All posts in Auto Maintenance

Auto Advice: What To Do If Your Car Becomes Too Costly To Repair

by Carsurfer Admin on 2014/02/21 in Auto Repair with Comments Off

When your car requires a repair that is worth more than the value of the car itself, it’s becomes time to think about other options. If your car requires some of the most expensive auto repairs, there are many alternatives to fixing it up. Instead of letting it take up space in your garage or driveway, here a few options to consider:

Sell it online

Even if your car is too expensive to repair, there are many people out there who would be interested in fixing it themselves, or selling certain parts of the car. While you may not have the time or knowledge to take the car apart and sell what is still working, someone else does. This is a quick and convenient way to get rid of your car and still get some money for it.

Trade it in at a Dealership

A dealership will take just about anything you bring to them, but they won’t always give you the best price for it. If the car is too expensive to repair, then they will have to sell it for salvage. You might not get the best deal here, but it does guarantee that you will get some return on a car that is no longer of value to you. It’s a convenient way to make some quick cash off of your car.

Sell the Parts that Work

If you know something about cars, you might want to try doing some demolition work yourself. Advertise specific parts on internet listing sites or take them to a salvage yard for some extra help. This is a great way to make a profit off of a car that isn’t worth fixing. Once you have sold the parts that work, you can get rid of everything else.

Sell it to a Salvage Yard

Let’s face it, most of us don’t have the time or skills to salvage a car on our own. Fortunately, there are companies that can handle this for you. Selling your vehicle directly to a salvage yard means that you’ll get to cut out the middleman that comes along with trading in your car at a dealership. A salvage yard is able to tow the vehicle from just about anywhere, and offer you a fair price based on the condition of the working parts and the value of the scrap metal.

No matter what you decide to do, make sure that you keep paperwork. Simply handing over the vehicle without handing over the title means that you could be inviting legal troubles down the road. Keep copies of the papers you sign and transfer along with your vehicle. Getting rid of your car may seem like a last option, but with the extra money you could potentially gain from selling it, look into the best used cars for a good price for your next automobile.

Auto Pain: Five Questions You Must Answer After a Car Accident

by Carsurfer Admin on 2014/02/03 in Auto Accident with Comments Off

Car accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. After the impact, your world could be turned upside down–figuratively and literally. Once your head stops spinning and your mind is clear enough to think about what just took place, you must act quickly before the whole thing takes a turn for the worse. Ask yourself these five questions immediately following involvement in a vehicular collision.

1. Am I Hurt?

The first thing that you must determine after a crash is whether or not you’ve been injured. Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of injury and death in many parts of the world, so scan your body for any apparent wounds. If you can’t find any or don’t feel any excruciating pain, you should be okay for the moment, but sometimes car injuries don’t fully present until a little later. If you are badly hurt, do everything in your power to stay alive while calling for help. You may have to fend for yourself until help arrives.

2. Did I Hurt Someone Else?

If you’ve hit another vehicle, ensure that the other driver and all passengers are alright. The other driver may be fine, and if so, exchange personal details so that insurance companies can handle the technical stuff. If the other driver is injured, seek help immediately. You may be criminalized in a court of law if you are determined to be responsible for the injury or death of another individual.

3. Where Am I?

A car crash can cause you to become disoriented for a certain length of time. You may have been pushed off the route that you were previously taking. When you come to your senses, try to figure out where you are so that emergency services can reach you in a timely manner. If you don’t know the road names, describe the surrounding environmental features in detail so that help can pinpoint your location.

4. What Happened?

Again, disorientation is common after a car accident. You might even get knocked unconscious for some time. As soon as you can, try to understand the situation so that you can explain what happened to first responders. Taking notes and photos of the car damage, any injuries, and the immediate environment can prove to be invaluable to your existence, the survival of other victims involved, and reaching a favorable settlement in court.

5. Do I Have A Lawyer?

It’s very possible that the other party involved in the crash will sue you. If that’s the case, you’ll want to hire an attorney to help you sort things out. Contact Cummings Andrews Mackay LLP. if you are in Edmonton, or research a local auto accident lawyer for advice on how to proceed.

As the victim of a motor vehicle accident, a lot of things go through your mind. The shock of the whole situation can be numbing, especially to a first-time victim, but you must try to remain calm. Logical thinking is what saves many people from their impending doom and potential future legal struggles.

Three Improvements that Will Make Your Car More Environmentally Friendly

by Carsurfer Admin on 2014/01/27 in Auto Maintenance with Comments Off

Your car is a big part of your carbon footprint. Every time you drive it, your car exhausts greenhouse gases and pollution into the atmosphere.

You can change that. You don’t have to wait until you can buy a more fuel-efficient or hybrid car to make your driving more environmentally friendly. Here are three improvements you can make to the car you have right now.

Inspect and Adjust Your Tires

Under-inflated tires won’t just wear out sooner. They’ll also cause you to use more fuel. Check your tires frequently. Keep them inflated at the recommended pressure posted on the tire. Unevenly worn tires indicate a mechanical problem with your car. Have the problem fixed. That will help restore your car’s maximum fuel efficiency.

You can also replace your tires with new tires designed for lower rolling resistance. Over time, you save gas and money. When you buy new tires, your tire dealer will recycle the old ones. There are lots of uses for old tires, from playgrounds to mulch. If you have extra old tires laying around, turn them in. Recycled tires get reused.

Ditch the Extra Weight

We’re not talking about passengers here. We’re talking about the common tendency to use a car for storage. Open the back of your car. All the sports equipment, boxes of books and papers, bags of unsorted clothes and other items you haven’t gotten around to unloading is extra weight. It’s causing you to burn extra fuel all the time.

