Best Money Saving Articles Online

Tips to Prevent Major Auto Repairs

Feb 24, 2010 More Saving

Fixing up major auto repairs can really take a bite out of your car fund. You can save yourself money later on by making an effort to regularly service your car. The better you are at getting maintenance work done while it is in good, working order - the better chance you have of avoiding expensive auto repairs.

Here are some recommendations to save you on having to do major auto repairs. All prices are average costs. Visit with your local Utah auto repair shop for actual prices on the services listed below.

1. Transmission Flush - One of the most expensive things done to a car is replacing its transmission. Try to avoid this situation by changing your transmission oil regularly. A transmission flush usually costs around $100, but a new transmission will cost you $2000 - $4000.

2. Fuel Injection Service - Fuel injection service will help your injectors working properly. Prevent your injectors from having to replaced by cleaning them regularly. The service is $65, while replacing fuel injectors are more than $500.

3. Power Steering Service - Power steering should be checked any time you hear any whining noises in your car. The oil should be replaced every 30,000 miles. The service costs $80 and major repair to power steering can be $300 or more.

4. Oil Change - It is important to replace the oil to keep your engine in working order. Change the oil every 3,000 miles. Utah auto repair shops can easily replace oil for $30 or less, while engine repairs can be more than $5000.

5. Air Filter Service - The air filter should be changed every 15,000 miles. The engine of your car needs clean air for its combustion. Air filter service is usually only $15.00, and will help keep your gas mileage in good order.

6. Coolant Flush - A coolant flush is another good service that will help keep your radiator from having to be replaced. A coolant flush keeps your engine cool and keeps your PH levels and freeze points of your coolant system working adequately. A flush is normally $80, thought a car radiator will cost you more than $600.

Master Muffler is Utah’s leading muffler, brake and auto repair shop, and has 13 locations from Brigham City to Provo. Visit or call one of their locations for a free quote on how to improve your miles per gallon up to 30% for your car, truck or van. Visit their website at www.mastermuffler.net.

Tags: auto repair, Brake Repair, Brakes, More Saving, Muffler Repair, Mufflers, performance exhaust, utah auto repair, utah brake repair, utah muffler repair, utah muffler replacement

Auto Repair You Can Trust

Nov 4, 2009 More Saving

Vehicles are an important part of many people’s daily lives. We rely on them to get us to work or school every day. Whenever we have an important errand to run, our vehicles are necessary. It would be hard to imagine modern life without them, so we need to keep them in working shape.

When your car or truck breaks down or you get in a car accident, you often find yourself in a panic if you don’t have other means of transportation. You worry how much it will cost to fix your car and you worry about who you can trust. Let’s face it; we all hear stories of people getting ripped off by someone that worked on their car. That is no longer the case for those of you in Utah because there is a lot quality auto repair Utah has to offer.

You never know when you will be involved in an accident or when your car will break down. If you are not prepared and don’t take care of it quickly it can really set you back. Not only do you worry about how much time it will take to fix your car, but what auto repair Utah is trustworthy enough to make sure you get good service? If you are living in Utah there are a lot of quality auto repair shops that will take care of you and your car.

If you really want to know about your auto repair shop there are a couple more things you can do to make sure you are working with the best. You should see if your shop belongs to some of the reputable associations like the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the Chamber of Commerce, the Auto Service Association (ASA), Collision Industry Conference (CIC), or the National Auto Body Council.

You can also look into its certifications and learn something about it. Is it Gold Certified for its shops and technicians? Have they won any awards for their service? There really are a lot of companies out there that will care about you and your car, and will work with your insurance company to make sure you are taken care of.

When it comes to your car, you should always take the time to find a company that will always give you what you pay for. If you want your car to be treated well and taken care of, do your checking and find the shop that will provide it. At the very least, you can make sure that they have all the state-of-the-art equipment required to fix your vehicle.

A good company will always do a 20 point final inspection to make sure your vehicle is done right the first time. They will also try to reduce the amount of time you are without your car and work with you if you need a rental car.

Finding a mechanic you can trust is very important for your own peace of mind, and when it comes to auto repair, Utah has a lot of options. By taking the time to find a skilled, trustworthy shop, you can keep your car running safely and smoothly.

Zach Lee has worked with cars for over ten years in auto mechanics, and auto body repair. Most recently he has work with auto repair utah. Keep posted for more information.

