To avoid being stranded out on the road with your vehicle now is the time to take a few easy precautions to make certain that your vehicle is in the best condition to face winter.

• Make sure you have a can of de-icer spray in the vehicle, preferably a new or recently purchased can.
• If your vehicle is due for a service during the winter months think about getting it done now. Cold weather will show up any failing battery, starter motor, alternator, cooling system thermostat, water pump, and hoses. Any money you may save from not bringing forward the vehicle’s service may be more than offset by recovery costs if you get stuck out on the road and/or a hefty repair bill.
• Check your vehicles cooling system to verify that it contains the correct mix of antifreeze and water; most vehicles need a 50/50 combination of water and antifreeze to be safe throughout Winter. If your vehicles cooling system hasn’t been checked in the last two years it’s worthwhile checking or renewing the coolant, because antifreeze looses its protective power as it gets older. This last point is overlooked by a great many motorists, and yet it is vital. If your cooling system is not up to the job serious and expensive damage to the engine is likely. If you’re unsure how to check or renew the cooling system on your vehicle a garage or service center can do it for you.
• Make sure your vehicle’s windshield wipers are in excellent condition. If they leave smears or marks in your line-of-sight, or make a scraping noise as they move across the glass, renew the blades, not forgetting the rear window wiper if your vehicle has one, and while you’re at the back check that the rear window demisting element works satisfactorily.
• Is your vehicles interior heater working efficiently? Does it de-mist the windshield properly? If it blows cold air, the cooling system may be blocked or thermostat failed. This problem needs to be addressed now.
• Confirm that ALL lamps on the vehicle are operating properly. Pay particular attention to the lenses. Replace any that are cracked, broken or discolored.
• Road-salt and snow churned up by traffic soon turn a windshield dirty so don’t overlook your vehicle’s screen wash system, or be fooled into believing that it won’t freeze; it will. This will this mean you won’t be able to clear your windshield properly when you most need to. It’s also likely that the frozen water will split the reservoir. Top up the screen wash reservoir with proper screen wash additive in the correct proportion. Do not add engine antifreeze to your vehicle’s screen wash, it may damage wipers, rubber seals, and paintwork.

• Make absolutely certain that your vehicle’s tires are in tip-top condition. This means no bulges, splits, cracks, or uneven wear, and that they all have at least the specified legal minimum amount of tread on them, oh, and don’t forget the spare. Check the tire pressures at least twice a week through the winter months, the extremes of temperature make the rubber expand and contract much more than in mild weather.

Winter can be a severe time for all, but with appropriate preparation you and your vehicle should be able to battle the elements and keep going.

Things are getting tougher everyday, with the economy being in the shape it is in people are foregoing new cars in favor of cheaper more efficient used models. Some people are afraid of used car dealers and even individuals. There is no need to be afraid of buying a used automobile. You simply must educate your self on the best way to protect your interests.

The first thing you should do is to get on good terms with a mechanic you can trust. These can be hard to find but if you put a little effort into it by asking around town you will soon know who to trust and who not to. The reason you need a qualified mechanic is to spot the problems with a used vehicle that you may miss or misunderstand.

Now for your part in the bargain you need to have some basic knowledge of what is normal and what is not in the automotive world. For example a heavy knocking sound from the engine is not normal and neither is it a simple fix. Anyone who tells you it is nothing is trying to rip you off and you should run the other direction.

Once you have heard the car run always pull the hood in fact it should be up when you start the engine. With the motor running take the time to check things out under the hood. You can get a good idea if the car has any major leaks this way. You see as the vehicle warms up so does the exhaust and any oil leak that is hitting the exhaust and not the ground will be apparent, there will be a burning smell and you may even see smoke.

Before you shut the engine off watch for tell tale lights, these will light up on the instrument panel and may indicate there is a problem. Here is where an exception comes in, the check engine light can be on and there be no major malfunction. I drove a car for three years with that light on and no mechanic in the state could figure out why. That is the one reason I prefer gauges, they will show actual pressures and temperatures not just an engine light.

