By: Matthew C. Keegan
Regular maintenance of your vehicle will extend its life perhaps
well beyond what you or others may think is its normal lifespan.
Today's cars can easily top the 100,000 mile mark with many cars
on the road exceeding 150,000, 200,000, even 250,000 miles. Ask
owners of high mileage cars how they got to that point and most
will point to their own rigorous and disciplined maintenance
schedules as being the chief factor. By carefully and diligently
following a maintenance schedule, you can extend your vehicle's
life too. Let's take a look at several important maintenance
steps you must take in order to avoid costly repairs and to help
you hold onto your vehicle longer.
Regular oil changes - The 30 minute oil change
specialists recommend that you change your oil every 3,000 miles
or three months, while some manufacturers state you only need to
change your oil once every 7,500 miles or six months. Opt for
more frequent changes than lengthy manufacturer recommended
intervals, but change your oil [and oil filter] every 3,000
miles if your car is subject to hard driving.
Change your air filter - Your engine will run better and
cleaner if you change your air filter at least once per year;
more so if you do a lot of "stop and go" driving or put on many
more miles per year than average.
Rotate your tires - Evenly wearing tires will help ensure
that your car stops properly and stays on the road. Have your
brakes and shocks inspected too to avoid potential handling and
control issues.
Transmission fluid - Your transmission isn't guaranteed
to run forever. Change your fluid at manufacturer recommended
intervals, generally once every 30 or 60 thousand miles. Neglect
it and face costly repairs and potentially fatal [to the car]
consequences.
Drain the radiator - Periodically draining the radiator
and replacing the antifreeze will help flush out rust and dirt
particles that can clog up your cooling system. When the
coolant's rust inhibitors get used up then corrosion will show
up within the radiator as well as in the engine block
Change the spark plugs - Some manufacturers have
installed long life spark plugs meaning that changing spark
plugs once every 60 or even 90 thousand miles or more is a
possibility. Keep in mind that the longer your spark plugs sit
in place, the more difficult it may be to remove them later.
Optimally, replacing your spark plugs once every 30 thousand
miles is ideal.
Examine your exhaust system - Your muffler, catalytic
converter, and remaining exhaust system parts can wear out. A
poorly functioning exhaust system saps your engine of needed
power.
Wash and wax - Yes, your car may mechanically run well,
but if the body falls apart, then what do you have left? Regular
washings and a once a year wax job should do the trick.
Other stuff - Replace your battery, fuel filter, PCV
valve, belts, and hoses as needed and every other part that
wears out. Sensors come and sensors go; usually you will only
have to replace your knock or oxygen sensors if and when a
problem arises.
Ultimately, refer to your manufacturer's repair book for
guidelines as to when to perform maintenance. The key to
extending your vehicle's life is in doing the maintenance when
needed to head off costly repair bills. Otherwise you will be
neglecting your car to the point where it "dies" prematurely.
You can extend the life of your vehicle. If you aren't up to the
task, hire a qualified mechanic to service your vehicle
regularly.
About the author:
Matt Keegan writes for The Parts Bin, a retailer
of high quality K&N
filters, EBC
brakes, and
Husky floor mats available to you at deeply discounted
prices.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Thursday, November 10, 2005
5 Tips On Making Your Car More Fuel Efficient
By: Craig Rowe
With gas prices sky high most individuals who drive are
interested in ways they can make their car more fuel efficient
and save as much money as possible. While there are no fuel
saving tips that will keep your car full of gas without filling
up, there are some tips that really can help you save money on
fuel over the long run. All of these tips focus on making your
car more fuel efficient.
Fuel Efficiency Tip #1 Drive When You Crank Up This might seem
obvious, but as soon as you crank up your car you should drive
off. However, many people crank up and leave the car idling for
a while. Instead of this, when you crank up drive off and only
keep your car running when it is absolutely necessary.
Fuel Efficiency Tip #2 Don't Ride the Break Many drivers hit the
break more often than is necessary. Additionally there are quite
a few drivers that slow down for a braking car when they could
easily switch lanes. Not riding the break can increase your fuel
efficiency by up to 30%, so this is a great tip you should
follow.
