Car Repair - How Proper Maintenance Can Save You Money

A lot of car repair costs can be avoided with proper maintenance and timely repair. Winter is an especially important time of year to perform certain annual maintenance tasks that will save you money and headache in the long run. In many parts of the country, winter brings hazardous temperatures and driving conditions. Keep your vehicle safe from unnecessary car repair by following these simple steps.

One of the simplest tasks should be done first and takes only a few seconds or a few dollars to complete. Open the radiator cap and check to makes sure that your antifreeze levels are adequate. The fluid in your radiator should be 50 percent antifreeze and 50 percent water. Make sure the level is topped off and that the ratio is correct for your part of the country. If you performed a radiator flush as recommended in the spring, this step should be relatively straightforward and simple. Otherwise, you may want to ask the garage that does your regular oil change to check the antifreeze mixture at the same time.

Next, you'll want to carefully inspect your tires. Winter driving conditions are often fatally hazardous and having good rubber on your tires goes a long way to keeping you and your family safe. Shops will offer an opinion on the remaining tread of your tires if you're unsure. The National Highway Transportation Safety Board claims that a good rule of thumb is to make sure you have at least 2/23" of depth. This may be adequate for the rest of the year, but serious winter driving on ice and snow is better accomplished with at least 4/32" of tread depth.

You'll also want to replace your wiper blades and check your windshield washer fluid. These two steps seem simple enough and they are a super cheap way to ensure you stay safe and avoid costly accidents this winter. Avoid bills from accidents caused by poor visibility. Wiper blades should be heavy duty and able to withstand the snow, sleet, sand and salt of winter driving. Washer fluid levels should always be topped up. In the past, many drivers added a bit of antifreeze to their washer fluid, but that is no longer necessary.

Other simple winter maintenance tasks you can do to help safe driving year-round include cleaning your battery posts, inspecting spark plug wires, inspecting brakes, and checking the engine oil. Many unnecessary car repair tasks are avoided with these simple maintenance tasks. They will help your engine run better for longer.

All that said, if you find yourself in the position of needing car repair or maintenance in the near future, don't hesitate to contact a reputable mechanic in your area. Find a dealer or mechanic that you trust and who will answer your questions and concerns openly and candidly. You should never feel like your mechanic is hiding anything from you. There are many reputable mechanics available in your area. It is worth your time and money to find someone you like and trust.

Free Auto Repair Manual - How To Find Your Free Auto Repair Manual Online

Need a free auto repair manual for your vehicle? The best way to find one for your specific car would be searching the Internet. There are literally thousands of website that offer free auto repair manuals online downloads. The most common format for those is a PDF document with is most convenient for nearly every Internet user.

For the most part you are not going to find every manual in one spot. This is going to depend on the make and model of your vehicle, as well as the year. In some cases you might even need the VIN number in order to find your specific manual. With a little foreknowledge, you should easily be able to find the right free auto repair manual online with no trouble at all.

For fastest results I would recommend such major search engines a Google or Yahoo. In order to eliminate too many search results while looking for a free auto repair manual online, remember to include the model and year of your car. This simple trick will save you lots of time you can otherwise waste on sifting through hundreds of irrelevant websites.

Probably the vast majority of these publications will require sign up with your email address for a newsletter of some sort. You can easily do this by making another email used just for web sites who often ask for your email. When you submit your email and sign up, you will then be shown where to view or download the free auto repair manual online.

In other cases, you might want to check the forums based around the specific vehicle you need repairs for. There are often many cases where people have asked questions about the same problems you are having, and helpful people with experience are more than wiling to guide you in the right direction. While this is technically not an actual automotive repair manual it can be very useful indeed when you are searching for answers.

Just remember that there are many less than honest web sites out there who will pretend that they have a free auto repair manual online. Use your best judgment before giving out your email address, as you will get nothing but endless emails from this type of site. By reading the content of the page before you sign up, it should be possible to determine if the site really has something useful to offer.

