Monthly Archives: August 2009

Author : Rene Graeber

Buying a new car is a long term investment It is usually the second only to a home as the most expensive thing ever bought The person has to shell out a vast sum of money later on not only for gas but its proper maintenance as well

To some who can’t afford to buy a new car, these people have to do the next best thing and settle for a second hand car

According to consumer reports, a new car depreciates in value once it leaves the lot This goes as high as 20% annually which makes it easy for someone to buy a fairly new car at almost half the price of a new one

In addition, it can enable you to even buy a higher end model that has better performance, safety and other features than a new model This saves you money which can be used for other things

Before buying a car, it is best to think about the kind of car you is willing to spend for and the options that come with it By doing some research and checking out various dealers, you will be able to pick the right car and get the best deal

You can buy a used car either from a dealer or from a private person Before spending money on a used car, these are a few tips you must be aware of

– You should check if the dealer or the individual who wants to sell the car has a good reputation

– Just looking at the car will not give information if the car is in good condition It should be test driven in various road conditions such as the highway or in traffic

– Most cars have a maintenance record The buyer must ask if it from the dealer or the individual and if it not available, then you should contact the dealership or repair shop where most of the work was done

– Since most people are not that knowledgeable about cars, it is advisable to bring the car to a reliable mechanic for proper inspection

– There are many dealers available You should also visit other dealers and check if the dealer or the individual who sells the used car has a good reputation If the car of choice is not available, then you should inform the dealer about it and inform how much you are willing to pay The dealer may either find that car or offer another model that is very similar to the vehicle you desire

Discover the best time to shop for a car, how to avoid dealership scam, when to walk away from a transaction, differences between guarantee and warranty and much more on the authors free website at: http://www.how-to-buy-a-used-car-website.com

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Author : Gregg Hall

Well it may sound metaphorical but yes your car will also need a shiny exterior and an interior that races at high speed, just like you! Well till now all you may have heard about maintaining your car is that:

Maintain a steady speed of 60mph and your car will run smooth for a longer period

Use the correct gas needed for your car

You have no idea how things pile up in the trunk So keep the trunk empty for fuel efficiency

All of that is true when it comes to running your car But it is not just the engine that constitutes your car; the shiny body that you liked once, the color that you had specifically chosen or the leather seats that you were proud of when you booked the car, all of that needs proper maintenance and care

Let’s look one by one how you can keep the exterior of your car shiny:

First rinse the dirt and dust off your car Now use a sponge and soap it up well Enjoy the foam as it lathers the body of the car! Wash it off or hose off the soap from the body next and clean the car Now remember to dry it off with a soft, clean cloth If you leave wet spots and water droplets on the body of the car then those will gather dust and you will get a spot when it dries up

Once a month you must use the chemicals available to remove bugs and dirt from the body of the car These generally polish the surface of the car at the same time and are readily available in auto parts stores

Next is polishing Use a good wax and pamper your car once in two months Agreed you may want to just drive in a car wash and get all of these done, but believe me there is nothing better than personal care

Tires kiss the road; keep them strong, well-maintained and sturdy and they will ensure that your car is stable Cleaning your tires is a must Use cleaning products to stop building up of dust

Use care products specially made for other parts of your car; vinyl, wood work if any or plastic and rubber

Once, you have the exterior dazzling your neighbor’s don’t forget to pamper the interiors of your car to impress those whom you drive around!

Use seat covers This cannot be stressed enough It is easy to take these off and clean Vacuum your car seats, then clean the seat covers, dry them and put them back on the seats

Clean the windows with proper cleaners, the dashboard and other attachments carefully using soft cleansers

Vacuum the carpet and use rubber mats to keep dust off from getting under the carpet

Simple, easy to use tips to maintain the look of your car all by yourself and also gives you a good break for your Sundays Remember to park your car in your garage if you are not using it often, this will protect the car and keep that extra dust off the body!

