24th
January
2008
I don’t know about you, but when I bought my first car I didn’t have a lot of information to go on for the process. I admit I had two cars previously to the first car I bought, but those deals were made by my father. He was the man with the money and he was paying for the cars outright. So when I decided to trade in my car for a different model and a newer vehicle I needed a little help from those who had bought cars before. I didn’t want to make a mistake and get an unfair deal from a dealership or private owner. The great thing was I had my parents to help me find the information I needed to purchase that car. I even had my mom come help me make the deal. It took us a little over five hours and closing the joint, but I walked away with one of the best deals on a 2000 vehicle that I could have for my financial state as well as my credit history.What you need to know about buying your first car is quite simple. First you need to know all about the car you are interested in buying. You need to know what that car would cost new, what the used retail price is for a dealership as well as a private sale, and what condition the car is in. You also need to know if it has any bells and whistles added on to it as that will affect the price. Kelly Blue Book and other consumer reports will allow you to find out all of the information you need for a general search. Armed with this information you can negotiate a fair price. If you have a trade in you should also know the value on that for trading it in to a dealer as opposed to selling it privately. You also need to know about your credit history. You need to know where your credit scores stand. You also want to know where you will stand regarding the dealership score. The look at your FICO score as well as a risk score that they calculate. They are basically looking to see if you can afford the car you are interested in buying. If you don’t have a credit history that is very lengthy you can expect any car loan to be offered a little higher than seems fair. They are just trying to establish your risk and since you don’t have much of a history they consider you more of a risk. Once you know both the car facts and the financial situation you are in you are ready to deal. You let the dealerships know that you have done your homework. Also let them know you are willing to walk away if the deal isn’t to your specifications, not there. There are several tactics they can use like saying, “We have to make some profit,” or “I work on commissions.” You have to be in control not the other way around.
posted in Useful Tips |
24th
January
2008
If you tend to drive a lot, you may find yourself getting a little stressed out sometimes on the road because of someone else’s awful behavior on the road. Whether we like it or not, there will always be bad drivers on the road and no matter what we do, they will never go away. So what exactly can we do about it? You can do nothing at all.People love to be oblivious to others when they are driving. They think that they rule the road and they are the only ones that exist on this fine planet earth. What makes it hard for others is that they are becoming a danger on the road and not only causing danger to themselves but to others that drive around. Below are a few pet peeves that many fall victim to.Yapping on the cell phoneI think all of us have fell victim to this one even if we don’t want to admit to it. Studies have shown that cell phones are almost as bad as driving with a few beers in your system. There are many ways to avoid talking about the phone such as hands free sets or getting adapters that plug into your radio speakers. Cell phones generally shouldn’t be used while driving and a lot of states and counties have been creating laws that prohibit people from using cell phones while driving. If the call isn’t important, don’t pick up or make the call.Out of control kiddiesDon’t you just love it when you get behind a car and you can see kids running around in the back of the minivan? It’s important as a parent or driver that your children are buckled safely into their seat belts. This not only causes a danger to the people around you driving but to the children as well. If something happens where you have to come to a complete stop, I’m sure you would like to have your children buckled up.Riding the bumperThis one I’m sure many of you love has done to you. You’re casually driving along and all of a sudden a car pulls out of nowhere and starts to tailgate you because you’re going to slow. Slow to this person is ten over the speed limit. It seems like no matter how fast you go, it’s never satisfying to anyone. If you’re victim of this, it’s always best to ignore the bystander and hopefully he/she will turn or back up once they realize they won’t get anywhere fast.These are just a few of the million pet peeves that happen on the road. The key to driving is to make sure your passengers are safe. Being safe means that they should be wearing their seatbelts and not causing any distraction to you or any of the others driving around you. If you ever fall victim to the millions of pet peeves that exist, just remain calm and remember that there’s always an idiot on the road.
