Double Your Vehicle’s Longevity? 3 Key Additives

3 Additives That Will Make Your Car Last Twice as Long

Do fuel additives work? 3 Additives That Will Make Your Car Last Twice as Long, DIY and car repair with Scotty Kilmer. How to clean fuel injectors without removal. How to clean carbon from an engine. Fuel cleaners and additives for the fuel system in your car. Should I use a fuel cleaner in my car? Are fuel additives worth it? Car advice. DIY car repair with Scotty Kilmer, an auto mechanic for the last 54 years.  More

Used Car Buying? Consider a VIN Check Pre-Purchase

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Buying a Used Car? Conduct a License Plate/VIN Check – RepairPal Blog

Before purchasing a used vehicle from a private seller, there are a few steps that every buyer should take to protect themselves from fraudulent sellers. Besides having a technician of your choosing perform a complete inspection of the vehicle, it is imperative that the vehicle is screened by vehicle identification number (VIN), license plate, vehicle history and seller verification.

tire being changed by professional woman

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Do 20% of EV Owners Return to Gasoline?

Don’t Swap Your Gas-Guzzler for an Electric Vehicle to Avoid High Fuel Prices – CNET

EVs make a lot of sense, especially as fuel prices climb, but avoid knee-jerk impulses to buy an electric car just to save money at the pump.

evs vs gasoline vehicles

There are plenty of great reasons to consider an electric vehicle. They usually offer stellar performance, they’re smooth and quiet to drive, you can do much of your “refueling” at home (meaning you never have to visit a gas station unless you need snacks or a bathroom break) and they have zero tailpipe emissions. But despite their considerable advantages, EVs still aren’t for everyone, and they don’t always make the most economic sense.

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Why every 5th electric car owner returns to gasoline – Innovative Techs

Jun 12, 2021 Recently, electric vehicles have been considered as promising and almost the only type of vehicle that will replace gasoline cars in the foreseeable future. Electric cars are really taking over the markets very quickly. For instance, in Europe alone, the share of such cars has tripled over the year – from 3.3% in 2019 to more than 10% in 2020. According to experts from Deloitte, by 2030, every fourth car purchased will run on electric traction. Sounds impressive! But this is also a cause for concern. According to the latest research, one in five electric vehicle owners in the United States exchange their eco-friendly cars for gasoline-powered vehicles. This trend is most common in the state of California, which is the leader in the US, in the adoption of electric vehicles. What’s going on? Does the sunny American state lack charging stations?  See More

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Gas vs electric cars: which is really better? – Interesting Engineering

Jun 1, 2021   The development of the electric vehicle over the last few years has given people a new choice when deciding on a car. Indeed, the first thing people wonder about now is whether they could a gas or electric vehicle, or perhaps a hybrid.

The environmental impact of electric vehicles is not the only upside to consider since there are many other stats to think about, such as acceleration, pricing, and fuel efficiency. You may also want to consider what the future of vehicles may be.

In this video, we take a look at all these elements and show you how gas-powered engines perform over electric ones. We also cover the sustainability element.

Indeed electric vehicles are considered cleaner than gasoline ones because they don’t have exhaust systems, and so the vehicle emits no exhaust from a tailpipe. However, you must also consider where their power comes from.

If it comes from burning gas and coal, then the vehicle is not so green. For truly green credentials, the power must come from a renewable energy source such as solar or wind.

As you can see, evaluating which vehicle is better is not a simple question. If you have a hard time deciding for yourself, then watch our video to arm yourself with all the information you could ever need regarding gas vs. electric.

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Radar Detectors – Best Short List

Here is a short list of credible insights on the radar detector status quo:

TESTED: The BEST radar detectors – RoadShow

What’s the best radar detector you can buy? We explain how they work and put several popular models to the test so you can shop with confidence. [more]
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Radar Detector Brands & Differences: Five Minute Fridays, Ep. 38 – Vortex Radar

Let’s take a look at how different radar detector brands & manufacturers compare.
Best Radar Detectors: https://www.vortexradar.com/best-radar-detectors/

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Best Radar Detector 2022 [Top 6 Picks Reviewed] – VdoWiki

Best Radar Detector 2022
In This radar detector Review Video, We Will show you 6 top rated radar detector to buy in 2022. We made this list based on our personal opinion based on their price, quality, durability, brand reputation, User Feedback and other related issues. [more]

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Are radar detectors legal in CA?

The short answer is yes, radar detectors are legal in California. But there are some caveats. You can possess and use a radar detector in California as long as your vehicle is privately owned. But the radar detector shouldn’t be placed on the windscreen RatedRadarDetector

Vehicle Battery Care for Winter

How to Make Sure Your Battery Always Starts Your Car – Roadshow

 

To begin, always work on batteries with some gloves…because batteries tend to attract a lot of real nasty greasy dirt on top of them and they can also have other sorts of corrosive chemicals that build up on the top depending on how poorly maintained yours is.