Tags: Auto Body Repair, auto repair, Auto Shop, mechanics, More Saving

5 Costly Car Maintenance Mistakes - and How to Save a Fortune Caring for Your Car

Oct 21, 2009 More Saving

Many people don’t realize how much money they can save if they were to just take the time to do some simple things for their car. Every one is busy today, with work and relationships and lots of other stresses, but taking ten minutes out of your hectic schedule to do some simple care care maintenance, can save you time and money in the long run.

Here are some common mistakes people make with their cars:

1) Not keeping tires inflated - To do this, you’ll have to get a tire pressure gauge. At about $5, they’re pretty inexpensive. The next thing you’ll need to do is find the recommended tire pressure that’s listed on your tires. Finally, check the tire pressure to see if it matches.

Proper tire inflation can help in a number of ways. First is that a properly inflated tire can save gas, a precious commodity these days. Having tires with the right amount of pressure makes them last longer, and do their job better. Over or under inflated tires could blow out, causing an accident, or you have to replace or repair it. If you have to use a spare, don’t drive around on it like a normal tire, they aren’t designed to drive around on, just enough to get you to a repair shop.

2) Not checking fluid levels (or not checking them properly) - If your cat is an automatic, you should check fluids when they’re warm. Put the car in neutral, and make sure the parking brake is on. Your engive oil can be checked with the car warm, but make sure the car is turned off to do that. When it comes to radiator fluids, those should only be checked when the engine is cold. If you check them while the car is hot, pressure can build up in the radiator and cause severe burns.

3) Do it yourself oil changes, or skipping regularly scheduled lubrication - Changing your own oil, while is seems like a good alternative, isn’t, because you have to raise the car, drain the oil, which is messy, and then you are stuck with trying to dispose of the used oil.

When you take your car to a maintenance shop they check all the fluids and top any off that need it. They also lubricate the chassis, and change the oil filter. Plus, they can also check if you have an oil leak. If you are leaking oil and at any given time don’t have enough oil in your car it car permanently damage your engine.

4) Not having regular brake inspections, or not changing the pads often enough - That incessant squeal every time you apply the brake is a warning that the pads have worn down to the studs, and are scraping against the drums and rotors. Taking the time to have the brakes changed, for under two hundred dollars in most cases, is a lot cheaper than having to replace the rotors and drums.

5) A loose gas cap - When you gas cap is loose in most cases your engine light will turn on. Many people take their car into the mechanic to find out what the problem is. A diagnostic can be highly expensive and completely avoidable if you just tighten your gas cap after every fill up.

Want to find a good Salt Lake City mechanic? Want high quality service at a great price without waiting around all day for it? Check out www.slcautorepair.com to find a good mechanic at a low price. Don’t reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.

Tags: AUTO AND TRUCKS, auto repair, automotive, autos, car repair, cars, Mechanic, mechanic salt lake city, mechanics, More Saving, Oil Change, oil change salt lake city, salt lake city car repair, salt lake city mechanic

How To Use Automotive Touch Up Paint

Oct 11, 2009 More Saving

There are several ways touch-up paint can be applied. If the scratch is not large, all you may need is a touch up pen.

There are several ways to attach touch up paint. You may choose a paint pen for small scratches. Scratches that are somewhat larger but still smaller than a dime can be repaired using a touch up paint that comes in a bottle like finger nail polish. The built in brush is used to apply the paint. Even larger scratches will need the use of touch up paint that is from a spray can.

Begin the job by thoroughly cleaning the area that you will be touching up. Start with soap and water and then move to a product that is designed to remove grease and wax from the area. Masking tape can help to protect the rest of your vehicle.

Sand any surface rust and coat the area with a rust converter. You do not want the rust process to continue under the paint.

Any unpainted area will need to have primer applied. Primer adheres the paint to the unpainted metal or other materials. It can also be used to fill small imperfections which are on the surface of the vehicle. Give primer eight to ten hours drying time to allow for curing and then use your fine sandpaper again to smooth any rough spots and to feather edges.

The base coat is applied next. It is better to use several thin coats rather than one big blob of paint. Let each coat dry about fifteen to twenty minutes before attempting the next coat of paint. Allow the base coat to also dry thoroughly (another eight to ten hours or longer) before applying the top clear coat.

Now, you are ready to put on the base coat. Make sure to apply the base coat in multiple skinny layers as opposed to a large layer. Then, give each coat about 15-20 minutes of drying time before you begin to apply the next coating. And make sure you let the base coat dry thoroughly before adding any top or clear coat. Drying time can take a while; sometimes overnight or longer in cooler temperatures.

