Mo' Money, Mo' Problems

Sometimes cars can get very expensive. And with gas and repairs, sometimes it can feel like the spending never stops. When it comes to insurance, however, how bad do you actually have it? According to an Insure.com study, out of the 50 states, Louisiana has the most expensive car insurance and Maine has the least! 

To check out the list and see where we fall, click on the link here: http://bit.ly/f4nIDj

Spring Into Action!

Saying goodbye to Winter’s harsh driving conditions often means saying hello to the laidback coasting of Spring time. And while we can’t wait to stop worrying about the frigid winter, we’ll be the first to say - you’ve got to work hard to play hard. With Spring right around the corner, it’s time to start changing out the snow tires and making sure everything is in tip top shape so your car doesn’t freeze up in the warming season. Here’s a checklist of a few little things that make a BIG difference.

1. Change your tires. If you put snow tires on your car in an effort to battle the fierce Winter season, it’s time to change back! And don’t be the last one to do it. Some places have ordinances and will actually ticket those using snow tires after Winter.

2. Hoses and Belts. The brittle and dry winters are known to wear and tear your hoses and belts. Open up the hood of your car and look around for any cracking or leaking.

3. Liquids and Coolants. Open up the hood of your car and make sure you’ve still got all the right amounts of liquids and coolants. Not changing the oil on time can cost you way more money than if you had done it when it was needed. Make sure you have coolant so your car doesn’t overheat and if you just survived an intense and dirty winter, make sure you’ve still got windshield wiper fluid.

4. Spark Plugs and Spark Plug Wires. While you’re checking everything else, you should check these out, too. Spring is the perfect time to get these fixed if they need it.

5. Tires. Now that you’ve changed your tires, make sure there is enough air in your new ones. Having enough air in your tires is a great way to assure not just a safe ride, but a fuel efficient one at that.

Car Confessions Data Chart

We all have little bits of interesting information and odd behaviors somewhere in our relationship with our cars. Some people don’t mind if you smoke in their car, others don’t always wear a seat belt (though they should), and most people have even named their car! This infographic presents the results of a poll where more than 1000 people were asked a variety of questions about their cars, so check out this infographic for the results.




More here:
http://blogs.automotive.com/car-confessions-data-chart-120407.html#axzz2M7LpmIqL

20 Most Interesting Facts About Cars

“All of you guys have read certain interesting facts about animals, technology, or people at least once in [your] life. Right? And since [a] car is something you use every day, this time it’ll be facts about cars. These infotaining car facts might surprise everybody, from car enthusiast[s] to simply car owner[s]. So in the name of entertainment and because car[s] [are] the most popular type of transport, [here is a] list of great facts about automobiles and things regarding autos. Accompanied with pictures that will help you get a visual description, these great facts can change your attitude towards routine work or usual stuff. Get to know [these] top 20 interesting facts about cars!”

More here:
http://blog.carid.com/20-most-interesting-facts-about-cars

How to Jump Start Your Car

Imagine this, you walk out the door towards your vehicle, get in, and it won’t start. Oh no, maybe the battery’s dead! This can be because the headlights were left on, a door was not completely closed, or maybe the battery is just old. In any case, you’ve got somewhere to go, and you’re not going to let this stand in your way. Well as long as you’ve got a friend with a charged car battery and some jumper cables, you can still get where you’re heading after a quick jump.

Put on the safety glasses and open the hoods of both cars. Make sure the battery position on each car is compatible to the length of the cables.
Attach the red clamp of the jumper cables to the working battery in the assisting car first, then attach the black clamp to the negative terminal of the working battery in the assisting car. Be sure once both of those clamps are attached to the working battery that the idle clamps on the other end of the jumper cables do not come into contact with one another, or sparks will fly.
Hold the remaining clamps of the jumper cables apart and attach the red clamp to the positive battery terminal on the dead battery. Attach the black clamp of the jumper cable to a non-moving metallic ground away from the dead battery. Use a large bolt head or metal engine bracket within reach. Make sure that there is no slack in the cable or clamp connections that can come into contact with moving engine parts when the dead car battery starts the engine.
Start the car with the dead battery. If it doesn't start, you may need to start the engine of the assisting car and allow it to run for a while, or have the engine revved to accommodate the cold cranking amps of the dead battery. It will depend on how many cold cranking amps the dead battery calls for and how dead the battery is. A rule of thumb is to find a compatible vehicle to jump start from. A small compact car with a low cold cranking amp battery may have a difficult time jump starting a 3/4-ton truck with a high cold cranking amp battery.
Remove the black clamp from the ground position on the vehicle that needed to be jump started first, then remove the red clamp from the same vehicle (once the battery starts the engine). Again, be sure not to allow the clamps of the jumper cables to contact one another. Finally, remove the black clamp from the assisting car's negative battery terminal and then the last clamp from the positive battery terminal. Close the hoods and remove the safety glasses.

For two other ways to jump your car, check out this article. http://www.ehow.com/how_4899364_jump-start-car-safely.html