Gregg Hall is an author living on the Treasure Coast of Florida. Now that you know more about car cleaning be sure that you get quality goodyear tires by going to http://www.nsearch.com

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Author : Shaun Parker

Cars pollute, kill the planet and generally are not that green are they not? Here is the latest news from the world of the eco-friendly electric cars trying to prove the car hater wrong The limited edition Micro-Vett electric 500 is an electric, eco version of the famous Fiat 500 This little green-mobile has a maximum speed of 60mph, a range of 70 miles, and takes 6-8 hours to charge

Transmission is manual 5-speed but there is an automatic option It weighs around 1050kg, has four seats, and standard kit includes a radio, CD, MP2 player, Bluetooth and USB, air con, remote central locking, ABS with EBD, 15-inch alloy wheels, drivers airbag, drivers knee airbag, passenger and window airbags You can also pay extra if you want auto climate control, an electric sunroof, reverse parking sensors, 16-inch alloy wheels, and a metallic paint finish to your motor As with many electric cars price unfortunately is on application But if you have to ask, you clearly cannot afford

Lotus introduces an electric car that ROARS! The wonders of modern technology, a car that glides seamlessly along with hardly any noise at all Well that is great if you are the driver or the passenger, but the quiet hybrid or electric cars of today are not so good for pedestrians as people simply do not hear them coming Lotus has decided to create a technology to bring that oh so thrilling sound, the roar of a well tuned engine, to eco conscious drivers

The car manufacturer explains that its safe and sound hybrid technology simulates the growl of a combustion engine, making it instantly recognisable that the vehicle is in motion It has already put the system into a Toyota Prius, which is one of the most popular hybrid cars on the market The system produces a pitch and frequency designed to help pedestrians identify the speed and distance of the car Lotus claim their technology increases pedestrian safety, while retaining the environmental benefits of electric cars

Shown off at the 2008 motor show, the Lighting car is designed to turn all the heads Why because it is fast and it is electric The company claimed the Lightning GTS, which is built in the UK, claims the Lightning can hit 60mph (97kmph) in under four seconds Instead of one single motor, each wheel has its own giving the most effective power

Special batteries are used to give the car the power when it needs it rather than a constant speed and you will be able to do a fast charge in around 10 minutes to get you back on the road The CEO of the company said they are trying to change the perception of what people expect from electric cars The car will cost around 120,000GBP when it goes on sale so it is up against some real supercar competition

Shaun Parker is an expert on electric cars and provides eco-friendly advice on all aspects of the motor industry.

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Author : Gregg Hall

If you haven’t thought of putting window tint on your car you probably live somewhere up north where the heat from the sun isn’t as big a deal as it is in the south Whether you have thought about it or not, by the time you get through my article you will probably want to have your windows tinted

Some people wrongly think that window tint is for aesthetics or looks only but this is simply not the case The functionality of the window tint is what is really important because if the tint is properly applied it can reduce the heat in your car by over sixty percent It will also keep your interior from fading due to exposure to ultraviolet rays which can also weaken the structure of the fabric of your interior

Another reason to apply window tint is for safety Windows that have window tint applied to them can actually hold broken glass together and keep it from becoming airborne in an accident which protects those inside from being injured Another safety issue is the protection window tint offers from the glare of the sun as well as bright headlights from an oncoming car

From a privacy and security standpoint window tint can help protect you by not allowing a would be burglar to easily ascertain what you have in your vehicle Most professional thieves are looking for a quick and easy target, having to get right up to the vehicle to see whether or not it is a worthwhile target is not what they want to have to do

If you are using a window tint shop to apply the film for you then you should make sure that they have a good reputation and that they use quality products with solid guarantees It is always good to get references and check them out with the Better Business Bureau before doing business with them A good shop will give you a lifetime warranty against peeling and cracking of the window tint

Another thing you want to do is examine the area that they use to apply the window tint It should be an indoor area that is dust free much like a paint booth If dust particles are present on the windows it will create lumps that will lead to air bubbles and then peeling and cracking Any sign of air bubbles is a sure indicator of poor workmanship

Once you have decided on a tint shop that you feel comfortable with you should make an appointment that will insure that you are taken care of in a timely manner You may also want to arrange for a ride since the entire process may take a few hours

Gregg Hall is an author living with his 18 year old son in Jensen Beach, Florida. Find more about vintage cars as well as a car care products at http://www.5starshine.com

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Author : Mike Trudel

In 2007, sales of new hybrid cars rose by nearly 40%, despite a drop in overall automotive purchases According to an American news agency, approximately 350,000 additional hybrid vehicles were purchased over the prior year – and by the end of 2007, nearly one million hybrid vehicles were on the road

