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Archive for the ‘Cars’ Category

A pothole can be your car’s worst enemy. These holes or pits on a road’s surface can seriously damage a vehicle’s ride-control system.

If you do drive over a pothole, the Car Care Council recommends that you have your car’s shocks or struts checked to make sure they aren’t damaged.

Shocks and struts control how vehicles ride and handle. According to the Car Care Council, the shock absorbers, or struts as they are referred to on late-model vehicles, act as a cushion to dampen the bouncing action of a car’s springs. The springs absorb the road bumps; without them, the vehicle would continually bounce and bound down the road, making driving extremely difficult.

Shocks and struts also control spring and suspension movement to keep the tires in contact with the road. This affects steering, stability and braking. A broken shock or strut could alter the steering and handling of a vehicle and create driving dangers.

It’s important to be aware of the warning signs that your vehicle’s shocks or struts may need to be replaced.

* The vehicle rolls or sways on turns.

* The vehicle’s front-end dives when braking.

* The vehicle’s rear end squats when accelerating.

* The vehicle bounces or slides sideways on a winding, rough road.

* The vehicle “bottoms out” or thumps on bumps.

* The vehicle sits lower in the front or rear.

* The vehicle is leaking or has signs of physical damage, such as rusting or dents.

* There’s a loss of directional control during sudden stops of the vehicle.

Many components affect a vehicle’s handling. Having your car inspected, if you experience any of the above signs, is good preventive maintenance and can help its parts wear less and last longer.

“If you think you may have a worn out or broken shock or strut, don’t wait,” said Rich White, executive director of the Car Care Council. “Whether you replace it yourself or take your car to a professional service technician, this situation should be taken care of right away.”

The Car Care Council is the source of information for the “Be Car Care Aware” campaign, educating consumers about the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair.

Lots of folks are speculating about GM’s future. If you take all the press reports at heart, you would think that General Motors is on life support. Quite frankly, the opposite is true especially when you look at the global picture. In 2005, “the General” sold more than 9 million cars worldwide, the first time the automaker reached that figure since 1978. Yes, U.S. auto sales are down and some are calling for GM to reduce its many brands, currently numbering 8. Who should GM let go? Or, should General Motors stick with the game plan and maintain all 8 brands?

For the record, GM’s 8 brands are: Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Saturn, GMC, Hummer, and Saab. You could take Saab out of that pack as the Swedish automaker (although fully owned by GM) builds few cars in North America. Still, GM includes Saab in its marketing schema so we’ll keep them in for argument’s sake.

Clearly, Cadillac is GM’s luxury division; Chevrolet is it’s budget or “All American” division; while GMC is the truck division. Beyond that, there is much muddling of divisions, but Buick is a maker of “near luxury” vehicles (Cadillac lite) while Hummer is GM’s specialty truck division. The Saab line is a bit confusing as it once was a true European division. Now, the make is chiefly featuring rebadged GM and Subaru vehicles with little original models to show for it. Finally, Pontiac and Saturn duplicate much of what the other divisions do, although the Saturn mystique of “no haggle pricing” gives the make a certain aura to it. That leaves Pontiac.

Pontiac, like the recently killed off Oldsmobile name, is probably one of the most vulnerable of the true “American” makes. Saturn will survive because its dealer network is tops and consumer satisfaction ranks up there with Lexus.

Ultimately, the Saab name will likely die first. Outside of the U.S., particularly in Europe, Opel is a known name and an important GM make. Word has it that some of Saab’s production will shift to Germany and certain rebadged Opels will begin to sport the Saab name. Let’s just say once that happens, there is little reason to continue making Saabs. Let the Saab name die with dignity. Why spoil it by selling rebadged Opels as Saabs?

Personally, I think GM should leave well enough alone with its remaining American brands. I wasn’t in favor of Oldsmobile’s demise and I am not in favor of killing off trusted brands. GM is retooling its operation as old models are killed off and as new or revived models step in. Look for the Chevy Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Saturn Sky, and the Buick Enclave to help spark their respective divisions to renewed glory. Am I living a pipe dream? Maybe, but at least my imagination is going in a positive direction.

You lovingly wash and wax your vehicle on most sunny weekends, spending time detailing every single blotch, nick, scrape, or other damaging mark on your car’s exterior. Part of the deal with owning any vehicle is making certain that it looks its best week in and week out. Still, you may not be doing all that you can to protect the finish. Other enemies including bird excrement, acid rain, and even harmful UV rays can thwart the best efforts of even the most diligent car owner. Fortunately, there is one automotive accessory that can help keep your car clean, provided you use it when your car is parked for an extended length of time. What am I talking about? Car covers! Read on for seven helpful tips to help you choose the right cover for your truck, van, SUV, or car.

