Keeping Your Old Car or Replacing Your Car This Tax Year Tips
Getting through tax season usually includes making sure your car is going to make it through the year. Some people will fix up there car so it will last another year while others just get another car. Many people may not understand how important this decision may be for the year to come. This decision should not be taken lightly since it will affect the entire year. You should weigh the decision carefully to make the right choice for your car.
Mileage is an important thing to consider for keeping your old car. Not all mileage is the same, you need to consider the type of mileage such as highway and local driving. Highway driving is usually less brutal, but on smaller engines, engine life expectancy is much less when the engine is working hard frequently. It is important to understand the average mileage expectancy for your type of automobile to see what is realistic to expect from yours.
Maintenance for your car over its life is another important factor to consider. In other words, if you have been keeping up with oil changes, fluid flushes, filters, tune-up, tires, brakes, inspections and all auto repairs for the entire time you have owned your car, you may have a positive for keeping your car. Maintenance is very important for keeping your car on the road for a long time. If you do not maintain your car or keep up with your car repairs, cars quickly get ragged out and usually do not last much past the 100,000 mile mark.
Knowing how reliable your auto make is will also help in your decision. There are many auto makers out there, but some auto makers make bad cars. Research your make and model to see what the critics and other auto owners say about driving and owning your type of vehicle. Many people may already know that they have a reliable model car, but it is a fact that some auto makers may put out some great models, and through out some floozies as well. You may not want to hang on to a car with a bad reputation since it is bound to have problems in time.
Inspecting your car or your car to be may be your savior. Whether you are wanting to keep or replace your car, pay and get a quality inspection. Usually these inspections will go off the price of the car or towards the repairs, but may save you on a bad car decision. These inspections should include many points in a checklist to ensure that your entire car is looked at. A reliable and experienced ASE certified mechanic that understands your type of car should do these inspections for you.
This tax season, make sure you take the time to properly access your car before repairing or replacing it. The year will go by a lot smoother with a great choice concerning your car. Do a little research on your car and even get an inspection to help your automotive decision. With a little common sense and good judgment, you can make a choice on your car that will benefit you and your wallet till your next tax check!
By Guy’s Automotive
Visit AutoRepairTampa.com for a quality mechanic.
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The definition of great auto repair starts at the mechanics at the auto repair shop. Great mechanics do not work alone, they must have a quality management and use quality auto parts and repair methods. Proper tools and the latest technology in diagnostic equipment are truly needed to repair today’s cars and trucks. Mix these things with timely expeditions of repair service and you have a recipe for success. The bottom line is putting the pieces together and actually performing the quality auto repairs on a daily basis and having multiple satisfied customers to show for it. Here is a checklist of what expectations you should have with your mechanic.
Auto Body Repairs:
One on the most important aspects of a vehicle starts with its looks. Keeping a vehicle looking sharp is not too difficult. A quality body shop is needed that can execute everything from minor scratches to major collision is an absolute must to be able to maintain your car’s brilliant look. The body shop must be able to pick up your car 24 hours a day and get your car repaired as prompt as possible.
Visit BodyShopTampa.com for a quality auto body mechanic.
Auto Air Conditioning Repairs:
Florida’s heat is a killer. Driving without ice cold ac in your automobile can be devastating. An automobile’s auto ac system is very complex and there are many factors that can result in all or part of an ac system failure. A mechanic shop must be able to track leaks, perform auto ac repairs and properly diagnose and repair electrical system problems that affect the auto ac system.
Visit AutoAcRepairTampa.com for a quality auto ac mechanic.
Brake Repairs:
Safety starts on a vehicle with being able to safely stop your car on a dime. A mechanic shop needs to be able to accurately spot brake problems and do the expert repairs you need to have safe brakes. With ABS (anti-lock brakes) and traction control systems, brakes can become difficult to repair when a mechanic does not have the right training and or equipment. Technique and quality parts are also important to eliminate brake noise and help reduce brake dust.