posted in Driving Tips |
24th
January
2008
Car insurance is a necessity in being able to drive a car legally. Many states have passed a law that you cannot get licenses or car license renewals without showing proper car insurance. This means that whether you like it or not your monthly expenses will have to include car insurance. Luckily there are over twenty different companies that offer car insurance and most usually you can find great coverage at a decent monthly rate. It will depend on a lot of things such as age, gender, marital status, and your credit scores. When you are deciding between the choices in coverage you can have there are many things to consider.First I will tell a little tale as an example. A woman had a 1984 jeep renegade that had an oil leak. She didn’t know much about mechanics and felt the vehicle was safe enough to drive for a week until her father could help find her a mechanic in the college town she was living in. What she didn’t know is that oil leaking on to a carburetor could catch fire in less than ten minutes. While the jeep had been taken to a mechanic three times prior the mechanic had not fixed the problem, didn’t warn her of the danger, and wasted time until the car had to be shipped to her new address. After a week of having the vehicle it caught fire because of the oil leak. She was only covered for liability since that was all she could afford while going to college. The car insurance didn’t cover fire.The reason I have described this story is that had she had fire coverage she would have been able to file a claim and get a little money for the damage towards a new car or towards having that one fixed. When you are trying to ascertain how much you can afford to pay and the coverage available you have to consider what could happen and how expensive it could be to you if you don’t have proper coverage.When you consider the choices in coverage you have liability, comp and collision, and choices in the actual monetary coverage for the motorist, uninsured motorist, and other aspects of car insurance. You need to select a coverage that you can afford, but that will not leave you in a situation where the car is not covered enough. In other words it is best to look at the cost of the car, the year it was made, and the potential hazards of where you live. In
Alaska they offer moose and bear coverage under the comp and collision policies just in case. If you live in a large city you are going to want to have a lower deductible for damage in the event the car is broken into and your radio is stolen to meet the deductible with ease. Also consider the roadside assistance and car rental replacement if you don’t have AAA or another roadside service.
posted in Insurance |
24th
January
2008
There are many items you can choose with car insurance such as liability only, comp and collision, roadside service, and much more. You can even choose the deductible or amount of the coverage you need for specific aspects of car insurance. When you look at a new car there are a few things to consider regarding insurance. First you need to make sure you have enough coverage on the policy to cover total destruction of the vehicle in order to have the insurance claim come through for you. However I have gotten ahead. Taking a step back let’s look at a few options in buying a new car.When you purchase a new car you may have paid for it out right, leased it, or obtained a car loan. If you have leased the car or obtained a car loan you are required by the banks to have a certain amount of insurance and type of insurance. For the purposes of this article we are going to concentrate on what a bank will require of you when you have a loan or lease.The car insurance you must have when the car has a loan or lease is liability, comprehensive, and collision insurance. This can run you a rather high premium as the comp and collision usually cost a bit more. The reason the banks require comp and collision is that they need to know the car is fully covered in case there is an accident. The banks in other words need to know they will still get the pay off on the loan even if the car is considered completely damaged. They also ask that you have a certain amount of coverage regarding medical, uninsured motorist and other aspects of the full car insurance coverage. When you have comp and collision you are usually covered for animal damage, fire, and other destruction.Luckily you are not required to have roadside service or a rental car replacement if the car does go into the garage for work. When you have a new car or a newer car it really is important to make sure everything is covered properly. As you may have found most of the newer cars are so complicated that they require a mechanic trained on the computers and other machines used at the garage to fix even minor issues. Simply replacing the oil in your car can be a hassle depending on the make and model. When you are covered with the proper car insurance whether it is with a loan or lease purchase you will be able to make sure you are covered in the event of accidents whether they are your fault, no fault, or the fault of another driver.When you change cars you will have to change your coverage. The car insurance company is usually going to tell you that you have to up your insurance when you have a loan or lease. They will also ask this question and it is important to be truthful as they will check and refuse any policy if you have lied.
