New Car Blog

A great question that I get asked on a regular basis. But to make this little game of hide and seek as stress-free as possible, I’m going to point you to 3 simple areas. Your car, your owners manual, and a great online resource to find not only the stock plug for your car, but every other spark plug that is available.

If I had my way, there would be a sticker under the hood of all my vehicles that lists the OE part numbers of every major component – light bulbs and paint color included. While we’re at it, a handy mechanic that lives under there and performs daily maintenance would be nice too. But as long as we don’t live in a perfect world, we have to go hunting for this stuff.

Some vehicle manufacturers have kindly put the OE spark plug part number, yes, on a sticker even, under the hood, complete with recommended gap setting. But, if you’re in the same boat as me, and 90% of the rest of the world, your next stop is the owner’s manual. Don’t have the owner’s manual? I’ve got one more fabulous resource for you – and this one, you’re going to love!

Check out this cool tool at SparkPlugs.com – use the vehicle lookup to find your car. What magically appears in front of you is every spark plug available for your car by NGK, Denso, Bosch, Autolite, Champion, E3, Splitfire and Pulstar, complete with recommended gap settings. There will likely be some plugs that say something along the lines of “OE manufacturer or OE type”. If you know the brand of the original plugs in your car, just find that brands plug with that handy label. Those are the stock plugs. All other plugs with that label are the stock equivalent in other brands.

Want more information on any of those plugs? Roll over the part number and the plug specs and image appear on the left hand side. Click on the “more info” button and even more details come up. Looking for better performance or gas mileage? After talking with some mechanics and spark plug techs we’ve learned 2 things.

#1- Never use lower quality. If the stock plugs on your vehicle are higher quality than standard nickel plugs, the vehicle manufacturer likely used them for a reason. Some manufacturers are starting to see the advantages of using these ‘high performance’ plugs. Others have had the spark plug manufacturer make that specific spark plug for your specific engine. Downgrading to a cheaper/inferior plug could actually lower your engine’s performance and gas mileage or even cause engine damage.

#2- Upgrading your plugs CAN increase your performance. Studies have shown that using this newer technology, such as iridium and fine wire plugs, can actually increase a vehicles gas mileage, horsepower and performance.

How can you tell what would be an upgrade vs. a downgrade? According to SparkPlugs.com, the list of available plugs is categorized according to a variety of factors that affect a plugs performance, resulting in a “good, better and best” sort of ranking, with the best plugs starting at the top. With the information they’ve provided, it helps tuners like us to find the best quality at the best price, and allow our babies to keep pluggin along (no pun intended). Happy Tuning!

Technorati Tags: Autos, Cars, engine, garage, maintenance, oe, repair, replacement parts, spark plugs, tune-up

The California Lemon Law helps so very many people that soon discover after a little while, that they probably bought a lemon. Do not let the excitement for your new or used vehicle get dissipated; remember you still have the California Lemon Law. California has a fantastic law – the California Lemon Law – and it’s nearly a decade old.

Don’t lose the fun and satisfaction of a car you really love. If you believe your vehicle is a lemon and you live in California, then this lemon law is for you. If you have a good deal of frustration and much aggravation because you can’t take care of a problem in your vehicle, you may have a lemon.

All vehicles have the occasional problem or breakdown, but that doesn’t make it a lemon. What if your occasional breakdown happens over and over again? Having a possible lemon makes you love a vehicle and hate it at the same time.

Make sure that you keep track of any and all repair attempts. Characteristically, a true lemon vehicle is one that has had a practical amount of attempts to repair it and it just isn’t being fixed. If you do a one repair and it isn’t taken care of, but this malfunction could cause bodily injury or death, then that’s all you need is one or two repair attempt and you may still qualify for a lemon reimbursement.

Remember, only a vehicle used for personal use and not business can qualify. A lemon vehicle in California can include: automobiles, RVs, SUVs, trucks, motorcycles and even boats. In order for your vehicle to be considered a lemon in this state, it must be in the repair shop for at least 30 days, but not consecutively.

