Category Archives: Automobile Maintenance

GPS Vehicle Tracking Systems: Do I Need One?

Posted on by
Reply

By Ken Sink

GPS vehicle tracking systems are more affordable and more popular than ever before, but do you need one? Take this short quiz and keep track of your ‘yes’ answers. I’ll help you total your score and decide after you finish.

Step One: Take Quiz

1. Do I use vehicles in my business? Yes/No

(The definition of ‘vehicles’ includes heavy, medium and light-duty vehicles, construction equipment (dozers, graders, backhoes, etc), cars, motorcycles, RV’s, pick-up trucks, vans, tractor trailers, buses, trailers, dump trucks, snow plows, limousines, taxis, etc.)

2. Have any of my vehicles been stolen in the past? Yes/No

3. I’d like to know what is going on and where my employees/vehicles are during the day: Yes/No

4. I’d like to reduce my fuel expenses and know if any of my vehicles are wasting gas: Yes/No

5. Being able to give my customers accurate and precise arrival/delivery estimates is important to me: Yes/No

6. It is important to know if any of my vehicles are used after hours or on weekends for non-business purposes: Yes/No

7. I’d like save up to 30% on my vehicle insurance: Yes/No

8. It is important to know if my employees are speeding or otherwise abusing my vehicles: Yes/No

9. If any of my employees are using my vehicles to ‘moonlight’ or do work without my knowledge, I’d want to know: Yes/No

10. Knowing about mechanical problems before they become expensive to fix is important: Yes/No

11. If any of my vehicles are ever stolen, I’d like to locate them within minutes: Yes/No

12. I’d like to have vehicle use data to compare with overtime requests as a way to guard against errors and fraud: Yes/No

13. I’d like a reminder when it is time to do routine maintenance on my vehicles: Yes/No

14. Occasionally, customers question when we were at their location, having the exact date and time recorded in our tracking system would really help in those cases: Yes/No

15. I’d like to help my employees be more productive by seeing where they go each day: Yes/No

Step Two: Total Your ‘Yes’ Answers

Add up your ‘yes’ answers.

* Fewer than 7 ‘yes’ answers:Thanks for taking the quiz, you don’t appear to want/need a vehicle tracking system.

* 7 to 11 ‘yes’ answers: Thanks for taking the quiz. You could greatly benefit from a vehicle tracking system.

* More than 11 ‘yes’ answers: Thanks for taking the quiz. You need a vehicle tracking system.

By the way, every question above (except question 1 & 2) is answered by using GPS vehicle tracking systems.

Step Three: Cost vs. Gain

The average business owner recoups their investment in GPS vehicle tracking systems within 6 – 12 months after purchase. Of course, your ROI may vary. Recovering one stolen vehicle may pay for your entire tracking system.

Vehicle tracking helps you reduce operating costs and boosts productivity.

Tracking systems reduce vehicle costs by putting a spotlight on speeding employees, who waste fuel, cause excessive engine wear and drive up insurance rates. Vehicle tracking systems will also remind you when it’s time for preventive maintenance, like oil changes, helping you keep your vehicles on the road and making you money.

GPS vehicle tracking systems improve productivity by:

* documenting long lunch hours,

* exposing unauthorized breaks,

* comparing driver overtime requests with system reports of driver activity,

* highlighting unauthorized vehicle use after hours and on weekends,

* eliminating driver logs.

Many insurance companies offer discounts of up to 30% for vehicles protected with tracking systems.

Step Four: Due Diligence

GPS vehicle tracking systems are outstanding tools for vehicle and fleet management, but you need to find the right system for you. Take a look at the different types of GPS vehicle tracking systems.

Check a company’s hardware and software, as well as their monthly data access plan. You’ll also need to decide whether to buy or lease your GPS tracking system.

Good luck.

About the Author: Ken Sink, owner of My Vehicle WatchDog, is a veteran with 20+ years of transportation experience, including fleet management of over 800 vehicles. Visit http://www.MyVehicleWatchDog.Info for more information about GPS vehicle tracking systems from Fleet Management Solutions, Networkfleet and Sprint/Nextel.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=31673&ca=Computers+and+Technology

The rest is here: GPS Vehicle Tracking Systems: Do I Need One?

