Sunday, September 12, 2010

How Do I Choose My Extended Car Warranty?

After the factory coverage has expired on your automobile you can still have protection with an Extended Warranty.

With an extended car warranty, you can avoid unexpected expenses due to a vehicle breakdown or malfunction. The main levels of auto warranty coverage are bumper-to-bumper, full comprehensive, powertrain or powertrain enhanced coverage. Each level of coverage has more or less overage than other policies.

Bumper-to-Bumper Coverage auto warranty plans are the most comprehensive available. However, despite the name, a bumper-to-bumper plan does not necessarily cover every part of your automobile. A comprehensive extended warranty plan covers most auto parts, and these will be specifically listed on your policy. With a Powertrain Coverage you can protect your vehicle's powertrain i.e., the engine, transmission, drive shaft and drive axle. Again, as with the bumper-to-bumper and comprehensive options, the parts covered will depend on the specific policy.

So in picking an extended auto warranty policy, you have the three main levels of coverage listed above, and for each of these levels there will be a range of plans to choose from.

For example, a cheaper powertrain auto warranty might only protect the engine, transmission, and water pump. A more comprehensive type of powertrain plan could include all of the above plus the drive axles and shaft, and the electrical components. Generally, the more comprehensive plans will cost more, but prices can vary widely from company to company due to competition and other factors.

Choosing the right extended car warranty will depend on your budget, and also how much peace of mind you require. You might want to consider the history of your car, and its general reputation for reliability when choosing a plan. Also the mileage and wear-and-tear on the vehicle are important considerations. A more comprehensive extended warranty would be needed if you have a longer than usual roundtrip from work and back.

You also should take into account the provider of the extended car warranty as the quality and reliability of service can vary significantly. Use companies with industry standard credentials and that have memberships in professional business associations like the Better Business Bureau. Do your own homework into a warranty companies reputation and ask for references. Information can be found on the internet about any Warranty Company.

Carefully read over the fine print of any policy before making a final decision. No whats covered and whats not covered and what if any exceptions there are.

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Discover What Winter Tires Can Do For You

Most people love summer time and hate winter, but we can't enjoy something without hating something else. So, if you live in a place where snow keeps you inside your home and makes you think twice before going out and your everyday driving becomes a real adventure, even if this part of the year last for two or three months, you should really consider buying some good, nice and reliable winter tires.

I know what are you thinking right now "why should I do that, I spend top dollar on the best car and it's equipped with the latest technology in breaking systems and skid control" but this isnt enough. Remember that your tires are those who put you and your car in contact with the outside world and I think you agree with me when I say, it should stay that way. You probably think is the same rubber with a better configuration so it can grip better in the snow, but this isn't all. Winter tires are made from a special rubber that have a highly adhesion to cold, wet, slippery, icy and/or snowy asphalt, notice that all tires producers recommend that you should equip your vehicle with winter tires when the temperature drop below 10 degrees Celsius.

Let me tell you a little story, last winter I bought a set of winter tires because I went on a ski trip and I told myself "just in case". After I equipped my car, on my way home, I had to brake hard to avoid hitting one clumsy driver, it wasn't snow on the road, it was a slippery slimy mud or something like that, but the car stopped faster than I expected, avoiding a trip to the police station. After this I was more attentive to how my car responded, I was astonished when I observed that even the control was better.

After this experience I recommend to all my friends and family to use appropriate tires for each season.

By switching between tires you protect yourself and your car. Note that summer tires used in cold weather tend to age and wear off faster, so you are doing a good investment by having tires for summer and winter time.

Some tips when you buy tires

* You should buy them from a specialized shop that can also equip your car on the spot, in this way you avoid unnecessary trips from the shop to a service where you could find a long waiting line.
* Try to do this before winter holidays, this way you'll get a lower price and a shorter amount of time spent by doing the switch.
* Think that you'll be going home with 4 more tires and you'll need a transport for them, if you don't have the required space available in your car ask a friend to come along.
* And on your way out grab some garbage bags, you don't want those used, muddy tires to make a mess in your trunk.