Visit BrakesTampa.com for a quaility brake mechanic.
Engine Repairs and Replacement:
Everything that can happen on an engine from oil leaks, coolant leaks and minor repairs to cylinder head jobs, timing belts or chains and replacing the entire engine should not be an issue at your auto mechanic shop. A reliable engine is a major factor on how long your car will last. A mechanic should be able to keep to perform any and all engine repairs to keep your automobile running well.
Visit EngineRepairTampa.com for a quality engine mechanic.
Tune-Ups and Oil & Flush Services:
Your mechanic should always recommend a tune-up or any fluid / oil service you need. Auto manufacturers always have a mileage chart to recommend when to perform services and tune-ups on your vehicle. Following the manufacturers chart helps the longevity or your automobile.
Visit TuneUpTampa.com for a quality tuneup mechanic.
Transmission Repair and Replacement:
Another major factor on a vehicle is the transmission. Your quality mechanic needs to be able to spot minor transmission problems to avoid major transmission problems. A simple transmission leak can lead to an entire transmission replacement if neglected.
Visit TransmissionRepairTampa.com for a quality transmission mechanic.
Finding a great mechanic in Tampa should not be a burden. Looking in the right places, asking your friends and co workers and doing your homework will help assist you in finding the great mechanic for your make and model. Make sure you decide what is right for your car by choosing a great mechanic and great auto repair shop in Tampa.
By Guy’s Automotive
Visit AutoRepairTampa.com for a quality mechanic.
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BMW and Mini Sales are Caught up With Mercedes Benz and Smart Sales at the 2011 Year End
The Mercedes Benz auto maker’s lead in auto sales over BMW sales has declined. According to Bloomberg News reports, Daimler, the maker of Mercedes Benz, and BMW AG are neck and neck in sales here in the end of 2011. With smaller cars becoming popular and consumers hanging on to the older models this will make it tough for Mercedes Benz to make a come back in 2012. On a positive note, Mercedes Benz is doing better in sales with the Smart line of cars increasing in sales. It appears that the smaller cars are coming more popular probably due to fuel economy and a bad economy. BMW has come back with their Mini line with sales far exceeding Smart car sales in 2011. It appears that BMW and Mercedes Benz are having a sales competition within their corporations.
BMW, Mini, Mercedes Benz and Smart News by Guy’s Automotive in Tampa Florida
USA today has reported November sales for Daimler Mercedes Benz to be just over 28,000 automobiles. This is a staggering 55.2% improvement over last November 2010 which was around 18,000. This year, over 236,000 vehicles sold for Mercedes Benz which is a 20.4% increase over the 196,000 vehicles sold during the same period last year. If you do a comparison of BMW and Mercedes, BMW was leading Mercedes with over 219,000 BMWs sold as compared to Mercedes over 186,000 sold by the end of September.
In the USA, BMW models for the 2011 year include: 125i, 128i, 135i, 1M, 328i, 335d, 335i, 335is, 528i, 535i, 550i, 740i, 740Li, 750i, 750Li, 760Li, Active Hybrid 7, Active Hybrid 7L, Alpina B7, M3, X3, X5, X6, and Z4. 2011 Mini models in the USA include: Cooper and John Cooper Works. Mercedes models in the USA for 2011 include: B200, B200 Turbo, C250, C300, C350, C63 AMG, CL550, CL600, CL63 AMG, CL65 AMG, CLS550, CLS63 AMG, E350, E550, E63 AMG, G550, G55 AMG, GL350, GL450, GL550, GLK350, ML350, ML450, ML550, ML63 AMG, R350, S400, S450, S550, S600, S63 AMG, S65 AMG, SL550, SL600, SL63 AMG, SL65 AMG, SLK300, SLK350, SLK55 AMG, SLS AMG, Sprinter 2500, and Sprinter 3500. 2011 Smart models in the USA include: Fortwo.
