Sunday, December 20, 2009

Simple Tips in Basic Car Maintenance

Not everyone is a big fan of power cars who needs to know much about the details of a car. Many of us are an everyday person who commutes in a simple Honda Acura Integra or Toyota Corolla or other Japanese cars. If you are one of them, then all you need to know is the basic car maintenance to keep your car makes most of its service years. Here are some tips to help you with your car maintenances.


1. Engine oil

Check the oil level in your engine using a dipstick. Add more oil if needed since lack of oil can cause a serious damage to your car engine, sometimes beyond repair. Be wise and keep it sufficient before your car engine suffers any damage.

Have engine oil change frequently. The common frequency is every 3000 miles. However, if the oil has become dirty, you should change it immediately. To check if the oil is dirty, pour it on a clean sheet of paper and compare it to some fresh oil.


2. Tires

Make sure that your tires are in good condition every time you want to hit the road. Flat or wear tires are very dangerous for a safe driving. Many accidents happen because of them.

Check the pressure, wear, and tear of your tires. Inflate them to proper pressure. Change them immediately once you find them damaged or wear. Tires in good shape also help you to cause good mileage.


3. Brake

Brake is another important point in safe driving. Make sure that your brake functions as it is supposed to be before you are driving. It is quite difficult to fix brakes so you better get a professional help for it. Go to your nearest Houston auto repair once you feel that your brake does not work properly.

If you own an old car, then you may need to tune up your car. Old cars are not controlled by computer so that it needs to have some mechanical adjustments once in a while whenever it starts to work improperly.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Smart Tips for Getting Discounts in Renting Cars


Do you travel a lot? If you do, I suppose you have been already familiar with car rental coupons. If you haven’t heard anything about car rental coupons, then there is a big chance that you are one of them who always complain about the cost to rent a car.

If you are one of those disgruntled travelers, it is just about time for you to know that you can get a better bargain for your car rent price and save up some money in your travels. Use car rental coupons or enterprise car rental coupons, which are also known as discount codes, to get discount when renting a car.

In old days, these coupons could be found in the car rental counters or travel publications only. Yet, nowadays there are many sites which offer the coupons online. These online sites are really helpful since you can access them from the comfort of your home or office and don’t have to spend additional money on gas.


However, just like purchasing other things, you need to pay attention on what you buy. Renting a car with an enterprise car discount coupon can bring you great advantage in reducing the rental price, yet it can bring you disappointments too if you don’t feel bother to check your options first.

Usually, you cannot use your coupon on all cars available. The coupons can only be used on those cars which have higher prices compared to the others. Check the models and the rent prices of the cars that can be rented using your rental coupon. If you can find a cheaper car without discount coupon, you may want to have that car instead.

Check also the terms and conditions. Make clear whether the discount is applied only on the basic rental fee or not. Without ensuring this detail, you may end up spending more amount than you expected when you receive the bill which charges the insurance coverage, taxes, and other miscellaneous fee to you.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Browsing for Car Maintenance Online

You may think that there is no relation between internet and automotive. It may seem as if there is not, but it can actually be a great source of information which comes really handy when you need it.

If you are a new owner of a car, you may need a lot of advice in car maintenance. Apart from the manual given by the car manufacturer, you can get more comprehensive advice and tips in your car maintenance.


All you need to do is type the full name and type of your car in a search engine along with the word “maintenance”. For example, type Ford Explorer DTCs P0171 maintenance” and press enter. In a second you will get many links which will connect you to the websites which contain the information.


Same thing goes to when there is damage that needs to be repaired. You will need help in finding the right place to get your car fixed. Now, you do not have to drive around your city to find the auto repair shops. Many auto repair shops already have websites nowadays so you can connect with them online.


If you have no idea yet where you can bring your car to, you can always check the shops available in your city again by using search engine. Use your town as keyword along with auto repair to find where all the auto repair shops available in your town. For example, type “Los Angeles auto repair” and the results will show you the list of links which can provide you information on the addresses of auto repair shops in Los Angeles.


Some websites even go further in helping you with your car damage. There are sites which can give you predictions on the estimated cost to repair the damage in your car. All you need to do is enter the information of your car’s type, year of making, service you need, the mileage of your car, and your zip code. With this application, you can estimate how many dollars you will spend for a head gasket replacement for your Ford Explorer, simple and easy.