What brand of tires should you get, I can't say, just ask the salesman from the shop what he recommends depending on your budget, preferences or available sizes.

Remember, winter fun is on the snowy trails not on the slippery roads.

Police Seized Car Auction

If you are planning to buy a car through police auction, then I am here to share with you this article where I am going to provide the information on how police seized car auctions work and how they offer you the best deal. Some facts may differ from auction to auction. However, this article covers almost all the areas with important and helpful guidelines.

Some people think that the cars offered at the Police Auctions are actually the police cars only. But they also include additional vehicles being used by local police departments and cars that have been confiscated due to asset forfeiture. The police department seizes the assets of the criminals who are associated with a crime and place those vehicles in an auction.

So people can get the finest deal while picking up the used cars from there. To be updated about the events, you can read local newspapers or search from the online auction site. It will keep you acquainted with the time, date and place of the event as well as the list of the cars that are going to be auctioned off.

However you always need to inspect the condition of the car yourself at a police seized car auction because seized cars are sold "As-is" without any warranty or guarantee. So you have to be responsible for your own decision and rely on your inspection.

Sometimes the car you bought from there may still have a lien on it. On such conditions, you need to make preparations to pay off the finance corporation. It's always a better option to go through the police auctions if you are opting to buy a car with the best deal. You can really save a lot of money with it.

About Tire Sizes And Tire Size Conversions

About Tire Specs
There is definitely more to tires than just being round objects connected to cars to permit them to go places with ease. Tires need to have the right size and specifications to suit certain types of vehicles. Here is a quick note about a it's specs:

1. Size - This, of course, speaks of the size of the tire, and is usually seen on the sidewall. For the convenience of motorists, tire manufacturers have listed tire sizes by width, height and diameter.
2. Temperature - This, on the other hand, indicates the tire's resistance to heat. It is usually represented by the letter A, B, or C, with A of course as the highest and C as the lowest.
3. Traction - Traction describes the tire's capacity to respond to the vehicle brakes even when wet. Like temperature, it is also graded with letters, this time AA, A, B, and C, with A being the highest and C the lowest.
4. Treadwear - Treadwear, meanwhile, is about the capacity of the tire to endure wear and tear in comparison to other tires. Normally, tire treadwear begins at 100; so, if a tire has a grading of 150 for treadwear, it means that the tire can last about 1.5 times longer than tires with a 100 grade.

About Tire Size and Tire Size Conversion

Right now, we'll be focusing more on how to deal with size and size conversion.

As mentioned a while ago, tire sizes are usually imprinted on the sidewall of the tire in a sort of format, with the width shown first, followed by the height of the entire sidewall, and then the diameter of the tire rim. Here is a representation of how tire size is specified on the sidewall:

WIDTH/ HEIGHT/ DIAMETER

For the width, of course, all we have to do is to get the measurement of the tire in terms of how wide it is, and it should be in millimeters.

The computation begins with the second element, the height. That is because the height is usually listed on the sidewall in percentage, and not in millimeters. So, if we want to get the exact tire height size conversion in terms of millimeters, all that needs to be done is to multiply the tire height, converted into decimal form, to the tire width. For example:

300 /60/ 20

This means that the height is 60% of the 300 mm width. In other words, we have a tire that has a height of 180 mm.

On the other hand, the diameter is usually designated in the sidewall in terms of inches. To convert to millimeters, the typical formula is as follows:

(SIDEWALL x 2) + WHEEL

So, if, for example, we have a wheel that measures 406 mm, then we convert as follows:

180 mm x 2 = 360
360 + 406 = 766 mm

Meanwhile, here is another interesting fact about tire size conversion is the fact that one could also measure how far the tire can travel per revolution through the figures listed. This is also called the tire circumference. This is measured as follows:

DIAMETER * pi

If we will use our example, the tire circumference would be about 107.358 inches.