Clean the inside of your car?

Alright, so I got sick of how dirty my car was and bought a thingy of armor-all plastic/vinyl wipes and had at 'er. I also bought a bottle of generic glass cleaner and a roll of shop towels.

Let me tell you, you have to really put that crap on because it streaks the plastic if you don't. Then you've got dull spots amid a forest of streaky shiney spots. I think I used half the bottle of wipes on just my dash pad. Otherwise, they work really well.

Then I tried to clean my windows. Let me tell you a little about how well glass cleaner works on the inside of a car's windows. Not. Every window in my car is now a big smear.

So how does everyone else do this? I need something that doesn't streak my windows all to heck. I HATE that. I don't smoke, so it's not smoke on the windows (no one smokes in my car on penalty of losing the cigarette holding hand).

Also, does anyone know where the heck the subwoofer is in 99 - current Grand Ams? I can't find the thing anywhere, but I can hear it. At least I think I can. If 5x8s can get that low now days, I'll never buy a sub again...

-Whir

[MTAtech]

The best window cleaners, I've found, are Dawn dish cleaner mixed with water - if you can squeegy all of it off. Otherwise, you want something that will evaporate without residue. Destilled water with ammonia to cut the grease works fine. Alcohol should be ok too.

Also, I put my car mats in the washing machine every 6 mos or so. You wouldn't believe how much crap comes out.

[Warthog]

This spray bottle stuff called Black Magic is what I use on my car's black dash....makes it REALLY shine for quite some time. Look great.....my friend has some of those Armor All wipes and he preferes Black Magic over them.

Personally, I've never had any issues with using plain old Windex to clean inside/outside of my windows. Maybe you're using crappy paper towels?

Warthog

[Mike]

I hate using that Armor All stuff because it makes a horrible glare when driving. Of course my dad used the last of the stuff before we left Michigan so through out the day I had kind of a hard time driving.

[Brainchild]

If 5x8s can get that low now days, I'll never buy a sub again...

It's not the speaker, it's the baffles,and the way it is engineered in the car. Yopu're prolly hearing the 5x8, and they do kick pretty good. Some of the later pontiacs even has Bowes systems in them, they sound excellent

You have to be careful with armorall,if you use it on the vinyl seats, one sharp right ,and your splatter on the drivers window
WHOA! lol....

Heh, ya, I'm not a huge fan of the shiney finish they give the car, but it's better than dust covered like it was.

I think I'll try the alcohol trick for the windows. I have some rainx anti-fog stuff that I remembered that you're supposed to be able to dilute into a good cleaning solution.

According to my sources, if a 99 - present Grand Am has the ear level tweaters set into the door frame, the car should have the full sound system, including the 10" subwoofer. I have taken every piece of carpet out, taken the back seat out, crawled around the belly, and put my ear everywhere and I can NOT find that stupid thing. But I listen to some odd techno/hip-hop (Esthero) and the first song on there has some unbelieveable low resonant bass, and there's just NO way that a pair of 5x8s mounted in normal basket frames could do that. No way. Dude, the back speakers distort at 1/2 volume half the time. Can't hear it in the front because the front speakers don't, but you can in the back. That thing has to be in there somewhere... The Pontiacs that come with a Bose system, are probably Bonnevilles or Grand Prixs.

Delco ETR AM/FM stereo with CD player, auto-reverse cassette, and 7-band graphic equalizer (requires Monsoon sound system with high-mounted tweeters) (UIQ)
High-performance Monsoon sound system with high-mounted tweeters and subwoofer (required with UIQ radio, standard on GT models, N/A on SE model)

That's what the car is suppose to have. Although that's not really clear if the sub is always in the tweeter mounted cars. I have an SE1, which the Monsoon package is available with. I don't have the CD/Casette either. Just CD (thank God).

More homework to be done.


Edit: Okay, I did get ripped off. I specifically asked the saleswoman if this car had the Monsoon audio system with the subwoofer and she told me it did. I just found my spec sheet however, and it says that the car only has the six speaker system (which includes the high mounted tweeters, but NOT the subwoofer). This is me being angry. This is me never buying from them again (not that I had planned on it anyway). I also thought the sale sheet said the car had the 16" wheels when I bought it, but it only has the normal 15" wheels. I think I'm going to write them a nasty letter (two years later).

-Whir

[skuz]

I use the same product as Warthog for the dash : Black Magic.

For the windows, if they are really greasy/oily, use vinegar. My favorite product for car windows is Armor All Glass Cleaner.

[vass0922]

yeah whir I know what ya mean, I just cleaned my windows a few weeks ago and have the same problem
"Streak free" glass cleaner too

I think windshields should be removable, hard twisting your arm to get down to the front of the windshield on the inside lol

[cowboybooter]

Vinegar, polished up with sheets of newspaper, works on the glass.

As for cleaning the rest of the car, the last time I left mine with my mechanic he charged me for the hire of a refuse truck!


CBB

[bigblue77]

I clean the inside of my windshield at the gas station with that big squeege. Makes a little bit of a mess on the dash, but the window is clean.

Jer