I usually exercise a couple of times each week. When I get into the car, I am perspiring, and some moisture tends to transfer to the seat. That’s why I decided to get a neoprene seat cover. Now the seat cover protects the seat and gives me a comfortable place to sit.

You need a car seat cover for protection from sweat, dirt, food spills, and grim that might get onto your car seats. Most people can benefit from the protection that car seat covers provide. ​

I have spilled my share of food items in the car. I’m glad that my car seat is easy to clean up, yet my other car seats don’t have protection, and I have had spills that took some time to clean. 

Who are You Driving?

When considering if you need a car seat cover, think about who regularly travels in the car and how often. Are you or your passengers a little messy or a lot? How often do you clean your car? And do you eat by yourself or with others in the car? Do you travel with pets?

When answering these questions, you may want to also consider the last time you looked at your car and when the last time it was cleaned. These can question, and your awareness of your normal daily car driving activity can help you determine if you need a car seat cover.

I definitely benefit from a car seat cover, not only because I regularly exercise and don’t want to sweat on the car seat but because I tend to wait a while between car interior cleanings. 

Lots of food, dirt and other particles are easily swept away from my car seat cover. I don’t have to worry about my car seat getting particles ground into the fabric over time. When I vacuum, I rarely see anything on my seat and can move on to the floors and other seats that aren’t covered. 

Most pet owners would agree that having the right car seat cover will help prevent a ton of shedding hair from sticking onto their fabric seats.

How Often Do You Clean?

It can be easier to clean the interior of your car if you stick to a regular schedule. But many people lack the time or commitment to clean their cars frequently. If you do clean regularly, you will notice how clean the car seats are. 

As you clean regularly, you will help prevent stains and dirty seats and may decide a car seat cover is not needed.

If you don’t notice your spills and stains for a while, things get more difficult. Once you realize your car seats need to be cleaned, getting stains and food spills off of them can be more difficult. So, depending on your cleaning schedule, you may decide that getting a car seat cover is worth the protection it provides.

Do You Eat in the Car?

If I ever go to In n Out for a burger, I usually eat in my car. There’s no way to prevent every particle of food from falling onto the seat. A small piece may drop on the seat, even when you’re being your most careful.

If you have a leather or faux leather seat, you might not worry too much about some food falling because these types of seats tend to be easy to clean up. But without a seat cover, small pieces of bread or other items can go into the seat crevices. Cleaning up may then be more difficult.

I would generally agree that having a car seat cover while eating in the car is a good idea. You can clean up much easier and prevent stains from occurring. The food doesn’t touch the seat, and you can wait to clean up the spills until later, depending on the seat cover you get.  

Are Your Clothes Dirty?

If you work or play areas that get your clothing dirty, greasy, or messy somehow, it is a good idea to protect your car seats before you sit down. An auto mechanic is going to have a difficult time preventing any grease from contact with their seat.

Your clothing and hands can have all sorts of waxy, sticky, oily, and dirty particles on them. While climbing into and out of the car, you’ll likely touch the seat a few times. If your activities involve these types of particles, a car seat cover can help protect your seat. 

While you may not get as dirty as the man in the picture, the spread of many types of items can get onto the car seat from the activities you participate in on a daily bases. Even the oils from your skin can build up over time on a car seat heat rest can cause discoloration.   

Which Seat Type Do You Have?​

My Recommendations

Leather & Faux Leather

If you don’t clean often, I recommend getting leather or faux leather seat cover if you are concerned about the look of your car.

Otherwise, any good quality cover can be helpful, especially if it has full protection for your seat.

(Amazon Link)

Fabric Seat

If I had a fabric seat, I would always choose a seat cover. I like neoprene seat covers because they are soft and can help protect me from most dirt and spill issues that I encounter when driving. 

(Amazon Link)

Neoprene Seat

Some seats come with a removable cover. You can take them off and clean them if needed. This is a great option to have on a car. 

Although once the seat cover gets ripped or stained, you will have to replace it, which could cost a ton. 

Getting a reasonably priced seat cover can save you time and effort for a much smaller investment. See link. (Amazon Link)

Care Seat Cover. Yes or No?

When deciding whether I wanted or needed a seat cover, one reason I was reluctant to get one was the overall look of the seat cover. Would it match my car? Now I feel that the practicality of having one outweighs any style uncertainty I have.

There are wide varieties now available that may perfectly match your car’s interior. Choose from leather, faux leather, fabric, neoprene, waterproof, dog seat covers, and more.

Those who are maintaining a clean original look for their vehicle may be able to find a premium seat cover that enhances the look of their vehicle. A car seat cover can create the accents you want to stylize your car interior so it looks even better.

