Inspection Smarts: Tips to Stay on Top of Your Car Maintenance

by Carsurfer Admin on 2014/05/26 in Auto Maintenance with Comments Off on Inspection Smarts: Tips to Stay on Top of Your Car Maintenance

Expensive automobile repairs can be avoided by applying street smarts in the care and maintenance of your vehicle. You don’t have to wait for the next giant breakdown to get some work on the car done. Simple techniques and routine tasks by the owner can keep any vehicle in excellent condition. Use these preventative and maintenance measures to keep your car in good shape for any kind of road.

Checking Under the Hood

Always check the oil level, brake reservoir, power steering fluid, coolant level, and transmission fluid every week. Routine maintenance under the hood can save auto owners costly repairs. Check under the auto where it is parked for leaks. Make a habit of raising the hood during fuel stops to check for low fluid levels. Make sure you are regularly getting oil changes in north Vancouver or a local shop that can check all the parts of your car and do updates and inspections at a discount. Make sure you also make time to get these refills done before any long road trip.

Excessive Tire Wear

Keep the tire pressure at correct PSI levels for the auto. Many vehicles list the appropriate amount of tire pressure inside the driver-side door panel. Hot and cold conditions can make the pressure in tires vary over time leading to increased tire wear and fuel costs. Tires with low tread cost the automobile owner more money in gasoline mileage and excessive wear on brakes, including rotors. Checking air pressure in tires once a week will save vehicle owners money. Replacing older tires with low tread wear will help make driving the vehicle safer. This is a step that can be done every other time you get gas to make sure your tires aren’t being deflated.

Abusive Driving

Driving a vehicle extremely fast is tough on standard automobile engines. Many cars boast high horsepower output but in reality, the vehicles are simply designed for normal driving. Drivers that abuse the vehicle by driving at high speeds on the highway, jackrabbit starts, and quick stops at city red lights are adding additional costs from excessive wear on the vehicle. Learn to control the urge to treat the vehicle as a racecar.

Read the Owner’s Manual

The booklets supplied with the vehicle contain important information on that model. Always study the material in those handy booklets for additional information about the auto. These manuals give detailed information on driving, maintenance, and exterior care of the vehicle.

Additional Tips

Every car owner should know what warning lights show on the vehicle. Most autos have temperature, brake, oil pressure, battery or alternator and check engine warning lights. Learn where these lights are in the manual supplied with the vehicle. Replace old windshield wipers once they show signs of wear, including streaking on the windshield. Losing a wiper during a thunderstorm can be hazardous.

Keeping vehicles in excellent operating condition can add many years to the life of the auto. Make routine maintenance a weekly ritual to increase value and dependability of the vehicle.

This article used information from Minit-Tune & Brake Auto Centres about tire care and checking for tire wear.

Foreign vs. American – Which Cars Are The Best For Your Money

by Carsurfer Admin on 2014/05/24 in Auto Buying Tips with Comments Off on Foreign vs. American – Which Cars Are The Best For Your Money

If you are buying a new car, you may be stuck in wondering whether to purchase a foreign or American vehicle. You may be attracted to the design of Smartcars, but you may feel guilty for straying from the classic design of the American automobile. You may feel a sense of patriotic duty to support the auto industry in America. Whatever the case, your decision may come down to purchasing the vehicle that offers the most value and has the best quality. Here are some factors to consider in determining whether an American or foreign vehicle is best for you.

Quality of the Car

Foreign cars are known for their great quality. While American manufacturers have been racing to catch up to their competitors in other countries, the fact remains that American cars are still sub-par in quality to foreign cars. In the last couple years, however, American cars have made great improvements in their quality as compared to previous years.

Price of the Car

If you are looking for the cheapest car to purchase, you will want to consider an American vehicle. American cars tend to be less expensive than foreign cars. It can also be expensive to have a vehicle shipped from another country.

Style and Fuel Efficiency

Foreign cars are known for their modern and sleek designs. They also have technological features that cannot be found in American cars. Foreign cars are also known for achieving better fuel efficiency than American cars. The Smartcar is one example of a foreign vehicle that has great fuel efficiency. On the other hand, a Mercedes look great while not being so fuel efficient.