Keeping good records if you think your vehicle is a lemon is very important. Make sure that you keep all receipts for any repair work that has to be done. It’s vital that you have all your original paperwork when you bought your vehicle if you want to try to qualify it as a lemon and no matter whom you talk to or where you go or what you do, if it’s related to the vehicle you believe is a lemon, keep a record of it.

Be sure that when you seek legal aid that the California attorney is a specialist in this area and can easily qualify you without you having to pay for the consultation. There are a lot of good lawyers that will seek damages for you in this situation without any out of pocket expenses. Once a California Lemon Law Attorney specialist qualifies your vehicle as a lemon, then you have to proceed to get reimbursement.

Technorati Tags: attorney, auto, Autos, california lemon law lawyer, lawyer, legal, Lemon Law

The screen is large enough to read with out squinting your eyes.TomTom Go 720 is a pretty nice unit. It has a sleek design and it is so portable it can be placed into a small pocket.

When I started to become in the market for a Car GPS Navigation was when I stopped getting service to my cell phone that I was using as a GPS. I couldn’t figure out why my car wasn’t moving. I did some research online and found the TomTom Go 720.

I like that the prices keep coming down on these great little units. When hunting for a Car GPS Navigation I looked at a variety of things; Portability, Durability and Clarity of the screen. I think the TomTom Go 720 has all those elements.

I don’t travel great distances, I just do a lot of inner city driving and like fast access to directions. The price is pretty affordable. I certainly don’t claim to be an know-it-all.. I am just your ordinary consumer looking for the best value for a Car GPS Navigation.

I considered buying a car that had a Car GPS Navigation built in, but that was $1000 extra for the feature and it was not as good as the TomTom Go 720. When I look for a new car, forget about if it has a Car GPS Navigation. It just needs an oversize cup holder.

I never usually write up stuff like this, I am just happy that I can reasonably afford to get into a Car GPS Navigation and didn’t start to shop for anything until I started seeing that the prices starting to come down on these units.

I’m not trying to particularly sell you on the TomTom Go 720. Garmin makes fine Car GPS Navigation units also. It was a tough decision because I wanted to make sure I was able to get the accessories at an affordable price, really it was a toss up. TomTom Go 720, just won.

Technorati Tags: affordable gps navigation, Autos, buy gps car navigation, car gps navigation, car gps navigation guide, gps handelds, gps navigation, gps navigation guide, navkit, portable car gps navigation

Most people who own a vehicle know the importance of having auto insurance coverage. Unfortunately, not everyone knows the importance of having sufficient coverage. The average driver will choose the bare minimum of coverage that is set by state law. The problem with minimum coverage is that it doesn’t always cover all the expenses incurred from an automobile accident.

If you and another car are involved in an automobile accident and both of you are injured and you don’t carry sufficient coverage, you could be held financially liable for any costs incurred in the accident. Medical bills as well as any emergency medical assistance can be very expensive. Someone will need to cover those costs. Ultimately you could be sued for payment and forced into bankruptcy if your coverage isn’t adequate.

You may also be involved in an accident with an uninsured driver. If your policy doesn’t have specific coverage for uninsured drivers, again you can be held personally responsible for any expenses that may result from the accident.

Not all insurance policies protect against theft or fire. If your car is stolen and your insurance doesn’t provide coverage, you will find yourself without a car and your insurance will not reimburse you for your loss.

Believe it or not, your policy may not cover your own car for damages if you choose the minimum coverage. If you want your own vehicle covered you need to be sure that you have the proper insurance so you don’t find yourself paying for damages incurred to your car in an auto accident

There is also separate coverage to cover your car from damages incurred by vandalism or natural means. If a tree was to fall on your car in a wind storm and you didn’t carry the right insurance, you would have to pay for all the repairs.

Most state minimums cover expenses for bodily harm to the driver, passenger and for expenses for damages to other personal property. If you don’t want to be held accountable for expenses beyond the minimum then you need to be sure you speak with your insurance adviser about what coverage options are right for you. They can then provide you with auto insurance quotes from a few different companies so that you get the right coverage at a price you can afford.

