18 Simple Ways To Save Money On Your Car or your Car Maintenance

18 Simple Ways To Save Money On Your Car or your Car Maintenance
by I.C.

18 Simple Ways To Save Money On Your Car or your Car Maintenance. The upkeep of your vehicle can be quite an expense - from initial purchase to insurance to car maintenance. And sometimes we get the sinking feeling that every time we need a car repair, we're going to get taken for a ride. (pardon the pun!) Actually there are some ways to make sure you don't get a raw deal when dealing with a local body shop.
After you get recommendations for honest car mechanics, call around to check out the prices for certain jobs. It's always smart to get a second opinion.
How about some preventative medicine? Keep your gas tank filled. This will help you avoid the gas line freezing up in cold weather. Also, driving on "fumes" allows little pieces of dirt at the bottom of your gas tank to run through the fuel lines with the last drops of gas. This debris clogs up the fuel filter and can cause carburetor damage as well.(Car maintenance)
Sometimes a problem with your car's electrical system results from a simple blown fuse. Check to see if you have any blown fuses before investing in a tow truck!
Keep track of how much oil your car uses. A sudden change in oil consumption means you need to see a technician, so keep the car maintenance on time.
Save your brakes by having your brake fluid changed every 30,000 miles.
Check your tire pressure once a month. This simple car maintenance can add up savings at the gas pump!
Stop and go traffic causes excess wear and tear on your vehicle. Go ahead and give your car a nice twenty minute ride at 55 mph on the highway every couple weeks if you "major" in short trips.
Car Insurance
There are other ways to save money on car expenses. Let's look at the insurance payments.
If you've budgeted for possible out-of-pocket expenses in case of a car accident, you might want to consider increasing your insurance deductible to $500. This will lower the cost of your insurance.(car maintenance)
Talk to your insurance agent. If your car is as old as the hills, you might want to drop collision coverage to save money.
Car insurance companies offer a variety of discounts. Ask your agent if the company offers reductions for driver training courses, anti-lock brakes, car alarms, air bags, mature drivers, good students or maintaining a good driving record.(car maintenance)
Before you purchase from a dealer, ask about the dealer's return policy, get it in writing and read it carefully. Dealers are not required by law to give used car buyers a three-day right to cancel.
Visit http://www.fueleconomy.gov to find cars that are fuel efficient.
Each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.10 per gallon for gas.
More car maintenance tips.In most cases, using cruise control on the highway will save gas.
Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car's gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. This isn't going to cost you an arm or leg either.
Do your homework when buying a car from an auction. Many vehicles that have been damaged by floods and hurricanes are going on the market. These won't last long- leaving you with a flood of bills. Be a little concerned if the carpet looks too new, and check carefully for signs of rust.(car maintenance)
Carfax.com shares info on inspecting a used car to make sure you get the best deal.
If you use your car for business, keep track of miles traveled so that you can use this for a tax deduction. Get more info at irs.gov.
When you consider all the ways you can save money on your current vehicle, you might be persuaded to put away the extra each month for a new car down the road!(car maintenance)

About the author: This article provided courtesy of http://www.carmaintenance.bravehost.com
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Fuel-Efficient Car Makes 3 Autos In The Driveway

Fuel-Efficient Car Makes 3 Autos In The Driveway

by Anthony Fontanelle

With gas prices rising above $3 a gallon nationwide, many drivers are pushed to purchasing small cars. But hundreds of thousands of owners are not giving up anything to downsize. Instead, they opt to add fuel-efficient cars to their driveways, parked alongside their SUV or pickup.
In households that own a small car, the family fleet is close to an average of three vehicles, according to CNW Marketing Research, which tracks industry trends. These growing fleets suggest an approach to conservation that is more addition than subtraction. "Small cars are like a fashion statement," said Art Spinella, the president of CNW Marketing. CNW data also showed that more than 500,000 were sold last year as second or third cars in a household for three small cars, the Toyota Prius and Corolla and the Honda Civic.
Ken Collinsworth purchased a Toyota Yaris last month for his daughter to take to college this fall. But with gasoline price close to $4 a gallon near his home in Paso Robles, Calif., Collinsworth has been forced to driving the Yaris instead of his BMW X5 SUV and his GMC Sierra pickup. "I steal it from her every chance I get," said Collinsworth, 53, who added that he would like to get another Yaris.
In another era, he might be pitied for parking one of his luxury cars to drive around in a gas saver. But unlike small cars introduced in the past, which had limited creature comforts, the latest bunch, including the Yaris, Nissan Versa, and the Honda Fit, can be bought with many of the same sought-after options as their bigger siblings, like navigation screens or iPod connections.
"It is a fundamental change," Spinella said. "People are willing to buy small cars because they are more sophisticated." And buyers appear willing to pay a lot for them. In 1990, buyers stuck to the low end of the scale when they bought a small car, CNW's data showed. More than three-quarters opted for basic no-frills models, sometimes even forgoing a radio to keep the price down.
Now, ninety percent of purchasers are buying fully loaded small cars, the data revealed. "You look at these cars, and they have 16-inch wheels and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a high-quality interior," said A. Andrew Shapiro, a partner in the Casesa Shapiro Group, an auto industry investment and advisory firm. "They aren't econoboxes, they're just smaller cars."
Pierre Tremblay, 67, of Howell, Mich., purchased a Toyota Prius this month because driving his Dodge Ram pickup 40 miles round-trip to work was costing so much. So far the Prius is getting 55 miles per gallon, compared with 13 for the truck. "I can go to work now, back and forth, on less than a gallon. Before it was at least three," said Tremblay, a maintenance manager for a cement company.
With regular unleaded gas averaging $3.53 a gallon in Michigan this week, according to AAA, that is a savings of over $8 every workday. But Tremblay was not ready to get rid of his pickup, which is used to haul a camping trailer. The Acura head gasket and accessories as well as tempting huge luxury vehicles could not change his mind.
Americans have spent $20 billion more on gasoline so far this year compared with 2006, according to a recent report by the Government Accountability Office. "From a dollars-and-cents point of view, it doesn't make sense," said Jesse Toprak, the director of industry analysis for Edmunds.com, a Web site that offers car-buying advice. "There's no way you're going to drive it enough to justify the purchase, so it's more of a psychological decision."

About the Author
Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive.buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.