Unload the extra weight. You’ll be helping the environment. You’ll feel lighter yourself, without a doubt.

Get Your Car Tuned Up Regularly

A car that runs well burns fuel efficiently. This efficiency minimizes the carbon emissions. Take the car in to a reliable service facility, such as Speedy Brake and Apollo Muffler which does shock installation in Calgary. The service personnel will look your car over for you. Besides tuning the engine, replacing air filters and changing the oil, they can suggest other systems that might need work or parts that might need replacing.

While you’re at it, you can tune up your driving. Keep your highway speed at 55 miles per hour. At higher speeds, your car loses fuel economy. Don’t brake hard, and don’t accelerate quickly. These cause wear on the car and excessive gasoline use.

The most fuel efficiency you can get out of your car is to leave it in the garage once in a while and bicycle to work. Save the driving for another day.

Car Trouble: 5 Reasons You May Be Repairing Your Car Too Often

by Carsurfer Admin on 2014/01/24 in Auto Repair with Comments Off

Far too many car owners find their vehicle in the shop for repairs on a regular basis. Although some car issues are unavoidable, many of the problems may be a result of improper care. Here are five reasons why you may be repairing your car too often:

Careless Driving

Driving too fast over speed bumps and pushing the pedal to the metal at every stoplight dramatically impacts the structural integrity of a vehicle. Some of the key repairs that can be avoided by careful driving include a bad wheel alignment, blown shocks, warped brake rotors, and irregular tire wear. Take the time to slow down and drive carefully to avoid common repairs.

Neglecting the Check Engine Light

Your vehicle’s check engine light is a very important component. Failing to give an illuminated check engine light the necessary attention could result in frequent visits to the mechanic. Although the cause of the check engine light could be something simple such as a loose gas cap, it could also be caused by worn spark plugs and oxygen sensors. These parts need to be replaced because they can cause a slew of other issues including erratic idling and destruction of the catalytic converter.

Subpar Quality Motor Oil

Motor oil is arguably the most important engine fluid. The consistent use of low-quality oil makes the engine more susceptible to leaks, sludge, and carbon buildup. Using high-quality products from reputable manufacturers such as Eastern Oil Company will help to keep the engine running in tip-top condition.

Failing to Adhere to the Recommended Maintenance Schedule

A vehicle is engineered with an intricate system of components. Typically, if one car part fails, the functionality of another related car part is also put in jeopardy. For example, vehicles that are equipped with a timing belt will need to have the belt changed at the recommended mileage interval. If the old timing belt suddenly snaps, it could result in very expensive engine damage.

Aftermarket Auto Parts

Although aftermarket auto parts may demand a lower cost, they are usually not as long-lasting and robust as the original parts that were installed by the automaker. The use of good parts will help to maintain the dependability of the car. You may be tempted to repair your car with low-cost parts, but this could be an expensive mistake down the road.

Although all vehicles will need a repair at some point, taking the necessary precautions will limit the number of trips to the shop. Follow these tips to keep your car in good shape and reduce your costs in repairs.

Dodge the Deception: Five Ways to Avoid Dishonest Mechanics

by Carsurfer Admin on 2014/01/20 in Auto Repair with Comments Off

As you would expect, not every mechanic is untrustworthy, but when all of them are trying to earn a buck, it’s hard to decipher which ones are solely out for your money (and as much of it as possible). It’s impossible to tell whether or not a mechanic is dishonest by merely looking at him, but these five tactics can help you begin weeding out the less morally sound ones.

Grab Multiple Quotes

Before you sign your vehicle over to the first mechanic you go to, get multiple quotes instead. Some mechanics will charge "diagnostic fees" to avoid comparisons and early quotes and lock them into doing business, but there are still others out there who don’t do this. Find a mechanic who’s willing to look under your hood for free and give you a quote. Give them a call or check the internet prior to visiting the shop in person to avoid being pressured into diagnostic fees.

Get the Scoop from Real Reviews

If you want unbiased opinions on whether the mechanic in question is really worth doing business with, check out automotive service reviews. You can find these all over the place; check out your local forums or news sites, certified reviews on opentell.com, or even find out by merely asking around. Third parties are the best source for unbiased information. Some of these review sites also rate the company by store location, so even if you are researching a chain, you can find out about the exact shop near you.

Get a Referral from a Trusted Source

If you know someone who you trust and has adequate knowledge of automobiles, find out what their recommendations are concerning mechanics. They will likely know others who are interested in cars or work as mechanics. Additionally, take recommendations from people who have a favorite mechanic. Knowing people in the industry can be a great way to find those shops with integrity.

Stay Alert for Intimidation

When mechanic shopping, beware of the old, "I wouldn’t drive this thing for another mile" line. This is a scare tactic, and unfortunately, it works quite often. If you begin to feel intimidated and the mechanic pressures you to repair the vehicle as quickly as possible, take caution from there on out. A great idea in this circumstance is to get a second opinion from another shop without telling them what the “problem” is. This way you don’t lead the new shop’s expectations and simply see what they say. If they offer the same information, then you know it’s most likely a legitimate problem.

Ask for the Old, Broken Parts Back

This could be one of the most clever tricks in the book to avoid getting scammed by an auto mechanic. Before any repairs are made on the vehicle, tell the mechanic that you’d like the old parts back once the repairs have been made. Any honest mechanic will not see a problem with this, as he will have no use for them. Beware of mechanics that get defensive or express a significant interest in knowing why you’re interested in the old parts. They may be trying to hide the evidence.

Overall, use common sense when shopping around for a reliable mechanic. If it seems too expensive, it probably is. Get everything in writing and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Third parties are great for information, and seek out a second opinion if you don’t trust your initial quote.