Browsing Tag

car maintenance

General

Tips To Save Money On Car Maintenance

Owning a car is paramount to freedom as it lifts the transportation restrictions in your life. It is also a huge responsibility and financial drain if you do not look after your vehicle well. Proper maintenance of any machine not only improves its longevity, it also makes it more cost effective. The car maintenance tips here can save you many dollars over the years. And, if you are unlucky enough to buy a lemon, check out these steps to file a lemon law claim.

Read the Book

For most of us the owner’s manual is just a book that came with the car. Only a few people actually take the time to open the manual when the car arrives. The truth is, by simply knowing a bit more about the car we can take much better care of it. So read the book to understand the scheduled maintenance guide given by the manufacturing company.

Check the Fluids

Basic fluid levels of engine oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, windshield wiper fluid, coolant, and the like need to be topped up occasionally. By doing this on a regular basis you will ensure that there is never an insufficient level of these fluids in the vehicle which may cause harm to the working of the machine.

October 17, 2014

Shopping

Do Your Research Before Buying A Used Car

If your vehicle is on its last legs and you are in the market for buying another car, I would recommend that you check out a website called Samarins.com. It is an illustrated guide for both car buyers and car owners, and it is jam packed full of practical tips for how to select your next car and then how to take care of it once you buy it.

For those looking to buy a used vehicle, check out the used car buying guide and study how to check the history on the used car you are interested in. Learn the simple tricks so you know what to look for when you look under the hood. These tips can save you from buying a lemon.

Check out the used car reviews section as well. It gives you a description of both the strengths and weaknesses of each vehicle, as well as overall information. Specific maintenance tips are provided as well as what to look for when you buy that particular car. Each review includes pertinent links to other resources as well that will make it much easier to do your research. You will want to visit those recommended sites as well to determine the crash test ratings, etc.

December 3, 2010

General

When Should You Stop Fixing Your Old Beater Car?

It is hard to know when to stop putting money into repairing an old beater car. Beaters can seem like bottomless pits, always draining your cash flow as year after year another component of the car gets worn out. There comes a time when it is best to just stop putting more money into it, but just when exactly is that?

The answer really depends on your goals for the present and the future. My husband and I recently faced just such a dilemma. Here’s our situation: We have a newer car that we rely on for our road trips as well as to commute to work, go camping, etc. We also have a much older and less reliable car that we use to get from point A to point B, which from now on will be referred to as our beater car. Since we both work at different locations, we each require our own car.

Unfortunately our beater car recently had some major issues that required us to cough up just under $1000 for repairs. At first we thought we wouldn’t bother doing the repairs and we would just donate it to a local mission organization to sell for parts. However, we ended up changing our minds and fixing it after all because for us, the alternative would be to simply buy yet another beater car.

September 6, 2010