier today, while headed back from thrift shopping, our Jeep hit 200,000 miles. So, naturally, we did what any frugal person would do: we pulled over and snapped a picture of our odometer. Because hitting the 200k mark is cause for celebration. It might even be something to brag about. Forget about fancy cars and car payments; driving a car until the wheels fall off – that’s much more impressive.
And I even have a plan in the works to flaunt our high-mileage status. More on that soon. But, in the mean time, I’d love to hear from other high-mileage vehicle owners. How many miles do you have on your ride? Are you on your third transmission and your second engine overhaul? This is your chance to brag.
See Also:
How to Redye Jeans
In the past month, I’ve redyed fleece, towels and now jeans. Yep, it’s fair to say I’m on a bit of a redying kick. It’s just such a cheap and easy update; I can’t help myself. [Read more…]