Then you want to grab a wrench and the first thing you want to know about using wrenches around batteries is don’t lay them on the battery this is basically a metal conductive bar if it’s long enough this one isn’t quite but if it is it’ll arc this terminal to this terminal or this one to body metal and then you’re going to see some fireworks. Your household outlets have what 15 or 20 amps coming out of them. This thing has hundreds of amps available from it. you don’t want to arc this to anything. So keep tools off it start by loosening up the black or negative terminal, whenever you work on a battery. It’s just the nature of these things. And then put that aside so it’s not going to flop back over and reconnect itself through cable memory then you undo the positive side.

Notice it doesn’t take a lot of force because it should not have taken a lot of force to tighten these things. And i’m going to secure that over there. Now my terminals are available, I put my wrench away from the battery lift off what should be these little felt protectors that also help prevent corrosion. Now mine are in good shape. So I’m going to reuse these but if yours are all full of acid or that crusty stuff that grows or maybe not there at all you either obviously need a new set or need to replace the ones you’ve got.

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The Truth About EV – Electric Vehilcles

Does increasing prominence of the electric car mean the end of DIY repairs? Let’s investigate and see just how much maintenance electric cars need and how that impacts your wallet.

 

We’ll also share some practical tips on how to care for your electric car. So hop in and let’s get going did you know that a conventional internal combustion engine can have as many as 2000 moving parts but an electric car has far fewer moving parts.  That’s because they have an electric motor instead of a gas powered motor. For example the drivetrain in an electric vehicle can have around 20 parts. So overall fewer moving parts means fewer mechanical problems. But… that doesn’t mean electric cars are maintenance free either. Electric cars have complex electrical components like power steering motors, AC pumps and high voltage relay banks.

So let’s look at the five most common maintenance issues for electric vehicles and their costs:

The battery pack in an electric car is like the heart of the vehicle. Taking care of it as you would care for the engine in a regular gas powered car is very important. Keep in mind also that the battery of an electric car is not the same battery that we’re used to seeing in a traditional car. In terms of function, the EVs motor does the work traditionally done by the internal combustion engine. To operate it needs the battery which powers it the battery is one of the most expensive parts of the electric vehicle.  In fact, it’s more expensive than the motor itself and its condition affects the residual value of the entire electrical vehicle. So that’s why it’s important to take care of the battery.  It’s good to keep in mind that it can get damaged if the vehicle is left in extremely hot or cold temperatures for too long or it can die completely. If you charge it too much or too often. Generally under normal driving conditions,  electric vehicle batteries last up to 10 years before they need to be replaced .

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Why Toyota’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car is Futuristic

Let’s take a look at hydrogen fuel cell engines…how hydrogen cars work…how they differ from cars with internal combustion engines and from battery powered electric vehicles.

 

There are two ways to power a modern car:

  1. Internal combustion engine (ICE) = most cars today. ICEs burn petroleum-based fuel…generate heat and push pistons up and down to drive the transmission and the wheels
  2. Electric Vehicle (EV) – many people tend to think of the battery powered EV or BEV… like Tesla Model S, Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Bolt.  Battery-powered electric cars have already achieved a certain popularity more than two million of these cars are on the planet’s roads right now and networks of charging stations have been created for them in europe and the u.s.  Typically a battery EV doesn’t have an internal combustion engine fuel tank or exhaust pipe but relies on an electric motor.

Hydrogen cars are a type of electric car but with an entirely different electrical technology.  That’s right. It’s not about electricity consumption… but electricity production. Hydrogen car is a type of fuel cell vehicle or fcev fuel cells are like a cross between an internal combustion engine and battery power like an internal combustion engine they make power by using fuel from a tank but unlike an engine a fuel cell doesn’t burn the hydrogen instead it’s fused chemically with oxygen from the air to make water. The process somewhat resembles what happens in a battery. Electricity gets released and then used to power an electric motor to drive the car you can think of fuel cells like batteries that never run flat…but instead of slowly depleting the chemicals as in a normal battery fuel cells can run on a steady supply of hydrogen and keep making electricity as long as there’s hydrogen in the tank what are some of the practical differences between a battery-powered electric vehicle versus a hydrogen one

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How to Change a Flat Tire – The Easy Way

Changing a flat tire is a job most people don’t want to do, but it happens anyway…and someone has to do it. Better to know how yourself, in case no one else is around. It can be alot easier to do than you might think.  This short video and a minute of reading can get you half way there.


Yes, roadside assistance coming to the rescue can be an easy way out.  But sometimes they don’t come as fast as you’d like.  So we’ll help you learn how to change a flat tire in less time than you probably think.