posted in Insurance |
24th
January
2008
With maintenance and car accessory costs rising it’s not surprising to find many people looking for a discount tire today.. There are some things that you should consider.Tire SafetyDiscount tires doesn’t necessarily have to mean worn-out tires. The tires that you buy for a discount should be made of quality materials and durable. Look for reputable tire brand names when looking for a discount bargainWhere to Get ThemYou can find these discounted tires almost everywhere. Tire dealers and sellers may advertise their discounted products through promotional ads and may even offer limited discount coupons to lucky clients. Here are some of the great places to shop for discounted tires:- Try local store outlets in your area. Its possible they may be offering seasonal discounts on their tires. You just have to keep your eyes peeled for sales so you can take good advantage of it.- Retail stores and individuals may also sell tires with a discount on online page ads and auction sites. Sometimes though, it may be a little difficult shopping in sites like these. Unless the ad poster is a well known tire retailer, you may never know if a scam artist is trying to rip you off. Make sure you have some knowledge and experience with shopping for discount tires in auctions.- Reputable online stores selling tires at regular prices may also be offering discounted tires at the same time. Check the discount section of these sites to keep updated on their offers.Why Online Stores are a Good IdeaLooking for tires in these reputable online stores are often the best option. Here are a few good reasons:- It’s more convenient to shop online. You simply have to provide some information about your tire preferences and your tire gets delivered right your doorstep. All you have to do is to sit in the comfort of your home in front of a computer.- Stores that have been around for a long time have their reputation to both back them up and uphold. You’ll never get ripped off if you shop from a good store. You can even get good warranties or guarantees.- Online shops also have qualified personnel who can assist you with the right tire. They can also provide the perfect tire match for you. You simply have to provide online store personnel with data such as vehicle type, driving conditions and style of driving, to get the right tires.- Most tire shops online offer more than just tires. They also provide great online information about other important factors that can affect driving safety and car performance.- Aside from delivering your discount tire, a good store will also be able to offer you suggestions on how to install your tire or where to have it installed.
posted in Driving Tips |
24th
January
2008
You might have heard of it from your friends or you might have seen the actual video yourself in Youtube or Metacafe. However, many people still do not believe that water (H2O) can be used as an alternative fuel for cars. This is because they have been educated that energy must come from flammable stuff such as petrol and oil. Since water is not a flammable stuff, of course, water cannot generate energy at all. Therefore, it is impossible to run a car on water because water cannot be used as fuel. However, is this true? I strongly disagree to this to a large extent and here, I will tell that you can run your car on water because water is indeed a source of energy!Firstly, it is possible because water is a molecule and the elements can actually be rearranged using electricity. What we are doing now is using the electricity from car battery to rearrange the water molecule (H2O) into Oxyhydrogen or Brown’s gas. (You can read more about the gas here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxyhydrogen_flame)Secondly, if you look at the application of Oxyhydrogen, you will realize that the gas has been used for fuel enhancement for many years. However, it does not provide the information on how to generate the gas “perpetually”. You can find a guide book on how to modify your car engine so that it can generate the flammable gas from water “perpetually” and at low cost.Lastly, you can notice that Oxyhydrogen is now being used widely in many industry fields. Most of them are using the gas to generate high energy and high heat for welding metal and cut glass. Therefore, it is possible that water indeed can generate enough energy to move a car.From the information above, using water to run your own car is not a rocket science at all. It is changing water into a flammable gas using your car battery.