When shopping for a custom car cover you must give consideration to what it does besides simply covering your car. Among some important points to know:

Will the car cover protect from damaging UV rays? If you live in an area of intense sunshine, such as Arizona, you need a car cover that offers the maximum protection from the sun.

Is the material durable? Does it breath? Will it tear if loaded down with snow or ice?

Will the car cover resist or completely repel rain?

Can the product survive weather extremes, i.e. intense heat or severe cold?

Will the car cover resist dust? Some car covers prevent even the finest dust from accumulating, dust that can mar your garaged car too.

Does the car cover come with multiple layers to protect from small insults? This is important feature to have if you leave your car in a public area. In addition, selecting a car cover that comes with side mirror pockets is a wise choice to ensure that your car receives the snuggest fit.

Finally, you will want to know if there is a lengthy guarantee offered, what colors are available, and what the return policies are, if any, of the cover that you select.

Most premium car covers allow you for them to be cleaned right in your washing machine. By selecting cold to warm water, regular bleach-free laundry detergent, and drying it on your dryer’s permanent press cycle, you can make the dirtiest car cover clean in no time. Of course, make certain that you adhere to the manufacturer’s specifications for the proper care of your car cover.

You’re probably hearing a lot about hybrid cars these days. They are definitely being discussed everywhere. Hardly a day goes by that a major newspaper or television network isn’t doing a feature story on hybrids. And everyday it seems like one car manufacturer or another is introducing a new hybrid vehicle.

So what’s all the buzz about?

Well, hybrids are a new type of vehicle that runs on electricity (from a battery) and gasoline. Now, that’s a novel idea isn’t it?

Hybrids are picking up steam (sounds like a pun doesn’t it?) everywhere, including the world’s most a car lovin’ city – Los Angeles – where many of the top stars are hybrid owners.

In the “City of the Angels” you’ll see environmentally forward thinking celebrities, like Bill Maher, Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and “Seinfeld” co-creator and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” creator and star, Larry David behind the wheel of their hybrids.

You might also see the lovely Cameron Diaz cruisin’ the Hollywood Hills in her hybrid. And when Leonardo Di Caprio really wants to feel like “the king of the world,” guess what he’ll be driving? You did guess a hybrid, didn’t you?

What do the stars know that you don’t?

Well they know that driving a hybrid makes a lot of sense (and may save some cents too! )

Want to know more about hybrids? Good. Now here are 7 reasons to buy a hybrid car.

1. The smaller hybrid compacts and sedans save considerable amounts of fuel compared to cars powered by gas turbine engines. If you’re interested in saving dollars on gas, this could be your solution.

2. The larger hybrid cars are not concerned with fuel efficiency. These cars are purchased because their owners want to boost power and performance. If you’re looking to get higher performance, consider a hybrid.

3. Hybrids can save you money in a multitude of ways. While the typical hybrid is about $3000 more than a typical car, this cost differential will narrow as auto manufacturers produce more hybrid cars in the future. The hybrid savings come in the form of state and federal incentives, reduced maintenance costs, and of course, lower fuel costs.

4. Your hybrid will even be financially advantageous to you when you decide it’s time to sell it. The resale value of hybrid cars is exceptional. Unlike most cars, hybrids hold their value at an astonishing level.

5. If you care about the planet and you’re concerned with the kind of environment you leave for future generations, driving a hybrid car is an important environmental statement. Hybrids generate less pollution than their standard counterparts.

6. Driving a hybrid saves gas. That’s a positive for our economy. The less we, as a society, spend on gas means we have more money to spend on other essentials and luxury products. We could even save the money we would have spent on gas and use it for our savings or investment plans.

7. Driving a hybrid could help America fight the war in Iraq. Here’s why. In addition to funding U.S. soldiers and the Iraqi efforts to create a democracy, many experts contend the U.S. is actually funding both sides of the Iraqi war. They believe Middle Eastern oil interests’ are using part of their profits to fund the insurgency. So, in effect, our excessive oil consumption makes it more difficult to bring peace to Iraq. Bottom line: the less we spend on gas and oil means less financial resources for our enemies overseas.

For all of these reasons, hybrid cars are “the next big thing in the automotive world.” So when it comes time for your next auto purchase, do yourself a favor and check out some hybrids cars. You might find that a hybrid is the perfect car for you.