Fuel Efficiency Tip #3 Turn Off Your Car If you are going to be
stopping for more than 10 minutes you should switch off your car
to keep fuel efficiency at its peak and not burn more gas than
is necessary.
Fuel Efficiency Tip #4 Don't Turn Off Your Car If you are only
stopping for a brief moment or less than 5 minutes then don't
turn off your car because the amount of gas used to crank up is
more than you would burn in that short period of time.
Fuel Efficiency Tip #5 Inflate Tires Properly Too many drivers
never think of their tires, unless one goes flat. However,
having tires that are properly inflated can save fuel and make
your car more fuel efficient, saving you money. Because of this,
you should check your tire pressure on a regular basis.
While gas prices don't seem like they will be dipping
considerably in the next few months every tip to help you make
your car more fuel efficient is helpful. So, follow the above
fuel tips and you will see that over time your car really is
more fuel efficient.
About the author:
SearchArticles.Net offers articles, tips and information on a
variety of subjects including cars and trucks. For more tips for
your car visit http://www.SearchArticles.Net
With gas prices sky high most individuals who drive are
interested in ways they can make their car more fuel efficient
and save as much money as possible. While there are no fuel
saving tips that will keep your car full of gas without filling
up, there are some tips that really can help you save money on
fuel over the long run. All of these tips focus on making your
car more fuel efficient.
Fuel Efficiency Tip #1 Drive When You Crank Up This might seem
obvious, but as soon as you crank up your car you should drive
off. However, many people crank up and leave the car idling for
a while. Instead of this, when you crank up drive off and only
keep your car running when it is absolutely necessary.
Fuel Efficiency Tip #2 Don't Ride the Break Many drivers hit the
break more often than is necessary. Additionally there are quite
a few drivers that slow down for a braking car when they could
easily switch lanes. Not riding the break can increase your fuel
efficiency by up to 30%, so this is a great tip you should
follow.
Fuel Efficiency Tip #3 Turn Off Your Car If you are going to be
stopping for more than 10 minutes you should switch off your car
to keep fuel efficiency at its peak and not burn more gas than
is necessary.
Fuel Efficiency Tip #4 Don't Turn Off Your Car If you are only
stopping for a brief moment or less than 5 minutes then don't
turn off your car because the amount of gas used to crank up is
more than you would burn in that short period of time.
Fuel Efficiency Tip #5 Inflate Tires Properly Too many drivers
never think of their tires, unless one goes flat. However,
having tires that are properly inflated can save fuel and make
your car more fuel efficient, saving you money. Because of this,
you should check your tire pressure on a regular basis.
While gas prices don't seem like they will be dipping
considerably in the next few months every tip to help you make
your car more fuel efficient is helpful. So, follow the above
fuel tips and you will see that over time your car really is
more fuel efficient.
About the author:
SearchArticles.Net offers articles, tips and information on a
variety of subjects including cars and trucks. For more tips for
your car visit http://www.SearchArticles.Net
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
SUV Owners Pay More for Insurance
By: Rob Sliver
Hortencia Privett is like thousands of other owners of Sports
Utility Vehicles (SUVs). Privett admits that she loves what she
drives, a silver 2002 Jeep Liberty, but insurance experts
caution that she and other SUV owners have to pay considerably
more for insurance than those tooling around town in smaller
cars.
The cost to insure an SUV is generally 10 to 20 percent more
than a car, depending of course on a driver's location, claims
experience, credit history and other factors, confirms Loretta
L. Worters, vice president of communications for the Insurance
Information Institute, in New York. "Yes auto rates for SUVs are
generally higher than for automobiles," says Worters. "Rates of
course correlate to risk -- and there are a lot of risk factors
with SUVs. Not so much what affects them, but what they do to
other vehicles."
