10 Cheap Car Hacks That May Help You Deal With Day-To-Day Issues

In some cases and situations, you have a few alternative options that work. They may be described as “hacks” by some people, and we will use the same terminology for the sake of clarity.

We browsed the web looking for lists of car hacks, and we were slightly disappointed by what we found. Some of those “hacks” might damage your car, while others are impractical with modern vehicles. In other words, it is unclear what kind of advice could help the average driver with a small problem and a limited budget.

We then created a list of all “car hacks” that work, and we set out to explain why every single choice makes sense and does not irreparably alter your vehicle.

In the latter, we are referring to those DIY “modifications” that involve cutting parts of your car’s trim, or adding any element that leaves a mark on the car in some way. While it is possible to apply those modifications, but there’s a risk that the situation will not be improved, and other things will be damaged.

Let’s start with the list of car hacks that are helpful in the day-to-day life of petrolheads.

Boost the range of your remote alarm by holding it against your chin or head

Modern car keys come with remote central locking, which operates using radio frequencies. They can be "hacked" with a bit of effort, but only the newest units are affected by the latter. Meanwhile, older models will not get a range of operation of the fob that is satisfactory in all cases.

Fortunately, there is a way to boost the range of almost any car key with an integrated radio transmitter. The functions that you could access include remote locking or unlock the doors, as well as everything else that the key fob allows, such as opening the trunk or activating the panic mode.

This hack uses your body as an antenna, and it works by putting the key fob on your head and pressing the desired button. Opening your mouth in the car's direction might look silly, but it improves the technique. It works best with keys that have an exposed metallic part, which can help make a connection between your skin and the antenna. Evidently, it is not magic, so it will not work if you are not within visual range of the automobile.

Park facing East for easy defrosting in the morning

Winter can be harsh on you and your vehicle, and a window' defrosting is one of the things that most drivers hate. Most of us do not have heated windshields, so we have to make due with the built-in defroster that utilizes the HVAC unit.

While the defroster function works, it can be much faster with careful planning. It does not help all users, because you cannot park however you like, but it can help if you have a yard or the possibility to change the position of your parking spot.

The trick is to face your car towards the East, and this will help on a cold morning if your vehicle gets enough “sun time.” With the front facing the direction from where the sun rises, the windshield will not stay icy because of the heat. It works best when you leave for work later than 8 or 9 a.m.

Use a plastic cereal container as a trash can

Some vehicles seem to have been designed to be used by people who never consume food or liquids inside. They do not have cupholders, and some storage spaces are simply unpractical. Storing whatever waste the occupants may create is an entirely different issue, because the removable ashtray remains the best place for that if you don’t have anything else.

Fortunately, supermarkets sell minuscule trash bags, and you can also buy plastic containers for cereal. If you have connected the dots here, it is easy: place the small bags in the plastic container, and use it as a trash bin. Whatever you do, never throw trash out the window of your car.

Use WD40 to remove paint or scratch marks

Widely regarded as the “liquid mechanic,” WD40 has many uses with cars. On top of the product’s lubricating abilities, it can also be used to remove paint marks on the finish of your vehicle.

Please remark that this may not work on cars with special paint, like those with a “frozen” look, and it may affect products like rubber paint or vinyl.

On a regular car that has a small paint mark on another object, you can spray a bit of WD40 on it and clean with a damp cloth. It also helps provide a bit of shine for rubber parts, but be cautious when using it - try small surfaces first, and wait to see how it looks after a couple of days.

Paint and rubber marks can also be removed from your car with a cloth that has a bit of diesel on it. Gasoline also works, but it may harm the finish of your paint.

Some DIY “hacks” include using nail polish to cover up scratches on your paint, but we do not recommend it unless you do not care about that vehicle, because you will not match its color with paint meant for nails, no matter what.

Use a staple remover to add keys to the key ring

Adding or removing keys from a keyring can be tough, and everybody hates breaking or bending fingernails when it is time to replace one. While many tools can be used to pry open the ring that holds keys, there is an office supply that does this job better than anything else - a staple remover.

