Keeping Your Car In Great Shape

By Wayne Ferrarini

One of the biggest purchases you can make these days is a new car. It is extremely important as it needs to take you where you want to go. Because of this we need to remember to give it the proper TLC and keep it operating in tip top shape. Lots of times accidents happen just because someone lacked proper maintenance on their vehicle. Most of the time these could of been easily prevented. Some of this maintenance is very routine and can be preformed by anyone, not just a mechanic.

A car that is well taken care of is a car that will last longer. You benefit in a lot of ways when you do routine checks, including better gas mileage, cleaner emissions, and extended tire life to name a few. Checking up your car often will also result in finding small problems before they become very big and very expensive ones. If you keep up with this preventive maintenance these problems can be found and repaired keeping your repair costs low.

What is important in taking proper care of your car? Keep these items in mind.

Don't over do it. Take a peek inside your owners manual and see what they recommended for service intervals. Look for the basics like oil change, tune ups, and routine maintenance.

Oil and oil filters should be changed as needed, or about every 3000 miles, for most cars. Some cars do allow more mileage between changes, so check your owner's manual.

Check fluid levels for several different applications weekly. Check your oil, brake fluid, transmission and power steering fluid, overflow tank and radiator fluid every week. Check to see that you have enough windshield washing solution or water every week, too. Take a few minutes to top off any fluids that are low.

Tires should be checked for proper pressure at least once a week. If your tires are under or over inflated, your car will be less fuel-efficient, and it could even be dangerous to you.

The wear pattern of your tires is also very important. A tire that is worn past the indicators, cracked, or has nails in it should be replaced. Also make sure all of your lug nuts are secure.

Call your local mechanic and schedule a appointment for regular maintenance. Sometimes it may seem ideal to postpone the tune ups till a later date, however it is not a good idea. A professional mechanic will be able to tell that your vehicle is running properly and can fix small problems before they become big.

Make sure your chassis is properly lubricated. A well lubed chassis keeps your cars suspension operating properly. A good shop such as Riverview Service Center in Elmwood Park NJ will lube your car when it changes the oil as part of the service.

Your cars battery is the heart of the electrical system. Make sure you check it regularly and pay special attention to the cables and terminals. Corrosion that has built up can be cleaned off with a wire brush. Make sure you have a good tight connection to prevent what may seem like a dead battery.

Wiper blades should be changed yearly. Inspect them to make sure that they do not crack or tear. A torn wiper blade can damage a windshield. A protective coating like rain-x increases visabilty on days when heavy rain is a fogging.

Headlights are very important too. Make sure that they and your tail lights and turn signals work as well. If the bulb is burned out be sure replace it before you have a accident.

If you will follow these tips concerning car maintenance you will soon notice that the checks become second nature. A little pro-active care for your car can keep your vehicle looking better, performing better, and you will also be able to keep it on the road longer. - 21396

About the Author:

Looking for North Jersey Auto Repair? Visit Riverview Service Center for the best Auto Repair In Elmwood Park NJ.

Shopping for Vintage Car Insurance

By Andy Darwinson

If you have a vintage car then it probably cost you a lot of money. Most people who buy vintage or classic cars do so not only because they like them, but because they see the vehicle as an investment. Once you have spent thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of thousands of dollars on a vintage car, you need to be sure that you have the right kind of insurance policy.

The first thing you have to understand here is you will need different insurance then what you get for a normal vehicle. If you want to do this right, the best option is to do a little research and find the companies that specifically offer vintage car insurance. This is considered"specialist" coverage, and the type you need depends on how the vintage car is used. If it's only driven to shows and exhibitions, then you need a different premium. However, if you drive it like a normal vehicle it needs regular insurance.

If you take the time to find the right policy for your car, it's extremely possible to save money on auto insurance for your vintage car. Just remember you shouldn't insure your classic under a standard insurance policy. Plus, you don't want to be driving it around like an ordinary vehicle if you purchased it as an investment.

One thing to realize is there are specific guidelines that need to be adhered to when insuring a vintage car. When looking for auto insurance for vintage cars, you should have been driving for at least 5 years. This will give you a much better quote then if it's for a teenager. Also, if you're over the age of 25 that will help as well. In fact, it should be easy to find vintage car insurance, since you are considered to be less of a risk.

When you insure a car, insurers will want to assess both your security and your driving skills before they will allow you to take out a speciality premium. You should have a car that is old enough to be considered a vintage vehicle and this standard will depend on the company that you buy your insurance from.

Most of the insurers today believe that vintage means'70s or older. It's also important to understand that the overall premium cost will differ according to the age of your vintage car. You should also have regular insurance as well, because you will need it before they grant you vintage car insurance.

Another thing they will look for is whether or not you are driving your vintage vehicle on a daily basis. This would be considered a huge risk, and you may be turned down. If this decreases in value due to the extensive driving, insurance companies will offer special premiums based on the actual cash value (ACV) of your car. However, it will also include the stated value (SV), and agreed value (AV) as well.

