Car Maintenance Tips for New Drivers

1. Changing a tire. This is one of the most important tips; I myself have had too many flat tires and if it wasn’t for my dad teaching me in the driveway I would’ve been stranded on the side of the road. Changing a flat tire is fairly simple and should only require a few practice times at home before the driver can do it themselves.

2. Maintaining your tires. Ensuring the car’s tires are properly inflated can save a lot of headaches in the future. Proper tire inflation decreases the risk of flats and blow outs. It’s a good idea to keep a tire pressure gauge in the glove box and show your child how to use the air pump at a gas station. Checking the tread on tires is also important. To check the tread simply insert a dime upside down into the tire groove. If you can see the top of FDR’s head then you need new tires.

3. Know when maintenance is required. Most young drivers aren’t aware of all the regularly scheduled maintenance needed for cars. Your young driver should know when to get an oil change or have the other fluids checked. The information about timing and mileage for regular maintenance can be found in the owner’s manual.

4. Lastly, make sure your driver is prepared for an emergency on the road. It is a good idea to keep a flashlight, jumper cables, first aid kit, bottles of water, paper towels and a blanket in the trunk. Also make there is a spare tire in the trunk that is in good condition.

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5 Helpful Tips to Improve Your Fuel Economy

With the rising increase in fuel over the last few years our gas bills keep going up. There are options available to help with this problem, you could buy a new more fuel efficient car or you could stop driving all together and rely more on public transit or ride your bike or walk. However, the most time and cost effective option is simply to drive your current car in a way that will increase your fuel economy. Below are a few tips that can help you reduce your trips to the pump.

1. Avoid aggressive driving. Starting quickly and braking suddenly greatly reduces your fuel efficiency. You will increase your fuel consumption up to 40% with “jack-rabbit” starts and braking hard. Studies have shown that you will only increase your travel time by 4 minutes and increase your toxic emissions by more than 5 times.

2. Avoid idling. If you are going to be stopped for more than 30 seconds, except in traffic, turn your engine off. While idling you are producing unnecessary greenhouse gases and wasting a lot of gas.

3. Keep your car in good shape. This includes maintaining the engine and keeping your tires inflated properly. When your tires are not properly inflated you will increase your fuel consumption by more than 6%. Check your tires at least once a month to make sure they are at the proper inflation.

4. Use your air conditioning less often. When using your air conditioning you are increasing your fuel consumption by as much as 10%. If it is a nice enough day use your flow-through ventilation instead of the A/C. At low speeds you can also roll the windows down to avoid using the air conditioning. However, at higher speeds using your air conditioning may be more efficient then having the windows down due to the wind resistance you will get from the open windows.

5. Whenever possible park your car in the shade and make sure your gas cap is screwed on until it clicks. Sitting in the sun can cause the gas to evaporate, especially if the cap is not screwed on completely. Also, if you park in the shade you may not need to turn on the air conditioning to cool it down.

Follow these tips and you could eventually buy a new car with all the money you'll be saivng on gas.

Battle of the Electric Cars

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Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt? Choosing Your Green Drive

CarLocate.com Adds Socialize Page

In June CarLocate.com added a “Socialize” page to its growing site. CarLocate.com is a site that makes the experience of buying a new or used car, “easier, faster and more effective.” The Socialize page is just another way to this. Now car buyers can connect with other car buyers as well as members of the CarLocate.com team. With the socialize page it is now easier to find recent topics from the CarLocate.com blog and automotive forum. Socialize also helps viewers quickly browse through information about CarLocate.com’s activities, events, contests and social media.

In the CarLocate.com blog buyers can find information and the latest news from the automotive industry and about car shopping. The Automotive Forum allows buyers to connect with one another and learn from each other’s insights and experiences with cars and car buying. Socialize also allows users to connect with CarLocate.com’s latest Facebook and Twitter posts. The Press Room posts news releases about what’s happening within the company. Lastly, the Socialize page also contains an “About Us” section where users can learn more about the “CarLocate Crew.”

No Questions Asked 60 Day Return Policy from Chrysler

Customers who purchase a Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge or Dodge RAM truck over the next few months have the option to choose a 60 day return policy on the vehicle. The 60-day return policy option goes by different names depending on the brand. Chrysler calls it the “Regret Free Purchase”; Dodge has the “60-day Test Drive” and RAM trucks deal goes by “60-day Handshake.” Jeep hasn’t developed a name yet. This program allows the customer to return the vehicle after 60 days if they are not satisfied. If they return it Chrysler will also pay the first two months payments on the vehicle up to $1000. There are a few caveats to this deal; customers cannot return the vehicle for at least 30 days and they must pay a 40-cent charge per mile driven. The vehicle also cannot have incurred more than $200 damage or have more than 4000 miles on the odometer. Chrysler recently ran a similar program with its minivans, the Town & Country and Grand Caravan, and it was a huge success. This time the deal is available on virtually all models. Last year GM ran a 60-day return program with great success, less than one percent of the buyers actually returned their cars.

This program is being offered to improve customer confidence in Chrysler brands. According to the Lead Executive for US Sales, “We build great vehicles for just about any lifestyle and with this pledge; consumers will have the confidence to know they made the right purchase or they can return the vehicle no questions asked.” About 2000 of Chrysler’s dealerships will be participating in the 60-day return program incentive.

Should You Take your Car Back to the Dealer for Service?

My car is about to hit the 100,000 mile mark and it’s time for a checkup. Should I take it to a dealer who specializes in my car or will any old mechanic do? This question comes up a lot. There is always going to be the big debate of which is better. A lot depends on whether you are willing to spend the extra money at the dealership because you know the mechanics there know about your specific model.

Taking your car to the dealer may cost you a little more than a general mechanic. But what you get for that premium is satisfaction that the mechnic working on your car is certified to work on your specific make and model. General mechanics are not trained on one particular car and may not know all of the little ins and outs of your specific model. Also, after 5 years chances are most major parts on your car are still under warranty. The dealership will honor this warranty and fix the problem free of charge, possibly without even charging labor costs. But if you take it to the mechanic down the street you will be paying for every hour spent figuring out what is wrong as well as paying for the parts needed to fix the problem. If a part needs replaced on your car the dealer should be able to get the part quickly, if they don’t already have it, where as the general mechanic will probably have to order it and it could take weeks to get the part in.

There’s a lot to be said for taking your car to the general mechanic if all you need is a belt replaced or an oil change. They are fast and fairly inexpensive; but when more major work needs to be done on your vehicle it’s best to let the professionals do it. Dealer mechanics have had lots of experience and are licensed to work on your specific vehicle.