Oil changes, transmission flushes and tire replacements are all important, but how often should you get these things done? It depends on who you ask. Your owner's manual says one thing, but the mechanic or dealership says another. Because most of us aren't as well-versed with car maintenance basics as a mechanic, it's easy to just go along with whatever he or she tells you.
Vehicle titles often create a lot of confusion when it comes to buying, selling, inheriting or donating a car. Titles are legal documents, meaning that you may void your title and need to obtain a duplicate copy from the DMV if you fill anything out incorrectly. Because no one wants another reason to wait at the DMV, it's important to do your research before filling out or signing your car title.
Did you know there is a lot of preventive maintenance that you need to do on a regular basis? You might be thinking that because you get your oil changed as you're supposed to and check your fluids regularly your vehicle is fine. It’s great that you’re staying on top of those most common maintenance things; however, there are many other preventive maintenance items that you should be doing as well.
The 2017 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) will take place April 14-23 at the Javits Convention Center in New York City. There will be around 1,000 cars and trucks on display. The New York Auto Show was the first North American auto show dating back to 1900. It is open to the public, Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sundays: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Many people have plans to someday donate their old car, boat or motorcycle to charity. But how do you know when the best time to donate is? Giving up your car can be a tough decision even if you know it will help a cause you care about. To help with the sometimes difficult decision of when to donate a car, we've put together this simple guide.
If you're always on the go, work odd hours or don't like talking on the phone, it's always nice when you have the option to do things online. Car donation is one thing that's incredibly easy to do online! If you've been meaning to make a car donation but haven't set aside the time, don't worry. Donating your car online takes only a minute, and you can do it any hour of the day, seven days a week!
When it’s time to start looking for a new vehicle because you need more room or the problems are getting too costly to fix, there are only a few options. Sometimes it is easier if you can see what the best option is by comparing the two. Hopefully, this will help you understand why donating your vehicle is the best option.
Cars are a big part of our lives. Whether you own a car or not, traffic, pollution, car accidents or all of the above probably have affected you at some point. Because of this, you probably know the essentials about cars. However, even if you are a mechanic, you probably didn’t know all of these awesome, random facts about cars:
Of the many conditions you'll drive through in your car's lifetime, road salt probably has the worst effect on your car's body. If you live in the majority of states that use road salt, you've seen your fair share of rusty cars and know it can happen to you too. Unfortunately it may not be possible to completely protect your car from the corrosive effects of salt. But with a little extra maintenance in the winter months you can help prevent rust much longer.
For most of us, traveling is one of the most dreaded parts of the holidays. According to the US Department of Transportation, the number of long-distance road trips increases by 23 percent around Christmas weekend. Everyone knows that airports, busses, train stations and roads will be busier than normal, but using just a few practical tips can help avoid much of the stress that comes with travel.
Now that we're in the heart of winter, you've had a chance to get reacquainted with driving in the snow. The first couple of snowfalls, getting used to driving in the snow is an adjustment. People slipping and sliding down the road is a common sight as people figure out how much time and room they need to stop.
One way to help yourself and stay safe while driving in the winter is to equip your car with winter tires to replace your other tires until the snow goes away.
AAA predicts that close to 90 million Americans will travel by car for Christmas and other holidays this December. With the holiday season already being an expensive time of year, you may be looking for any opportunity to cut back on spending. Your holiday road trip can be a great place to start. Tuning up your car and traveling smart can save you precious time and money during one of the most stressful travel periods of the year.
AAA predicts that close to 90 million Americans will travel by car for Christmas and other holidays this December. With the holiday season already being an expensive time of year, you may be looking for any opportunity to cut back on spending. Your holiday road trip can be a great place to start. Tuning up your car and traveling smart can save you precious time and money during one of the most stressful travel periods of the year.
AAA predicts that close to 90 million Americans will travel by car for Christmas and other holidays this December. With the holiday season already being an expensive time of year, you may be looking for any opportunity to cut back on spending. Your holiday road trip can be a great place to start. Tuning up your car and traveling smart can save you precious time and money during one of the most stressful travel periods of the year.
Predicting the weather can be hard enough on a day to day basis. But forecasting whole seasons is an entirely different challenge. Winter may start in December, but winter weather can happen anytime. Last year, parts of the upper Midwest were pounded by snow and below-average temperatures by early November. Much of that snow was gone by Christmas, but it didn't mean the snow was done for the season.
This year, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting cooler and wetter weather in the South, and above-average temperatures in the West and across the Northern part of the county. NOAA is also predicting a drier winter for the northern Rocky Mountain areas, upper plain states, and the Great Lakes-area.
But it's important to remember that those predictions are for the season, and what you get hit with on a day-to-day basis is different. It may be sunny when you drive to work, but that doesn't mean you won't have a snowstorm or downpour to deal with. If you do, is your car ready?
It’s important to be prepared for what winter driving brings, not to mention what it can do to your car. If you want to keep your car driving well through the winter months so it comes out OK on the other side of the coldest season, you have to be ready. Here are some tips to keep yourself out of trouble while driving this winter.
- Check Your Tire Tread And Pressure. If your car can't stay on the road, it puts you and those driving around you at serious risk. That starts with your tire's tread and inflation. If the tread is low, it hampers your car’s ability to grip the road. This is obviously an issue anytime of the year, but snow, slush and ice that can accumulate on the roads can make for dangerous driving. Here’s how to do a check yourself: Take a quarter and place it in the tire tread with Washington’s head pointing down. If Washington’s entire head is visible, it’s time to get new tires. Having tires that are properly inflated isn’t just about safety – it can save you money as well. According to the Department of Energy, every pound per square inch (PSI) that your tires are underinflated, lowers your gas mileage by 0.3 percent. That may not sound like much, but consider this: Proper inflation can raise gas mileage by 3.3 percent, or savings of up to 11 cents per gallon. Not sure what to inflate your tires to? Check the sticker on the driver’s side door jamb or in the car’s owner’s manual. Tires lose a pound of pressure for every 10-degree Fahrenheit drop in the temperature, so make sure you keep a close eye on it.