How To Choose Rims For Your Vehicle

Posted on by
Reply

By Chris Vorelli

Nothing else enhances the look of your car or truck more than custom wheels, the bottom line is that rims make the look of the car. Within 15 minutes you can install chrome mags and the look of your car is totally different, from boring to show stopper. Everyone likes the look of aftermarket wheels, but how do you choose the right rims for your sports car?

Custom mag wheels are available from so many aftermarket wheel manufacturers it is truly amazing and the list grows every year. Some of the most popular names include Eagle wheels, Chip Foose rims and Weld wheels, to name a few. When choosing aftermarket wheels you can get cheap prices which sometimes means cheap quality or you can spend a little bit more and be 100% completely satisfied with your purchase. You get what you pay for, so you have to make sure you know what type of quality you are getting. But quality can be very expensive, so can the style of the wheel.

Wheel styles range from regular 5 spoke alloy wheels, to wire wheels, to the latest and greatest, chrome spinning wheels that run up to $3,000 per rim. Chrome spinning rims are the newest invention to hit the custom car crowd, “chrome spinners” as they are called actually spin, even while you car is standing still!

Now back to how to choose your rims, if you are looking stricly from an appearance perspective, then it’s easy, just choose custom wheels that you feel fits with the style of your vehicle and your personal preferences. If you want perfornance for racing, then light alloy wheels are the best way yo go. Steel rims are no good, they will only slow your automobile down. Heavy wheels add unnecessary weight to your car, which in return lower the driving performance.

If you do lots of city commuting in traffic, then alloy wheels are a great choice. Alloy rims actually offer cool air flow over your car’s brake system which will prevent overheating. Alloy aluminum wheels are lighter than chrome or steel wheels you can also improve your gas mileage slightly.

Another tip to help the performance of your auto is to install rims that are one or two inches larger than the stock factory wheels. Larger wheels also give your SUV truck or sports car a more sporty look and feel. Also make sure the custom wheels you purchase have a maximum-load rating compatible with your vehicle, and you have to find wheels that match the bolt pattern of your automobile.

The offset is also very important If you install the wrong offset size, there will be problems with the steering and handling of your car, so make sure to find the right offset. A sales person at the wheel shop will be able to help you choose the right offset for your vehicle, so don’t worry if it sounds complicated.

Where can you buy wheels from? You have a few choices here, you can shop at the local car accessory store or you can shop online for your wheels. Each has their own benefit. If you shop at a brick and mortar store you can touch and feel the rims before you and if you have questions a sales person can answer your questions. If you shop online you have less help, but the benefit is in the savings, you can save hundreds of dollars compared to retail stores. It’s a give and take situation, if you have the knowledge I suggest you shop online, why pay more if you don’t have to.

About the Author: Chris Vorelli is a successful writer offering advice on where to buy custom wheels including chrome wheels, spinning rims, wire wheels, car rims, truck wheels. Read articles on all brands from American Racing wheels, Weld, Lexani and more. reprint permission as long as all link are kept intact. http://www.custom-wheels-n-chrome-rims.com

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=30152&ca=Automotive

Visit link: How To Choose Rims For Your Vehicle

A Guide To Saving Gas With Your Vehicle

Posted on by
Reply

By Andrew Bernhardt

Super-expensive gas is here to stay. Drivers are in a scramble over how to afford their morning commute. They’re resorting to a number of solutions, some the result of fuel economy technology in the form of hybrid vehicles, others steering for quick-fix gadgets carrying a high price tag and dubious claims.

Don’t downgrade from your favorite ride into a sub-compact clown car! Stay away from fuel saving gimmicks, too. There are simple ways to save gas, increase gas mileage and stick it back to the greedy barons stealing your spending cash.

Improving Air Flow

A great place to start when looking to increase gas mileage is with your vehicle’s air filter. It is by far the easiest performance upgrade around, and the quickest way to increase gas mileage.

If you’re still lugging around town with a disposable paper air filter, you must toss it in favor of a performance air filter. A disposable paper air filter is incredibly restrictive to airflow, a restriction which essentially chokes your engine. Compare this to a performance air filter which uses either cotton or foam filtration material. Air flows much easier through these performance air filter materials which puts plenty of oxygen into your engine for burning fuel. With the extra air on hand, your engine’s computer responds by using less fuel per air part.

But wait – there’s more. The bountiful airflow puts extra horsepower at the pedal for your driving pleasure. Not to mention the cleaner air volumes now entering your engine, which contribute to overall vehicle condition. Be careful, though. Overusing the power boost provided by a performance air filter will negate any mileage improvements.