Technorati Tags: auto insurance, auto insurance estimates, auto insurance quotes, automobiles, car insurance, Cars, driving, Insurance, insurance estimates, insurance quotes

With the economy the way it is these days, many people are trying to find ways to cut their expenses while still maintaining their necessities. Often times, when things get hard, people let the bills drop that they feel they can get away with and car insurance happens to be one the bills people feel are disposable — even though having car insurance is required in every state.

Most people feel like they will just pick it up again once their situations improve, figuring that since they are a good driver — defensive, law abiding, never speeding or talking on a cell phone — that the odds of them needing it before they can reinstate it are pretty low. It is unfortunate that there are people in this situation, but there is an option: you can receive a car insurance quotes from your insurance agent for making your deductible higher.

Many people do not realize you can ask your insurance agent for a higher deductible in order to lower your monthly premiums. Often times, when you receive your car insurance quotes for a higher deductible, this can save hundreds of dollars a year on car insurance. Given that most people let their insurance lapse in order to make do at the time, this can be a huge motivator for keeping the car insurance and still saving some money. If you consider yourself a good driver then you are less likely to need insurance, so having a higher deductible is more than likely the best way to go in this situation. Then, you can rest easy with the knowledge that just in case something were to happen, you are still covered.

Basically, when you are receiving your car insurance quotes for the higher deductible, you will be choosing a deductible — the out of pocket amount you would have to pay to repair your car in the event of an accident — of either $250, $500 or $1000. By going with the $1000 deductible on your collision insurance, the insurance that covers the physical damage of your car in an accident, you can save upwards of 20% off your insurance bill. This can amount to huge savings for the car owner and is certainly worth checking out.

Higher deductibles might be preferred if you’re a very good driver with a fairly blemish-free driving record. While we all would like to believe that we’re good drivers, we need to look at the facts and recognize our driving imperfections. Whatever your skill and driving history, you can find an insurance plan that works for you.

Technorati Tags: auto insurance, auto insurance quotes, automobiles, car insurance, car insurance quotes, Cars, Insurance, insurance quotes, new york, new york auto insurance, new york cars, new york insurance, Travel

In today’s world, it seems that almost any topic is open for debate. While I was gathering facts for this article, I was quite surprised to find some of the issues I thought were settled are actually still being openly discussed.

This is one of the most important factors in getting cheap car insurance for teenagers. Teenagers are often being labelled as reckless drivers because of inadequate experience and therefore, their insurance premiums would be higher. Car insurance for teenagers is usually a complicated and expensive affair. Most car insurance companies consider the teenage drivers as risky customers. Plus, some insurance companies who wish to provide cheap car insurance for teenagers require teens to take their courses or driving workshops in order to qualify. All of these efforts by the insurance agents are to keep your child and others safe on the road.

Purchasing the car may come later, as car insurance for teenagers can really be a big headache. Many of the insurers charge a high premium for car insurance for teenagers. The reason for high premium charged in case of teenagers is that most companies see them as being more reckless than adults. Check it out now and save more on car insurance for teenagers! Visit it today or you might regret in the future!

You can get more tips and ways to save your money from spending too much on car insurance for teenagers. One of the best websites that you can have a look at is http://www.cheap-car-insurance-tips.com if you need help in getting the best money-saving tips. Parents can consider to get advanced driving courses for their teenage children if they are looking for cheap car insurance for teenagers.

Truthfully, the only difference between you and car insurance experts is time. If you’ll invest a little more time in reading, you’ll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to car insurance.

With a pass in their advanced driving courses, insurance companies will assume that these teenagers are more capable in driving safely and avoiding accidents. Finding cheap car insurance for teenagers may be easier than most parents think. There are auto insurance companies that offer car insurance that fit the budget of parents who want to buy insurance for their teens. You are also welcome to read other articles about cheap car insurance for teens and what you should do when buying car insurance for teenagers. Thanks for reading this article.

Do not drive sports cars as insurance companies will put teens with sports cars under the category of high risks drivers and your chances of getting cheap car insurance for teenagers will be crushed. Drive your parents older and sturdier car to lower your rates. This will help them to get cheap car insurance for teenagers. Teenagers with clean driving records have better chances to get cheap auto insurance rates compared to teenagers who violate traffic rules a lot. Finding car insurance for teenagers is possibly one of the matters that give you headache when your teens are growing older and want to drive themselves. You must be well informed that the rates for teenagers are increasing rapidly like the speed of light.

