10 Tips on How to Save on Car Maintenance

In general maintenance works consist of cleaning, refueling, providing proper lubrication, fixing, checking, adjusting wheels and car parts. Proper maintenance is the guarantee of a long life of your vehicle. However if you want to save on car maintenance, follow these helpful tips and discover how to have it up and running for lower costs.

Tip #1. Buy a newer car.

Does it sound rather vague to you? Some new cars from a manufacturer can last for years without any repairs. It mostly depends on your driving habits indeed. Once you have a new car you can forget your mechanic's address for a while even though regular maintenance is still required. But if you already have an old car... well, see below.

Tip #2. Get good auto insurance.

Good car insurance is the best way to save on car maintenance when it comes to breakages and failures. Try to do some research and find such car insurance which best fits your needs. When you get car insurance with a low deductible payment it will help you reduce your technical maintenance expenses considerably. If you already have auto insurance with a high deductible... hm, continue reading.

Tip #3. Do it on your own.

In case you have a mechanical breakdown, try to fix it by yourself. There are many online support services that can help you check your car and discover the fault. If you still need to take it to a repair service keep in mind that they get new car parts to change the broken ones with a high markup. Thus in some cases buying spare parts by yourself (if you know exactly what you need) will help you reduce the expenses by 4 times! Just shop around and look for better offers online.

Tip #4. Prevention is better than cure.

You can save money and prolong your car's working capacity if you take some preventive measures. By changing oil, charging batteries in time as well as doing total check-up of your car once a month, you can help your vehicle last longer.

Tip #5. Use your car wisely.

You'll be surprised how much you can save if you give some thought to the ways you use your car. One should stop the engine at red traffic lights and in the jams.

Tip #6. Maintain your speed level.

From my own experience I can say that when I speed up and pull up fast, it does good neither to my brakes nor my fuel economy. One should stick to some certain speed level. That way one can achieve the lowest fuel rate and save the brake pads from wearing out. Using deceleration technique to make your car come to a halt is better than applying the brake.

Tip #7. Check your tires.

Partially deflated tires do not help save money at all. First of all if there isn't enough air in the tires they can wear out faster. Secondly underinflation increases fuel rate by 4-6% which makes you spend more fuel than usual. You can read technical characteristics and check the best tire inflation pressure for your car.

Tip #8. New spark plugs every once in a while.

Statistics show that changing old spark plugs in time cuts fuel costs down by 25-35%. Moreover new spark plugs also help improve car's performance and capacity.

Tip #9. Wash it in time.

At first blush one could say that washing doesn't reduce maintenance costs at all. However cleaning your car in time will help you prevent if from corrosion which is caused by accumulation of mud and dust that stay wet and stimulate corrosive wear.

Tip #10. Read the manual.

When you know your car as the back of your hand you are definitely aware of what it needs, when its engine has to be tuned-up or what oil it's better to use. It's always helpful to read the owner's manual and look under the hood once in a while.

http://www.carssure.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_K._Volkens

When you want to buy a new car - part II

How Much Money Should I Offer the Dealer?
When you go into a dealership, you want to know all of the pricing and costs of the car that you are planning to buy.

You should know the manufacturer’s cost and the dealer’s cost. You need to calculate the cost that the dealer paid for the car and then make a reasonable offer to him if you want to get somewhere. You should also know that the dealer’s price is not the invoice price from the factory. You should know that the dealer’s cost is much lower than the factory’s cost.

In order to make a fair offer to a dealership, you need to learn to read a factory invoice. Here is what you can expect to find on the factory invoice.

- Base model of the car on it.
- All of the options packages.
- Destination charge.
- Holdback and dealer flooring help

DO NOT confuse the invoice with the MSRP window sticker because they are not the same. Contrary to popular belief, dealers don’t have to tell you the invoice on any car. This often gives the dealer leverage over you. They can offer you one dollar over the invoice. You should know that there are hidden factory incentives in the invoice price that lowers the cost of the car for the dealership. It’s no bargain for you. If a dealership is very quick to show you the invoice, you should be aware that they are fully aware that they will be making money on that car off of you and they can settle at a lower price for the car. Knowing this before you walk into a dealership can be your best negotiating strategy.

Knowing this information can let you make them the same offer. If you offer a few dollars over the factory invoice (which is the actual worth of the car) then you can open your bid and let them know how much profit they can make off of your offer.

Dealers are always going to try and tell you that they paid more for the cars than they actually did so that they can make a higher profit off of the sale.

Salesmen often try and make you feel guilty by telling you “I’m losing my shirt off of this deal”. In truth, they are in the business to make money. They are not going to sell to you if they aren't making a profit. They are trying to get you to agree to a higher price. If you go in armed with all the right information, they can't trick you.