It comes with two pairs of “claws,” you can find one at the office, and you do not risk hurting yourself with a knife or screwdriver when putting your keys on one of those “Remove Before Flight” keychains.

Can’t get stickers off your windows?

Visiting another country or a particular area that involves placing stickers in your windshield can leave you with hours of cleaning adhesive off the glass. Fortunately, there is a way - put a newspaper that has been soaked in warm water on top of the sticker from the outside of the glass.

It will heat the adhesive just enough to peel it out of your ride. A warm cloth works just as well. Sticky leftovers can be removed with a razor blade and precise moves.

Afraid of hitting your doors on the house or garage walls?

After a long day at work, you might come home and want to relax, so your first instinct is to open the door wide open when you park in the garage or next to your house. Instead of relaxation, you get a ding on the door, and the paint is chipped.

The solution is simple, and it can work in an underground garage (i.e. at work), where you may not be allowed to modify things. You can cut a pool noodle in half and stick it on the wall. The two-sided adhesive tape will help fix it in place without hassles. Be sure to do a test fitment before sticking it on the wall.

Hang a tennis ball from the back of your garage roof as a parking guide

If you like to back your car into a parking spot or garage, but do not have parking sensors or a reverse camera, there’s a more affordable option at your residence - an old tennis ball. You must carefully poke a hole through it, and then pull a fishing line through it.

Attach the tennis ball in a position that it hits the rear window of your car when it is parked in the perfect location for your needs. That is all you have to do. It also works with something smaller, like a ping pong ball, which could be held by the same type of wire and probably be taped to the ceiling with a reasonable amount of duct tape.

The purpose is to create something that can be removed without damaging the walls and ceiling of the parking space. You can create something that works for you from there. Remember to avoid complex solutions or things that cause property damage.

 A cheap trunk organizer

Trunk organizers can get expensive, and most of them are too big for the average user. You will end up hauling more than you need, or having all of your possessions moving through a huge box in the trunk. You can always use the trunk’s built-in latches to fit an elastic net, but that does not work out for everyone.

Instead, you can get a “shoe organizer.” That is the name of the product you should look for in a supermarket. It is usually made from fabric, and it comes with multiple pockets that can carry just enough weight to be useful.

Some people will fit them in their cars, but this may lead to an increased risk of theft (someone might think you have something of value in that organizer). There’s also the possibility of having an ugly object behind your front seat, which is just unpleasant.

Solving humidity and traction

Humidity can be a problem in some climates, and it will cause your side windows to fog up from time to time. While it may be ideal to stop it from happening, you can slow down or prevent humidity with a sock.

All you have to do is place fresh cat litter in the sock, make two sturdy knots, and then place it in the vehicle where it will not be seen. If the windshield still gets foggy, you can leave the garment at its base when you park.

A bag of cat litter transported in your trunk can help you get more traction on the ice if deployed under your tires when you get stuck. A sock full of cat litter might not help that much, but it could be just enough to assist in a tricky situation.

Car hacks that do not work as advertised

While working on this story, we found many suggestions that advised rather unconventional “car hacks.” One of them involves scrubbing toothpaste on your headlights to renew their shine and clarity.

This kind of “quick fix” only works on some plastic lights, with cheaper blends of toothpaste, and the lights can get worse in about a month after the “treatment.”

Some people proposed using a shoe as a cup holder, but that is not a hack, but just a way to spill coffee in an old shoe placed in your passenger’s footwell. Other suggestions involved using a heated seat to keep takeaway food warm, but most systems of this kind are not that efficient.

Other hacks included using tinted plastic sheets for shade, but these may be illegal in most countries, and some could affect your windows if they have adhesive on them.

One of the worst propositions involved fitting a bungee net fixed on the ceiling of a vehicle for more storage space, and this is plain dangerous in the case of an accident.

Hand sanitizer was suggested as a solution to de-ice locks, but we would rather stick to a specially-formulated spray. It is easier to apply, and it is intended for the job, without risking any damage due to detergent and perfume found in the sanitizer.