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In today’s economy, one of the most talked about things among Americans is how to increase fuel efficiency in our vehicles. As gas prices continue to rise, that ongoing discussion isn’t likely to stop anytime soon. Here are seven ideas that you can use immediately to increase the efficiency of your own vehicle…without spending much money…and some of them at no cost whatsoever.

1) Unless it’s oppressively hot outside, turn off your car’s air conditioner. Running your air conditioner puts an added strain on your engine, thereby reducing its efficiency and increasing your mile per gallon cost. Continue reading ‘Seven Ways to Improve Your Car's Gas Mileage’ »

Saving money on fuel prices has become a rising concern for everyone. In fact, it is one of the most increasingly important topics today. If the price of oil is not high enough already, it seems to be steadily increasing. It will decrease in price one week just to increase more the following week. Petroleum (gasoline) and diesel expenses are taking up a larger portion of everyone’s budgets every day. The more we use, the higher the prices seem to increase. We have been told many reasons for the increase in fuel costs, from the effects of global warming to our reserves of oil being used up.

Regardless of the reasons, it is affecting everyone. Therefore, saving money on fuel prices has been a major concern for everyone. While there is very little we can do about the rising fuel prices as well as there being some expenses that we can do little about, there are things we can do that will be effective for saving money on fuel prices, especially our vehicles. Some possible ways of saving money on fuel prices with our vehicles include:

- Choosing an economical vehicle

- Choose the most economical fuel

- Shop for best fuel prices

- Consolidate trips Continue reading ‘Ways to Cut Rising Fuels Costs For Your Vehicle’ »

When it comes to car buying the one thing that people constantly want to know is, “what is the dealer cost of the vehicle”?

Today, there is no better place to research and determine the price of your car than on the Internet itself. There are thousands of car buying websites out there that provide you with quite a bit of information about the car, including the actual dealer’s cost of the car. Continue reading ‘Car Buying Tips – Purchasing Your Car at the Dealer's Cost’ »

Cars require regular maintenance and repairs. A mechanic does the physical work on the vehicle, but the service manager ensures that the dealerships service department is well run and managed. Automotive service manger training requires years. The manager needs skills gleaned from work experience, education, vocational training, and certifications in the automotive field.

Service managers are usually employed at a car dealership or a vehicle service operation. Budgeting is one of the chief responsibilities of the manager. They are charged with creating the operating budget, but also making sure the department stays within the budget parameters. They have to make sure costs remain within their projected expectations. They also have to set the goals in regards to profits. Quality assurance and the high ethical standards of the operation also fall under their purview. The manager is in charge of hiring and supervising employees, especially mechanics and technicians. It’s important that the manager make sure all employees are up to date in their training and applicable skills. This insures that customers are receiving the best service possible. They oversee everything that happens in the service department of a car dealership. Continue reading ‘Automotive Service Manger Training Process’ »

Have you read the latest Wheel’s magazine? The January 2010 edition has a wonderful section on the wonderful history of the V8 engine that we know and love today. I will share some of the hi-lights from the magazine as well as my own personal comments, so read on…

The automotive vee-eight as we know it had its birth with our friend Henry Ford with the arrival of the ‘L-Head’ flat head vee eight of 1932. We must remember that he was not responsible for inventing the 8 cylinder engine in the V format as we know and love. But he was responsible for ensuring that it was available to the masses, ie the likes of you and me! It was pretty basic and simple, no complicated overhead valves or the like, hence the term ‘flathead’. Continue reading ‘V8 Cars – Some Wonderful History of the Mighty V8 Automotive Engine’ »

Driving our vehicles (cars, trucks, vans, etc.) has become very expensive, especially in recent years. Everything is going up in price, with fuel being the most obvious expense. It seems as though every day the price of fuel increases. Saving money on fuel prices is uppermost in most people’s minds. You go to the gas station on Monday believing you have paid all you could possibly pay only to find out the price increases again the next day. Although for many people, driving is a luxury that they can do at leisure, a majority of the population has to commute back and forth to work or school each day.

While some only have to travel a few miles, others have to commute for many miles each day. It has come to the point where many can barely afford to drive to work, but need their jobs. Although we are not going to be able to change the price of operating our vehicles, there are things we can do as individuals that will contribute to saving money on fuel prices. Taking care of our vehicles and keeping them in tip top shape is a great start towards saving money on fuel prices. Following are some things we can do to help our fuel economy:

- Give your car a tune up
- Change the oil as needed
- Change air filter regularly
- Upgrade your tires
- Maintain proper air pressure in tires
- Get rid of unnecessary items in your car
- Remove racks you do not need Continue reading ‘Ways to Make Your Car As Economical As Possible’ »

Purchasing and owning an automobile is a big responsibility. Protecting its exterior and body can be a daunting task.

If your vehicle is left uncovered under extreme sun for a long period of time the harsh UV rays can be extremely harmful to your cars paint work and interior upholstery. There are also other hazardous elements that can be damaging to your vehicle such as storms, rain, hail, snow, bird droppings just to name a few. Continue reading ‘Car Covers – Why You Need to Go For the Best Car Accessory’ »

Buying new tires is not something that most people do all that often. Some drivers may drive for years without ever having to buy new tires. They change cars frequently, don’t put a lot of miles on their car and live in reasonably stable climates. The rest of us are faced with buying new tires on occasion. The tire buying experience can be dizzying with all the choices available, especially if you have little experience buying tires. Even something as seemingly simple as deciding where to buy tires can be confusing. This article will discuss the types of places you can buy tires and the pros and cons of each.

One option for outfitting your car with new tires is to take the car back to the dealership where the car was purchased. This will almost always be the most expensive option. If price is the least of your concerns or if you find yourself in a situation where you need tires right away and have no other options, the dealership will most likely be able to help you. Continue reading ‘Where to Buy New Tires For Your Vehicle’ »

Everyday we receive some sort of tip. A little tip to a large tip, but do we follow them? It all depends on the tip we receive. And it also depends on who is giving us the tip. Or, how important is the information that you are getting?

One of the important tips of today is saving money on fuel prices. The price of gas has rocketed beyond belief and is still climbing, so any tips on saving money on fuel prices is important. Some of those tips we receive on saving
money on fuel prices include:

- Use the fuel grade that your car calls for, not the highest grade
- Keep your engine in tune Continue reading ‘Are Car Fuel Saving Tips Really Followed?’ »

Just as cars have changed over the years the oil we put in them has changed. However, there are two myths about changing oil that have persisted, fueled in large part by the oil industry itself.

Myth Number One

The first myth is that you should change your vehicle’s oil every 3,000 miles.

Myth Number Two

The second myth is that you should change your oil when it gets dark-colored. Modern oil does get dark over time because the detergents it contains are designed to suspend soot particles and keep them from becoming sludge. (Sludge build-up used to be a common problem in cars that used nondetergent oil.) If you look at your oil at 3,000 miles, you’ll see that it has become darker, but that oil will still work perfectly fine for lubricating and cleaning your engine for another 4,500 miles under normal driving conditions. Continue reading ‘Two Big Myths About Changing Your Car's Oil’ »