Cutting to specifics, Worters pointed out that an SUV's
"potential for liability and medical payments coverage losses is
a real concern to the industry. Pedestrians hit by SUVs have a
300 percent higher risk of serious injury than if they were
struck by a passenger car. There's also greater injury in cars
that are hit by SUVs than it would be with another car."
Privett acknowledges that she has to pay more for coverage, but
that's okay with her under the circumstances. "I feel safer in
my SUV," explains Privett, an office secretary in Illinois.
"I've had an SUV for three years, and I wouldn't go back. Even
though I have to pay more for insurance, it's worth the added
cost to me."
Privett's SUV sentiments are hardly unique. It's been reported
that SUVs accounted for upwards of 24 percent of all new-vehicle
sales in the United States for 2003 and, with well over 20
million on the road today, SUVs represent almost 12 percent of
all registered vehicles in the U.S.
The safety reputation of an SUV or other vehicle type certainly
has a bearing on insurance costs. On the subject of SUV safety,
a spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
(IIHS) brings up what he considers to be a misconception about
SUVs.
"The misconception is that many people think that SUVs are safer
than cars, and they're not," says IIHS's Russ Rader. "Vehicle
crash statistics that we compile each year show that pound for
pound, if you're comparing vehicles of a similar weight, SUVs
tend to be less safe than cars."
Rader says that cost of repair is a big issue from an insurance
standpoint. "SUVs can be costly to repair in minor crashes,
because they don't have to meet the federal government's
standards set for bumpers on cars in terms of withstanding
crashes in commuter traffic or parking lots," explains Rader.
Says Rader: "Most SUVs aren't built like cars and don't drive
like them. Yes, they're higher and you can see the road ahead
better, but that height also gives them a higher center of
gravity, which makes them less balanced than sedans -- and more
likely to flip."
Insurance trade organization officer Dan Kummer focuses on high
liability claims costs involving large SUVs in vehicular
accidents. "If you have a large SUV and you hit a mid-sized or
smaller vehicle, you are likely to pay higher liability costs
when your policy comes up for renewal," says Kummer, director of
personal lines for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of
America, in Des Plaines, Ill.
For more information about auto insurance please go to: Insurance.com
Hortencia Privett is like thousands of other owners of Sports
Utility Vehicles (SUVs). Privett admits that she loves what she
drives, a silver 2002 Jeep Liberty, but insurance experts
caution that she and other SUV owners have to pay considerably
more for insurance than those tooling around town in smaller
cars.
The cost to insure an SUV is generally 10 to 20 percent more
than a car, depending of course on a driver's location, claims
experience, credit history and other factors, confirms Loretta
L. Worters, vice president of communications for the Insurance
Information Institute, in New York. "Yes auto rates for SUVs are
generally higher than for automobiles," says Worters. "Rates of
course correlate to risk -- and there are a lot of risk factors
with SUVs. Not so much what affects them, but what they do to
other vehicles."
Cutting to specifics, Worters pointed out that an SUV's
"potential for liability and medical payments coverage losses is
a real concern to the industry. Pedestrians hit by SUVs have a
300 percent higher risk of serious injury than if they were
struck by a passenger car. There's also greater injury in cars
that are hit by SUVs than it would be with another car."
Privett acknowledges that she has to pay more for coverage, but
that's okay with her under the circumstances. "I feel safer in
my SUV," explains Privett, an office secretary in Illinois.
"I've had an SUV for three years, and I wouldn't go back. Even
though I have to pay more for insurance, it's worth the added
cost to me."
Privett's SUV sentiments are hardly unique. It's been reported
that SUVs accounted for upwards of 24 percent of all new-vehicle
sales in the United States for 2003 and, with well over 20
million on the road today, SUVs represent almost 12 percent of
all registered vehicles in the U.S.
The safety reputation of an SUV or other vehicle type certainly
has a bearing on insurance costs. On the subject of SUV safety,
a spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
(IIHS) brings up what he considers to be a misconception about
SUVs.