So choosing a car seat cover makes sense for most people who care about keeping their car seat protected from the sun, heat, and all sorts of food and grim that occur in many cars. But there are also reasons someone would avoid getting a car seat cover.

A car seat cover may detract from the car’s original look, so it may not be as appealing for some. Having car seat covers doesn’t allow you to show your car off to others, so they can get a feel for what an original car interior for that make and model is like.

If you are a regular cleaner of your car interior, many of the issues that make a mess on your car seat fabric or leather can be wiped away fairly easily. You are likely to clean your car interior from weekly to monthly, and if spills occur you clean them right away.

These regular car seat cleaners may not need car seat covers because of their diligent care for their car seats. They are likely to vacuum, clean, and condition their seats once or more a month. They love the original seat for their car and would never cover it up. 

So if you find it difficult to want to cover up your seat, it may be that you are already taking good care of your car regularly and don’t need a car seat cover because of the protection your giving to your car seat by using seat care products and investing the time to care for them.  

Pros and Cons of Car Seat Covers

Pros

• Sun Screen: Many car seat covers stop the sun’s harmful rays. Seats are less prone to cracking and drying out.
• Moisture protection: Spilled drinks, moisture, and other liquids can be stopped from touching the seat when using some types of car seat covers.
• Style: Many car seat covers add style to your car’s interior and help give your vehicle a custom look. 
• Renew Seats: An old car seat can look new again when you place a new car seat cover over it.
• Comfort: Some car seat covers have padding and fabric that is comfortable to sit on.
• Children and Pets: You drive children and or pets in your car. A seat car cover can help clean and protect your car seats.        

Cons

• Not Original: The original seat may be the look you want for your car. Covering it might make the car look strange.  
• Comfort: The original seat has the feel and comfort you enjoy. A cover may impact overall enjoyment.              
• Cleaning Regularly: You are always careful while in your car and clean the seat regularly. A spill or grime isn’t likely.                 
• Difficulty Cleaning: Washing your car seat covers takes a long time because they are difficult to install and remove.
• Doesn’t Fit: Some car seat covers don’t fit well on your car seat. This may be due to your car seat design or the car seat cover design.
• Too Warm: Some car seat covers may make your back start to sweat. This could be said for some car seats as well.

How to Decide?

If you agree with more pros or cons when considering getting a car seat cover, you should choose the one that best matches how you feel. 

Conclusion

My opinion is that most people will benefit from a car seat cover. Some cars look much better without a fabric car seat cover, although getting a more premium car seat cover can enhance your car’s appearance.

A car seat cover will protect your car from many things that could make a mess of the car seats. Having a regular schedule of cleaning will help protect and clean car seats, and using car seat covers can protect your seats from weathering and getting soiled. 

Depending on your situation and preferences, a car seat cover may enhance your car care experience or detract from it. Pros and cons list can help you decide what is best for you. For more information on cleaning your car interior, read this article. 

When I am parking my truck, it isn’t always easy to judge how far I am away from objects. I have, on occasion, bumped into the curb and other things from time to time. Once in a while, I scratch my rims on the curb. Even when I think I’m parking well, misjudging distance has happened.

To prevent your vehicle’s rims from getting scratched, you’ll need to practice parking, adjust the mirrors, and use sensors and various products to help you keep a safe distance from the curb. 

The method that has worked best for me so far is using my mirrors. I make sure they are adjusted exactly how they need to be so I can see cars on the passenger side and be able to clearly see the curb and judge its distance to my rim. 

Are Your Rims Protected?

The rims on your car can make the difference between your car looks nice or not. Too many scratches and bumps can impact the atheistic beauty of the car, and some may create problems for your tire.

Most budget rims will have a rim cover which can be helpful for getting your rim looking good quickly. All you need to do is replace the rim cover, and your car will look nice again. 

Car owners with rims that have no covers need to be extra careful when parking because once a scratch is made, it may never be able to be removed. There are ways to get some scratches out, but deep scratches will leave a permanent mark.

To protect your rims, you can do a variety of things, but the first one is always to be cautious while driving and parking. 

Parking and Maneuvering Safely

You go about your day, and your mind is focused on all the tasks that need to get done. You start to park while looking at your shopping list… Bang! You just bumped into the curb. Has this ever happened to you?

Being aware while driving is critical; even if everything seems fine, no one’s around, and you have plenty of room. I’ve had my fair share of driving and parking while being distracted. It can happen so easily.

In order to keep your rims scratch free, you will need to adopt a new attitude while parking. All that you may need to do is put up a post-it note on the dashboard or create a mental note. Once you are in the habit of parking and maneuvering carefully, you’ve all of a sudden reduced your chances of getting a scratch by 99%. 