BMW is close in comparison of models with Mercedes Benz. When you look at BMWs 1 series, 3 series, 5 series, 7 series, M series, X series, Z series and Mini, and compare to Mercedes B class, C class, E class, G class, R class, S class, and Smart, you can see the 2 auto giants are straight up competing with the luxury car industry as well as the mega compact car market. It appears both car manufacturers have the entire spectrum of what a person wants in a car from absolute luxury, safety features, fuel economy or technology. With electric cars starting to take off, and thousands of hybrid vehicles already on the road, it will be interesting to see how far BMW AG and Daimler will go to out-do one another in the upcoming years.
By Guy’s Automotive
http://BmwRepairTampa.com
http://MercedesRepairTampa.com
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Chevrolet Volt – Electric Car Under Fire About Catching Fire After an Auto Accident
Back to the drawing board for Chevrolet as a major set back for the Chevrolet Volt emerges. The Chevrolet Volt is now being investigated for the main battery to catch on fire after an auto accident. The lithium-ion batteries that were designed to hold the electricity to power the 111 kW (149-hp) electric motor capable of pushing out 273 foot-pounds of torque are now being reported to smoke, spark and / or catch on fire. NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) is working with GM, the auto maker for Chevrolet, in this matter to make sure that they are in compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards.
NHTSA released this statement about the matter,” This past May, NHTSA crashed a Chevy Volt in an NCAP test designed to measure the vehicle’s ability to protect occupants from injury in a side collision. During that test, the vehicle’s battery was damaged and the coolant line was ruptured. When a fire involving the test vehicle occurred more than three weeks after it was crashed, the agency concluded that the damage to the vehicle’s lithium-ion battery during the crash test led to the fire. Since that fire incident, NHTSA has taken a number of steps to gather additional information about the potential for fire in electric vehicles involved in a crash, including working with the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense — in close coordination with experts from General Motors — to complete rigorous tests of the Volt’s lithium-ion batteries.”.
It appears that soon after an auto accident, the Chevrolet Volt may catch on fire and even cause fire damage to vehicles around it, possibly in the towing storage area or the auto body repair shop it is taken to. In fact, if you own a Chevrolet Volt and are involved in an auto accident, it is advised that you exit the vehicle safely and wait for the emergency vehicles to arrive at a safe distance from the vehicle. It is also recommended to keep a collision damaged Volt outside and not in an enclosed area or garage. This apparent safety defect should be part of the learning curve for these new electric cars that are hitting the market like the Nissan Leaf and the upcoming Mitsubishi MiEV that’s scheduled to hit the auto market in the early 2012 year and Ford Focus Electric in late 2012.
Chevrolet Volt on left, on right Nissan Volt, Mitsubishi MiEV, and Ford Focus Electric by Guy’s Automotive in Tampa Florida
With President Barack Obama’s plan for putting 1 million vehicles in operation on our roads by 2015 reducing America’s dependency on foreign oil, electric cars may become a important transportation milestone for us Americans. Electric car sales for Chevrolet over 6,000 cars and Nissan is over 8,000 cars. Obviously we can not ignore that electric cars are here and we must learn from the early safety issues to help prevent tragedies.
Safety needs to be a priority for electric cars with lithium-ion batteries. Battery fires from lithium-ion batteries can reach temperatures of 1,100 degrees and lithium-metal battery fires can reach over 4,000 degrees. Spontaneous combustion can occur with these batteries even days after an auto accident so it is imperative that auto repair shops, collision repair shops and towing yards follow proper discharge procedures and safety measures when handling these new electric automobiles of the new millennia.
By Guy’s Automotive
http://GuysAutomotive.com
http://BodyShopTampa.com
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Remember to Service your Car to Prevent Costly Auto Repairs
Lets face it, maintenance on your car can be hard to remember. With our hectic everyday lives of going to and from work, school, kids, and whatever life brings our way, it sometimes can be hard to bring your automobile in for service much less remembering what needs to be done. Here are a few tips to guide you on how to take care of your car so your car can take care of you.