"The misconception is that many people think that SUVs are safer
than cars, and they're not," says IIHS's Russ Rader. "Vehicle
crash statistics that we compile each year show that pound for
pound, if you're comparing vehicles of a similar weight, SUVs
tend to be less safe than cars."
Rader says that cost of repair is a big issue from an insurance
standpoint. "SUVs can be costly to repair in minor crashes,
because they don't have to meet the federal government's
standards set for bumpers on cars in terms of withstanding
crashes in commuter traffic or parking lots," explains Rader.
Says Rader: "Most SUVs aren't built like cars and don't drive
like them. Yes, they're higher and you can see the road ahead
better, but that height also gives them a higher center of
gravity, which makes them less balanced than sedans -- and more
likely to flip."
Insurance trade organization officer Dan Kummer focuses on high
liability claims costs involving large SUVs in vehicular
accidents. "If you have a large SUV and you hit a mid-sized or
smaller vehicle, you are likely to pay higher liability costs
when your policy comes up for renewal," says Kummer, director of
personal lines for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of
America, in Des Plaines, Ill.
For more information about auto insurance please go to: Insurance.com
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
You Can Examine Your Brakes
By: Matthew C. Keegan
Regular brake inspections are an essential part of good
automotive maintenance that can save you money and keep your car
from wrapping itself around the first tree out of your driveway.
Make sure that your brakes and rotors are receiving the proper
maintenance by following the steps outlined. Your safety as well
as that of your passengers, pedestrians, and other drivers is at
stake.
1. Time for a free inspection. Many local brake shops as
well as national brake repair chains offer customers free brake
inspections at no obligation to you. The inspection typically
includes the following steps:
Check your vehicle's brake pads and shoes for signs of wear;
Fill and/or replace hydraulic fluids;
Examine rotor/drum wear and calipers;
Examine the anti-lock brake system [if you have one]
An annual check up of your brakes is wise, but do it more often
if you drive well above the national average [about 15,000 miles
per year] or if you do heavy stop and go driving.
2. Awareness is the key. Most brake system problems can
be avoided if motorists would pay attention to certain signs of
pending problems including:
Your brake warning light comes on.
Your brake pedal is either squishy, difficult to push down, or
you must pump the brakes to get them to work correctly.
Your brakes grind continuously and you hear a loud metallic
racket when you push down on them.
Your car pulls to one side when you push down on the brakes,
instead of stopping in a straight line.
Your car jerks to a halt when you push down on the brakes.
One or more wheels are strikingly hot even after a brief trip.
You observe fluid leaks in the vicinity of any wheel or in the
engine section near the master cylinder.
If you are an at home mechanic, you can complete your own
inspections and fit your vehicle with top notch replacement
parts including brake pads and calipers. You can save on parts
by purchasing them from a reputable online wholesaler such as
Pit Stop Auto Parts who can offer to you top quality
parts at sensible prices, typically much lower than what your
dealer or an auto parts store would charge you.
Take care of your vehicle and it will take car of you especially
in an emergency situation where a properly working brake system
is an absolute must.
About the author:
Matt Keegan is an auto enthusiast and contributing writer
for PitStop Auto
Parts, a seller of discount auto accessories including
Akebono Brakes and EBC Brakes for your car.
Regular brake inspections are an essential part of good
automotive maintenance that can save you money and keep your car
from wrapping itself around the first tree out of your driveway.
Make sure that your brakes and rotors are receiving the proper
maintenance by following the steps outlined. Your safety as well
as that of your passengers, pedestrians, and other drivers is at
stake.
1. Time for a free inspection. Many local brake shops as
well as national brake repair chains offer customers free brake
inspections at no obligation to you. The inspection typically
includes the following steps:
Check your vehicle's brake pads and shoes for signs of wear;
Fill and/or replace hydraulic fluids;
Examine rotor/drum wear and calipers;
Examine the anti-lock brake system [if you have one]
An annual check up of your brakes is wise, but do it more often
if you drive well above the national average [about 15,000 miles
per year] or if you do heavy stop and go driving.
2. Awareness is the key. Most brake system problems can
be avoided if motorists would pay attention to certain signs of
pending problems including:
Your brake warning light comes on.
