Monday, October 22, 2012

Auto Upholstery Bay Area - Car Carpet Replacement Tips - Cooks Upholstery & Classic Restoration Redwood City


Car Carpet Replacement Tips - matthew_hull (http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/45789)
 
Car carpet replacement is an update option that few car owners consider when rejuvenating an older car. Let’s face it, with the cost of new cars today, it pays to drive an older car and keep it fixed up. Car carpet replacement is a sure way to give your car and new feel and smell, and make it a joy to drive again.

Rather a car, truck, coupe, or sedan, a car’s carpet does much more than provide an aesthetic look to the interior of a vehicle. It also serves as sound proofing to help reduce road noise inside the car while driving down the road. A carpet also becomes loaded with hidden dirt and grime over time, contributing to that unique smell a vehicle gets after a while.

Purchasing Car Carpet for Replacement
There are numerous sources for aftermarket automotive parts available. Online sources are by far the most popular for many aftermarket fix-up parts for slightly older cars and trucks. Automotive carpet made specifically for your make and model automobile is likely available through multiple online sources.

Perform a search for interior automotive carpet, and you’ll be presented with a long list of vendors and online stores sell every color and grade of car carpet imaginable. One of them is sure to be the perfect fit for your vehicle.

Shop around and look for the best shipping price. What may appear to be a less expensive option from one online store may in fact cost much more to ship than another source, which offers free shipping. In addition, check out the sites returns policy. An online store that doesn’t provide a straightforward return policy is not one that you want to do business with.

Preparation for Replacing Car Carpet
For the most part, standard tools are all that is necessary for preparing a car or truck for installing a new interior carpet. In some cases, the bolts holding the seats to the floorboard may be star-shaped, or 12-point, headed bolts. It this is the case, you can pick up the correct socket or wrench at the local parts store.

If the car has electric seats of any type, disconnect the negative battery terminal on the car before attempting to remove the seats or the center console. This will prevent an inadvertent ground or shock while working with the electrical connectors and plugs hooked to the drive motors or heaters for the seats.

Removing the Seats and Molding
Remove the front bench or bucket seats by first unplugging the electrical plugs from beneath the seats. Once these are disconnected, locate the hold-down bolts that fasten the seats to the floorboards. The seat rails may be partially covered by a plastic cover. These are for looks only, gently pry them loose by hand or with a flat-head screwdriver.
Remove the hold-down bolts and snake the seats out of the vehicle. Place the bolts in a safe place so they are easily accessible when reinstalling everything after replacing the car’s carpet.

If the rear seat is a bench seat, pry the upper and lower section apart by hand and look for two small bolts on either end of the seat. These bolts secure the rear seat bottom to the seat frame. Remove the bolts with a socket and extension. Pry the seat forward and lift it out of the vehicle.

Take out the side molding around the bottom of the doors with a Phillips screwdriver. With the seats out of the way, and the molding removed from the bottom of the doors, the old carpet is ready to come out.

Removing the Car Carpet for Replacement
An adhesive holds the carpet to the floorboard of the vehicle. But, it will pull loose with a little effort. Pull the formed carpet up and remove it from the car. Cutting the carpet into smaller sections may help in removing the old carpet.

Installing the New Car Carpet
Clean the floorboard area of the car before applying carpet adhesive for the new carpet. Slightly fold the pre-formed car carpet to get it through the car door for installation. Position the carpet in place and pat it down all over to help spread the adhesive.

Ensure the electrical wiring and plugs and pulled through the pre-cut slits in the new carpet before completing the installation. With the new carpet in place, reinstall the moldings and seats in the reverse order from which they were taken out.

Replace the negative battery terminal onto the car battery and check the seats for proper operation. If all the plugs are correctly installed onto the seat connectors, all should work as before.

by Damon Hildebrand
source: http://suite101.com/article/car-carpet-replacement-tips-a292326

http://www.cooksupholstery.com

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