How to Remove Window Tint

Applying tinting film to car or household windows may be fun, but removing it can be tricky if you don't take your time. Here are a few ways to get rid of tinting film when it starts to bubble and look shabby or when you just get tired of the look. The methods are similar for removing tinting film from car and household windows.

First, gather your tools and supplies. Some type of knife will be needed to strip the film. A utility knife with a wide blade or an X-Acto® knife would do the job. Make sure you have several black thirty gallon trash bags available. The bigger the bag, the easier it will be to cut it to fit the size of your car window. You will also need fine steel wool pads, paper towels, glass cleaner, a drop cloth, and ammonia. If you prefer not to use straight ammonia because of the smell and inhalation hazards, choose a general cleaning product that contains ammonia. These will do, but read the label to make sure that ammonia is an ingredient.

To begin, the tinting film needs to be softened for removal. Spray the outside of the back car window with water. Tear open a trash bag and cover the window with it. Use the knife or a pair of scissors to cut the bag to fit the window. On the inside of the back window, remove all items from the window and the back seat. Lay a drop cloth over the back seat and the area directly under the back window to protect them from damage. Spray ammonia over the entire inside of the glass. A mask and goggles would keep the ammonia fumes from harming you. Again, fit a trash bag to the inside of the window. The bags keep the solutions from evaporating as they soften the tinting film. If it is a sunny day, turn the car so that the rear window or whatever car window you are working on gets the full force of the sun's rays. If no sun is about, try the car's defroster. Wait at least ten minutes before trying to strip the film.

For household windows, use soapy water to soften the tinting film instead of ammonia. No trash bags are needed for the windows in your house. Once the film has softened, start at the corner of the film and with your knife, peel the film back slowly. Once the film has been removed, clean the car windows with steel wool to remove residual pieces. Then use glass cleaner and paper towels. Household windows shouldn't need more than glass cleaner and paper towels to clean them. The removal process is now complete.

Visit http://www.LearnHowToRemove.com for a growing library of tips to remove those annoying messes in your life.

Auto Repair Costs: How You Are Ripped-Off Daily Under the Radar

Most know the most glaring auto repair pricing abuses: Service centers overcharging $100's even $1000's for repairs, or charging for service that was never done at all. To be sure, this still happens every day.

However, there are many other techniques which involve flying just low enough to avoid detection. The savvy repair shops increase the price so as not to set off any alarms. It's become so common that it's not just an accepted industry practice, but even service customers have accepted paying higher prices.

Knowing how ingrained price-gouging is within the automotive service industry, it's shocking (although understandable) that even service customers have succumbed to excessive car repair prices. I frequently hear service customers' state:

"Yeah, I know I was ripped off, but my car's fixed now." Or, "I know they charge too much, but they're convenient."

This is insane! To accept auto repair price-gouging is to allow its continuation. The difficult part, of course, is how to stop it. Given that the automotive service industry is so big and powerful (and so frightfully necessary) how does one battle such a force?

The first thing to understand is the degree to which this type of stealth-like price-gouging occurs. A two-decade undercover investigation has revealed that 98% of all repair shops (dealerships, local shops, and franchises) are price-gouging their customers in one form or another.

The following exchange, between a service manager and service advisor, provides an idea of the "scope of scamming" below the radar.

A service advisor asked his manager how to bill more hours per month, which is another way of asking how the advisor can make more money. The service manager casually stated:

"Simply add an additional two tenths to every ticket you write."

In other words, every customer this particular service advisor "helps," he was instructed by a superior to add a "little" extra. So if the labor rate is $100 per hour that would equal $20 "extra." Rather than pay $100 per hour, the service customer would actually pay $120.

$20 doesn't sound like much. However, whether it's an overcharge of $0.02 or $20, it's too much. If you visit a shop practicing just this strategy alone (there are hundreds of strategies, many applied simultaneously), you may get scammed $100's or more by year's end.