After you shut the car off and before you test drive it look under the hood as well as under the car for leaks. Leaks can be a simple as a cracked hose and as complicated as a rear seal that will require you pull the engine to fix. Should you come across oil or water leaks and not be able to readily tell where they are coming from take the car to your mechanic and have it checked out.

If all of the above have checked out it is time to go for a test drive. Listen intently for abnormal sounds like grinding or rubbing, these will also be indicators that the car should be looked at. Use all your senses when test driving a used vehicle, ok well maybe not taste, but definitely sight, sound, smell and feel. When something just does not “feel” right trust your instinct.

Finally never fall in “love” with a vehicle at first site, this will blind you to many faults that you may notice otherwise. Moreover check out the worth of the vehicle before you ever drive it. There are excellent resources available online and off that will give you a ballpark figure on what you should be paying. Last but not least always be prepared to walk away.

There are many other tips and tricks to buying a used car, these are simply the basics and should help you until you learn them all.

We all drive and most of us spend thousands on fixing our car. Some of the problems that arise are because we don’t take care of it or prevent it from happening. Some car problems can be prevented like changing oil and tires often and do a hood check up weekly. I have had so many car problems and I think that women in general should learn more about this topic. I think that some women just panic and don’t know what to do when they have car trouble. Little things like their battery is dead, they won’t even know that that is the issue. I have seen many women panic when they don’t really need to.

I have seen women drive in a very dangerous manner because their car is not well taken care of. They would be driving with a really old tire, no oil, low on coolant and their car ended up being overheated on the road.

Men really know how to take care of their car already. They are very good with cars. Women are weaker when it comes to cars. We don’t spend a lot of time on it and we don’t like to fix it either. We usually let our man do the job.

The first step of taking care of your car is to do an inspection from the inside out. You should walk around and look at your tires and your wheels and the exterior body to see if there’s something wrong with it. If it’s wrong you should see what it is and get it fix. If the tire is worn out and the dread is low then you should get a tire change right away because your tires can pop on the road and you can get into a very dangerous accident. I have had this happened to me before.

The second step is opening up your hood and inspect it to see if there’s any thing that is irregular and fix those things. You should inspect for the oil level, coolant level, belt, brake fluid, and the surrounding hoses. If something is low then you should change it quick or else you can destroy your car in the process. You can also get into car trouble on the road too. When you’re driving just notice the meters and watch out for any warning signs. If you see a light pop up then you should take notice of it and fix it right away. I was reckless once and I kept on driving and my car overheated on me. When you see a signal light, stop your car and see what the problem is. You should not continue driving because you can get into a bigger problem if you ignore it.

You should carefully listen to your car and see if there’s any weird noises and if there’s any weird noises then you should check out to see what that problem is. When you hear a noise, it could be your brake or wheel rotator is being worn out and it doesn’t work anymore. Brake can be tested when driving. When you drive just hit the brake if it brakes good then you’re fine but if it’s slow and your car is sliding then you need to get it fix.

How do you care for the car’s oil?

You can check the oil level to see if there’s any left and if it’s low. The little mark on the oil checker will tell you how much oil you have left. Always check when the car is at rest so that the oil get a chance to drain back completely. Don’t check it when you’ve just stopped your car because it won’t be accurate. If the level is full then you can leave it alone but if it’s low then you can put some oil in. Every car has a different oil type. You will know when you look at the receipt of your last oil change, it will say which type you need to use and you can use that. You can’t use the type that is not good for your car. You can destroy your engine if it’s the wrong type. Examples of types are 5w30, 5w40. You will see these but you have to buy the one that is correct for your car. Car engine oil is available at the gas station and the grocery store and auto stores. They cost between $3-8 a bottle and it’s very worth it to have two extra bottle in your trunk because you will need it on a long trip. Oil will usually run out in a long trip. I have had this happen when I went home from Vegas and my oil was empty and my brake wouldn’t brake because I have no oil. There was a noise but I thought that it’s just something else but no , it was my oil and I almost destroyed my car’s engine by not checking it. I drove for 4 hours home without checking it. This is the biggest mistake that a girl can make. Most girl don’t know a thing about car and therefore I suggested that they learn some more.

Once you have bought the oil bottle and you’re low on oil then you can pour a little oil into your engine oil opening until it’s full. You just need enough oil, too much or too little is no good either. It can be bad for your engine. Every week just check your oil and replace it when you need to.