posted in Future Fuels |
24th
January
2008
No matter which defensive driving course you choose, defensive driving lesson plans vary little from state to state. All secured driving plans are designed with one purpose in mind, and that is to teach drivers how to avoid becoming involved in accidents.All safe driving lessons will include classes on how to anticipate trouble before it starts by observing traffic patterns, recognizing warning signs, and knowing the defensive driving techniques to employ to prevent accidents instead of having to react to them.Pay Attention!A lapse of attention is the single largest cause of accidents, and in particular those accidents which involve drivers not far form their own homes. Drivers who are traveling on familiar roads often relax their attention more than they should. defensive auto driving plans however, stress the importance of drivers maintaining complete focus on both their own driving and the surrounding traffic and potentially dangerous road conditions or hazards.To simply understand and heed the rules of the road regarding right of way is often not adequate to prevent an accident from occurring. Safe Lessons for driving will always recommend that it is safer to yield the right of way in an uncertain situation than to issue a challenge.You’re The Only Sane One Out ThereYou can never be certain about the driving abilities or mindset of any of the other drivers with whom you are sharing a roadway. Driving tips will include instructions on how to develop the philosophy that you are the only person driving that stretch of road who concentration encompasses not only your vehicle, but all the vehicles and potential road hazards around you.Driving defensively means learning to read situations before they fully develop. Riding lawn mowers are often ridden by homeowners who assume the responsibility for the grass growing right down to the edge of the road, and they may come right out into the road to get it. Learning to drive defensively will have you one lane over before the lawn mower even gets to the side of the road.Driving courses will usually include advice on how to stop tailgaters. Most drivers think that by pumping their brakes, they will signal the tailgating vehicle that it is too close, but what they are often doing is simply adding to the other driver’s frustrations. Even worse, they can actually end up being hit from behind.The defensive driving lesson plan will instead suggest that you simply slow down to a speed just below that of the other traffic, without hitting the brakes. The tailgating vehicle can then drive around your car safely, even though its driver may shoot you an aggressive look or hand gesture in passing!
posted in BioDiesel, Driving Tips |
24th
January
2008
If you own a car and are going to do any long distance moving, you are probably dealing with the common question, “Should I drive my car to the new location or should hire a car transporter that will move my car for me?”DriveIf you plan to drive your car to the destination, there are a few advantages to think about. In many cases, driving your car to the destination will end up being cheaper than transporting it, so you will end up saving some money. Another advantage of driving your car is the fact that you always have your car with you, which means that you will not have to be apart from your car for the first few days at your destination. And as a bonus, you can also consider this advantage as additional savings as you won’t need to rent a car during the time your car is being transported.TransportIf you don’t want to drive, hiring car movers to transport your vehicle has some important advantages to consider. One of the best factors of transporting your car is the fact that you get to preserve your car’s value. Long distance moving, especially coast-to-coast relocation, will rack up the miles on your car, quickening the inevitable trip to the mechanic. This also means that your car’s value is will decrease, and this fact is even more true if you lease a car and your miles are limited.If you are doing any long distance moving, driving can become an exhausting task, and if you are not used to long drives, this could even affect your health. Reports have shown that long driving hours may increase the pressure on your lower back and lead to back pains. If you have a large family, and decide to hire a car mover to transport your car, you can save more as you will not need to spend money on trip costs such as, food, lodging, and fuel. The cost of driving yourself or one extra is still probably cheaper, but if you throw in the kids then you are talking about more pit stops and adventures along the way, which will add to the total cost.