The jump in hybrid sales has been influenced, in part, by record gasoline prices Indeed, as fuel efficiency becomes a higher priority, hybrid vehicles promise more bang for the buck at the gas pump As a result, hybrids are beginning to make more and more financial sense for many consumers

Some experts predict that global demand for hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) will continue to increase substantially through 2015 and beyond The primary HEV market is likely to remain in the United States, but other countries may also demand their fair share Cost disparities between HEVs and conventional vehicles are expected to decrease as production increases

Through the Energy Act of 2005, the United States government has been providing Americans tax credits for those who purchase certain types of these wheeled innovations Stipulations on the availability of these hybrid tax credits do exist For example, the credit is only available to the original purchaser of a new, eligible vehicle The tax credits also phase out over time Therefore, consumers may wish to buy now to take advantage of the full credit Furthermore, if a popular model’s credits are about to expire, consumers may be inclined to explore another eligible brand

So who really buys these cars? At an automotive conference, a researcher attempted to answer that question by analyzing 2,600 surveys and dozens of in-person interviews of hybrid buyers

What was discovered may not seem surprising, especially at first: Early buyers were of the “green” variety Their primary goal was to purchase cars that minimized environmental impact These remain hybrids’ top buyers As the market diversified, the “techies” were the next to line up, followed by those valuing energy independence and then by those wanting better fuel economy

What was revealed beyond that may have been more unexpected Many hybrid buyers had not looked under the hood Instead, they seemed to use the instrumentation as the source for understanding their cars Evidently, the real-time display showing when the vehicle was running on gas, when it was running on electric power and the modes’ respective fuel economies was one of the only ways buyers identified their cars’ inner workings Despite being enthusiastic about their cars’ abilities, many buyers had little idea how they worked Although hybrid buyers are eager for the new technology, an actual understanding of how the technology operates is not necessarily a key factor

The study’s results also indicate that principles have been a key motivator to hybrid buyers According to the findings, most hybrid households made their purchases for a combination of three basic reasons: desire for independence and control, drive to preserve the environment and the appeal of new technology

HEVs could be faced with some formidable competition, however Different fuel-efficient vehicles, like those running on ethanol and diesel, are worthy of attention – especially as more hybrid buyers motivated by fuel efficiency surface Europe’s market is already flooded by light diesels, with a large percentage of European automotive sales dedicated to them

Automotive engineers are constantly innovating new ways to improve fuel economy As more options are made available to consumers, there is hope for increasingly positive effects on the environment and economy

Mike Trudel, Freelance Writer.

Delphi Corporation is committed to contributing state-of-the-art technologies and innovations in order to help make our roadways greener. For more information, visit www.Delphi.com/4Innovation or www.Delphi.com/4green.

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Author : Musa Aykac

If you drive a vehicle you will come to realise that they can be quite costly to maintain, booking yourself into a garage can be great, you basically do not have to worry about the hassle of a broken vehicle But you could be saving yourself a lot of hard earned money by learning how to do a few maintenance repairs to your own vehicle

Basically topping up your tyres, fluids and regularly making oil changes will keep your car in good running order and prestige condition A lot of people can do the first two, but when it comes down to an oil change, people start to get panicky, as they think it is very hard Let me tell you now that it is probably not as hard as you may believe

We will take a look at the process of changing the oil Basically you will need to have the following materials to hand

- A top up of oil, depending on how much your vehicle accepts

- An oil filter and car jack

- A spanner

- A funnel, cloth and bucket

So after you have these items ready, you should then firstly leave your car on and the engine running for around 15-20 minutes This way the oil will heat up and flow out of the vehicle a lot better

After this is done you should make sure that you turn the engine off and pop the bonnet Once you have carefully jacked the car up you should place yourself safely under the car and put the bucket under the engine, you then need to locate the draining plug and pull it out to let the oil flow

Once this is complete you then are required to replace the oil filter, they are mainly located on the side of the engine so it’s just a matter of pulling it off and replacing it with the new one After that is complete you then have to to check everything is closed corrected and apply the oil into the top of the engine

You should finally let the engine run to make sure everything is in working order and then clean up your surroundings, or even steam clean the engine to give it a gloss finish

Changing your oil on a vehicle may seem like a very hard task, but once it has been performed once, you will come to see how easy it actually is to do, and beside that, think about all of the money that you could be saving yourself