But we all have off days when we’re distracted and busy, so we just don’t take the time to park with as much care as we need to. What should can we do to protect our rims on days like that?

If you have been parking in the same place for a while and all of a sudden find that you need to park in new places, it might help to go over the procedures for parallel parking. Getting used to new situations can take some practice, so taking it slow is a helpful idea.

Parallel Parking

Check the Fit

• Will your car fit into the area of the space you want to park in? To determine if you can fit, pull up next to the space and make a stop when you can still see the bumper of the car in front of you or maybe its wheels, depending on how tall your car or truck is and its turning radius. 
• If there is still at least 1-2 feet of space between you and the vehicle behind you, then this might be enough space for your car.
• Having about 3 feet in front and behind you is a good way to ensure you can comfortably maneuver into and out of a parking space.

Maneuver

• The easiest way to parallel park when you have a car in front and in the back of you is to first pull up next to the car (about 2 feet away) in front of the available space. 
• Next, place the car in reverse and try to angle the car at about 25-45 degrees into the space, and turn the wheel when you’re about a foot away from reaching the curb. (This all depends if your angle is correct.) Make sure you watch carefully in the mirror and by turning your head over your right shoulder.
• Then, straighten out the wheel when both tires are parallel to the curb at about the same distance and before getting too close to the vehicle behind you.  
• Last, you’ll likely need to adjust the car a bit more if the space is tight or your angle is off. Slowly adjust your car, so the wheels are about a foot away from the curb. 

Check Your Space

• Try not to get too close to the curb or too far away. Any to ensure that you can get out of your parking space back up until you can see the bumper of the car in front of you. Then you usually have enough space to maneuver out if someone pulls too close behind you.
• If you’ve parked in a space with little room and find that you’ve trapped the car in the back or in front of you with no space to maneuver out of their parking space, try to find another space.
•  It’s not safe, respectful, or responsible to trap another car, even if there’s no other space available. You will likely be towed away when someone can’t move their car out of a parking space.

Get Rim Protection

If you have nice rims, you might take some pride in making them look their best. In order to protect your rims, you can find various ways to help you meet your specific needs.  

A Physical Barrier

There are some ways to physically protect our rims from scratches. One of the best ways is to get a hub cap. Another option is to use rim trim protection. This is a good option for cards with Aluminum alloy rims.

(click on pictures to learn about products on Amazon.com)

Protective Rim Cover

Not all rims can accommodate a wheel cover, but many can. A rim cover will work with most factory standard steel rims.

If your car has aluminum alloy rims, you will need to search around, but you may find ones that attach to the lug nuts or will fit your style of the rim edge.   

Rim Trim

When you apply a rim trim, it helps prevent scratches from occurring along the outer rim. 

This thin layer of material will be enough to save your rim from minor scratches should you bump the curb.  

The Mirrors

Another way to protect your rims is by using your mirrors effectively.

If you use your mirrors when parallel parking, you’ll need to make sure they are adjusted the same each time to prevent mixing up your perspective. As you adjust your mirror, ensure you can see both cars and the curb clearly. 

If you find it difficult to see objects behind you as you drive, consider getting a blind spot mirror. It can help you see a wider angle of view behind you.  

Adjust the Mirror

Sometimes a small adjustment is all you need to do to get a good perspective when backing up. 

If you can see the curb clearly, then you can likely carefully back up and see when you are close enough to the curb.  

Blind Spot Mirror

When you back up, you may not see everything clearly. The mirrors or your viewing angle could cause issues.

Some people find that a blind spot mirror is very useful when backing up to the park.

Use a Backup Camera

A backup camera can help guide you as you try to parallel park. Once you learn where the curb is in relation to where it is showing up on the backup camera, you can back up next to the curb without bumping into it.

The first few times using the backup camera, you can ask a passenger for help to look out for you and guide you regarding how close you are to the curb. You may also want to get out of the car, look at the distance between the tire and the curb, and reference what the camera is showing when you are parked just right. 

If your car has a stereo with a backup camera option, all you’ll need is the camera itself. Otherwise, you will need the camera and the monitor.

Just the Camera

Installing a camera is fairly easy, although wiring the cable may take a long time. 

A good camera will be able to help you see a wide angle and have lighting to see at night. 

Camera and Monitor

Getting a camera and monitor may be a bit easier than just getting a camera because you won’t need to take that stereo out for wiring. 

Many of these systems work great at providing clear views of the area behind the car.