What's really shocking is that being ripped-off $100's over a year's time is actually minor!

Try $500-$5000!

Gap Insurance For Your Car And What Does It Cost?

Cars are great for transportation, but they're horrible investments. At no point is that more obvious than when you total your car in an accident. You bought that shiny new Ford Fusion for $20,000 a couple years ago, but you only got $10,000 from the insurance company for it. Even worse, you still owe $13,000 on the car loan.

What's up with that?

Gap insurance could have made up the difference in this scenario, but increasingly there are other options available.

What is Gap Insurance?

Sometimes referred to as loan/lease gap coverage or upside down insurance, gap insurance is a specialized form of auto insurance designed to do one thing and one thing only: make up the difference in what you purchased your car for and what the insurance company pays for it in the event it is totaled out in a claim. It's traditionally sold for a single premium (usually around $300 to $700) by an auto sales guys at signing.

Yes, that auto dealer's finance manager is an insurance agent too. Well, sort of. He's usually licensed to sell that gap insurance and something else called credit life, which I won't get into here.

Understanding the Terminology Behind Gap Insurance

To better understand how gap insurance works, you should first understand some basic insurance terminology. Auto insurance is designed to repair or replace losses incurred to your vehicle in such a manner that you neither profit nor lose from the deal. This idea is called indemnification. Indeed indemnification is arguably the single most important concept behind all insurance, not just auto insurance. As an example, a major insurance company recently alluded to indemnification by using the slogan gets you back to where you belong.

If it were all about indemnification then insurance would be easy. Of course it isn't. There are other factors to consider as well. For example, insurers need to know what caused caused your loss. This is known in the industry as the peril. Examples of perils common in car insurance include vandalism, theft, and auto glass damage due to missilesi.e. rocks).

Now stay with me here.

Some perils are specifically not covered by auto insurance. These are called exclusions. Common exclusions in auto insurance policies include intentional damage and depreciation. By definition, exclusions are specifically listed in your auto insurance policy.

So here's where gap insurance comes into play. Everyone knows automobile values depreciate over time. Depreciation is a peril because it causes a tangible loss to your vehicle. However, because depreciation is an exclusion in your policy, it's not covered by your auto insurance. Therefore this is the rationale for the existence of gap insurance. Stick with us and you'll pass the insurance licensing exam in any state in the country.

Do You Really Need Gap Insurance?

Many people skip gap insurance because frankly they think it's just another boondoggle the auto dealerships use to line their pockets. That isn't necessarily true, however it's also not necessarily true that you always need it. What is necessarily true is that you want talk to your insurance agent before you sign closing documents on a new car.

Chances are you're going to finance that new car you just purchased anyway, which means you're going to carry full coverage on the vehicle. You'll do it if for no other reason than the bank will make you. Failing to do so will compel them to force place full coverage insurance on your vehicle. You don't want to do that.

You do, however, want to see if your full coverage auto insurance includes gap insurance coverage as either an option or as a standard feature. Many companies offer this. In addition, an increasing number of companies offer options that allow you to replace a totaled vehicle with a new one within a certain time period.

Although the depreciation exclusion still exists on auto insurance policies, insurance companies are nonetheless sensitive to these concerns, not to mention eager to retain your business by offering more bells and whistles.

However, if your auto insurance doesn't offer any of these features, then you'll want to do one of two things, get another auto insurance company or go ahead and take the gap insurance. The only thing worse than being upside down in a vehicle is being upside down in a wrecked one.

Auto Repair - What To Do When You're Unhappy With Your Bill

Have you ever been handed a bill for auto repair that didn't match up with your expectations? If you've been to a mechanic enough times, this has probably happened to you. If you're fortunate, the sticker shock occurs before the actual work has been done and you can then choose to take your business elsewhere if you feel the price is out of line. If, however, the bill comes after your car is ready to go, you may have been unsure about what to do. Getting your car fixed can be expensive, but that doesn't mean you should be overcharged and ripped off. Here are some things you can do when you aren't satisfied with the price.