To calculate what your offer should be to the dealership, you should get the factory invoice price (don’t forget to include the options in this price), and add 5% to that amount. That is how you should calculate your offer the dealership.

When I mention the options, I mean the ones that you can’t avoid. Some cars come equipped with a CD, sun roof etc. and these are fees that you can’t avoid paying so sure to account for these at the beginning.

You should also be sure to account for any buyer rebates as well in calculating your offer. So in the end your offer should be calculated like this:

Dealer Cost Plus 5% Minus Buyer Rebates = YOUR OFFER

If you are unwilling to pay more than your opening offer, let the salesman know that your offer stands firm and he can take it or leave it.

In the end you will get what you want on your own terms. Here is an example for you.

You are hoping to buy a Toyota Camry. You do your research and find that the invoice price is $19,922; MSRP is $22,385. The dealer may offer you the car for $22,000, and shows you the invoice.

You learned by researching that there is a $500 factory to dealer incentive; and a $447 holdback on the MSRP (2%).

Based on the above calculations, the dealer’s real cost is $19,922 (invoice) minus $500 (incentive) minus $447 (holdback) = $18,957. This is far below the factory invoice number.

Now, if you add the 5% for your offer to that price, which will up the car price to $20,379 due to the addition of $455 for the destination charge that is always present, you will see that based on the offer that the dealership offered, you just saved yourself $3410. This may seem complicated but if your use a pre-designed spreadsheet from CarsDirect.com or AutoUSA.com, the program does all the calculations for you.

More info about car buying.

When you want to buy a new car - part I

The first thing that you should know when you want to buy a new car is that both you and the dealer are looking to get the better end of the deal.

If you don’t learn anything else from this article you will learn how to walk away from the deal with both sides being satisfied. A good deal is a win-win situation for both parties. Most of the time it is the buyer that leaves unsatisfied.

If you are looking to buy a car you should begin with these tips.

- You should purchase your new car at or around Christmas time because with everybody buying their Christmas gifts. Car sales are down and it forces dealerships to up their sales strategies Salesmen are more willing to haggle down to your prices to close the deal.

- You can also get a good deal from July to October because that is the time of year when dealerships are trying to get rid of their old inventory to make way for next years models.

- Purchasing a car online is becoming very popular. Watch for good rebates and incentives online and shop around. Print out your information from the best quotes and bring it to the dealer that you are most willing to work with. Bringing in lower quotes from another company might be your best bet in getting a good deal.


Dealerships scam
It's a good idea to bring a copy of your credit score to the dealership with you. It can lower your interest rates on your car loan. Your car dealer should not know more about you than you do.

You can avoid a common scam that dealerships pull. You will often hear that your financing fell through and that you have to respond by paying more money on your loan. Don’t believe it. It’s another reason for you to get a copy of your credit score.

Another common scam by dealership salesmen is for them to tell you that they have found you a lower rate, but that they want you to re-sign your loan papers. Usually, that is a downright lie. Once they pull up your financing information, they have the upper hand if you don’t know the details about your credit information. You can get a copy of your credit information free online at Annual Credit Report.

Don’t bring in a car for trade in if you still owe money on it. The dealership rarely pays the rest of the loan on time which will result in you having to pay a great deal of late fees to the bank. If you do decide to bring a car in that you owe money on, get it in writing from the dealership that they will pay the balance on the car within 10 days and/or they will pay the late fees if they fail to pay the car off in a timely manner.

Sometimes a dealership may not have all of your options and must order the car directly from the dealer ship. If this happens they will often ask you to pay $500-$1000 for a deposit on the car. Try not to pay more than $500 and be sure to pay with a credit card. Sometimes the dealership will tell you that there was a price increase on the vehicle and will want more money. If you pay with a credit card you have room to dispute the amount being taken from you. If you pay by check, you can just consider the money gone.

You should never buy a car when you are in desperate need. A dealer will see that and take advantage of your situation. You should never wait until an old car is dead before searching for a new car. Give yourself time to shop around for the right car and get the best deal possible. Desperation often clouds your judgment.

Be prepared to walk away! If the salesman won't negotiate with you, walk away. Many times this will cause him to become more open to your offer. Remember, there are many more places for you to buy. He is at the mercy of the people who drive onto his lot. He is more desperate for a sale than you are for a car. If you can't find a happy medium, just leave.

What You Should Never Do
There are many things that you don’t want to see a dealership do to you as a buyer, but there are some things that you should not do as well, if you don’t want to alienate the dealer.

Here is a list of “don’ts” that you should abide by if you are really looking to get a good deal.

- Don’t try to pull one over on the dealer by lying about the condition of your trade in vehicle. It is just a lie that you can’t get away with, and could cause many cost increases later.