In some cases, you already have a system that works to help you park easier. Some cars have parking assistance, while others have sensors. You can even buy some sensors that may be able to be installed on your car to help guide you when parking. 

Can I Get Rid of Scratches?

Many rims with no rim cover are made of aluminum or chrome-plated aluminum. These metals can be sanded and buffed to help reduce and get rid of scratches. It will take some time, but your rim will likely look like new if you do it right.

Here’s a good video to help you take the steps you need to make your rims look great again.

As we see in the video, you will need to have some patience and go through several steps to ensure your tire looks new. It will cost less than buying a new rim, but it depends on how interested you are in restoring your rim to look brand new again.

Another option that might work temporarily is to thoroughly clean the rim, especially the scratched areas. Any grim that has gotten into the scratches will be removed, and the scratches will not be so apparent. Unfortunately, it only lasts as long as your rim is clean.

Here’s a before and after shot of a scratched rim. It just takes a minute to clean, and the rim looks OK from a distance. 

If your rims are painted, you can try a scratch-and-swirl remover product. These work well up to a certain point when trying to remove scratches, but if the scratch is too deep, you may want to try to get some paint to fill in the scratches. 

One more option is to sand, fill in the scratches, and paint over everything. This can give you good results and will likely take you less time than what was required by the video above about removing the rim scratches. 

Conclusion

When we take our time packing, we can prevent most scratches on our rims. It can take practice parking in new areas and getting used to new equipment we use to make our lives easier when parking, but with some patience, we choose a technique that works for us in order to park almost perfectly each time.

If you want to remove your scratches after scraping into the curb, you can choose a method you feel best works for you. Getting good results can be a matter of patience, but it may be worth it for those who enjoy keeping their car looking its best.

During my last visit to get work done on my truck at the dealership, I found that when I got it back, it would shake when I turned the wheel. I decided to see if it would resolve itself; maybe there was some power steering fluid that needed to work itself through the system thoroughly.

Cars can shake when turning the wheel for many reasons. Low power steering fluid, loose or old belts, loose hoses, tire issues, bearings, brakes, and the hydraulic damper are some of the problems that cause shaking. 

While it might not seem like a serious problem if your car is shaking while you turn, it’s always a good idea to get it checked out as soon as possible. Many problems left unchecked could cause much bigger problems later.

Power Steering Fluid

If you drive with low-power steering fluid, you may find that your car starts to shake when you turn the wheel. The car needs power steering fluid to turn the wheels properly, and when there isn’t enough pressure to turn the wheels, it may be hard to turn.

You probably have low-power steering fluid if you notice noise when you turn the steering wheel. The belt that helps pump fluid through your system could also have a problem and cause some shaking. 

When the belt is loose or the flywheel is bent, then the steering wheel is likely to shake. During a turn, the pressure may change and affect the amount of shaking.  

The belt is usually what needs to be either tightened or replaced unless you see the belt, flywheel, or other pulley is bent or loose.

If the power steering pump has problems or there is old power steering fluid, these may also be a possible reason for noise and shaking. When the power steering pump starts to fail, it may lack the ability to push fluid well enough, and as you turn, there is a shuddering or shaking effect. 

Shaking can also occur if your power steering line is interrupted by contaminants in the line or a kink that prevents fluid from flowing.

The Brakes

Sometimes you’ll find that the brake system has issues and may cause shaking when you turn your steering wheel. If your rotors (the metal disk that the brake pads push against) are warped, you’ll likely feel the steering wheel and car shaking to some degree.

Sometimes the brake fluid can be old or contaminated. This may make the brakes seem spongy and more difficult to stop.

If the brake line is interrupted as you turn the wheel, uneven braking may result. An external obstruction could be preventing the fluid from getting to the calipers as the wheels are turned. This is not common but should get looked at for braking safety. 

You can do a visual check of the brakes, and while the car is off and in the park, look at the brakes. If the brakes are cool, you can look and feel for slight warping of the rotor (this may be difficult to see) and see if the calipers have any movement as you wiggle them with your hand. 

The brake pads themselves can also cause shaking, as well as if the caliper pistons get stuck and fail to slide in and out correctly. The boots for the pistons might need to be replaced if torn, or any other part that is not working correctly.

Wheel Bearings

As you turn the wheel, the wheel bearings may have different levels of pressure applied to them. If the bearings are starting to wear out, it is likely your wheel bearings will make noise.

If somehow the bearings have gotten worse and worse, the wheel may start to make the car shake. It may be more pronounced as you turn left or right. 