Improving Aerodynamics

Ever feel like something is holding your truck back? Surprisingly, it’s probably your tailgate. Passing air rushes over your truck’s cab and flows directly into your open bed. With nowhere else to go, the turbulent air crashes into your tailgate – catching your truck like a trout that swallowed the hook.

Adding a tonneau cover to your otherwise exposed truck bed provides a tight surface for airflow to blow right past. Without a drag-prone tailgate to slow your truck down, you can see an average gas mileage improvement of 5% to 10% immediately.

If you’d rather not get a tonneau cover, or need full uncovered bed access at all times, consider an air-flow tailgate. drag is reduced immensely, thanks to a mesh or louvered design that allows turbulent air in your truck bed to slip right through the gate.

Though studies show the gas mileage improvement is not as dramatic as adding a tonneau cover to your ride, air flow tailgates will show an immediate gas mileage improvement that exceeds unsafe driving with the stock tailgate down.

Tire Pressure Effects

If you’re getting worse gas mileage than usual, check your tire pressure. If your tires are under-inflated, your vehicle has to work that much harder to spin them. The friction caused by these flabby tires could be sucking your gas mileage by 2mpg or more. Not to mention the premature tread wear that will cost you serious cash down the road.

Check your pressure with a digital tire gauge for the best possible accuracy. The recommended pressure for your tires is usually given on a label inside your door well. If they’re low, fill them up at most any corner service station and check the pressure again with the digital tire gauge. Under-inflation can have cash-swallowing consequences, but over-inflation is just as bad for your wallet.

Sharpen Your Shop Skills

The overall health of your car contributes greatly to the gas mileage you’ll see throughout its life. Follow the regular maintenance schedule for oil changes, tune-ups and inspections. Don’t keep driving your vehicle if something is blatantly screwed up! Get the problem fixed, and it’s less likely to drain your gas tank.

About the Author: With every vehicle and every lifestyle kept in mind, Andrew Bernhardt hopes that this information will help you save some hard earned dollars at the pump. For more information about saving gas with your vehicle, please visit http://www.autoanything.com.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=29325&ca=Automotive

Originally posted here: A Guide To Saving Gas With Your Vehicle

Getting Car Insurance on a Vehicle That You Do Not Own

Posted on by
Reply

By Ed Sneineh

Can people establish an auto insurance contract on a car that they do not have title to? The answer is always ‘yes they can’. There is absolutely nothing illegal or unlawful (ie in the structure of the law, or in the state laws) that forbids insuring any automobile that you do not have possession to. The proper question, however, is if the policy contract that is insuring a vehicle which is not owned by the named insured is a valid contract- policy. The exact answer in this scenario is ‘it depends.’

One of the key principles in the insurance world is the principle of indemnity, which pronounces exactly that the objective of any insurance contract is to bring back the insured persons to their financial settings prior to the loss, and that these people can never advance monetarily from the insurance contract or claims. From this point comes the notion of insurable interest. There has to be some insurable interest among the owner of the contract and the insured subject. Insurable interest dictates that a person has to incur some financial loss as a result of destruction of a property for him or her to have insurable interest in that property. In the insurance business, insurable interest must exit at the time of the loss for property and casualty (including car insurance.) For life insurance contracts, however, the insurable interest must be existing only at the time of the ratification of the application to get the insurance policy.

The reason why insurable interest must exist at the time of the loss is to prevent insurance fraud. Imagine if someone insures his friend’s vehicle while the fiend also has his own insurance, and then later for both him and his friend collecting money for a theft loss of the vehicle. Also, in life insurance there has to be some sort of blood, business, or marriage relationship between the owner of the life insurance policy and the insured at the time of signing the life insurance application (i.e. not necessarily at the time of loss or death). This is needed to prevent wagering upon human life.

If the car in question is a car that you do not own (possess no title for it), then there seems to be no financial loss for you in the event of a loss to the vehicle, therefore you may insure it, but your insurance contract may not be valid because at the time of the loss the car was not yours. Remember that while car insurance is about insuring a car, it is classified as personal insurance, meaning it has to do with a particular person, and not the car itself.

