Recovering from a DUI with High Risk Insurance

on Jan 18 in Insurance tagged car insurance, dui insurance, high risk by jasonl

If you have received a DUI conviction, you know that there are many ways a DUI can disrupt your life. One of the biggest obstacles to getting back on the road can be the high price of car insurance after your conviction. A DUI puts you in the highest risk category with standard insurance companies, which means you will have to pay top dollar for regular coverage. In fact, some standard insurance companies might even reject your application due to the DUI conviction. Fortunately, there are car insurance companies that offer more limited high risk insurance at a decent rate to help you rebuild your driving history so that you will eventually qualify for more reasonable rates on standard insurance policies. Read More

How to Find Map Updates for Your Portable GPS Device

on Jan 09 in Accessories tagged garmin, gps map update, navigon, new gps maps, portable gps, tomtom by jasonl

Over the last ten years, portable GPS devices have been one of the top selling consumer gadgets on the market. If you don’t own one yourself, you probably know someone who does. But in recent times, portable GPS units have faced fierce competition from smartphone navigation systems, with apps that also promise turn-by-turn navigation directions.

The problem with a smartphone as a navigation device, however, is that using your phone’s navigation app can result in data charges – and even data roaming charges when you’re headed outside your primary coverage area. If you’re not careful, your phone’s “free” navigation app can actually cost you a small fortune.

As a result, many consumers are still happy to use their old portable GPS. But what about map updates? Depending on how long you have owned the device and which unit you have purchased, you may be able to download updates for free for for a nominal fee.

Here’s a short overview of the different options available for the different units. Read More

Should I Consider Buying a Used Transmission?

on Jan 03 in Maintenance & Repairs tagged used transmission by jasonl

Transmission repair is an expensive endeavor, and a damaged transmission is often the cause of an otherwise good car going to the junkyard before its time. Yet the untimely demise of someone else’s transmission could be good news for you if you have the time and inclination to replace the damaged transmission with a used or rebuilt (or refurbished) transmission.

But is it wise to buy a used transmission? By definition, a used transmission is used. A portion (or perhaps a majority) of the transmission’s life is gone, isn’t it? How do you know when to buy a used transmission and when not to?

Here are a few tips to help you determine whether a used transmission is right for you, and how to find a good one.

Read More

5 Vehicle Fluid Levels You Shouldn’t Ignore

on Dec 26 in Maintenance & Repairs tagged by jasonl

You’re probably always pretty good at keeping an eye on your gas level. In fact, watching gas prices, gauging how far you can get on a small amount of gas, and leaving room in your budget for transportation costs is something that we’ve all gotten used to doing over the past few years.

There’s also the fact that, if you run out of gas, you know your car isn’t going very far. That’s why we pay so much attention to how much gas is in the tank. The thing is, there are other fluids levels in your car that you shouldn’t ignore. In some cases, a drop in one of these other fluid levels will just be an inconvenience. For example, a few years ago I was behind a truck that took a mud puddle too fast and splashed some mud up on my windshield. It was at that moment that I realized I was out of wiper fluid.

In other instances, low fluid levels can be downright dangerous. Running out of oil can damage your engine, sometimes beyond repair. Transmission fluid, antifreeze, and brake fluid are additional fluids that you really don’t want to run dry on, as they can all lead to catastrophic mechanical failures.

Car maintenance is incredibly important. MSN Autos says that “even the newest cars require scheduled service to live long, productive lives.” Checking fluid levels can be a hassle, but it’s usually a lot easier to prevent something bad from happening than it is to fix it after it really happens. It’s a lot cheaper, too. Wouldn’t you rather spend the $40 for an oil change than you would $6,000 – $12,000 for a major engine repair? I would!

Not long ago I was online looking for a quote on car insurance and instead I found information that showed me that my oversights on my essential fluids might cost me an arm and a leg in the future-forget about the high prices of gas!

The following is a short list of 5 fluids that you should keep your eye on as far as general car maintenance is concerned: Read More

How To Keep Your Elderly Parents Independent and On The Road

on Nov 21 in Accurate Auto Advice tagged driving safety, elderly drivers, senior mobility, seniors by jasonl

Like most people, I suppose, when I was younger I thought my parents were infallible. I thought they could do anything, and that they would be able to keep doing anything they wanted to forever.

Of course, now that I’m an adult and I see my parents retired and getting older, I know that’s not true.

The Key to Staying Healthy for Aging Parents – Mobility

Now the big issue is keeping them independent and active. I worry because I’ve seen so often how older people go downhill quickly when they can’t move around anymore. They lose hope, they give up, and they stop living even while they are still alive.

The more that seniors can go out and get involved in things, the better chance they have of living longer, better lives. My mom adores getting involved in her volunteer work, for example, and I don’t know what will happen when she can’t do that anymore.