Your brake pedal is either squishy, difficult to push down, or
you must pump the brakes to get them to work correctly.
Your brakes grind continuously and you hear a loud metallic
racket when you push down on them.
Your car pulls to one side when you push down on the brakes,
instead of stopping in a straight line.
Your car jerks to a halt when you push down on the brakes.
One or more wheels are strikingly hot even after a brief trip.
You observe fluid leaks in the vicinity of any wheel or in the
engine section near the master cylinder.
If you are an at home mechanic, you can complete your own
inspections and fit your vehicle with top notch replacement
parts including brake pads and calipers. You can save on parts
by purchasing them from a reputable online wholesaler such as
Pit Stop Auto Parts who can offer to you top quality
parts at sensible prices, typically much lower than what your
dealer or an auto parts store would charge you.
Take care of your vehicle and it will take car of you especially
in an emergency situation where a properly working brake system
is an absolute must.
About the author:
Matt Keegan is an auto enthusiast and contributing writer
for PitStop Auto
Parts, a seller of discount auto accessories including
Akebono Brakes and EBC Brakes for your car.
Monday, November 07, 2005
The Secret to Saving 14% at the Gas Pump!
By: Scott Siegel
If you know the smart way to purchase your gas you can save a
considerable amount of money. The following strategies could
save you 4 percent, 5 percent, 10 percent or even 14 percent of
your gas costs.
In this article you will learn the secret to using two
strategies that together should provide you with a significant
discount on your gas costs.
There are a number of alternatives that will result in savings.
Among the best is the use of credit cards that offer rebates. By
using the right cards you can lower your costs without having to
change your driving habits or do any special maintanance on your
car.
Many gas companies offer credit cards that pay rebates on gas
purchases. The typical card will rebate you 10% on your gas
purchases for the first two or three months and then rebate you
5% on your gas purchases thereafter.
For example currently Hess Oil has a credit card that will pay
10% for the first 60 days for Hess gas purchases and 5% for Hess
gas purchases after 60 days.
Marathon Oil has the same 10% for 60 days 5% thereafter program.
Speedway has an 8% for 60 days and 4% thereafter credit card
program. All these cards also offer 1% rebates on other
purchases and can be used anywhere Visa or MasterCard is
accepted.
The examples just listed are issued by gas companies. There are
also general market credit cards that will provide you with
discounts off your gas costs.
Many credit card companies offer cards that have special rebate
amounts for gasoline. For example: currently Discover Card is
issuing a Discover Gas Card that will give you back a rebate of
5 percent of the gas you purchase with the opportunity to
increase it to 10 percent at selected retailers. It also gives
you a 1 percent rebate on other purchases.
Another example: Chase has a gas MasterCard that will give you a
rebate of 5% for gas purchases and 2% for purchases everywhere
else. The advantage to using a general market card as opposed to
a gas credit card is that you can use the general market credit
card to buy gas at any station and get the high rebate. The gas
company card only pays you the high rebate at the gas company's
own stations. On the other hand the gas company credit card will
generally pay you a premium of 10 percent or 8 percent for the
first 60 days where the general market card may not.
That is the main strategy for getting a discount of anywhere
from 4 percent up to 10 percent. Certainly any rebate is welcome
in light of the cost of gasoline. 4% is good and 10% is even
better. But there may be a way to cut your cost of gas even
more. Maybe even to 14%.
Here's how. Many gas companies offer pre paid gas cards or gas
gift cards. In many cases these prepaid cards will offer a bonus
or discount. For example in some cases you can purchase a $50
gas card for $48.
That means you pay $48 for the card but the card allows you to
buy $50 worth of gas. That is the same as getting a 4% discount.
In most cases you must buy these prepaid cards at the gas outlet.
Now here is where the extra savings comes in. If you purchase
the prepaid card using the gas company credit card during the
initial period when you are getting a 10% rebate you will get a
10% rebate on the prepaid card.