posted in Useful Tips |
24th
January
2008
Bank Car Financing vs. Car DealershipWhile you may think you are getting the best deal through the car dealership that you could it bears checking on other types of loans outside of the dealership before you sign on the dotted line. In other words there are reasons why you may find a bank car loan is a better deal than the dealership is willing to offer. You may think this can’t be true as they will both be looking at the same data, but truthfully there are many reasons not to go through a car dealership.First some car dealerships have relationships with banks. The car dealership either owns the bank or vice versa. In some cases you just find that they deal with only ten banks. In any of the cases listed you will find that it may benefit you to look for your own loan through a bank first before approaching the dealer. The dealership can always give you an estimate for a car loan through them and you can compare the offers. You don’t have to sign for any car loan until you have actually done all of the research that makes you comfortable.For instance you may find due to the relationship with the car dealership the interest rate is actually a little lower for their customers. In some cases you may find that your bank offers a better interest rate because you have banked with them for over ten years. The idea behind car financing for any company is to calculate the risk the customer poses for that loan. In other words if you are someone with a short credit history, but it is in excellent shape you are going to pose a certain amount of risk based on the lack of data in the banks mind for both the direct loan and the car dealership loan. On the other hand if you have worked really hard on your credit score to make sure it is always in excellent shape you will have a lower interest rate overall because the risk you pose is deemed lower.Really it is not an argument of which place you should get your loan through such as a bank or going through the car dealership, but what is going to be the fairest deal. You have to do a lot of research to make sure you are getting the best deals based on your credit scores, income, and other factors. You will find that some places such as online car financing are not always truthful about your actual credit scores. In fact some may fudge the numbers a little. It is important to know your own data first before ever speaking with an individual or company about a loan. This way you can have the best car financing that is possible for you and not for the bank.
posted in General Information |
24th
January
2008
With the price of gas at record levels, a host of fuel saving products are being advertised. If you do a search for the key words “fuel saving devices” google will find 1.5 million pages as a result of the search. It never ceases to amaze that so many unscrupulous individuals try to take advantage of specific situations in order to scam you out of your hard earned money. And that is exactly what these gas saving devices are, scams.This current scam takes advantage of driver’s overwhelming desire to cut their gas costs. The scam artists are using deceptive advertising to convince you that a fuel saving product installed on your vehicle will miraculously cut your fuel usage up to 30 percent or higher. The Federal Trade Commission through research and
US government testing of every kind of device and additive has some advice for all consumers.
The Federal Trade Commission warns drivers to be extremely wary of any gasoline saving claims for additives or devices. The test and research results to date show that there has not been any fuel saving device that significantly increases fuel economy in any way!There are a few themes used in most gasoline saving product advertising. Here are some to be wary of:One popular deceptive advertising scheme is this: the ad claims “This gasoline saving product enhances gasoline economy by 20 percent.” Like that example gasoline saving devices claim increases in economy up to 25 percent and sometimes even higher. The Environmental Protection Agency has thoroughly tested, researched and evaluated more than 100 supposed gasoline saving products and additives and so far has not found any one of them that significantly increases gas mileage. In other words non of the gas saving devices work. In some cases, the test data showed that “gasoline-saving” products actually could damage your engine and could cause an increase of gasoline exhaust emissions. That could cause your vehicle to fail some state required emissions tests and that could cost you even more money.Another deceptive advertising method used are ones that are based on great and glowing testimonials from satisfied consumers and drivers. An example: “After putting your product on my vehicle, I saw that I started getting an extra 6 miles per gallon of gas.” Don’t rely on some amateur drivers claim to justify spending your money.These types of deceptive advertisements use testimonials from happy drivers as the proof that the product works. No consumer or driver has the proper equipment or the training to test for precise changes in fuel economy. Even if the consumer had the right equipment they could not control the conditions that affect fuel economy a great deal.Different variables affect gasoline mileage. These include road conditions, weather conditions, traffic conditions, and the condition of the vehicle. For example in one deceptive advertising case that was researched, a driver wrote a letter praising a “gasoline saving” device. Of course this consumer forgot to mention that when he had the aforementioned device installed, he also had his car completely tuned up. The increase in fuel economy that was attributed to the “gasoline saving” device in the letter was most certainly a result of the tune up and not the device. The device advertisement did not mention this, so other drivers and consumers would never know it was the tune up not the device that accounted for any increase in fuel economy.You have now read of a few of the deceptive methods that companies selling gasoline saving products use to convince you to buy their product. Unfortunately there are many other deceptive methods used. Those companies are taking advantage of high gasoline costs which require drivers to seek any way to lower their gasoline costs. Don’t become a victim of these deceptive practices. Don’t forget, Buyer beware!
posted in Future Fuels |