i am a clueless mommy

[clueless_buyer]

got my new 2010 3 series yesterday..
but i am totoally clueless how to take care of it and make it better.

1. what type of gas should i pump to get the best long lifetime

2. is there anything i need to do so that i wont have paint peeling from all that bird poop at the office

3. i dont think my car came with an alarm.. and my dealer hasnt called me back about it.. anyone heard of some sort of gps tracking system you can install in your car.

any suggestions on all will help.
thanks so much.

[KK6PD]

I would think just reading the owners manual would be a really terrific place to start!!!

I will give you a hint..REGULAR GAS!!!

[claridiva]

1. Regular gas

2. Read the thread My favorite detailing products

3. Regarding the alarm, you really only need one if you are concerned with someone breaking in your car to steal something out of it. As long as you do not leave the key in the car, it cannot be stolen unless someone picks it up on a tow truck. It cannot be "hot-wired" or the like. There is not an alarm that comes standard with the car.

Enjoy your new Prius! And I concur, start with the manual, it is an amazing machine and you will learn a lot!

[JimboPalmer]

Originally Posted by clueless_buyer

1. what type of gas should i pump to get the best long lifetime

Regular, from a company you have heard of.

Originally Posted by clueless_buyer

2. is there anything i need to do so that i wont have paint peeling from all that bird poop at the office

Do not park under birds.

[PriusLewis]

Originally Posted by JimboPalmer

Do not park under birds.

A bit harsh, Jimbo - some of us don't have a choice!

Read the referenced detailing thread. Keeping the paint well waxed is the best protection from environmental pollutants (including bird droppings). Also, keeping it washed is good - not every day just because you get one poop, but don't let it go for weeks. If you enjoy doing your own waxing, have a ball! If you don't, check around - I have a great detail shop here where I get a full wash, wheel and tire treatment, interior clean and hand wax for about $50 (depending on the specials they are running - sometimes as low as $37.95). I do this at least 4 times a year - come to think of it, it's due since we just had equanox (my waxing is a Druid thing, timed to the equanoxes and solstaces ).

Enjoy your Prius, and welcome to the board! As Obiwan said, "You've just taken your first step into a bigger world!"

[JimboPalmer]

Originally Posted by PriusLewis

some of us don't have a choice!

There are men with weapons forcing you to park under birds? Tell me more about the lack of choices. I am not buying it. What about moving to Antarctica, the birds don't fly?

[patsparks]

Originally Posted by JimboPalmer

There are men with weapons forcing you to park under birds? Tell me more about the lack of choices. I am not buying it. What about moving to Antarctica, the birds don't fly?

Jimbo, have you ever noticed that most birds can fly, giving them an inherent ability to place themselves over your car even if they weren't there when you parked?

[JRitt]

If you don't wash and wax the car yourself and you feel the pro's charge way to much at least every 2 weeks go to a drive thru car wash. The wax applied is not the greatest or last the longest but appling it every 2 week will keep the car looking pretty good and the paint will be protected.

[snead_c]

Bird and sap droppings can permanently ruin a paint job if left on the car, especially in heat or direct sun. After getting or doing a thorough waxing, use a wet sponge (auto soap on it if you have a "real" mess) wipe and rinse, dry, then touch up the affected area with name brand spray on "wax". Tree sap or birds that have eaten blueberries can really ruin paint quickly.
Blueberries are a real health food for birds and people. Eating them gives strength in many ways
I guess you can tell I've been exposed...

[The Electric Me]

From the information I've gathered in this forum, automobile theft worries in regards to a Prius are minimal to non-existent, given proper protocal, like leaving vehicle locked and shut off.

It's not so much for theft of the vehicle that I would pursue an alarm, as it is in preventing damage or break in with intention of stealing other items. I've had an alarm on my vehicle(s) for the past decade or longer, and it's impossible to know if it has been passed by as a potential theft because of the alarm. I do however know that on at least one occasion I was alerted to a driver that had driven by, and clipped my bumper. He "might" of been honest and stayed and offered his insurance information BUT had the alarm not sounded? He also might of just driven away. For that one incident alone, it paid for the alarm.