- Don’t bother looking for a car if you have had a recent bankruptcy because you will not get approved anyway.

- Don’t give the dealership a deposit and then try to take it back for no reason. Make sure you have researched the car before making an offer. You can also lose money on the return as they are sure to have a fee for this.

- Don’t bother lying about your debt load and credit rating. You know they have to check it anyway.

- Don’t offer any money for a car unless you already know the dealer cost because you are setting yourself up to get ripped off.

More info about car buying.

http://www.articleclick.com/Article/When-you-want-to-buy-a-new-car---part-I/977897

Tips on Buying a New Car and Secrets That Car Salesman Don't Want You to Know

Are you getting tired of getting ripped off by car salesmen? Well it doesn't have to be like that if you know the secrets to buying a new car at discounts of up to 30% to 50% and sometimes higher.

You may be saying to yourself this can't be possible but it is. buying a new car is hard on the wallet. Not only do new cars cost more than used cars, but they lose value more quickly too. However by getting a great bargain when buying a new car it won't make much of a difference how much it loses value.

Buying a new car can seem like a daunting task, one that requires a buyer to ask certain questions before setting out to make such a large financial investment. Dealer financing can be more expensive, particularly for poorly informed buyers.

Dealerships like almost everyone else in the retail business seem to make most of their profit on financing. Dealers will attempt to charge you a higher interest rate by saying your score is lower than it actually is. You can avoid this one by simply bringing your credit report along with you.

Buying a new car has been regarded as a major investment. Owning a new car of your choice not only brings you pride but also enables you to own a car coupled with features that exactly you were looking for.

Buying a new car can be a stressful process, but if you are prepared and have all the information you need to get the best bargain possible then you will go get that car you want will no pressure at all. buying a new car is something most people do several times in a lifetime but not a lot of people take the time or have the know-how to negotiate the best bargain they possibly can get.

People drive off the car lot every day with cars that they could have saved thousands of dollars on if they only knew what to ask. There is now a way that you can any car that you want and have fun while you are shopping for it because now you will be on an even playing field with the dealer.

World famous Dr Suzanne Gudakunst has just released her biggest "shocker!" ever ...

And you can read about it at my web site at http://www.squidoo.com/secret-car-buying-tips

She will show you her Secret to buying a new car at up to 30% to 50% off, or buying expensive cars for as little as $300 a month! She is able to do this because she discovered something NO car salesman ever wants you to find out about!

Click Here to find more about these incredible bargains.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Fernicola

Being Empowered in Buying a New Car

Those who are considering the purchase of a new car may want to take some time before visiting or contacting car dealers to consider the strategies they will use. There are some things to review before staring the new car buying process.

New car buyers who gain power from research and study will be more likely to have better results in the new car buying experience. Buyers who enter into a dealership armed with knowledge and a plan of action based on that knowledge will be able to make price offers that give them an advantage in the bargaining process. Knowledge will empower a new car buyer to make the first offer, begin the negotiations, and demonstrate control of the situation. Moving first in a negotiation demonstrate a position of bargaining strength.

One important principle of power in negotiations is that the buyer is the one who has the money and is the customer. The car salesperson and dealership need customers to buy the cars and cannot survive or be successful with out paying customers. The dealership will be motivated to make the most profit from a car through negotiations, but are more motivated to make the sale of a new car.

Today's new car buyers can take advantage of the World Wide Web to gain knowledge and power to be prepared to visit a new car dealer from a position of power. More buyers are obtaining information from websites than ever before. New car buyers can obtain from the internet information on new car details, car prices, options, costs, and even trade in values of used cars. Prospective new car buyers can even find out the approximate amount that dealers pay for the new cars. In addition is the knowledge that dealers have other commissions and car manufacturers incentives that reduce the dealers cost of new cars they have to sell.

Many new car sites and other websites have new car quote functions that new car buyers can take advantage of before visiting a new car show room. The programs get actual "live" quotes from a few car dealers in a customer's area. This action allows the new car buyer to begin the negotiations for a new car by getting car dealers to compete for the new customer.

There are new ways available to become an empowered new car buyer. One can take advantage of them and have a successful outcome to be happy with a new car purchase. http://bestprice-alert.com/FreeNewCarPriceQuotes.aspx.

Richard Miller http://bestprice-alert.com/FreeNewCarPriceQuotes.aspx Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_J_Miller

Buying a New Car: Tips to Help You Not Get Burned

Do Your Research

The first thing you will want is a clear understanding of what
you are looking for in a car. It's best to narrow your search to
a particular make and model that both fits your needs and has a
good track record. If you go to a car lot for a particular car
and find yourself being steered towards a completely different
car don't buy it that day. Go back home and research it
thoroughly. Edmunds.com has a great tool for comparing car
features.



