fury07 asked:


I live in TN. I Want to be able to attend and buy cars at auction and then resell, but need to find out the details/tips/pitfalls of doing it. Thanks!

MARCO

expertvillage asked:

Learn the pros and cons of buying a used car from a private party with expert car buying advice in this free online used car video clip.

GEORGIA

Theodore Olson asked:


For decades mechanics have been telling us to change our oil every 3,000 miles. Interestingly, no automotive manufacturer agrees with this maintenance schedule - not in the last 20 years any way. So why are we being told to change our oil every 3,000 miles if it’s unnecessary?

First, let’s look at the auto industry’s argument. It makes 5 primary points.

1) Oil breaks down after 3000 miles

2) Oil changes are great preventative maintenance

3) 3,000 miles is an easy number for the car repair customer to remember

4) The 3,000 mile interval is traditionally viewed as best by mechanics

5) It’s necessary due to the elements, driving patterns, and weather conditions.

It’s important to note that those telling us to change our oil every 3,000 miles (the automotive industry) are the same folks who will profit most. This is not to say that oil changes aren’t important - they are. They’re just not as frequently needed as we’re made to believe.

Here are the 5 truths about the 3,000 mile oil change

1) Quality motor oil recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer does not break down after 3,000 miles

2) Yes, changing your oil is great preventative maintenance, but it needs to be done in accordance with manufacturer service intervals

3) The easy-to-remember 3,000-mile interval actually creates more confusion as to the real maintenance needs of your vehicle. Thus, it is easier to follow factory guidelines, more economical, and more appropriate.

4) The traditional view that 3,000 miles is best for your car is old school, wasteful, and fails to appreciate today’s mechanical and oil technologies

5) Unless you’re in a constant high-speed police change in the dead of winter - your oil will be just fine

How often do you really need to change your oil? While it depends on the year, make, and model of your vehicle, it’s clear that for today’s vehicles it’s not every 3,000 miles. 20 years ago this was true of many vehicles. However, this is virtually obsolete as most vehicle have 5,000, 7500, 10,000, and even 15,000 mile oil service intervals.

So just what is motivating the auto industry to push 3,000 mile oil changes? Let’s look at it in real life. If you change your oil every 3,000 miles, and like most, you average 15,000 miles per year, then you’ll be in the repair shop 5 times in only 12 months. Do you really need to perform maintenance on your car 5 times per year? Seems excessive doesn’t it?

The average oil change price is $30.00. $30.00 X 5 = $150.00. If you changed your oil every 5,000 miles, you’d only need 3 oil changes per year = $90. That’s a $60 savings.

For the most part oil changes are cheap, as it’s a very competitive market. They’re also not very profitable for repair shops (see the article “Why an Oil Change is Never Just an Oil Change @ RepairTrust.com). However, the more times your vehicle is in the shop, the more chances said

shop has the opportunity to sell you something else - an alignment, tires, wiper blades, brakes, shocks, fuel cleaning services, transmission services…etc - these are money-makers. This is not to say that these services aren’t needed, but they should be performed according to manufacturer guidelines only.

A detailed manufacturer’s maintenance schedule (this is separate from your manual) is the best and most accurate guide. You may stumble across one in all the unnecessary paperwork you find in your glove box, but ask your repair shop or dealer for a detailed print out of your entire maintenance schedule. If the service center can’t produce one quickly - you’re in the wrong place for your car’s needs.

Finally, have a little fun: the next time your local mechanic tells you to change your oil every 3,000 miles, ask him what the manufacturer recommends. It’s fun to watch him stumble through the answer or tell you, straight-faced, the wrong answer.



HEATH

MoonWater asked:


I’m looking for classes in the contra costa county area that can teach me the basics of car maintenance and repair and was wondering if anyone here knew of any or could give me some ideas on where to look or how to find them. My community college doesn’t offer them and I haven’t had much luck searching online so any help would be great, thanks.

ODELL

dropping_k asked:


I know most of these foreign car companies make their cars is the U.S. But why are we buying from them. What ever happend to our domestic indrustry. Can American companies recover?

LUCAS

Sean Patrick asked:


When it is time to shop for a new car there are many things to take into consideration. One of the biggest decisions is whether you should choose car leasing or car buying. There are many fundamental differences between the two.

To help make your decision easier the following is a list of those differences:

- At the end of the car loan term you will own a car if you opted to buy. At the end of the car lease term you return the car to the dealer and are left with nothing.

- A car loan term is usually four to six years. A car lease term is typically two to four years.

- Monthly car loan payments are generally higher than car leasing payments. This is because you are only really only paying for the car’s depreciation during the car lease term plus interest, taxes and service fees.

- Most car leases limit the amount of mileage you can put on the vehicle. If you plan on traveling a great deal you will have to consider negotiating a higher mileage limit. This will mean slightly higher monthly payments. If you exceed the limit you will be required to pay a charge of between 10 to 15 cents per mile. If you choose to buy the vehicle this is not an issue.

- When leasing a car there are limits to the amount of wear you can cause to the vehicle. Excessive wear will result in extra charges. If you buy you can do what ever you want to your car.

- If you terminate a car lease before the term is over there usually is a charge. In the case of car buying if you buy out the remainder before the car loan term is up you are usually charged a fee as well.

- The up front costs of car leasing include first month’s auto lease payments, a refundable deposit, a capitalized cost reduction( similar to a down payment), taxes and service fees. The up front costs of car buying include a down payment, taxes, registration and other service fees.

- At the end of the car lease term you have to pay any charges for excess wear and mileage then you can either walk away or buy out the car. When you reach the end of the car loan term you have no further payments and you walk away with your car.