Worn wheel bearings can be replaced, and you can check for this issue by doing an inspection yourself. As shown in the video, you can:

• Listen for noise from the wheel as you drive.
• Jack the car up and see if there is movement in the wheel as you move it back and forth.
• You can also spin the wheel to get a better idea if the wheel bearing is making noise.
• Newer cars have electronically connected bearings. You can get a report from an OBD2 scanner. This will let you know if the bearings are bad.

The video above explains how you can check for bad wheel bearings. The reasons are also listed above the video for quick reference. 

The Wheels

If the wheels are not balanced correctly, they can start to shake at higher speeds. This won’t cause them to shake when turning the wheel, but the tread and tire pressure may have an influence on vibrations when turning the steering wheel.

If you feel the tire vibrating when turning, make sure to do a visual inspection of the tires and look at the tread. Inspect any defects that may affect how the tire operates when it is on the road. 

If the bolts that hold the tire on the car are loose, you may not realize it, but it may also cause the wheel to shake in certain conditions. Make sure to look at the tire bolts and see if they are tight. You may need to jack up the car to inspect the tire thoroughly. Make sure to follow safety procedures. 

One of the best ways to check your tires is to get them checked regularly. During your oil change, tire rotation, and other inspections, ask if mechanics can check your tires.

Front Differential

The front or center differential controls the speed of the tires and prevents strain on the drive train. If there are problems with the differential during a turn, the differential can cause the car to start shaking. 

Some of the gear teeth might be worn down, or other types of slipping may occur so that when turning occurs, the force needed to turn one wheel or the other may not be distributed to the wheel with enough force, and stuttering or shaking occurs.

The oil in the differential needs to be changed, maybe about every 40,000 miles, but each car is different and will vary greatly. If the differential isn’t working correctly, it is probably because the oil wasn’t changed.

Rear Differential

My truck would always start shaking when I made a turn. I finally took it to a Toyota dealership, and they drained the rear differential fluid and refilled it and added a limited-slip differential fluid to see if that would help.

Well, that worked perfectly. Luckily I didn’t need to repair the rear differential, and I finally, after years, now I know what’s going on; the rear differential is slipping without the added fluid. The dealership thinks someone forgot to add it the last time my truck was serviced.

Hose Connections

Sometimes a loose hose can affect how the engine fires. If the engine doesn’t get enough air or too much fuel, the engine may shake as it is not firing evenly. 

The vacuum tubes that are connected to the engine to help remove exhaust fumes may become loose or worn. If there is a loss of vacuum, the engine can start to shake. The engine could eventually stall if the vacuum is not sufficient. 

Turning the steering wheel shouldn’t normally affect the hoses, but if you’re accelerating out of turn, you may experience shuddering of the engine during the turn. ​

You can visually check many hoses by looking under the hood. Hoses have clamps at each end most of the time. Make sure the hoses are securely attached at each end and that there are no signs of wearing, such as cracking or small holes.

Engine Motor Mounts and Struts

Motor mounts help the engine to stay secure to the car frame while dampening the shaking that normally occurs in engines. These can wear out over time leading to the rubber braking, tearing, and cracking. Torque strut mounts also help mount the engine to the car’s frame. They help absorb vibrations and noises from the engine just like mounts do.

One or more of these parts can break down, leading to engine shaking. Depending on the location, turning your car left or right could cause more shaking if the mount or strut on the left or right side is not working properly. 

You will likely feel the engine shaking more as you accelerate and hear more noises from the engine. If the engine is shaking too much, damage to other parts of the engine can also occur, such as with belts and hoses.

Steering Damper 

If your car has a hydraulic damper, you could experience shaking if it starts to fail. The hydraulic damper can absorb the vibrations that occur when steering the car left and right. You will likely want to feel the road as you make turns in a sports car. Many sports car lovers enjoy the experience of being on the road.

But if your steering wheel starts shaking, you’ve suddenly lost some of that joy. A steering damper will give you a smoother feel as it stabilizes the wheel movement as you drive. If it fails, you will feel the vibrations of the wheels in your steering wheel. 

Turning left and right might increase shaking if the damper fails on the left or right side. You’ll need to look for signs as you steer your car and feel what is happenings as you drive straight, faster and slower, and when turning. You might be able to tell that the shaking is mostly in the steering wheel and mostly when you drive in a certain way.

Conclusion

If you find that your car is shaking during a turn, you can do a quick check on the items mentioned above. If you don’t see any visible signs of why your car might be shaking, it’s a good idea to get it checked out by a mechanic. Many components have to work together just right so that shaking does not occur. 

Be sure to carefully note what happens each time you drive your car and make a turn, so you can come up with a more accurate diagnosis. Listen for noises and note the exact time and feeling of the shaking. Then you can talk about it with others to come up with a likely solution.