Of course, one of the keys to maintaining independence is maintaining the ability to drive, and driving can be expensive. Between fuel costs, maintenance costs, and insurance, it’s not cheap to have a car. That’s why I encouraged my parents to do a motor vehicle insurance comparison. There are organizations that offer insurance discounts for seniors, and a comparison helped my parents discover these discounts and verify they had the right coverage limits too. Read More

The RIGHT Way To Install A Child’s Car Seat

on Nov 09 in Accurate Auto Advice tagged car seat, car seats, installation by jasonl

NOTE: The following information is intended to help you install a car seat correctly. However, no Internet article is a substitute for an in-person car seat inspection. Before taking your new baby home in your car seat, be sure to contact your local fire department or hospital to ask about car seat installation programs. As a result, we accept no responsibility for anyone who installs a seat incorrectly after reading our guide.

Car seats are no longer optional safety equipment. They protect the fragile bodies of our children in a car crash. Because an error could be deadly for the little ones you love most, installing the car seat correctly is vital. These instructions will walk you through car seat installation, but be sure to have your local fire or police department check your work.

Before You Begin

You will need to skim through your car seat’s manual to get an understanding of how to install your seat. By doing so, you will notice any instructions particular to your car seat model, making this normally aggravating process as easy on yourself as possible.

If you are installing a car seat after a car accident, check with the insurance company to find out if the seat is still safe to use. The best auto insurance companies will pay to replace a damaged car seat after an accident if there is a chance the seat was damaged.

The Procedure

When using your car’s seat belt to secure the car seat, first you must Read More

Base vs. Fully Loaded: A Ford F-150 Comparison

on Nov 07 in New Cars tagged 2012 f150, f150 comparison, harley davidson, king ranch, work truck, xl by jasonl

Nowhere in the automotive world are the differences between the bottom and top ends of a model range so pronounced as with pickup trucks. The most basic pickups have exactly zero frills, manual everything and interiors crude enough to be hosed out after a long day’s work.

On the other end of the spectrum is what some refer to as “city slicker trucks,” vehicles loaded to the gills with soft, French-stitched leather, shiny chrome wheels and as much advanced technology as your typical Mercedes-Benz.

Read on to see just how many features (and how much money) separate the high and low-end versions of the best selling pickup in America, the Ford F-150. Read More

Top 5 Vehicles For The Mountains and Snow – 2012 Edition

on Nov 03 in Accurate Auto Advice tagged tires, winter driving by jasonl

With winter season right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about fun-filled excursions to your favorite mountain. For my family it’s Vail Resorts in Colorado. Whether you choose to stay at Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, or Vail, it’s essential to remember the two most important items when planning a skiing or snowboarding getaway: warm clothing and reliable transportation.

When looking for the reliable transportation component, drivers tend to overlook the most important factor when it comes to winter driving: SNOW TIRES. Without snow tires, even the most rugged four-wheel drive vehicle will be subject to poor traction control. Turning and braking on snowy or icy conditions without the proper winter tires will simply defeat the purpose of a car designed to handle extreme conditions. The perfect car for snow and mountain vacations will blend comfort, safety, all-wheel or four-wheel drive, and of course great tires…so make sure whatever you buy/rent/borrow or drive is wearing some good snow shoes.

Once you add winter tires to your list of things to gather before setting off on your vacation, it’s time to choose the right car that will take you, as well as your family and friends, to that special snowy mountain spot. Here are the top five vehicles for the mountains and snow this year: Read More

Is Your Mechanic Ripping You Off?

on Oct 31 in Maintenance & Repairs tagged auto repair tips, mechanic, mechanics, repair shop by jasonl

We aren’t all car-savvy, and some of us can get sorely mislead when it comes to our cars. Not everyone knows what every purr and growl of their car means. I’ve always been amazed by the guys that I know who can tell me every little thing that is wrong with their car (and how long they can shove off fixing it before their car is in really dire shape). I can’t do that. So I have to trust my mechanic.

But not all mechanics are what they seem to be…mechanics have the unfortunate reputation of being slightly unsavory, and tweaking the cars of unsuspecting grandmothers so that the car will break down and they’ll have to come and get it fixed again and again and again…

What To Look For

To prevent a potential mechanic rip-off situation, there are some things you can look for that can indicate the quality of the shop you’re about to do business with. People may say you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, but well, that’s a book. You do have the right to take a look around the garage and judge what you see, assuming you are able to correctly interpret what you find! Read More

SEMA: The World-Series of the Auto Industry Kicks Off November 1st

on Oct 20 in News tagged car show, car shows, sema by jasonl

If you’re a heavy hitting auto enthusiast and you’re swinging for the fences, it doesn’t get any bigger than the annual SEMA show, stepping up to the plate November 1st. With Las Vegas’ biggest car show, SEMA brings out the auto industries biggest bats and lets you get a chance to see what’s on its’ way to a road near you.

SEMA stands for the Specialty Equipment Market Association and true to its’ name, you can be sure anything in SEMA’s show is going to make your car bigger, faster, and stronger. SEMA features the industries hottest cars fitted with the best and most innovative aftermarket parts. From the engine to the interior, SEMA shows off the newest equipment to turn your car into a fastball on speed traps on any road.

Read More

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