Compare the Estimate

Never get auto repair done without being given a written estimate. If you did so, then you may already be out of options. A business has the right to charge their customers virtually any price they want, with some exceptions. If you failed to ask how much you would be expected to pay, you may not have much of an argument after the bill arrives. But since few shops proceed with work without providing such an estimate, you'll probably have something to compare. Will the estimate always match exactly? Of course not-hence the word "estimate". But if the final bill is more than 10 percent over that amount, you should bring it up. A mistake may have been made.

Parts

While most shops charge a standard fee for labor which won't change much from mechanic to mechanic, parts can vary somewhat in price. This is especially true when you begin comparing aftermarket parts to OEM. If you think the price of a part quoted on your detailed bill doesn't sound right, you can always call around and see what other shops are charging for the same part. If you consistently get a lower price quoted to you, you may have a valid dispute. Ask your mechanic directly why you were charged so much more for this particular part.

Double Repairs

Perhaps you weren't expecting to pay for anything at all. When a shop fails to fix a problem the first time or fixed it in such a way that it simply broke again a month or two later, most consumers expect that the second auto repair will be free of charge. But you shouldn't make assumptions like this before handing over your keys. Make sure you and your shop are on the same page. If you are charged and you didn't expect to be, show them your receipt from the last time and ask for an explanation.

Diagnostic Equipment on the Mobile Service Van - Changing Tradition

So many people today appreciate the convenience that technology brings to their lives, but persist in seeing auto repair methods as a never changing routine. They know engines have been computerized, but still envision the greasy auto mechanic, elbow deep in the engine, in his shop trying to "find the problem".

If that is the view you have of modern auto repair services then you are in for a wonderful surprise. The same technology which brings you so many luxuries in your life has also impacted the auto industry. Thanks to computerization, mobile service vans can carry the equipment needed to diagnose the problems with the most current engines and auto electrical systems.

Fast and Accurate

So what does this mean? It means that Mobile Car Care can bring the auto shop without the grease, unless grease is needed, to wherever you car is parked. Mobile auto repair services provide state-of-the-art diagnostic ability for your ultimate convenience. The best news is that you are getting the same quality service you would get if you left your car at the repair shop all day.

The computer diagnostic machine which is carried on the van equipped for roadside service is high tech and designed to enable the technician to give fast and accurate service. In essence, the primary diagnostic equipment is a computer which can be connected to your engine or electrical circuit. The computer then does a diagnostic check which results in fault codes displayed on a monitor.

The codes tell the repair technician the exact problems. The fault codes are cross referenced to a listing of codes and each code has a description of the likely mechanical, electrical, or component failure. The old days of "test this" and "test that" are often eliminated thanks to technology. Mobile Car Care makes sure the latest diagnostic programs are accessed and that mobile van equipment is kept up-to-date.

Of course, not everyone drives a new car. There are plenty of five year, ten year, and older cars on the road. You can still rely on the mobile service van for great auto, truck, and van repairs because technicians are trained to repair early and late model vehicles.

All in One

The roadside mobile van brings you the testing equipment, repair equipment, and the technician in one unit. The kind of diagnostic equipment carried includes the following.

* Scan Tools / Diagnostic Computers

* Cooling system diagnostic/pressure tester

* Fuel injection tester

* Electrical system tester

* Ignition system tester

* Diagnostic computer for accessing technical information and fault codes

* Spare parts including thermostats, belts, fuses and cables

* Hand tools and a variety of small testing equipment

This is a short listing to give you an idea of the comprehensive repair equipment carried on a Mobile Car Care van. In most cases, the vehicle repair can be completed wherever your car is parked or has broken down. But in the event the vehicle must be towed to the workshop, our roadside service company is prepared to get that job done too.