Consider all these differences before coming to a decision on whether to buy or lease your next vehicle. Your choice will effect quite a lot over the loan or lease term including your monthly auto loan payments as well as what you can do to your vehicle to a certain extent. If you know what your long term goals are it will allow you to select the right option for your next car.



REID

Everette Jamison asked:


Safety is the most important factor when it comes to winter driving. While safety should be on your mind whenever you drive, during winter it is especially important. If your vehicle is not running well, you could end up abandoned in the cold if it breaks down. Furthermore, the rough winter weather could lead you to get into an accident if your cars tires and brakes are not in proper order. The good news is that you can save yourself a lot of bother and danger if you perform some simple auto maintenance.

In order to find what may need replacing, visit your car maintenance log. If you do not have one of these, now is a great time to start keeping one. It is a good idea to keep track of all the maintenance activities performed on your vehicle so that you will always know when the time comes to perform them again.

The first thing you should do is to check your antifreeze. Your antifreeze/coolant performs an important service of keeping your engine from overheating. You should always have a mixture of 50/50 antifreeze and water in your tank. If you have only or mostly water, you could end up with a cracked engine block.

Next thing to do is check your tires. If your tire treads are worn down you could end up in the ditch if there is a heavy snow fall. It is recommended that your tires have a tread depth of 2/32 inch. In the winter, most people recommend that you have no less than a tread depth of 4/32 inch. It is easy to test your tire tread by simply using a penny. Always make sure that your tire pressure is good too, cold weather has a way of deflating tires.

If you have not replaced your windshield wipers in a while, now would be a good time. Winter weather can really do a job on your wipers, and they are all you have to keep snow, dirt, and wintry mix off of your windshield. Winter weather can really make driving difficult, so be sure that your wipers are in good working order. While you are at it, go ahead and check your windshield washer fluid as well. Make sure that you only use real washer fluid, not water. Water will freeze in cold weather.

Finally, there are a few other maintenance procedures that you should take care of as well while you are at it. These are not specific to winter, but it does not hurt to take care of them now. Clean your battery posts, inspect your spark plug wires, inspect your brakes, and check your engine oil. These are all simple to do and you might as well get them over with now.

If you live in a cold climate, you should be particularly careful to perform these simple maintenance procedures before every winter. The winter is one of the worst times to be in an accident, and simple maintenance procedures can prevent this from happening.



JERRY

Janice S asked:


Would you buy a hybrid or an SUV. More and more people want to buy cars that save gas and the environment.

OLIVE

Warren Scott asked:


Do it Yourself Auto Maintenance and Repair

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that we are living in a time of financial turmoil. Not only that, we the everyday working Americans are completely out of control of what happens on Wall Street, or what effects the price of gas. Unfortunately in times like these our cars still break down, requiring expensive parts and service. Therefore, we need to educate ourselves on ways to prevent these costly repairs or, if need be, how to fix them our self. Let’s take a quick look at some tips that will help keep our car running for a long time without costing a lot of money.

Every car owner should have a basic concept of maintenance. No matter what the economy is doing you can extend the life of your car greatly by doing some preventative maintenance. You can do this through your mechanic or you can do it yourself, either way here are a few things you should do on a regular basis.

1) Change your oil at the frequency and with the product recommended by the manufacturer. Not all oils are created equal and some of your manufacturer warranties may be void if you use a cheap substitute.

2) Have routine tune ups done on your vehicle. This will include things like changing plugs and wires, air filters, and rotating your tires.

All these things will add years to the life of your car and prevent costly repairs. In fact, sometimes a routine checkup will reveal a potentially expensive break down before it happens. Leaks in seals or hoses that will take a few minutes and few dollars to fix can lead to total engine failure.

Don’t worry if you happen to be in a place where routine visit to the mechanic is not in the budget. You can do most maintenance activities yourself for a lot less. You will incur some initial costs to buy the basic tools but even with this cost you will save money in the long run. You can change your own oil and rotate your tires fairly quickly and just as effectively as any mechanic. The main thing you will need is an automotive repair manual for your specific car. This invaluable tool is essential for every car owner because it will give you basic troubleshooting along with step-by-step instructions for repairs and maintenance.

You can also do most if not all the repairs on your vehicle much in the same way as above. For example, let’s say that your car has begun overheating. Get out your handy repair manual and look up the problem in the troubleshooting section. The different symptoms your car has will lead you to the problem and then tell you how to fix it! By the way, the most common causes for overheating are a bad thermostat or a leak in the cooling system. Moreover, even if you are using a mechanic your repair manual can still contain useful information that will keep you from being ripped off by a crooked mechanic.

Now that you have an idea of the parts will you need always check around to find the best price, or you can even purchase used parts. Many times, you can buy used parts at a fraction of the cost of new parts. Again even with the use of a mechanic this can be helpful. Do not let any mechanic tell you that you have to get your parts through them. A good honest mechanic will allow you to choose where you buy your parts and whether to use new or used.

Whatever problem you run into you can find a financially viable way to address it. Go to the internet to find great prices on used parts and accessories online. Not only will you save some money, you will learn invaluable information about the car that you drive. Diagnosing car problems and then knowing where to go to get great prices on parts is smart and will help you monthly budget no matter what the economy is doing. Also, you will gain skills to ensure that a mechanic will never rip you off again.

If you found this article informative and would like to find Auto Parts and accessories within your budget go to www.autoaccessoriessite.com or find your next Used Car at a deal you can’t pass up!



LORA

Ken asked:


I have a 2000 Hyundai Elantra that has about 35,000 miles on it. I’ve never really done any preventative maintenance on the car, mostly out of ignorance of what exactly I should have done.

I am starting to use the car more for commuting, and would like to invest some money into it to keep it running safely and smoothly for a few more years. What are some good services I can ask for when I go to the mechanic, and which services are generally bogus?

Thanks!

KELLEY