Changing a flat in 10 steps

  1. Secure the car on a flat surface out of traffic; chock the wheel in the opposite corner.
  2. Loosen the lug nuts on the wheel with the car’s lug wrench.
  3. Place the car’s jack under the car where its label indicates.
  4. Jack up enough to get the wheel an inch or two off the ground.
  5. Finish loosening the lug nuts and remove the flat tire.
  6. Put the spare tire on.
  7. Thread the nuts on and tighten just enough to hold the wheel on without slop.
  8. Lower the jack so the car is back on the ground.
  9. Finish tightening the nuts with upper body strength on the lug wrench.
  10. Collect the flat, wrench, jack and anything you used to chock the car.

 

 

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Used Car Insights 2021

Here’s Why Used Car Prices are About to Plummet (Wait and Save Big) – Scotty Kilmer

Here’s Why Used Car Prices are About to Plummet (Wait and Save Big), DIY and car review with Scotty Kilmer. Best time to buy a car. Cheap cars to buy. Ford, Chrysler, Dodge, Chevy, and GM, do they still make good American cars and should you buy them now? Should I buy a car now? How to get a good deal when buying a car. Best new cars to buy this year. Car Advice. DIY car repair with Scotty Kilmer, an auto mechanic for the last 53 years.

 

Used Car Pricing Study Shows The Cars That Have Gained Value This Year – Jalopnik

by Tom McParland

You are probably sick of hearing about the steady rise in used car prices. It is very much a seller’s market right now so finding a value in a pre-owned car is a challenge. A recent study from iSeeCars.com reveals the models with the most dramatic price jump compared to last year.

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IIHS, Consumer Reports name safest used cars – The Car Connection

by Robert Duffer

Safety does not need to come at a steep price, according to the latest recommendations from Consumer Reports and the IIHS. The safest cars for teens, inexperienced drivers, or car shoppers keen on crash protection can still be affordable, despite sky-high used car prices, the organizations announced on Thursday.

“This list is intended to point buyers toward vehicles that excel in performance and reliability ratings from CR’s tests and survey data and earn high marks for crash protection and crash avoidance from IIHS while staying within a defined budget,” Jennifer Stockburger, director of operations at Consumer Reports Auto Test Center

Best Choices

SMALL CARS

Mazda 3 sedan or hatchback (2014 or newer; built after October 2013) $8,100
Toyota Prius (2014 or newer; built after November 2013) $8,600
Hyundai Elantra GT (2018 or newer) $15,200
Subaru Crosstrek (2017 or newer) $17,900
Honda Insight (2019 or newer) $18,200
Toyota Prius Prime (2017 or newer) $18,200
Toyota Corolla hatchback (2019 or newer) $18,300
Kia Niro (2019) $18,600
Subaru Impreza sedan or wagon (2019) $19,400

MID-SIZE CARS, LARGE CARS, SMALL CROSSOVER SUVS, MID-SIZE CROSSOVER SUVS…(more)

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How to Buy Insurance for Your Classic Car

Buying insurance can be almost as exciting as going to the dentist.  But since many classic car owners tend to be a little more emotionally involved with their “baby” than with the commuter car that gets them to work…it might be a more passionate endeavor when it comes to insuring them.

classic cars exotic cars

Here are the basic topics we’ll cover:

  • What is classic car insurance?
  • Top 5 classic car insurance companies
  • What qualifies as a classic car?
  • Coverage options available for classic cars
  • How to find the best classic car insurance

What is classic car insurance?

Classic auto insurance differs from a standard auto policy in a few ways. There are not only certain eligibility requirements for classic cars (which we’ll discuss below), but there are also key differences in how an insurance company pays out claims for these vehicles.

Unlike regular-use vehicles, classic cars appreciate in value over time rather than depreciate. To account for this, classic car insurance providers will often reimburse drivers with an agreed value in the event of an auto collision.

Usually, an agreed value takes into account the car’s value over time as well as interest and a professional appraisal of the vehicle. With regular car insurance, companies will only reimburse the vehicle’s replacement cost and deduct any depreciation.

Classic car insurance also has annual mileage restrictions. Since these specialty vehicles are only intended for occasional pleasure driving or auto shows, car insurers cap how many miles the vehicle can be driven per year. This also means that classic car owners are expected to have a separate vehicle for daily driving.

Top 5 classic car insurance companies

While a classic car insurance policy is often cheaper than standard auto insurance, choosing the right insurer is still an important decision. Whether you own a vintage Porsche 911, a hot rod or a muscle car, it’s a good idea to consider multiple insurance companies for your classic auto insurance coverage.

Below, we’ve outlined our top five picks for classic car insurance and collector car insurance. Most of these companies cover collector vehicles, antique cars and exotic cars as well.

CLASSIC CAR INSURANCE COMPANY                         ANNUAL MILEAGE LIMIT                CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE RATING

1. Grundy Insurance                                                                 Unlimited                                                               8.5
2. Hagerty Insurance (Progressive)                                         Unlimited                                                                8.5
3. American Collectors Insurance (USAA)                                7,500                                                                     9.0
4. American Modern Insurance (GEICO)                                Unlimited                                                                7.0
5. Heacock Classic Insurance                                                     6,000                                                                   9.0

 

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