Size

American cars tend to offer more room than foreign cars. The Smartcar can only fit up to two people inside of the vehicle. If you prefer to have a small car, then you may be attracted to foreign vehicles. If you require a car with space for your family members, then you will likely want to choose an American car.

Reliability

The Smartcar and other modern foreign cars have yet to prove how reliable they are. Only time will tell whether these vehicles can last for the number of years that a Honda Accord or other American classic cars can last. American cars are known for their reliability and ability to provide a driver with many years of use.

These are the top factors that a person should consider in comparing foreign and American cars. The car that is better will depend on the facts of one’s particular case. Both American and foreign cars have great benefits to offer drivers on the road. Doing your research and knowing what you want ahead of time can save you money and time when buying your next car.

Anita is a freelance writer from Denver, CO and often writes about home, auto, family and finance. A mother of two, she enjoys spending time with her family when she isn’t writing. Informational credit to G & G Autohaus.

Motorcycle or Car – Which One Is Really Safer?

by Carsurfer Admin on 2014/05/23 in On the Road with Comments Off on Motorcycle or Car – Which One Is Really Safer?

When compared to motorcycles, the safety of cars has been hard to argue with over the years. A large number of features and protective gear are found in cars. Because of the demand for cheap transportation and the nostalgia for the open road, experienced motorcyclists have challenged the perceptions of safety issues. Important changes suggest that the safety of motorcycle riding can be managed. This has made the use of motorcycles a real option for many people.

Motorcyclists can point to many tactics that allow riders to get out of tough spots quickly. A motorcycle is only a fraction of the size of cars and the small size lends it a real advantage in traffic. Motorcyclists skirt lanes, jump curbs and otherwise speed out of the path of accidents long before they happen.

The driver’s awareness increases on a motorcycle, and motorcyclists take care of the business of driving better than motorists. Motorcyclists see everything while in traffic. They read other drivers and they don’t rely on rules of the road to save them. They take care to communicate with other vehicles and are more cautious moving in and out of lanes.

The public campaign to start seeing motorcycles has produced dividends in safety. Motorists’ growing awareness of motorcycles has contributed to fewer accidents. In addition, operating lights increase visibility, and though it annoys the public, increasing the noise the exhaust augments “visibility.” For the defensive driver, these benefits help make motorcycles safe.

The only drawback for the motorcyclist – and it is significant — is that motorcyclists are exposed to more harm than motorists are. Motorcycles offer virtually no barriers during collisions. There are no side panels, air bags, seat-belts, bumpers or engine bulk to protect a motorcyclist. By contrast, motorcyclists have helmets but not much else.

While automobile accidents result in injuries to the occupants 20 percent of the time, an accident on a motorcycle usually results in personal injury to a driver, a rider or both, according to sources. Ninety-five percent of accidents involving motorcycles leave the rider injured. If you happen to be involved in a motorcycle accident, you’ll want to get in touch with lawyer to help you get a fair settlement for your injury.

If a rider believes an accident is likely in the future, the motorcycle is not the vehicle to use. If a motorcyclist believes driving defensively will make life accident-free, then a motorcycle is the safest vehicle. To many, It’s a matter of perception. Looking at the odds, you would have to give the nod to the car, it’s the safer vehicle, but the argument for motorcycle safety continues to gain ground.

Automobile-Wildlife Collisions: The Danger, Costly Damage, and Prevention

by Carsurfer Admin on 2014/05/22 in Auto Repair with Comments Off on Automobile-Wildlife Collisions: The Danger, Costly Damage, and Prevention

Too many auto accidents happen on roads where wild animals roam. The costs vary from a single $2,000 repair to a $100,000 medical bill. Protect your car and yourself by learning more about automobile-wildlife collisions. Learn about the problems that you could face and the ways to prevent these accidents.

There are certain dangers that occur when your car collides with animals in the wild. Wildlife can be life threatening in 2 ways:

  1. Deer and moose can weigh hundreds or even thousands of pounds. That is a LOT of weight. A collision with one of these big mammals can result in hundreds of pounds shooting through the through the windshield and into the driver. Often times, this results in fatality. In many cases, glass from the windshield can cause injury to the driver and passengers.
  2. The biggest danger with animals on the road is when a driver tries to avoid hitting the animal. An over adjustment in your driving will result in loss of control of the vehicle. Too many people have rolled their car in a swerving attempt to dodge some small creature on the road.