Next, you need to apply several think coatings of clear coat, again making sure to give 20 minutes of drying time between coatings. Also, always make sure to let the base coat dry completely before adding any top/clear coat. If there are any imperfections in the clear coat use some extremely fine(one thousand grit) sandpaper and/or rubb compound to get rid of the imperfections. After 3 more nights of drying time you can use the rubbing compound to smooth the entire surface.

Once you’ve put on the touch-up paint to your car or truck, tis time to wait at least 30-days before you put a quality wax on the vehicle. Waxing will help to prevent your vehicle from oxidizing, and therefore needing to be repainted again.

Tags: Auto Paint, auto repair, automotive, cars, More Saving

HOW TO Get THE RIGHT AIR COMPRESSOR

Oct 10, 2009 More Saving

You may or may not already be aware that not all air compressors are used for all jobs! They vary in both size and of course their power level. The best way to estimate what you will need is to take a careful look at the power requirements of any of the air tools you plan on using. Then its a simple matter of choosing one that is slightly more powerful than youll need so that you have the ability to purchase an air tool that needs a bit higher power level.

Ordinarily you will probably run across portable rotary screw compressors. There will be a dizzying assortment of choices to make. The cheap ones are just that, cheap ones, thus you should probably stay away from those, unless all you want to do is put air into your tires occasionally.

Air compressors are sometimes rated by horsepower or hp. Dont be swayed by the hp listing. It all depends on how much power it draws. Often the hp listed is inflated.

Instead, you should look at the PSI, which stands for Pounds per Square Inch. Generally, youll require 90 PSI for most air tools. However, an air compressor listed at 125 to 135 PSI will not run that air tool properly. You see, the PSI is the shut-off pressure, and even if an air compressor shuts off at 100 PSI, this does not take into account something called pressure loss in the line! Thus, to work at peak efficiency with 90 PSI tools, you should really consider a two stage pressure shut off compressor, that shuts off the first stage at the 90 PSI, but the second stage wont shut off until it reaches 175 PSI.

You will also need to consider CFM or “cubic feet per minute”. Most of today’s air tools need 4 to 6 CFM. This is not a problem as you’ll be getting exactly 3 to 4 horsepower at 90 PSI. What CFM tells you is basically the amount of air being moved through the system.

Tank size is also very important when considering your goals in using your compressor. It is just fine to use a regular part and motor and the standard tank of 30 gallons if your job requires only short bursts. But you want to go with a smaller tank that has a more powerful pump and motor, paying attention to the air stored in the tank, if you intend to use your compressor heavily.

Thus, a professional contractor may need to run two power air tools at once, and therefore would be better off with a compressor that puts out a PSI rating of say, 150 PSI for a long continued use.

Unlike portable compressors, truck mounted ones use the truck to power the compressor. The problem is that you have to keep the truck running in order for the compressor to work. For the contractor who needs to have the compressor running for a long period of time, the better choice is an affordable compressor or possibly one that is mounted on a deck. Just like truck mounted compressors, deck mounted ones are set on a truck’s bed that is removable, which makes it possible to leave the compressor on-site as opposed to having to drag it back and forth for each day of consecutive work.

Also you can find compressors that are electrically and gas powered. If you think you’re going to be working on a site that does not have electricity, then go with a gas powered compressor.

Tags: auto, auto repair, automotive repair, home repair, industrial, More Saving, product reviews, Shopping, tools, tools and equipment, vehicle

Concerned With Your Car-Search For The Best Car Body Shop

Oct 2, 2009 More Saving

For a car owner who is passionate about his/her vehicle, it is very important that the car is maintained correctly. But there can be instances where it is not possible to keep the vehicle in the desired condition. Here you can take professional help from a car body repair shop so that you find your car giving you the best performance, always. You wouldn’t like to be known as the person driving a sub standard vehicle, would you?

It is important that you select a very professional car body repair shop or else you’ll be worried about your vehicle, till you actually get it back. In order to be on a safer side you have to see to it that the car body repair shop has adequate amount of experience in the auto industry. With this you’ll at least be sure that the mechanic will not damage another part while trying to fix a damaged portion.

Secondly, try to find a car body repair shop that specializes in working on the car type you own. You can find a few good shops that have extended proficiency on working on certain types or brands of cars. These providers tend to have the spare parts readily available which would save you time and also money at times.

Try to select a car body repair shop that you can use more than once otherwise you’ll face this selection problem every time you need an auto repair done. You should give preference to the quality workshops that are located nearby so that you don’t waste money in unnecessary travelling each time. Moreover seeing the current trends of the fuel charges it becomes all the more necessary that your selected car body repair shop is not too far.

