When you buy a car, you know you’re always going to have to fix it sooner or later. Well, instead of going to the store, and buying an automobile manual for your car, why not look for free alternatives? Since free is always better than buying something, let me give you a few tips on how you can find the best, and free auto repair manuals online.
A simple search engine search Continue reading ‘Free Online Auto Repair Manuals’ »
Tire blowouts and flats: it will happen to all of us at some point. The key is knowing what to do when the situation arises. Every vehicle owner should learn how to properly change a tire incase a flat happens when help is far away.
The first step in making sure you can properly change a tire is having the proper tools in your trunk. Every vehicle should have a jack, tire iron and a spare tire in the trunk. Without these, it is impossible for you to replace a tire and be on your way. Be sure to look over the jack and the tire iron and test out their function beforehand so you know how to use them when a flat tire occurs. You may wish to purchase a larger tire iron than what came with your car that can give you leverage and allow you to exert more force when attempting to unscrew the tire bolts. Periodically inspect your spare tire to make sure it is properly inflated. Continue reading ‘How to Change a Flat Tire’ »
Owning your own car is a proud American tradition that has become a rite of passage for men and women alike. Of course, maintaining and repairing your own car is another important part of that same rite of passage and many even find deep satisfaction – as well as even deeper savings – by learning to do their own maintenance and repairs.
Some are intimidated by working on a car, but the truth is most maintenance can be simply and easily performed with a relatively basic set of tools and bit of determination. Continue reading ‘Tools Needed For DIY Auto Repair’ »
For most people, buying their first car is a proud moment. However, for some guys, it is only the beginning of what can become a lifelong mania for auto tuning. Tuning cars can be done as a hobby or as a profession.
Most auto tuning is carried out as a means of personalizing a standard-issue vehicle to suit the preferences of the owner. Sometimes this involves the addition of a body kit to improve the car’s appearance. Other car tuners may remove the standard-issue seats and replace them with bucket, or racing, seats. There are also flashier versions of gas, brake and clutch pedals for cosmetic and/or racing purposes. Continue reading ‘What Do They Mean by Tuning Mania?’ »
If you own a car then you have probably already had some experience with car leaks, at least to some degree. Even new cars can develop leaks that are both annoying and frustrating. In the 1980s and 1990s engine leaks and other automotive leaking problems were the cause of a large majority of auto service appointments.
Now there are better engineering designs and materials used in the automotive manufacturing process. This has resulted in a decrease in customer complaints because new car parts have been noted to have substantially less problems with leak malfunctions. Continue reading ‘Engine Leaks Take a Brutal Toll on Cars and Car Parts’ »
Your engine produces a ton of heat as it spins over. Alas, heat happens to also be the number one enemy of any engine. The oil and cooling system is charged with keeping the engine cool enough. Most people know to change their oil frequently, but few flush their coolant system.
How often should you change the coolant in your car? It depends on the make and model. A hard working engine like in a Mini Cooper needs changes done sooner. A Toyota Tacoma, on the other hand, can go a bit longer. Actually, Toyota owners are famous for never changing their coolant! Continue reading ‘Flushing Your Radiator and Coolant System’ »
According to the California Bureau of Automotive Repair, there are over 25,000 consumer complaints filed concerning fraudulent auto repair every year. Car owners lose an estimated $20 million annually on unnecessary car repairs. And while most shops are, in fact, honest, it’s easy to see how dishonest mechanics can take advantage of customers: most people know little or nothing about car repair. But to avoid falling victim to auto repair rip-offs, it’s good to know about the ones that are commonly used.
False Estimates
This scam happens when mechanics give you a low initial repair estimate, only to hike up the costs when you come to pick up your vehicle after repairs have been done. The excuse for the extra costs will usually be that new problems were found during the work and they needed immediate fixing. Most people end up paying the hiked up price because they have no way of verifying the legitimacy of the mechanics’ claims. Get all estimates in writing and signed to avoid falling victim to this scheme. Continue reading ‘Common Auto Repair Ripoffs’ »
The best extended used car warranty deal is one that is bought directly from a legitimate extended warranty company that provides real coverage and legitimate benefits for the people that hold one of their service contracts. There are many scams and many ripoffs when it comes to extended warranties. Even when you buy an extended warranty for a used car or a new car, through an automotive dealership, you can pay hundreds and thousands of dollars more than you should ever have to. In the name of profit, car dealerships can mark up the price of an extended warranty hundred and thousands of dollars without you ever knowing the difference unless you have shopped around.
Along with making money on the finance interest rates, car dealerships make a tremendous amount of money on the sale of extended warranties. Sometimes, you really don’t know what you’re buying. You don’t know if the warranty that you’re buying will cover your air conditioning system or if it will only cover the internal parts of an engine. He can get really confusing and finance managers are very good at confusing you when it comes to the types of benefits that you are actually purchasing. Continue reading ‘What is the Best Extended Used Car Warranty Deal?’ »
Has your car been giving you trouble? Costly repairs can be avoided by buying a used-car extended warranty. You may have not thought about this and may only think that you can buy an extended warranty and a car dealership, however that is far from the truth.
Regardless of how many miles are on your car, you can save a lot of money on repairs by buying an extended service contract for your car and by buying it direct you can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars versus buying it through a car dealership. Continue reading ‘Trouble With Your Car? Used Car Extended Warranty Service Contracts Can Help!’ »
When you are looking at used-car extended warranty quote comparisons from multiple companies using an online comparison website, you should look to compare not only the price of each warranty is offered based on the year, make and model of your vehicle, but you should also look at a couple other things.
Take into consideration that some companies can offer you coverage with no deductible for major repairs while, other companies will have very high deductibles. You should always read the fine print in any service contract offer as there are many stipulations and things that can be deceiving. Continue reading ‘Used Car Extended Warranty Quote Comparisons’ »