Let's say they do give you the auto insurance for your vintage car. If something occurs they will pay it, but it will most likely be based on an agreed value of the car. This means you both agree on the value, and still take into consideration the investment and maintenance. If they are happy after this is agreed upon, you will end up getting your vintage car insurance for that value. - 21396

About the Author:

There is no better time to get a quick car insurance quote. Visit Cheap-Motor-Car-Insurance.com now to get a really cheap car insurance quote online.

Used Tractor Tires Are Cheaper

By Mateo Lochi

Cheap tractor tires are the perfect choice for people worrying about messing up expensive tires or looking good. If you know about something about tires, you know there aren't a lot of quality cheap tractor tires on the market. If you really need a cheap tire, you may want to look for a used tractor tire.

There are a lot of tires on the market today; if you go to your nearest tire place you will see exactly that. Now, there are many different brands of tires, and some brands are more expensive than others. If you just simply need tires, it is a good idea to take the cheaper brand of tire and be on your way.

There are a few things that you need to know about your tires before you make a purchase, yes, they all look the same, but there are many differences in many of the tires that you see in front of you at a tire shop. If you went and asked the tire person selling you the tires, he would be able to find a tire that suits your needs by asking a few quick questions and give you a small tire lesson.

The main thing that you need to know about the tires you have to choose from, is that the cheaper brand of tire will not last as long as the better known brands of tires. This many sound weird, but it is the truth, they are just not made the same.

Some people claim that more expensive tires can increase the tractors fuel economy. Well, this hasn't been proven. We all know that tractors use a lot of gas, so it doesn't really matter whether a more expensive tire adds a small amount of gas efficiency.

Not many people know this, but every tire shop store and sell what they call retreaded tires. If you are looking for truly cheap tires, these are the ones you will want to go for. These tires are the bigger name brand tires, but the only difference is that they had their treads worn out.

They were then sold to the tire shop, so that they can fit new treads to the tire. These will fall under the used tire category, but they will be a bit cheaper than some of the used tires out there. If you are not all worried about the tread of the tire, then you could go for straight forward used tires.

Used tires are the old tires that were taken off of tractors, when the owner bought new ones. These used tires would then just be sold as they are. Do not worry about the durability of the tire, because most of the good tires shops will not sell you're a tire that will put you in danger. All that said, you have two choices, used tractor tires or used retreaded tires. - 21396

About the Author:

The author: Mateo Lochi can you help you understand cheap tractor tires. For more used tire information, visit his used tractor tire.

Bridgestone Tire Recall

By Maira Kamran

Bridgestone is one of the biggest and most prestigious tire manufacturing companies in the world. On August 9, 2000, the officials of Bridgestone ordered a recall of the tires. The recall requested for a massive return of over 6.5 million tires. All these tires were of 15 inches and their make and type was as following:

1. ATX

2. ATX II

3. Wilderness AT

The recall was voluntary and the basis of the recall was some sad incidents. The NHTSA had started the inquiry and scrutiny of the tires after they resulted in some vehicle accidents and caused damage to life and property. The number of accidents due to these tires was around 62. The recall compelled the company to increase the tire production to meet the demands for replacement. For the very purpose, the company plants in the US increased the daily production of tires by 7000 tires. Moreover, thousands of tires are being transported by air from the company plants in Japan. The company is also using tires of other companies to meet the requirements of their clients. These tires were extensively used by Ford trucks and by sports model vehicles, like the Explorer.

The company says that the Bridgestone Tire Recall was requested because the company's prime concern is the safety of its customers and the step was only taken in public interest. The vehicle owners using the tires were notified by e-mail about the replacement. The notification also stated that all the defective tires will be replaced by the new Wilderness AT tires or other tires made by the company. If the company was unable to replace the tire with its own tire, then the company would get the tire replaced by the tire of some other company. The recall was ordered after the company found out that the tire had the tendency to catch up defects ad cracks early n its life and there were also cases of accidents which caused deaths and injuries. On finding the fault the company ordered the recall of all such tires. The figure included 3.8 million tires of Radial ATX and ATX II tires and 2.7 million Wilderness AT tires. This brought the total to 6.5 million tires.

It was ordered by the company's Executive Vice president, Gary Crigger. The recall requested the return of all the tires irrespective of the number of miles it had already been run for and no matter how old the tire was. This brought immense consumer confidence for the company and earned the company a good reputation.

The company carried out its own investigations regarding the accidents and for this purpose it worked closely with the Ford Motor Company. It was found out that the most of the accidents resulted from the tires made in the Decatur, Illinois plant. Heat also proved to be one of the major share holders in causing tire failure. Irrespective of the damage done the recall was a bold and extraordinary step taken by the company and it ensured that no mishap should occur because of bad tire quality. - 21396

About the Author:

Bridgestone Tire manufactures diversified products