The same goes with all other fluid in your car. You can replace coolant fluid, brake fluid too. You just need to buy the exact type at your local store and fill it in once you have check on it and it’s low on fluid. Just pour enough to have it be full. It’s very dangerous to drive with low level of coolant because your car can overheat on the way. If your brake fluid is low, you can’t brake that good. I almost got into some really dangerous car accident because I failed to know these things and now I’m writing it hoping that people will check up on their car so that they don’t get into bad car accident. Car accident is very bad nowadays and lots of people die over it. Therefore you should be careful with driving and your car.

Selling my 1960’s Muscle Car – My Experience

Well it started one day when the reality of the reduced pay hit us over the head. Having to choose between our life insurance, electric light bill and food we knew we had a shortage.

How to raise funds quickly? Get rid of dead weight around the place. So we sold the 1985 Corsica, (hallelujah)!!! We sold our horses. What great success. WE listed 20 sodium vapor lights - no buyers.  As if that weren’t bad enough, no one wanted the broken down, leaky roofed RV. We now had to make the harder decisions.

Facing the reality of need, we decide to part ways with our 1966 mustang: bright yellow, shiny chrome beauty, and fairly rust free, 289 diff posi & disassembled mustang.

This is a tricky task to sell it without pictures because it is in the garage. After a zillion requests for pictures I have my teenager figure out how to get cell phone pictures onto the internet.  We then bolt in the rear end roll it out to get better pictures.

After a few positive responses from out ad we are wondering “WHAT’S UP? “ We get the same question is this a “c” motor??? We will be there in 15 minutes. What’s the deal? I mean this car is in pieces and is a PROJECT!!!! What is a “C” motor?

Light bulb moment! - Check yahoo answers to find information quickly about this “c” stuff. AND - maybe we set value wrong; we don’t want to lose a gem that we can’t replace later.

Within minutes I had answers. One poster there said “learn all you can - it’s a journey,” another referred me to hemmings.com and another to a group that has lots of members that own mustangs 1963.5- 1973.

Since then I have learned more about C and then A B etc. motors and what the matching numbers mean. Not sure if I’ll retain that knowledge but we have found out that we were priced fair. But with the economy dipping and the time of year people are a little reluctant to buy as more people are adding cars as each week goes by.

Being reluctant to sell in the first place, we hang in there, but now we want to save this until the last possible moment. HMM maybe I can sell something else? How about writing about selling it?  Or having a garage sale? Does anyone want to buy the ugly lamp that Aunt Martha gave us a few years back?

You shouldn’t buy a really old car because it will give you car trouble on the road. I know so because I’m stuck with a 1998 car and today it overheat on my way to work causing me to miss work and to be a pain to my employer. An old is not good for anything because it’ll put you into so much trouble and cost you so much money to fix. I’ve spend like hundreds on this car already and it’s still having problems. I wish I can return this car but I’ve signed the contract and it could give me bad credit.

An old car will have too high of a mileage on it and this will be a bad thing. High mileage means the engine is old and it’s used and therefore not good for you. The engine may need repair or is just waiting to break down on you in the middle of the road. The belt could be old and may break one of these day. The transmission may be no good either. The entire process of the car is old. An old car is like an old person, they will have tons of problems. I have to learn this the hard way. Don’t make the same mistake I did and therefore invest in a new car instead.

The one thing that you really worry about is the radiator and the coolant system because your car can overheat and you can cry in the middle of the road missing your work like I did. The coolant system is a tricky one and it’s usually ruined in an old car. When you have an old car the hose in your hood will most likely be damaged and have holes and may spill some fluids one day and causing you to be involved in a car accident.

I have had my hose burst a couple of time. When it burst I have had oil leaking and coolant leaking causing my car to overheat again. This is my worst fear. You rather save a little more and invest in a newer car. You can get financing if you can’t pay for all of it in once.