So how do you deal with situations where a car is given to you, but the title is still in the name of a friend or relative and you are now required to have insurance? The answer is very simply: The insurance must be in the name of the titleholder and you need to be listed as an additional driver. This is the proper way of handling the situation. An exception to that is if the title is in the name of the spouse. In that case the named insured and titleholder can be used interchangeably between husbands and wives. Also, placing insurance under your name for a vehicle that is titled under your child’s name is also acceptable as long as you demonstrate some proof that you will suffer financially as a result of loss to that vehicle and you list the child on the policy as an operator. Perhaps your child lives with you and the child still relies on you financially? That is a good case of proving insurable interest.

When you call your insurance representative to get some car insurance quotes be sure to report this information to your agent. Improper disclosure of the titleholder or Named Insured on the policy is one of the main reasons why insurance companies refuse paying claims later. Certain elder and mature people (over 24 years) insure cars that are titled in the names of other youthful drivers (under age 25) who are normally charged extra by almost all insurers. It is hard to convince the insurance company that a youthful driver who owns a vehicle is not driving it, and since the company issued the policy for the other mature driver without charging the proper premium there is good ground for proving misrepresentation, where in circumstance like that a company may not pay claims. For example, if the automobile was insured full coverage and there was a total loss the insurance company will ask named insured to give up the title of the auto for them to pay you for the auto. In the event that you do not own the vehicle, you cannot legally sign to transfer the title, hence the company may find itself unable to pay you!

About the Author: Ed Sneineh, insurance professional for over 20 years, former college educator of insurance, and founder of Insurance Navy, a leader in providing auto insurance quotes, Chicago. Visit our website and get your car, SR22 insurance quotes in 5 minutes or less. Insurance Navy represents major carriers such as AAA, Travelers, Progressive, Hartford, and more than 20 other carriers.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=715997&ca=Finances

Read the rest here: Getting Car Insurance on a Vehicle That You Do Not Own

What to Look For When You Are Buying a Used Vehicle

Posted on by
Reply

By G Jenkins

If you’re buying a used car, you can never predict whether your bargain is going to be a good or a bad one. Despite the repeated promises made at the time of purchase, there is always a chance that you’re caught in a bad deal. However, like every other purchase, there are always ways to find out if you’re being cheated.

The following are a few things that you’ve got to take note of when you’re buying a used car. Some of the more important things to do include:

• One sure way of knowing whether you’re being handed a bad car is trying to read the mannerisms of the owner. The owner of a bad vehicle will avoid answering your direct questions or will hide certain details regarding the vehicle. On the other hand, if the seller is direct and friendly, it is a sign that the vehicle it a good one. However, going simply by the personality of the person is not enough, because there are some glib talkers who can manage to sell you a bad car by hiding its faults with ease. So you have to take a few more steps to ensure that you’re making a good buy.

• The next precaution you should take before finally buying it is checking whether all the main parts and systems are in great condition. Everything has to be checked, right from the scratches of the body, to the air conditioning system. You must also check the windows, the stereo systems and the gears. Don’t hesitate to conduct a thorough check, you’re buying the car, after all, so you have every right to play the radio or switch on the air conditioning to see if they work.

• A good idea would be to look at the paint of the car carefully to see if it’s been repainted or comes off at places. Sometimes, damaged cars are totally rebuilt after an accident and then resold. A good way to check if this is the case with the car you’re eyeing is by looking at the gas tank. If there are traces of re-coloring or scratches in that area, the car has surely been repainted. It is better not to buy the vehicle because it’s bound to run into problems later.

• Getting a warranty for the car is also another way of ensuring that you’re buying a good vehicle. If you can get a one month warranty, it will give you enough time to test the capabilities of the car. If your car repeats any of its older problems during that period, you can easily take it back and refund the money. This is also a good way of knowing if the car is good. The dealers who will back their cars and give you a warranty are generally selling good cars; whereas, if the dealer refuses a warranty, it may mean that the car is damaged.

You can also get a second check done on the car through another agency to know for sure that it is in perfect condition. This can cost you anything from 20 to 50 bucks, but you will be aware of the true condition of the car. A second testing also means that you will know of any existing problems, and also about the impending ones, if there are any. In the end, you can make a better decision on whether you’re being charged a decent price for the car.

About the Author: For more car care and repair tips, head to the Auto Experts at: http://www.autoexpertscolumbus.com and check out the specials in their free newsletter issues while you’re there!

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=431987&ca=Automotive

View post: What to Look For When You Are Buying a Used Vehicle