Then if you are buying a prepaid card that gives you a 4%
discount, the $50 dollar card for $48 cost, you are compounding
your savings.
You are getting a 10% savings on the rebate and you are getting
a 4% savings on the prepaid card. In total you are getting a 14%
savings!
About the author:
Scott Siegel is the author of "Beat The Gas Pump!", a 143 page
manual of industry insider information on saving gas and money
at the pump. Scott has leveraged the knowledge he gained in his
30 years in distribution, managing fleets of trucks, vans and
cars. You can take advantage of this industry insider
information to save your money. Take your money out of your gas
tank, put it back in your pocket now. Go to:
http://www.beatthegaspump.com
If you know the smart way to purchase your gas you can save a
considerable amount of money. The following strategies could
save you 4 percent, 5 percent, 10 percent or even 14 percent of
your gas costs.
In this article you will learn the secret to using two
strategies that together should provide you with a significant
discount on your gas costs.
There are a number of alternatives that will result in savings.
Among the best is the use of credit cards that offer rebates. By
using the right cards you can lower your costs without having to
change your driving habits or do any special maintanance on your
car.
Many gas companies offer credit cards that pay rebates on gas
purchases. The typical card will rebate you 10% on your gas
purchases for the first two or three months and then rebate you
5% on your gas purchases thereafter.
For example currently Hess Oil has a credit card that will pay
10% for the first 60 days for Hess gas purchases and 5% for Hess
gas purchases after 60 days.
Marathon Oil has the same 10% for 60 days 5% thereafter program.
Speedway has an 8% for 60 days and 4% thereafter credit card
program. All these cards also offer 1% rebates on other
purchases and can be used anywhere Visa or MasterCard is
accepted.
The examples just listed are issued by gas companies. There are
also general market credit cards that will provide you with
discounts off your gas costs.
Many credit card companies offer cards that have special rebate
amounts for gasoline. For example: currently Discover Card is
issuing a Discover Gas Card that will give you back a rebate of
5 percent of the gas you purchase with the opportunity to
increase it to 10 percent at selected retailers. It also gives
you a 1 percent rebate on other purchases.
Another example: Chase has a gas MasterCard that will give you a
rebate of 5% for gas purchases and 2% for purchases everywhere
else. The advantage to using a general market card as opposed to
a gas credit card is that you can use the general market credit
card to buy gas at any station and get the high rebate. The gas
company card only pays you the high rebate at the gas company's
own stations. On the other hand the gas company credit card will
generally pay you a premium of 10 percent or 8 percent for the
first 60 days where the general market card may not.
That is the main strategy for getting a discount of anywhere
from 4 percent up to 10 percent. Certainly any rebate is welcome
in light of the cost of gasoline. 4% is good and 10% is even
better. But there may be a way to cut your cost of gas even
more. Maybe even to 14%.
Here's how. Many gas companies offer pre paid gas cards or gas
gift cards. In many cases these prepaid cards will offer a bonus
or discount. For example in some cases you can purchase a $50
gas card for $48.
That means you pay $48 for the card but the card allows you to
buy $50 worth of gas. That is the same as getting a 4% discount.
In most cases you must buy these prepaid cards at the gas outlet.
Now here is where the extra savings comes in. If you purchase
the prepaid card using the gas company credit card during the
initial period when you are getting a 10% rebate you will get a
10% rebate on the prepaid card.
Then if you are buying a prepaid card that gives you a 4%
discount, the $50 dollar card for $48 cost, you are compounding
your savings.
You are getting a 10% savings on the rebate and you are getting
a 4% savings on the prepaid card. In total you are getting a 14%
savings!
About the author:
Scott Siegel is the author of "Beat The Gas Pump!", a 143 page
manual of industry insider information on saving gas and money
at the pump. Scott has leveraged the knowledge he gained in his
30 years in distribution, managing fleets of trucks, vans and
cars. You can take advantage of this industry insider
information to save your money. Take your money out of your gas
tank, put it back in your pocket now. Go to:
http://www.beatthegaspump.com
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