If you buy an old car you will need to change the tires because most likely it’s all out of dread and could cause you to break down in the middle of the road. I did have to change my tires like 8 times for my old car because it just wears down so fast. My tires pop on the freeway twice and I could haveg gotten into a nasty accident but I didn’t. Not only the tires but your wheels could be out of balance too. Your brake could be old too and you can’t break good like I did. My break needed to be replaced soon after I bought the car. There could be so many things that could go wrong with an old car. I don’t recommend buying an old car if you can wait to get a better car. The interrior of the car can be ruin too. The seats could be torn, the hood torn and the radio won’t work. I have had this happened to me. I suggest that people should wait and get a better car then an old one.

Far to few females actually know something about their car.  They either wait for their guy to look at it or they wait until it’s making a funny noise and smoking to take it in and have it looked at.  There are a few basic things that every girl should know in order to keep their cars in tip top shape and to give them confidence when having it fixed.

1. Know how to check all your fluids and air pressure in your tires.  Know where and what to add because fluids can be vehicle specific and they don’t always go in where you check it.

2. Check your oil before every road trip longer than one hour no matter when you had it changed last.

3. Have the oil changed and tires rotated every three months or three thousand miles.  (If you do them at the same time every time you won’t forget and your tires will last longer and your car will run better and longer)

4. Know the next major recommended service time for your car (in owners manual) and whats on it.  Also know you don’t have to do it at the dealership even for the warranty as long as you go to a certified shop and you keep the records for the services you will be covered.  Always check with your dealer and certified shops for anything major.

5. If possible avoid the drive thru oil shops.  They hire people without experience and sometimes training not to mention they are more worried about the time they get it done in instead of about the quality of work they do on your vehicle.

6. Get a repair manual for your car.  Keep track of all your repairs and maintenance because it will help you in the long run when you sell it or if something happens to something that was fixed.

7. Tunes ups don’t mean what they used to, they should not be very expensive because you’re replacing the plugs, wires and changing fluids and that’s it.

8. If something does go wrong and you have to have something fixed try and take someone that knows about cars or get a second opinion and price other places for repairs.  Some repair shops will try and take advantage of the fact that females don’t always know what’s under the hood.

Just remember the more you know the less you have to worry.  When you go in anywhere a lack of knowledge can set you up to be taken advantage of when people see you coming and you look confused or worried.  If at all possible go somewhere that you know females work because if another female is there you’re less likely to have problems.

I have drove a Toyota Corolla for 6 years without one single problem. I was very happy with the results and feel lucky that I was never stranded on the road like most other cars. I guess most people already know how stable these Toyota cars are. I used Fords and Saturns but these cars break down on me all the time. Almost every week. I was glad that my first car was a Toyota. I never had to take it to a shop even though it was an older version like 1995.

I have drove that car for seven years with no problems in any area at all. No over heating, battery dead, engine problems or anything else. It was as smooth as a brand new car. I was very happy with the results. I would definitely go back to a toyota any time. I’m tire of spending thousands to fix all of my current car. I think that car should be make like toyota so people won’t die on the road. Some car company don’t do too well on quality. This should be their number one goal. People will buy more  of your car if your quality are better. Lexus is also a Toyota family just a different brands. I just have to say that imported cars work very well.  I have droved a ford and a saturn but they don’t work as well as the toyota. I have to fix the saturn almost every week. Every week there is something wrong with it. The ford required lots of fixing too. The body of the saturn was made out of plastic rubber and it’s easily broken. The hose in the hoods are the engine are not that great either. I had spend at least $3000 fixing both the fords and the saturn. I think that choosing a high quality car is very important because you don’t have to run into car trouble.

I was ready for work, bathed, nicely dressed, and smelling good.  Mentally, I was going over the number of people whom I would visit that day.  I would be making house calls as usual.  As I stepped outside into the morning air, I headed for my van.  Imagine the confusion and surprise when I saw an empty car stall.  “A theft had occurred while I slept!” “Who had taken my van?” were the first thoughts that raced into my mind.  Without any further rational reasoning, I rushed into the house and telephoned the police.  Over the phone I heard the shocking response, “Your car has been repossessed.  When was the last time you paid your car note?   We are sorry, but you must contact the people who are financing your auto.”