Looking for Heating Oil Suppliers and Cheap Heater Oil for your Central Heating

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Author : Robert Kokoska

The great depression is making life miserable in the U S It is even catching up with the automotive industry With the crude oil price hitting all time highs and when doubts prevail about the availability of the fuel, and the scientific fraternity burn their midnight oil to come up with an alternative for oil, who can we blame if people show the cold shoulder to autos More than that it is more economical to hire a taxi, rather than maintaining a luxurious sedan The automotive sales figures of 2007 show some good signs for some cars while others show dismal performance

Total sales show a down swing in the US with a decrease of 2 5 over 2006 Domestic vehicles are down 4 while automobile imports have gone up 2 When it comes to autos, it is again General Motors leading the fray with Ford and Chrysler LLC following upon their heels While sales of General Motors is down 6 , Ford and Chrysler LLC are down 11 and 3 1 respectively

Toyota has surpassed Ford in sales in the US by about 3 5 selling about 60,000 more vehicles than Ford It is something unbelievable and happened for the first time The top European car model is still the BMW It shows a 7 increase over last year Volkswagen comes second The sale of the Ford truck series is up and the pickup truck has been at the top of the best seller list in America for more than 25 years

But sales of the F Series were down by 13 percent, and the Chevrolet Silverado ended the year about 72,000 units behind Even the October sales of general Motors plunged headlong by 45 percent, with Ford and Chrysler LLC following closely to a pathetically weak level in the past 25 years The reason is blamed on low consumer confidence coupled with economic depression People are reluctant to invest in motor vehicles due to the fear that they may suffer more if they invest in them

This October, the vehicles sold were fewer than the vehicles sold last year this month This month the sales were only 838,156 vehicles which is 32 less According to Auto data Corp and Wards Auto Info, this is the worst the industry has been since January 1991 This is clearly a severe, severe recession for the U S automotive industry and something we really can’t sustain Clearly we are in a dire situation Says Mike DiGiovanni, GM’s executive director of global market and industry analysis He further adds that if GM sales were adjusted for population growth, this was the worst hit that has ever happened

It s truck sales also tumbled by 51 percent Passenger car sales also dipped by 34 percent Even Ford’s Focus small car, cannot hold it s ground and saw its sales drop by 18 percent The condition is so bad that cars that were once selling high volumes show a dismal state For the Honda Acura model, it was the other way round and had their sales rise by 6 percent Nissan Corp also had nothing to boast about The bleak car sales is an issue of concern for the coming president for they have promised great investment in this sector

Want more automotive articles? Visit the Blogola Article Directory: http://www.blogola.com/Category/Automotive/395

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Author : Marc Lindsay

In case you were wondering why you shouldn’t buy a new car from a dealership here’s why If you were to go out right now and buy a new car from a dealer, you’ll be paying full price less the additional extras the salesman throws in to get you to buy it

After the first two years of the new car’s life, you’ll automatically loose up to 40% of the value of the car assuming you bought it brand new And on top of that if your new car was five years old it’ll loose up to 65% of its original price So the logical thing to do is to buy a car between 3 and 5 years old So you don’t loose half the value because it’s already halved So my advice to you is to buy a used car instead of a new car

So in theory if you bought a 4 year old car it’ll already have lots around 50% of its original value Thus in 2 years when you sell it you’ll theoretically loose about 15% of the value you paid for less all the running expenses There it is, one of the secrets in saving money when buying a car

Now here’s another secret to saving money when buying a car Have you ever heard of a car auction? Or an online car auction? How it works is really simple Usually cars on auctions, be it reposed cars, ex government cars, or dealerships getting rid of old stock, you really can’t go wrong when you buy a car from an auction

When you buy from a normal dealership you have to pay the premium price when you buy at auctions you’re paying wholesale rates One of the best ways to save money is to head to a local car auction site or you can search online for an online car auction website

You’ll be presented with all the necessary guarantees such as misrepresentation, meaning if you buy a car online and it gets shipped to you, you inspect it and it’s not the same as advertised, you’ll be entitled to a refund Same goes for local car auctions You can test drive the car before you settle to buy it, but only after you’ve won the bid

So there you have it, the two secrets to saving money on cars Make sure you do you research before buying any car online and offline by inspecting it carefully Good luck and I hope you save lots of money!

If you are looking for car auctions or car auction information
then
http://www.carauctionscritic.com can help you

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