Driving teens drive up auto premiums. If your teen doesn’t have a driver’s license — and doesn’t drive without one — the insurance company can’t put him on the policy. Therefore, the insurance premium cost is going to be even lower than if you had your teen listed as a driver on your family vehicle. It also ensures that if your young driver does happen to get into an accident, they haven’t banged up the primary family car.

That’s the latest from the car insurance authorities. Once you’re familiar with these ideas, you’ll be ready to move to the next level.

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The rules of the road, though they’re there for our safety, get broken. More often than not, by accident. If you have been involved in one of these accidents and the blame is being placed on you, you will surely require the services of the best law firm you can find. Although the really top law firms are sometimes expensive, not only will they most likely mean the difference between keeping and losing your license, but usually if you win, they will claim costs back from elsewhere, so you get their services free of charge!

There are plenty of lawyers that would jump at the chance to represent you during the court hearing, but you need to decide who is going to be the best at it.

Well, you could always go for the cheapest option. But for something as serious as a legal accusation, that may not be the best way to choose. Thank goodness for the vast, one-stop, modern day encyclopedia that is the Internet.

All it will take is a little bit of time to visit a few law-firm websites and decide which ones have all the experience and knowledge you need them to have to defend you effectively.

A specialist traffic/road law firm would be ideal to represent you because these dedicated firms will have far more experience and knowledge in their chosen field of endeavour than a generic law firm.

Try and read up on the lawyers that the firms have working for them. You should ensure that they have the best qualifications to represent you along with ample experience in road traffic law. Also, try and find some client testimonials. Although they will only select the really positive ones to put on the website, its always best to read some third party opinions before making a decision.

Forums and blogs about the law in general are things to stay away from because myths arise from people convinced that they know a loophole in the law and so they tell everyone on the blog/forum that it’s true when it’s simply not. You should see if any of the websites you look at address these myths, as they will most likely know the truth.

Once you have carried out this research you should be confident that your choice of legal representation will be the best possible choice for your situation.

Technorati Tags: auto, Autos, law drivers, lawyers, legal, legal advice, road law, solicitors, Vehicle, vehicles

Truck bed covers refers to any kind of hood that covers a pickup truck’s cargo box. There are various styles of truck bed covers, including flexible and rigid styles. A truck bed cover gives the truck a cleaner look when it has cargo loaded onto it, and can also help protect weather-sensitive loads like groceries and furniture, as well as conceal them from would-be thieves.

Aside from aesthetic purposes, truck bed covers can help in saving gas. Usually, air careens into the empty space of the truck bed, producing an opposite force to the truck. This can result to several miles lost since the engine has to work harder. With a truck bed cover, it is estimated that a truck can save up to 10% on gas.

Truck bed covers come in three main types, including soft, hard, and retractable. Each of these styles has certain pros and cons, so truck owners should carefully evaluate these before choosing which style of truck bed cover will best suit their needs.

A hard truck bed cover is made from fiberglass, aluminum, or hard plastic, and is usually a smooth, sleek design in a color that matches the truck. In order to access the truck bed, one simply lifts one side of the bed cover. A hard style bed cover is resistant to various kinds of weather, making it one of the most durable types available.

However, there are disadvantages. First, the hard is the most expensive among all kinds of covers. Another downside is that it is hard to remove, so it may not be recommended to truck owners who need to place their things vertically.

The soft kind of truck bed cover is made from a sturdy fabric, with bows to help it hold its shape in difficult weather situations like snow or rain. These covers can be connected to the truck either with Velcro, a groove and tongue mechanism, or with snaps. Some models can be rolled up, while others utilize hinged lids.

A soft type of truck bed cover is designed to withstand the weight of two people standing on it, and some are even manufactured to include a built-in tent. One disadvantage of this type, though, is that it simply isn’t as secure as a hard style truck bed cover.