- Make Sure You Can See. Standard wiper blades are made of rubber, and over time, they can wear down or crack, making them very ineffective to clear off snow and ice. Streaky windows hamper your ability to see the road, so make sure you check and replace, if necessary, your wiper blades. Also key is making sure your windshield-washer fluid tank is full, and make sure you have a gallon in the car with you in case you run out. Snow and slush make your windshield a mess in a hurry; it’ll surprise you how quickly you’ll run through washer fluid.
- Get Your Battery Checked. Ever notice how your car strains a little bit when you turn the key in the winter? That’s because as it gets colder, the battery has to work hard to turn your engine over. Make sure that it’s getting a proper charge by getting the battery tested. Most service centers will do it for cheap – or for free – and checking can be the difference between getting home safely or getting stranded on the side of the road.
- Hope For The Best, Prepare For The Worst. A simple survival kit stashed in your trunk can be a lifesaver. A bag of salt, spare shovel, jumper cables and blankets are vitally important should your car break down and you end up stranded on the side of the road. The North Dakota Department of Transportation has some more helpful suggestions for what to keep with you while driving.
- Keep Your Lights Clean. Whenever you stop for gas, it’s a good practice to use the windshield washer to clean off your headlights. Given how early it gets dark – particularly in places like North Dakota or Alaska – you spend a lot of time driving with your lights on. Take 15 seconds to scrub off the grime so you can see – and be seen – when you’re out on the road.
Car Not Up For Winter? Donate It!
If you’re worried that your car isn’t up for the challenge of winter and a new purchase is in the cards, consider donating your vehicle to Wheels For Wishes benefiting Make-A-Wish. Your unwanted vehicle can help inspire a local child and make their wish come true.
All you need to do is donate an unwanted car, truck, SUV, RV, motorcycle, or boat and it will help to grant a wish for a local child in your community. All of the hassle typically associated with getting rid of an unwanted vehicle is handled for you. No paying for and posting listings. No dealing with setting up times for potential buyers to view the vehicle. No haggling or price wars. No producing maintenance logs or waiting for a buyer to have their mechanic look it over. Plus you’ll get a tax deduction for your vehicle, which you don’t get when you try to sell it.
All you have to do is pick up the phone and call [chapter_phone] or fill out our easy online vehicle donation form. You don’t even have to be home when the pick-up happens! It is just that simple and you will feel great about helping those who are striving to feel hope, strength, and joy once again.
Thanks to yet another polar vortex, winter has already begun in much of the United States, with snow already on the ground and far-below average temperatures. For those people living in the southern-half of the United States, it may mean cooler than average temperatures. But for those in the north, it means several months of digging out of your driveway and re-learning how to control your car on icy roads.
It’s important to be prepared for what winter driving brings, not to mention what it can do to your car. If you want to keep your car driving well through the winter months so it comes out OK on the other side of the coldest season, you have to be ready. Here are some tips to keep yourself out of trouble while driving this winter.
Summer is car show season, and car shows make for a fun day or evening browsing through all the different hot rods and classic cars. If you have a classic car that you’d like to show off, or maybe you’d just like to browse through the other awesome cars out there, take a look at our list of car shows all over the United States! Get the family together, pack a cooler and enjoy one of America’s favorite pastimes.
Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, winter is near. For those people living in the southern-half of the United States, it may mean cooler than average temperatures. But for those in the North, it means three months (or more) of digging out of your driveway and re-learning how to control your car on icy roads.
It’s important to be prepared for what winter driving brings, not to mention what it can do to your car. If you want to keep your car driving well through the winter months so it comes out OK on the other side of the coldest season, you have to be ready. Here are some tips to keep yourself out of trouble while driving this winter.
Car donation is beneficial in so many ways. It helps to grant a wish for a child battling critical illnesses, and it also helps bring hope, strength, and joy back into a child’s life. But not only is car donation incredibly kind and generous, it is also eco-friendly and contributes to the green movement! When you donate a vehicle to Wheels For Wishes, benefiting Make-A-Wish, your vehicle will be picked up or towed away at no cost to you. Vehicles are then auctioned off for new owners to use or are recycled and reused.
Wheels For Wishes accepts vehicles whether they are running or not, so your unwanted vehicle can be completely transformed into something bigger and better, while also granting a wish for a local child in your community. Each and every part of your car can be put to better use, even the parts you never thought of as being recyclable or reusable! The lives of these five car parts can be extended longer than you ever thought possible!
It’s the middle of summer, which means road trips could be in your future – whether a few hours or a few days away. Gas prices are averaging about $3.50 nationally which means if you don’t want your vacation to put a huge dent in your budget, you should be looking for ways to add some MPGs to each tank of gas. Fortunately, there are some simple techniques you can try that can make your wallet less light at the end of the trip.
- Properly inflate your tires. According to the Department of Energy, every pound per square inch (PSI) that your tires are underinflated, you lower your gas mileage by 0.3 percent. That may not sound like much, but consider this: Proper inflation can raise gas mileage by 3.3 percent, or savings of up to 11 cents per gallon. Not sure what to inflate your tires to? Check the sticker on the driver’s side door jamb or in the car’s owner’s manual.
