Modern cars are significantly more complex than their counterparts from the 1960’s and 1970’s, and working on them is an even more specialized discipline. The modern mechanic needs a laptop computer as much as he needs a tool box, and for this reason even those with a decent aptitude for working on engines are opting to have their repairs done by a professional. Still, there are a number of simple car maintenance steps that anyone can do. These simple tasks will go a long way toward preventing trouble which saves you time and money as well as resulting in a safer driving experience.

–Wash your car often: While the exterior of your car isn’t as important as what’s under the hood it’s still necessary to take care of it. A clean car looks better, of course, but it also helps in a few practical areas. Keeping your windshield clean inside and out, obviously, is crucial for safety. Washing you car often keeps your headlights clean. And, of course, frequent washing helps prevent rust and corrosion extending the life of your vehicle.

–Clean the undercarriage of the car: This is especially true if you live anywhere it snows”all of the salt and other gunk your car gets underneath it will rust out your body faster than anything. I dont care how cold it is, you should give your car a good bath at least once a week during the winter, and make sure to get underneath the wheel wells and the undercarriage of your car.

–Wash your engine: Not only is your engine subject to the same ‘threats’ as the exterior and undercarriage of your car, it also collects crusty oil, battery acid and a variety of other contaminants. Keeping your engine clean will not only protect against corrosive damage, but will help your car run cooler and more efficiently. Wash your engine every time you wash your car, and let it idle before you start driving to allow it to dry completely.

–Clean your air filter and change it often: Change your air filter every time you change your oil filter. Some might argue that changing it so often is ‘overkill’ but filters are so cheap why not err on the side of caution? In between filter changes its a good idea to give your filter a good spray with a compressed air hose and blow out the filter chamber at the same time. The clean air will help your car’s engine run cooler and more efficiently.

–Check and change your oil: Back in more civilized times, a full service gas station would check your oil every time you filled up. You should do the same. Change your oil frequently”at least every 5,000 miles and better still, every 3,000 miles. Change your filter when you change the oil or youre going to be pumping clean oil through a dirty filter which doesnt do you a bit of good. Oil changes are a pretty easy job even for those without much of a mechanical background, and drive thru oil change businesses are ubiquitous in any decent sized market. Most of these places do a decent job and charge a reasonable fee. Many also take care of several other of the maintenance tasks on this list.

–Check other fluids: Change your anti-freeze/coolant every year, and check the reservoir every week or so to make sure it’s full. Also check transmission, brake and power steering fluids at least once a week. Top them off if necessary.

–Take good care of your tires: Check your air pressure levels with a tire gauge at least once a week, keeping them filled to manufacturer specified levels. Check the spare tire–if you have a ‘real’ tire as a spare make sure it’s properly inflated, and even if you have a ‘donut’ temporary spare make sure it isn’t damaged. Rotate your tires every few months or more frequently if you drive a lot of miles. This will insure even wear, and along with proper inflation will prevent countless problems as well as saving you time and money.

Emergency tools and equipment: Despite your best efforts to the contrary, things will eventually go wrong. When in does, youll be glad that you planned ahead. These items should be in your trunk at all times: tire gauge, pliers (slip-joint and needle nose), adjustable wrench, flat head and Phillips screwdriver. Dont buy cheap tools”theyll break and the least opportune times. Invest in Craftsman tools or another premium brand, and youll be set for life. Youll also need a flashlight, and if you live somewhere it snows its also a good idea to have salt, sand, a small shovel, and a blanket just in case you get snowbound and have to sleep in your car. A cellphone charger is also a good thing to have, since a cellphone doesn’t do much good if your batteries are dead. There are also ‘emergency’ cellphone chargers that don’t require a power source.

–Auto club membership: Just a great investment that will pay for itself the first time you lock your keys in your car or need a tow. AAA is the best known, but there are many others. Most credit card and cellphone providers offer this type of service, and a growing number of car manufacturers including VW and Mini Cooper offer it free of charge for new car buyers. At minimum, they should offer free towing, trip continuation insurance, lockout service, free maps, and some other bells and whistles. Keep in mind, however, that all roadside assistance companies aren’t created equal. Compare what they offer, and consider the type of driving you do–if you frequently travel through remote areas you’re better off going with a bigger company due to their larger network of covered providers.

These tips are all things that anyone can do, even without more than a basic knowledge of how a car works. Regular car maintenance will prolong the life of your vehicle and help maintain its value, provide a safer and more enjoyable driving experience and save you money in the process.

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If you want to know how to sell a car fast you need to realize you are in for a bit of work. In order to make the quick sale, you need to use every advertising method you know of to let people know about your car. These ways include word of mouth, online advertising, print media advertising, putting up ads on grocery store boards, and maybe even putting a sign on your car.

Once you have gotten the word out that your car is for sale you will need to decide on a price you are willing to take that is reasonable. No matter how many people you tell about your car, you will never make the sale if the price is too high. So, your steps to selling a car fast are to heavily advertise and price your car to sell.

Advertising online can be done through sites such as Craigslist and Ebay. Both of these sites get a lot of traffic and Craigslist especially, caters to local buyers. It has become much more common to sell almost anything online now and cars are no exception. If you want to have a real good chance of finding a buyer for your car, selling it online has become the best option to reach a lot of potential buyers.

The bad economy has made it difficult to sell any big-ticket item like a car. If you need to sell it quickly, the only way to do it might be to lower the price significantly. Right now people dont have the money to spend like they did a couple of years ago and you might have to just keep lowering the price until you find a buyer. If you do offer a good deal, sooner or later you will find a buyer.

Not everyone wants to deal with all the difficulties of how to sell a car. If you don’t want to be bothered with finding a buyer and making the transaction, you can always sell it back to a dealer with little hassle. Even if you are not buying a car from the dealer and using your car as a trade in, most dealers will still buy your car. Of course they will not give you anywhere as much money as you might be able to get yourself if you sold it. That is why most people struggle through with selling their car themselves rather than to a dealer.

Technorati Tags: automobiles, Automotive, Car Sales, how to

Selling a car in this bad economy can be a lot of work. If you want to have the best chance of making the sale, you need to use different kinds of advertising methods. These ways might include word of mouth, putting ads online, using print media advertising, putting up ads on grocery store boards, and even putting a sign on your car.

Once you have gotten the word out that your car is for sale you will need to decide on a price you are willing to take that is reasonable. No matter how many people you tell about your car, you will never make the sale if the price is too high. So, your steps to selling a car fast are to heavily advertise and price your car to sell.

Advertising online can be done through sites such as Craigslist and Ebay. Both of these sites get a lot of traffic and Craigslist especially, caters to local buyers. It has become much more common to sell almost anything online now and cars are no exception. If you want to have a real good chance of finding a buyer for your car, selling it online has become the best option to reach a lot of potential buyers.

The bad economy has made it difficult to sell any big-ticket item like a car. If you need to sell it quickly, the only way to do it might be to lower the price significantly. Right now people dont have the money to spend like they did a couple of years ago and you might have to just keep lowering the price until you find a buyer. If you do offer a good deal, sooner or later you will find a buyer.

If you dont want to deal with all the difficulties selling your own car, you can usually sell it to a dealer. Even if you are not buying a car from the dealer and using your car as a trade in, most dealers will still buy your car. The catch is that they will not give you as much as you could get for it on your own because they have to then resell it for a profit. That is why most people end up trying to sell their car themselves and dealing with the hassle.

Technorati Tags: automobiles, Automotive, Car Sales, how to