Posts Tagged auto
Auto Repair and Care Experts Present: How Can You Clean Your Car During the Winter?
Well, there is nothing more exciting than to see your neighbor buddy going green at the sight of your brand new car. Oh, just imagine how your baby on four wheels would flash and wink at the dumbfounded passer- by in the hood. But say, if your beautiful car sits with the mud dripping down its otherwise glossy surface, and the tires look like they could do with a thorough wash, no one would waste their time in looking at it even for once.
Your car is your play toy, your pride that draws eyes wherever it goes. So treat it with some care. If it is beautiful, keep it that way. What you can do here is give your car a good wash with some cool tools that you can get at a very decent price. People just think that they know all about car detailing. But they really know nothing about the black from the white in this case. If you own up to the fact that you do not have any idea, just ask someone else to help you who can. But make sure that you tell him precisely what you want. It is your car, and if it turns out to be a bad one because of a poor decision on your part, you will be stuck with it.
So what does car detailing mean? There are simple steps that even a toddler can follow:
•Washing
First spray the care with water. This will help to loosen up the dirt and mud on the car so that cleaning them away becomes easier. Then divide your work into parts: the top, the hood, the trunk and the right and left side of the car, and set to work accordingly. Starting with the top, you should move to the trunk and hood, finally ending up by cleaning the right and left sides of the car. Spray with water again and re-rinse. Just make sure that you don’t rub so hard that your car paint gets scratched.
•Polishing
This work should be done on a small portion at a time. You have to ooze out a little amount of the polish onto a towel and then rub it on the car in slow, small circular motions. Go in the similar way: from the top to the trunk and the hood, finally finish it off with the either sides of the car. Remember, the polish should be allowed to sit on the car surface for at least five to ten minutes. You have to remove the excess by pressing a towel on it gently.
•Waxing
Use a soft terry cloth for this work. Wax should be applied to a small portion of the car at a time. You must apply it just way you smear the polish. But here, you have to wait until the wax has dried off to get a slight haze. You can re-wash the car again, depending on what you want.
Your car will be gleaming clean and bright after you have followed these steps religiously. Once you wash down the dirt and grime, you car will be an eye catcher for sure!
How to Choose an Auto Repair Shop
Many people find a mechanic when their car breaks down. This is the absolute worst time to choose a repair shop. You are desperate to get your car fixed quickly and you don’t have time to shop around. If you car is running now, this is the time to pick a repair shop. Find a place that you like and have regular maintenance done to minimize breakdowns. Here’s how to find a good repair shop for your car.
There are different types of shops to choose from. You could find a small neighborhood repair shop, use chain shops or go to the dealership for service. Of course there are pros and cons of each.
The small neighborhood repair shop is often owned by the head mechanic. If he is knowledgeable about your kind of car, does good work and has fair prices, this can be a great way to go. Look for someone offers good advice about the repairs and maintenance your car should get. A good mechanic should be able to tell you what needs to be done right away and what you can wait on. The bad news is that this kind of shop doesn’t usually offer conveniences like a shuttle ride, a rental car or a pleasant waiting room with wi-fi. It can also be less consistent. If the head mechanic is out sick, you might not get the service that you expect. If they have a few big jobs, it might take them longer to get to your car.
There are many chain shops like Jiffy Lube and Discount Tire Centers. These shops are attractive because they often advertise good prices and they get you in and out pretty quickly. The down side is that you need to manage your car’s overall maintenance. Each of these places does one or two things but doesn’t look at your whole car. They won’t remind you when it’s time for maintenance, and they won’t alert you to something that isn’t in their specialty.
Many car owners go to the service department of the dealership that specializes in their car’s make. As experts on your model car, their technicians can often diagnose and fix problems quickly. Since they are usually big shops with a lot of volume, their turnaround times and quality of work are likely to be consistent over time. Many dealerships offer pleasant lounges, shuttle rides and even loaner cars. Dealerships, however, have a reputation for being more expensive. This is often undeserved. If you call the dealership service department and ask for the price on a specific repair, the price you’ll get is usually competitive with other repair shops. Dealerships do try to upsell you, though. They often try to get you to follow a maintenance schedule that is far more aggressive than what the owner’s manual calls for. If they see an item that shows wear, they will often recommend replacing it even though it might last for quite a while longer.
Check references on the shops that you are thinking of using. The Better Business Bureau collects and tries to resolve complaints about auto repair shops. When a consumer files a complaint with the BBB, they contact the business and give them the opportunity to resolve the problem. If it is resolved to the consumer’s satisfaction, they’ll say so. If a business ignores the BBB, that’s a very bad sign. The BBB also assigns a grade to each business. This is a great resource because the BBB is unbiased.
You can also find consumer-written reviews on a lot of directories. Take them with a grain of salt, though. Many people run to the internet when they have a complaint, but don’t write a review if they’re happy with the service they received. Anyone can write whatever they want to on these sites. Their complaints may be valid, but they also might be unfair. Still, if one repair shop has many complaints over a long period of time, that’s a clue that their customers aren’t satisfied. Read the reviews to see what they say. If they give facts and details about their experience, you can better determine whether the complaint is valid.
Try out your selected shop on routine repairs. If they do quality work at good prices when you’re not backed up against the wall, you can trust them when your car suddenly dies and you need it fixed quickly.
Save Money on Car Repair Bills With a Legitimate Online Extended Auto Warranty
Doesn’t it seem like cars always “decide” to break-down right when the manufacturer’s warranty runs out? That’s the way it can seem and it results in big out-of-pocket expenses. As more people keep their cars longer now due to the economic downturn, car repair bills are getting a bit costly for many people.
With auto dealerships charging so much for extended warranties at the time of sale, it can seem like affordable warranty coverage is not realistic. It’s actually a myth that you can only buy an extended service contract for a vehicle when you buy your vehicle. You can actually purchase an extended warranty for a vehicle that’s 15 years old that you’ve owned for years.
Dealerships mark up the price of warranties big time. It’s not uncommon for a warranty that costs just a few hundred dollars, to be sold by a dealership for a thousand dollars or more. The profit from the sale is a commission check for the finance manager or salesman that convinces you to have it added onto your auto loan.
A lot of money can be saved by purchasing a service contract direct from a warranty company. This allows you to bypass the dealership sales game and get coverage for a reasonable price.
With the cost of mechanic labor being so high these days, it does not take much for the price of the coverage to pay for itself in a short time. Especially, when you no longer have to hold off on having a problem seen about, as you’ll be covered.
Legitimate warranty companies can provide the best coverage. Make sure that you deal with a good company and it’s best to compare policies from more than one company to make sure that you’re getting a good price. Some companies provide quotes on the internet, which can be a big time saver.