Finally, you also have to consider the amount that the car body repair shop is charging you for the service. There might be certain service providers who will charge you an exorbitant amount because they have established a brand name. You have to keep in mind that the highest price does not mean the best service.

If you are looking for good car body repair shops in your area, browsing the internet can be quite fruitful as you can get a lot of choices and can also find exact addresses. You will be able to read testimonials by people as well as you’ll be able to draw comparisons between the services offered by different providers.

Tags: Accidents, Auto Paint, auto repair, car auto body repair, Car Body Repair, car body shop paint, car body shop repairs, cars, Collision Repair, insurance, More Saving, vehicle restoration

Car Body Shop Scrutiny

Oct 1, 2009 More Saving

A good car body shop has the equipment and knowledge necessary to repair car frames and exteriors. It may be difficult at first to tell one car body shop from another.

You may often find a body shop that is only concerned with making easy money. You must take into consideration several qualities to ensure finding a good overall body shop. Parts and facilities aren’t the only things that you need to look for in a prospective body shop.

Collision Repair

A car body shop obviously repairs a car’s body. Some people don’t understand this. The body shop you visit needs to be trained in collision, paint and frame repair. Every collision and vehicle has different issues to deal with. Repairs demand skilled craftsmanship, so you must find the most qualified body shop to complete your car body repair and do so in a timely manner.

Other Specialties

Any body shop charges a lot of money to repaint a vehicle. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they will do a good job. Other specific skills such as restoration of modified bodies require just as much skill. Also make sure that the car body shop uses premium paints and other parts and products for your car body repair.

Insurance Issues

Free estimates should be provided for both private and insurance work. All insurance work should be handled by qualified and professional car body repair specialists. These experts must be well-versed in insurance transactions in order to repair your vehicle with as little trouble to you as possible.

Smart Selection

If your car has been in an accident, select a car body shop that is qualified to handle your needs. A respectable car body shop will possess manufacturers’ and insurance companies’approval and prominently display their credentials.

A car body shop that has proper equipment and experience will better guarantee that your car body repair is done properly. A quality car body shop is an important part of getting your car repaired once and for all and putting this major inconvenience behind you for good.

Tags: Accidents, Auto Paint, auto repair, car auto body shop, Car Body Shop, car body shop paint, car body shop repair, cars, Collision Repair, insurance, More Saving, vehicle restoration

Motor Oil Testing for Cheapskates

Sep 24, 2009 More Saving

If you’re looking to determine what your best oil change intervals should be, the best method is via oil analysis. Of course, on small vehicles which require only 4 or 5 quarts of oil, the cost of the oil analysis is nearly as much as a complete oil change.

So, for many motorists, the more cost effective solution is to utilize a free “do it at home” analysis of their oil. It is not likely to give you information as accurate and precise as results from a lab, but you can at least get a pretty decent notion of how well your oil is handling the extremes within your engine.

Below you will read about one of six very simple yet incredibly useful methods for checking oil quality without ever leaving your garage.

It would likely also be in your best interests to learn a bit more regarding oils and filters in general. You might find the following sites useful in this quest.

- No More Oil Changes -

- The Motor Oil Evaluator - motor oil comparison specifications

- A Motor Oil Forum for discussion of motor oils

The Spot Test

This test reveals oxidation products, sludge formation, dispersancy failure, glycol contamination, water contamination, fuel dilution, and high levels of particles.

Make sure the oil is warm (not hot), allow a drop of oil to fall from your dipstick onto a heavy, white, NON-glossy business card. Lay the paper or business card flat, but so that all but the very ends of the card is suspended. As a possible example, if you’re using stiff card stock or a stiff business card you could set the card across the top of a coffee cup.

Be sure the drop dries completely before trying to evaluate the appearance of the oil drop. At the point where the paper/card has completely drawn all the oils into itself it is then time to begin evaluating the condition of your oil.

- A colorless spot or slight yellowish outer ring = “good” oil.

- A dense, dark deposit zone = Dispersancy failure

- A black, pasty area = Anti-freeze in your engine oil

- Center of circle dark with distinct outside ring = Severe oxidation

- A dark center with surrounding rings = Fuel in oil, Fuel dilution

Information for this test featured in: Fitch, J.C., “The Lubrication Field Test and Inspection Guide”, Noria Corporation 2000

Tags: auto maintenance, auto repair, automotive, Automotive Maintenance, automotive repair, autos, cars, Lubricants, More Saving, Motor Oil, oil analysis, trucks, vehicle maintenance, vehicle repair

Water Ingression Test: Perform Your Motor Oil Analysis at No Cost

Sep 21, 2009 More Saving

The article shown below will describe for you one from a total of six incredibly valuable oil analysis tests you can use to quickly evaluate the condition of your oil, without ever sending it off to a lab.