There are 5 useful areas of maintenance areas that help you take care of your car. Remembering these areas will certainly help you keep your car well maintained and help keep your automobile on the road for a long time.
- Oil Changes, Fluid Flushes, and Lubrication: Most car owners know the importance of keeping their oil changed regularly. This means in a timely manor. If your car’s oil needs to be changed in intervals of 3000 miles, 5000 miles or 10,000 miles it surely needs to be followed. Another point to know is the type of oil your car requires. There is regular oil and synthetic oil to use. There are different oil weights and oil specs for some cars that must be used. Know the times and types of oil your car requires. Fluid flushes are also important. These are usually neglected by car owners because they either do not know, or do not think they are important. Fluid flushes include transmission flushes, coolant flushes, power steering flushes, brake fluid flushes and differential fluid flushes. Oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid, coolant and gear oil all wear by time, heat and mileage. Even brake fluid gets hot after applying brakes over and over,. The brakes will get so hot you can not even touch the wheels. This cooks your brake fluid over time and this is why you must do a brake fluid flush. The other fluids especially the ones on the engine or transmission get just as hot as the engine oil does. As time and miles go on, these fluids sludge up and create mechanical work for your car. Doing these fluid flushes help reduce the amount of mechanical breakdowns which save you money.
- Brakes and Tires: Tires should be regularly checked for signs of wear and air pressure. You must rotate your tires periodically to help evenly wear the car’s tires. Most newer cars have tire pressure monitors to help notify you when your tires need air otherwise, auto mechanics can easily check your tire pressure and add air if necessary. Mechanics can also check on your brakes. Brake jobs will cost much less when they are performed prior to brake failure. If is just plain smart and safe to keep an eye on those brakes.
- Tune-ups: A tune-up keeps your engine running strong and efficient. Tune-ups include spark plugs, but may also include spark plug wires, spark plug boots, coils, distributor caps, distributor rotors, air filters, fuel filters, induction service and or a fuel injection cleaning service. Each make and model of car and engine will help determine what types of parts will be needed when a tune-up is performed. It is good to know that doing a tune-up right the first time will help prevent engine problems and other tune-up related problems.
- Belts and Hoses: Your belts and hoses are rubber parts that can easily fail. Usually there are warning signs that may help you decide when to change them. Typical warning signs may include cracking belts, swollen hoses, or visual defects on the surfaces that are caused by wear. Auto mechanics can inspect belts and hoses and help you decide when they should be replaced. If your car has a timing belt, make sure that the service schedule is being followed for your timing belt replacement. If you are unsure, a skilled auto technician can remove a cover to inspect the timing belt and help figure out what stage of wear the timing belt is at. The timing belt is a critical part of your engine and if it breaks, it may damage the entire engine causing a major repair or engine replacement issue.
- Inspection of Your Vehicle: A reliable mechanic can do an overall check of your vehicle using a checklist. A good time to have this inspection is every time the automobile is being serviced or repaired. Even if you are just getting a simple 15 minute oil change, it is urged that you request a vehicle inspection. Anything from oil leaks, potential engine problems, suspension and brakes, wiper blades, exterior lamps, tires and exhaust leaks can be looked over and ,if you have an early sign of trouble, can be repaired quickly before a failure occurs.
Keeping a service log and your auto repair receipts are a good way to remember what services were performed and when. Obtaining a maintenance chart for your vehicle may help you understand what services will be due at what mileage. Just remember when you are having a hectic life that your car needs more than gas to keep going. Do what is right for your car so that your car will take care of you.
Guy’s Automotive in Tampa
3049 W. Hillsborough Ave. and 14611 N Nebraska Ave #2
Tampa, FL 33614, 33613
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