10 Critical Reasons to Pull Over Promptly

April 30, 2013 by

The Top 10 lists of David Letterman will live in infamy, but we may not see tomorrow unless we use some common sense in the occasional perilous circumstances encountered while behind the wheel.  We’ve all ignored warning signs while driving that, from a passenger’s perspective, would have put us through the roof.  Fear of loss (like losing your job if you’re late to work) can override our normal reaction to danger signals.  But a quick two minute advance review of what would usually seem obvious, might plant positive seeds for a future moment when we might not be so rational.

Here are ten (10) potential emergency situations for drivers that should cause them to pull off the road as quickly and safely as possible:

  1. Medical Emergency – trying to get home or to an emergency room before calling for help first is a recipe for killing yourself and others
  2. Visibility Loss – thick fog, heavy rain, flying rocks or debris that crack your windshield…anything that causes you to not see well is good reason to pull over immediately
  3. Temperature or Oil Lights – they’re called Warning or IDIOT lights for a reason. At the very least, ignoring them could cost you 1000’s of dollars needlessly.
  4. Abrupt Handling Changes –  a sudden jerk of the steering wheel or violent wobbling of a tire could mean you’re about to lose complete control of the car
  5. Flames – the sight of flames should be enough warning for anyone, but the unseen smoke could cause you to lose consciousness quickly.

[Read More]

Car Fire - Top 10 Reasons to Pull Over Promptly

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With: , , ,

5 Quick Car Fixes for DIYers

April 17, 2013 by

 Headlight - Lincoln xenon

Spring time is here…a time when many do it yourselfers get into high gear with the family car.  What if you consider yourself a non-do-it-yourself’er, but still like the idea of saving a few bucks instead of dropping a few hundred at your local repair shop.  Even though newer cars have become much more sophisticated and computerized, there are still several fairly routine maintenance tasks that even technophobes can do with a few basic tools…all by their lonesome.

Why DIY?  Aside from the obvious cost savings, you just might get inspired to graduate to other slightly more challenging & money saving projects.  Like the old transmission guy on TV once said, a little self maintenance now can prevent a much bigger bills later.  Here are five (5) quick car fixes with some rough guidelines on what you might save:

  1. Bulbs & Fuses
    Tools required: Screwdriver(s)
    Cost Savings: $20-$120…depending on your vehicle, of course.
    Time investment: 30 minutes
    Parts needed: Replacement bulbs & fuses (often sold in a box of assorted sizes)
  2. Air Filter – Change it yourself
    Tools required: Screwdriver(s)
    Money saved: $20-$60 …just for labor.
    Time required: 5 minutes
    Parts needed: New air filter

Read More – Edmunds

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With: , ,

Salvage Vehicles and The Kind of Repairs You Never Want

November 25, 2012 by

Here’s the big problem with salvage vehicles… Most repairers don’t fix them properly, with the next driver’s safety in mind.  They often just try to make as much money as possible from flipping them: buying, fixing and selling them.  Many people buy them (as this customer of mine did) and have no idea of the horrible, dangerous repair work that was barely even attempted… just to save money in the repair process.  The whole concept sucks because it drives prices of totaled cars much higher than they should be.  Consequently, insurance companies total out more cars…cars that we could still fix properly and save people money by keeping them from having to buy another car.

Salvage Vehicles & the Kind of Repairs You Never Want

Salvage Vehicles & the Kind of Repairs You Never Want

 

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With: ,

Auto Body Shop Confessions

August 16, 2012 by

Since the average person only has a car accident every 7 years (roughly), most consumers know fairly little about auto body shops and never really acquire a comfort level with them.  As with most business relationships, people generally like to do business with other people that they know, like and trust.  So finding the right shop that will produce a positive experience hinges on building a relationship with the owner/manager of a shop with a track record of longevity, performance and customer satisfaction.  Especially with the current business environment, smart body shop owners will rely on positive word-of-mouth referrals from existing customers to attract new customers…as opposed to the quick buck, tell the customer what they want to hear with low ball estimates scheme.

Therein lies the first customer challenge after choosing the right shop: getting an accurate, reasonable estimate…and understanding it. [Read More]

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With:

9 Secrets Your Car Insurer Hides

May 25, 2012 by

 

  1. Just How Do We Set Premiums? …You’ll Never Find Out – Everything from the state you live in, your age and driving record,  credit history, homeownership and limits on past policies. Every insurer weighs and interprets those variables differently.
  2. If Your Car Gets Totaled, Good Luck Collecting It’s Full Value – You might be surprised to learn that Insurance Companies don’t derive values from standard sources like Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds. But the good news is, if your car gets totaled, you don’t need to accept your insurer’s first offer.
  3. And We’re Increasingly Likely to Declare Your Car a Total Loss – The percentage of damaged cars declared a total loss by insurers increased between 20% and 22% in 2009, up from 16% in 2003 and 7% in 1995.   Insurers’ rule of thumb is to declare a car totaled when repairs would exceed 70% of the vehicle s value, says J.D. Howard, executive director of iCan, the Insurance Consumer Advocate Network.
  4. Your Auto Repair Facility Might Actually Work for Us – The process is commonly known as “steering”.  It refers to direct-repair programs where insurers maintain lists of recommended repair facilities…Some insurers taking the relationship a step further by nudging policyholders toward program participants in order to “keep costs down and speed up the claims process”.   Some say that translates into insurers having too much control over the repair process, and with ever present pressure to keep costs low, possible shortcuts in repairs.
  5. When We Say This is a Good Policy, We Mean It’s Good for Us – Independent agents and brokers often receive a supplemental commission, aka a contingent commission, in addition to their normal commission…awarding them for selling a specific insurer s policy.   A 2005 Consumer Federation of America study found that 14 out of the top 20 auto and home insurers used contingent commissions. [Read More]
Filed Under: Tips Tagged With:

8 Tips for Choosing the Best Gilroy Auto Body Shop

May 22, 2012 by

Perhaps we’re ALL above average drivers (right?), but statistically, even the best drivers will at some point need to endure the process of seeking and selecting a qualified collision repair facility, auto body shop or car painting shop, whichever you’re most inclined to call one.  Maybe because you’ll get side swiped by another driver that didn’t check his blind spot before merging into your lane or maybe you’ll just back into a fence post before even making it out of the driveway some morning.

Regardless, what’s at stake is protecting and maximizing the investment you’ve already made in your car by getting it professionally repaired. Even a substandard repair experience from a minor fender dent can reduce your car’s resale value by 10-15 percent.  Worse yet, a poor repair job done to a vehicle after a severe accident could leave you with a dangerously vulnerable heap worth virtually nothing.  Best case scenario, a highly trained & competent auto body shop professional could leave you with a repair experience that’s not only aesthetically appealing, but your newly restored vehicle that actually has appreciated in value, instead of declining.

As simple as it sounds, choosing the best body shop is the real secret to having a truly positive collision repair experience.  Unfortunately, that vision gets obscured by the hordes of “Bondo Bandits” out there masquerading as competent professionals, but who actually leave you with rickety rattletraps that end up being your worst nightmare.  So the real trick lies in separating the chaffe from the wheat…the crackpots from the master craftsmen.  Begin by asking those whom you know and trust about their auto body repair experiences, and take notes.  Then take advantage of the abundant variety of online reviews found at the major search engines.  Here are 8 treasured tips to ensure your vehicle gets “fixed right the first time”. [Read More]

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With: ,
« Previous Page