I Need Help With Car Care And Security

[islandguy269]

Hello, I just got my very first car this weekend (yesssss!!!) and i need some advice as i'm a total newbie to cars and car care, heck i even bought a couple books including Auto Repair for dummies from Amazon.com!..lol,

My car is a Japanese import year 2000 model Toyota Vitz, 5-door automatic transmission car 1300cc; the Engine number is 2NZ and the Chassis number is NCP10, I know the car has a clear coat finish ,it's silver, already came with tinted windows, rims,power steering,ABS brakes. I just ordered an english language owners manual from the UK so hopefully I will get that in a week's time.

What I'd like to know from you other toyota owners who may also own this model of vitz and have an owners manual handy, tell me if this vehicle requires any special handling and what are the best exterior and interior car care products I should place on my shopping list. I won't be shopping for cleaners or waxes that contain abrasives.

I'm trying not to purchase products that are too cheap and lacking in quality- I am only familiar with brand names such as Armor All and Gunk but if you know others of equal or better quality or If you have any good urls for car product websites or auto stores online that stock brands i can write down and check at the local car stores here that would be great.

I have a list of things I'd like to start buying so if you have a NCP10 vitz and your owners manual recommends any particular, oils, power steering fluid, coolant, etc.. please let me know here. Here is the list the things i can think of now that I need help choosing the best brand to shop for:

1. Oil--what type for this model of vitz?

2. Coolant--Is it better to mix with distilled water or tap water?

3. Automatic Transmission Fluid--what type for this model of vitz?

4. Brake Fluid---what type for this model of vitz and do i have to do anything special(like pump the brake pedal) before i open the brake fluid reservoir?

5. Power Steering Fluid--what type for this model of vitz?

6. Liquid Car Wash

7. Liquid Wax

8. Polymer Preservatives or Poly-Sealants

9. Windshield washer fluid

10. cleaners for the interior plastic/vinyl trims such as dashboard, etc.

11. mirror and window cleaner

12. tire and rim cleaners and protectants

Geez I hope I havent bored all you veteran toyota car owners to tears with my newbie S.O.S message..lol

As far as tools go i'll save my help message on that issue for another post; I do know that I want to get one of those car jacks with the wheels underneath it, jack stands and a tire pressure gauge. All the other little wrenches and stuff i'll have to think about as well. After I've put up such a serious investment in a vehicle I don't want to skimp on a cheesy security alarm system to protect it...

I'm currently checking out a few car alarm websites to see which has the better systems. Price wise, I want to spend anywhere from US$150 to US$500 or so on a security system but i do know i want one that protects doors, windows, motion sensor, tilt detector, secure rolling code algorith, FM transmitter, long transmitting range (maybe from half a mile to a mile distance) etc..i dont think I need to go as far as engine immobilizer but you guys can always advise me if i should and if there's any particular brands of car security systems that are better, i dunno if for my model of vitz if there are any special requirements as far as installing or fitting a security system but i hope you can help. I'll keep an eye out for your replies- thanks

[Kelvyn]

Hi welcome to the forum. Looks like no one wants to answer your questions so I will try (at least some of them). Just done some google searching and it looks like what you have is whats badged as Yaris here in the UK and your engine I think is the 1.3 vvti , so I suggest any future posts you put in the Yaris section. The type of oil you use will depend on the climate of you region, if you live say in the north of Canada you'll need a different grade than if you live somewhere like say California. A call to your nearest Toyota dealer should get almost all the service data you need for oil specifications etc. Tap water mixed with the coolant will be fine, although if you buy Toyotas own 'FORLIFE' coolant/antifreeze it comes pre mixed to the correct strength. Ask your dealer about brake fluid, it could well be Dot5 synthetic fluid but you need to be sure. To top it up all you need do is remove the cap and fill to the indicator mark. When it comes to cleaning your baby use any good quality auto shampoo. When it comes to polish, try either MAGUIRES or ZYMOL. For the iterior personally

I use Armorall.