Even though any vehicle owner can end up with water in their motor oil, it is most commonly a problem for vehicle owners that make primarily short trips with their vehicle, drive very infrequently and/or live in a humid climate or one with extreme and changes in temperature. If you happen to be one of these individuals, it would be wise to perform the crackle test, which is useful for determining whether condensation has caused a build-up of water in your oil.

Of course, you might wonder why it is so important to check for water ingression, and the answer, quite simply is that, water build-up leads to acid build-up. Acid build-up leads to corrosion, and pitting is caused by corrosion. Pitting is BAD, and, even a premium, extended drain synthetic oil like AMSOIL can eventually be overcome with water/acid build-up. So, you should perform a crackle test to determine whether water is building up in your oil BEFORE acid build-up depletes the acid fighting additives in your oil and corrosion begins.

It is worth noting that fuel in your oil can cause the results of the crackle test to be inconclusive. Performing the blotter spot test (business card test) beforehand will indicate whether you have fuel dilution. If you do, then you probably don’t need to worry about water ingression and the crackle test is likely unnecessary. You already have a problem that likely will have you wanting to change your oil.

So, how do you do it? Simple. Find a hotplate of some kind. Set it to a temp between 250 and 300 degrees F . Then, place a few drops of oil on the plate.

When you place the oil on the hot plate, you’ll hear a crackle as the water boils off. The crackling should occur very quickly as long as you don’t use much oil. Of course, if you have no water in your engine oil, you will hear no crackle.

Obviously, the crackle test is not a very accurate test, and it won’t tell you how much water you’ve got in your oil, as a professionally performed oil analysis will, but, it can still provide you with some valuable, free information.

Tags: auto maintenance, auto repair, automotive, Automotive Maintenance, automotive repair, autos, cars, Lubricants, More Saving, Motor Oil, oil analysis, trucks, vehicle maintenance, vehicle repair

Water Ingression Test: Do Your Engine Oil Analysis at No Cost

Sep 19, 2009 More Saving

This is number two from a series of 6 very useful, and low cost, oil analysis tests that you can perform without even a simple chemistry set.

If you are one of the many people who owns a vehicle which is driven infrequently, is commonly driven on low mileage trips and/or is driven or stored in a humid area or one that often has wide temperature swings, then performing the crackle test would likely be a good idea. This is a simple test which will tell you if condensation has caused water build-up in your oil.

Why test for water in your oil? Because water doesn’t lubricate very well and because water build-up leads to increasing levels of acid in your oil. Acid causes corrosion , and that can lead to pitting. You don’t want pitting in your engine. Even a high TBN extended drain synthetic oil like AMSOIL can eventually be overcome by water/acid build-up. Thus, as a general rule, you’d probably want to know if you were getting water in your oil BEFORE acid build-up depletes the acid fighting additives in your oil. For this reason, I recommend performing the crackle test.

Now, if you have fuel in your engine oil, this can cause confusion with the test results, so perform the blotter spot test (business card test) beforehand to see if you have any fuel dilution. If fuel dilution exists, that may already be a problem, so the crackle test could be a moot point.

Performing the test is simple: place a small quantity of oil onto a hotplate (just a few drops). You want to set the hotplate to a temperature which is higher than 212 degrees F (the boiling point of water). Since motor oil won’t typically be volatile till 350 degrees F or higher, setting the temp of the hotplate anywhere between 250 and 300 should work well.

When you place the motor oil on the plate, you will hear a crackle as the water boils off. You should hear it very quickly as long as the amount of oil you use is small. Of course, if you have no water in your motor oil, you will hear no crackle.

Paying for a an oil analysis performed in a lab will tell you not only IF there is water in your oil, but also how much contamination has occurred. Nevertheless, even though less information is provided through the crackle test it’s nice that you can use this free test to at least tell you if there is water present.

Are you looking for more information regarding do it yourself oil analysis testing, the best ways to compare various motor oils, why synthetic oil may or MAY NOT be a good choice for you, how to compare the efficiency of various oil filters and much more? Click this link to my Motor Oil Bible Blog or take a look at the Motor Oil Bible ebook.

Tags: auto maintenance, auto repair, automotive, Automotive Maintenance, automotive repair, autos, cars, Lubricants, More Saving, Motor Oil, oil analysis, trucks, vehicle maintenance, vehicle repair