True Cost To Own

Edmunds.com also has a wonderful "True Cost to Own" feature. This
will tell you how much a car will actually cost you including
interest if you are financing.

tid=edmunds.n.mainindex.prices>

Be sure to research gas cost. Fueleconomy.org has a nice resource
which allows you to compare the gas cost of different models of
cars.

http://www.fueleconomy.org>

Trade-in Research

Get the bluebook value for your trade-in at:



Timing

Shop for cars at the end of the month. Many sales people will be
working to meet their quotas at that time and may be more willing
to negotiate on price.

Don't Pay Retail

The retail price, often called the sticker price or
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price, is higher than what a
dealer is actually willing to take for a car.

Edmunds.com has tool for researching what particular cars are
actually selling for in your area.



When you search for a car on Edmunds you will see two prices. The
invoice price and the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. You
will want to start negotiations at the Invoice price and settle
on a price as close to that amount as possible.

Say No to Add-Ons

Don't let the dealer add costly Add-Ons like rust proofing. If
you have done a good job at driving down the price initially the
dealer may try to stick it to you with unnecessary Add-Ons or
even an undesirable financing package.

Don't Be a Sucker

If you are not good at negotiating with people, bring someone who
is. Don't let yourself be a pushover. Always be willing to leave
the lot if you aren't comfortable. There are other cars just like
the one you are walking away from. Don't make the final decision
to purchase the car with the salesperson present.

Don't Let the Salesman Flip The Script

One trick that car salesman try to pull on people is offering
different financing when it comes time to sign the papers. Never
drive a car off the lot until all the financing is arranged and
all the papers are signed. The sale is not final until you sign
the papers.

If you do drive off with your car and they call you back to deal
with some details of the financing, be very careful to check that
you are signing exactly the terms you agreed to. If the dealer
tries to change the terms of the deal drop the keys on the desk
and leave.

The Federal Trade Commission has a lot of good information about
buying a car.



If you are uneasy about the decision you are about to make, don't
sign the papers. Don't worry about the car salesman's feelings.
Make sure that you leave with a car and are completely content
with your decision or you leave with nothing at all. If you have
an unsuccessful car buying experience you will be reminded of it
every time to drive your car.

About the Author

About the Author:
Fisher Swanson is a regular contributer to the Daily Thrifty Tips
newsletter at ThriftyFun.com. ThriftyFun publishes information
about thrifty living. Send an email to
dailythrifty-on@thriftyfun.com to subscribe to The Daily Thrifty
Tips newsletter.
http://www.thriftyfun.com

http://www.articlefasttrack.com/index.php?page=article&article_id=10838

Auto Body Repair Or Just Get A New Car?

It is hard to not be able to think of not knowing anyone who at one point needed auto body repair. That would not surprise you at all since there were 220 million vehicles on U.S. roads in 2003, a figure that had been growing steadily at approximately 5% per year. We can use this figure to project that there will be more than 275 million vehicles on the road in 2008. More vehicles means a larger market, and an increased number of minor accidents as streets and parking lots become more crowded. So, when so many people get left in the situation of needing auto body repair, the thought of just buying a new car comes across their thoughts. Yes, it is hard to find a good auto body specialist and yes it is going to cost you some money. However, it is beneficial to fix your existing car. So what are some reason why someone would need or want auto body repair? Or may simply consider buying a new car? • Prevent corrosion • Reflects on personal image • Lease end responsibilities • Inspires safer driving • Prevent police stop for damaged vehicle • Prevent spouse awareness of accident Here are some things to consider before making your decision. Buying a new car can be an exciting thing! However, once the excitement wears off you still have to make those high car payments for at least four to five years. With our economy not doing so well and many people losing their jobs or taking pay cuts, who is to say that you are safe to commit to a four to five year agreement? Not saying this is true for everyone, just that it is something to consider. Also many people may want to make a life decision such as retirement, a leave of absence from work, or deciding to go back to school. However with a car payment amongst their other monthly bills most would not be able to afford doing that. So this is a decision that requires a lot of consideration. So, instead of just buying a new car, you should consider auto body repair for your vehicle. Auto body repair is where the existing metal panels on your car are repaired, rather than just buying a totally new panel. Many dealerships and collision centers may only offer replacement and not repair. It is takes a knowledgeable and skilled mechanic to perform work like this. So when choosing an auto body repair shop, you should carefully choose one. This will cost you some money, however not nearly as much as buying a new car would. Also some auto body shops will take most car insurances, and may even help you work out the details with them. This is not only an option for those who are trying to save money, but also for those who simply already like their car! So in the end most people are choosing the most cost effective option in, you should too!

Start looking for the right San Diego auto body shop for your needs today! The right auto body specialist can make your car look like a dream!
Source:www.isnare.com