Considered as the most popular among truck owners, the retractable type of truck bed cover offers a lot of convenience. It allows truck owners to drag large things out without having to remove the cover. However, space may not be maximized in this kind of truck bed covered, and it can also be prone to leaks.

Pricing on truck bed covers may vary quite a bit. The least expensive is a soft style truck bed cover starting at about $200. Retractable covers typically begin as low $500, and hard covers generally start around $600. In order to get a great deal, truck owners can maximize their savings by shopping on the Internet at the numerous websites that sell truck bed covers. Plus, it’s much more convenient to shop online than it is in person.

Truck bed covers serve a number of purposes. They make a truck look great, protect a load, and save on fuel costs. Truck owners should thoroughly research the features of each kind of truck bed cover before buying online and making a final decision about which cover has the most to offer for their particular needs.

Technorati Tags: auto, Autos, car, truck, truck accessories, truck bed covers

Finding cheap California auto insurance may be tough, but it isn’t impossible. As a driver – and car owner – on the West coast, I know just how tough it can be.

If your insurance plan is running out and you feel you could be spending a lot less on insurance in the sate of California, then take a look at cheap California auto insurance. There are plenty of places online that will allow you to get everything that you need in the way of insurance. Take a look at this guide in order to get a head start and get a better idea of what can be expected.

Now, you need to know all of the information about your car first prior to getting online and look for California auto insurance. Know the year, make, and model just the basics that you can type in when you are looking around. You might also need your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) as well, which can actually be found on the dash of your car.

The more information that you can find on cheap rates, the better and this is going to come in the form of quotes. IN order to be able to choose the right company you need to know what they actually charge. All of this information can be found easily online and for the most part, you should be able to get a quote instantly. This will help you know your budget and know how much you need to save.

After you look around at the various quotes from each company, you can then start choosing the company you want to work with. Get a good feel for their website and find out if you are going to be able to make payments online each month as well as paperless billing. Make sure that you get the right amount of insurance that will keep you within the state laws.

If you have a few questions about a certain quote then you should call the insurance company help line. From here, you will get a very good idea about how the company runs their business. If you are hold too long or they are rude, then move on to the next company.

The fact of the matter here is, you should not have to spend a lot of money on car insurance whether you have an old car or a new car, and if you want to find cheap California auto insurance, then you need to write some numbers down and get online. The more information that you can find within your search, the easier everything is going to be.

Technorati Tags: automobiles, car insurance, Cars, cars and trucks, Insurance, Personal Finance

Since most of us, myself included, don’t have a safe with a big stack of cash in it we need to finance our auto purchases. Most people go with dealership financing but there is another option. Private party auto loans are often a more practical solution depending on your situation. In General here are some of the major differences between the two types of loans.

Length Of The Loan

Dealership lenders typically offer loans of long terms, between 48 and 72 months. That is four to six years. On the other hand the typical private party auto loan is only 36 months.

Remember that the longer the loan term the more interest you end up paying over the course of the loan. Therefore, if you can afford to make higher monthly payments on a shorter loan term you will get the best deal.

Interest Rates

Interest rates are on average higher for private party auto loans. This is due to the shorter loan terms as well as the acceptance of more risky borrowers. Don’t worry too much though the difference is not huge and in many cases if you shop around you can find a loan rate that is on par or lower than your local dealership.

Pre-Approval

In general you go through the loan approval process before you start seriously shopping for a car. Instead of picking out a car and then applying for financing which is the common practice with dealership loans. The result is more flexibility and negotiating power when you are actually shopping.

Furthermore since all of the loan processing is done before committing to buy a car, buyers with less than perfect credit do not have to worry about finding the perfect car only to be told after the fact that they cannot actually afford it.

Freedom To Buy From Private Sellers

Dealers have a lot of overhead, and those costs are passed down to the consumer whether you buy a used car or a new car. Unlike dealership loans where you can only buy from the dealer, private party loans can be arranged for person-to-person transactions as well. If you can get a great deal from a friend or Ebay then a private party auto loan might be exactly what you are looking for.

Technorati Tags: auto financing, Auto Loans, buying a car, Buying Cars, car, Car Buying Tips, Car Financing, Car Loans, Cars, Loans, private party auto loans, private party financing