As for your vehicle, D & T Body Shop, Inc. informs that there are a  wide range of damages that can affect your vehicle after an accident with wildlife. Obviously, body damage is the most common damage associated with wildlife collision. Some other common damages that occur to the vehicle are windshield damage, radiator damage, vehicle misalignment, and a damaged undercarriage. If you run over a big enough animal, the casing that protects the belly of your vehicle can jar loose. I had this happen and the undercarriage dragged on the road for months after wards.

Prevent your car from colliding with wildlife by following a few tips. The most important tip is to drive slowly, especially in areas where animals are known to wander onto the road. Watch out for forests where animals pop out suddenly. Reducing your speed will reduce the dollar bills on your repairs. In addition, nighttime driving is very dangerous. Always use the bright settings on the headlights if you plan to drive at night.

If you find that you are headed for a collision with wild life, don’t swerve to miss the animal. For your life’s sake, it is better that you hit the animal than roll your vehicle. The proper course of action is to slow the vehicle as much as possible and try to slightly adjust your angle to hit less of the animal, but not enough to leave the road.

Stay informed about the dangers of driving into a wildlife area. Whether you drive by a forest or jungle, the chances of a collision increase. Colliding with wildlife will cost you thousands of dollars in damages or cost you a life. Follow good driving tips like driving slowly, switching on headlights and watching out for herds of animals. They are not going to pay for your car repairs or medical bills, so interact with wildlife properly.

This article was written with information from D & T Body Shop, Inc. who regularly handles many different vehicles damaged in wildlife collisions.

5 Ridiculous Reasons You Pay More for Car Insurance

by Carsurfer Admin on 2014/05/21 in Auto Insurance with Comments Off on 5 Ridiculous Reasons You Pay More for Car Insurance

There is a good chance you may be wasting money on car insurance. This is not because you are a bad driver or a high risk. Sometimes people tend to overlook the best way to save money. There are some reasons why you may be paying more for car insurance.

Failing To Comparison Shop

You could be the kind of driver that sticks with one insurance company for years. This is fine in some cases. If you have a great history with an insurance company, that is probably the best bet. However, it doesn’t hurt to shop around. You may save a lot of money by going to another provider. There may also be some insights gained. An outside agent may find some holes in your coverage that were overlooked. It is a good idea to take a yearly look around to see what is available. This is the best time to do this because your policy is up for renewal around this time. Drivers can search for better rates anytime of the year.

Not Combining Policies

Most insurance companies provide deep discounts. This is done if you have car insurance and home insurance with the same provider. If you can, combine multiple policies with same provider. A lot of insurance advertise multi-policy discounts. These discounts can save you 10 percent or more off of your premium. You can save more when you package everything together.

Keeping Deductibles Too Low

Your premium may be too high if your deductibles are small. Your premium can be lowered by about 20 percent if you increase your deductible from $200 to $500. Make sure you have enough money to pay your deductible if you raise it. This helps if you should ever need to make a claim. You should keep the money in an emergency savings account. If you do not file a claim, then you can keep the savings. You will not waste money on a higher premium either way.

Not Asking For Discounts

Discounts for car insurance are given to teen drivers with good grades. There are members of some organizations that receive discounts as well. Those organizations include AARP or a college alumni association. An organization like AAA does not have a guarantee that membership will save you money on car insurance. Many members do find savings, discounts on shopping, emergency road assistance, and other benefits. You can talk to your insurance agent to see if you qualify for special car insurance discounts.

Paying Unnecessary Fees

Some auto insurance companies will charge you a service fee. They charge this fee every time you make a monthly payment. This amount is generally between $1 and $7 every month. These figures add up. Look for insurance companies that do not charge extra for monthly payments to lower your auto insurance rates. You can also try to save up and pay the whole premium when it is time to pay it. This eliminates monthly charges as well.

There are a lot of reasons why you pay may more for car insurance. Most drivers wind up paying more than they should when they purchase car insurance. Sometimes it can seem overwhelming and complicated. You can take your time and do a bit of research to review insurance quotes, drivers will be able to find the right policies at a reasonable price.

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