I hung up the phone with a withered spirit.  I had played the game of delaying my car payments too long, and now it had caught up with me, and I was facing an auto repossession for the first time.  “How would I go to work?”  “To whom could I turn, being the only person in my family way out there in the state of California?  Feeling very chagrined, , the only thing I could do was to call the the finance company and make quick arrangements to get my van back.  Fortunately,  I was able to make the arrangements and retrieve my van back the next day.

Auto repossessions are not foreign to many people, but they are necessary to make debtors to banks and auto finance companies realize how dear their cars, van,s or trucks can be.  When one invests the down payments and successive other payments into the purchase of a vehicle, but neglects to keep up with good faith payments, the banks and  finance companies have no other alternative but to take the prize possessions away until the buyer is able to keep their agreed to part of the bargain.

Some contend that it is illegal to repossess a car.  Others say it is legal.  It must have been legal in my case, because the police did not move a hand to get my car back. Instead they told me whom to call to set up payment arrangements. Had it been illegal, as I at first thought it was, they would have come out to my apartment and gotten a police report.

I had an occasion to talk with a gentleman whose job was repossessing vehicles.  He said it was very dangerous, and he could actually be killed if caught in action.  Most of the repossessions occur without the knowledge of the buyer of the vehicle.  In some cases the repo is made easy when it is an agreed course of action, and that is rare.   The gentleman told me they did most of their repo’s at night.  It takes two or three people to pull it off.  First they go to the address where the they believe the vehicle is parked.  They check to see if it is there.  If it is there, they wait until a time of night when they believe the owner will be asleep.  They have several plans in place to get the car, truck or van.  One or two people serve to be on the lookout, while the other person goes to the vehicle, checks to see if all is clear, disarms the alarm, if there is one, and then drives off with the car.  If there is an privately  installed alarm, they cannot execute the repo without alerting the owner.  He said it is very tricky work, but the pay for one night’s work is excellent.

That was not much consolation for anyone like me, who fell back in their payments.  But it does show me that there is justice in the automobile finance market, and the rules of the game will be played correctly or someone will suffer the consequences.

I’ve had friends who have suffered like fate.  However, what makes one have goose bumps on the flesh occurs when a car, van or truck is almost paid for, and suddenly it is repossessed for a few hundred dollars being owed.  If the owner has no way to scrape together the payments, the vehicle will be sold on an auction and the bank or  fianance company will be the winner.  In the case where there is a large amount still due, the vehicle is still sold at an auction.  If there is still an amount due from the original loan, the buyer is taken to court, sued, and the balance is charged to him/her.  It’s a vicious game, but those are the rules.

To add to the misery of an auto repo, there is also storage fees.  The tower exacts these on a daily basis.  Usually towers will charge a one week fee, but any additional days over are charged on a per diem basis.  The longer a car is stored on their property, the more owed.  If the owner cannot secure his/her vehicle over a short period of time, it is the option of the towing company to assume the bank or finance company will make arrangements to pay them, and they keep the car, or the owner will leave the car and the towing company will sell the car.   The power brokers become the fianance company and the towing company.

The best advice I can give anyone who cannot make car payments for any reason, is to squarely face off with your bank or  finance company.  Do not return to the car dealer.  After car dealerships get their money, they are hands off.   After all the paperwork is done, and the final agreement is made, you are in the hands of the lending institutions.  Go to them and talk.  Tell them your financial troubles.  Ask for extended payments in lesser amounts.   Most of them will help you, however, if they insist on getting the vehicle, bring it to them.  That will be better for you and you will avoid the embarrassment of feeling violated by a repo.

While at a car dealership once, a man came in and brought his car.  He told us, “They will have to take this car, because I lost my job and I can’t pay for it.”  I went a little further with him by asking, “Suppose they won’t take it back?”  He responded, “They don’t have to take it, but I’m leaving it here, and they will have to figure out what to do with it!.”  I laughed inside, but all I could say to him was, ”I know you’re right!”

If you see the avalanche coming down on you and your financed vehicle, get out from underneath it quickly.  Don’t let time and inaction cause you to become another automobile finance repossession victim.   You will be saved a lot of emotional misgivings and headaches.  Attack it before it attacks you, because “It ain’t pretty!”

I first saw the inside of a big rig fifteen years ago when my husband Earl began to drive: since that time I have learned a great deal about the trucking industry that I would like to share.

First and foremost is that four wheelers and truckers share the highways and byways of the United States, Canada, and yes Mexico. I have seen four wheelers cut us off then look at us as if our heads had gone green. I have seen a young mother driving with her overhead light on, a cell phone to her ear and her toddler running up and down on the back seat. What is wrong with that picture? When you are driving you should be concentrating on what you are doing especially with a young child in the vehicle. Why would you risk your child’s safety to speak on a cell phone? That is insane!

Second big trucks do not stop on a dime despite what four wheelers think. At sixty miles per hour it takes three football fields to stop: the next time you cut off a big truck remember that it could save your life and the truckers life also. The heavier the load the more time it takes for the truck to stop. I once saw a joke in the Reader’s Digest: A police officer responded to an accident between a big truck and a four wheeler. The police officer asked the women why she did not stop, her response was the truck had more brakes than she did. That is not as funny as it sounds, we do have more brakes but we also are larger and it takes more time for us to stop.

Three truckers are people too, we have families and lives outside the truck. We are also the most regulated industry in the United States. We are also the most taxed industry. We are told when to drive, when to sleep, the amount of time we can drive. Whatever happened to democracy? We have no real representation in congress or the senate. We have not had a raise in the fifteen years we have been out on the road. PATT (Parents against Tired Truckers) managed to change our hours of service, they are still trying to take away our 34 hour restart: by the way that was the only good change that was made. We now have to run 14 hours on 10 off. In those fourteen hours we must drive, eat, and shower. I wonder how many PATT members could accomplish that themselves.

Fourth which is pet peeve of mine actually it aggravates me a great deal. Shippers and Receivers are the ones that are responsible for truckers being fatigued. That may sound strange but it is a fact. When a driver sits for eight to ten hours then must deliver six hundred miles the next day it is almost impossible to do. Perhaps PATT should do something about them and leave the truck drivers alone!

Fifth shippers and receiver should have one person give directions, that person should at least know their left from their right! There was a young man who worked at J.C. Penny’s in Rochester, New York: I phoned him to ask for directions our conversation developed thusly:

“My husband is bringing in a load I need directions to your store.”

“I can’t do that?”

“Yes”

“How do you get to work?”

“In a car.”

“May I please speak to your manager?’

This conversation actually took place. After I hung up I stared at the cell phone and shook my head in amazement.

What more can I say!

Google transit is a trip-planning product of Google that’s still in its early stage. It started as a special version of Google maps, aggregating transportation information such as bus, train or tram schedules to help commuters prepare for their travel. Though it has a long way to go to in terms of the comprehensiveness of the data that it currently aggregates (the transport companies has a big role in ensuring this), the product has improved a lot already since was first launched on September 2005. In fact some Google transit information has now been added to the main Google maps application.

Google transit is still limited to a few cities, but you can get a lot from using this tool in planning your trips. Google transit augments the directions-finding feature of the Google maps by adding commuting directions.

The homepage presents you the usual from: address field and the destination field. In addition you can also specify your departure or arrival preferences to further specify your trip. You start your trip planning specifying the specifics of your trip here.

As mentioned, the results for directions in Google transit comes in two types: one is if you’re driving, and the other if you are taking public transit. The latter is the default information given. This information is displayed beside the map view of your trip scope.

The public transport direction information contains two parts: the list of different trips available, and the actual instructions on how to go about your trip.

As with the driving directions, clicking on each step (e.g. walk, board) zooms in the map to that part of your trip. Since Transit relies on public transport schedules, Google has added time information for each step, to make sure for example that you leave from your starting location at the right time to meet the transport schedule. They also went a little further by adding the amount of savings that you get by taking the public transit path as opposed to driving (I’ve yet to verify the accuracy of this, but it’s likely compared with fuel costs).

You can also find numerous references to local agency information for your specific trip so that you can get further information for any last-minute news, service changes or disruptions.

It’s not hard to see where Google is taking Google Transit. Soon when more cities are supported and more transit companies becomes committed to the service, this will be integrated Google maps and become a part of the evolution of an already great product.