Safe Travelling On Vacation

The main thing to do before travelling on vacation is to spend a few minutes checking out your important vehicle systems before hitting the road to prevent your vacation travel from turning into a hassle.
The main concern is arriving safely at your destination.While winter weather, increased traffic, driver fatigue and shortened daylight hours can make driving more hazardous over the holidays, a poorly maintained vehicle shouldn't be added to that list of potential driving hazards.Therefore performing a simple vehicle safety check is neccesary.

Front windshield.
3/4 of all accidents that occur during severe weather are due to impaired visibility,its recommended to get new wiper blades every six months,and switching to high-quality winter blades in areas where snow and ice are expected.
Every vehicle should be equipped with an emergency kit that includes a flashlight, flares or reflective triangles, blanket, food bars, water, cell phone and charger, and a first aid kit.
LIGHTS
Its just as important to see as it is to be seen on the road,its recommended to check all vehicle lights, including headlights, taillights, marker bulbs, fog lights and interior lights.To make sure your turn signals and your brake lights are in working order have someone stand at the back of your car,turn your lights and blinkers on so your assistant can see that they are operating as they should.If the bulbs are not working as they should you can replace any that have burned out or are fading. Check your headlights too, both the low beams and the high beams. You want to make sure other vehicles on the road can see you coming. It is always handy to keep some fuses in your glove compartment. You never know when you may need one.
TIRES:
Check tire tread depth and look for signs of irregular wear. Measure tire pressure when the tires are cold. Inflate the tires to the pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer - information that can be found on the driver's side door posthandbook or manual - but never exceed the maximum inflation pressure printed on the tire sidewall. Proper tire pressure ensures maximum traction, fuel economy, handling, and stopping power.If you see your tires are wearing unevenly you can rotate them, which means switching the back tires to the front and the front tires to the back of the car. If you see wear patterns you may also need to get your car aligned,you also want to make sure you have a spare tire, or a donut tire, and the proper jack and equipment you will need to change a tire.

* Clean all mirrors and adjust them to cover as much of the "blind spot" as possible.

* Strap down all cargo. Even in low-speed accidents, gift boxes and travel supplies become projectiles inside the vehicle.

Always make sure your vehicle has working seatbelts for each passenger. Not all state require drivers and passengers to use seat belts. If your driving through different states during your holiday travel you may want to check the laws of the states you will be driving through. Ignorance of a law will not save you from a ticket if you are stopped.Accidents can happen even if you have checked and prepared your car for your holiday road trip. If you are involved in an accident your seat belts and/or car seats will help to reduce the chances of your being seriously injured.Just in case of an accident, put a disposable camera in your glove compartment. If you need to you will be able to take pictures of the accident scene for your insurance company. Be sure to carry your registration and insurance papers in the glove box as well.A pen and some paper can be of help if you need to exchange insurance and license information with someone. You will also be able to write down the details of the accident so you don't forget any details.
To ensure your vacation travel plans run smoothly you need to plan and make a little effort. The last thing you would want to happen is to have your car break down, so give your vehicle a little attention before you leave.You should give your car a complete going over. Give your car an oil change. While your at it check all the fluids including your transmission fluid, brake fluid and your windshield wiper fluid.While your working under the hood of your car check the hoses for signs of wear. If the hoses in your engine look worn, have them replaced. You don't want them to break down during your trip.
Today most of us have cell phones and carry them with us at all times. Remember to charge your cell phone or to bring your charger. For road travel it is a good idea to have a battery charger that can plug into your cigarette lighter. You don't want to get caught breaking down on the road with a dead cell phone.If you don't have a cell phone you can purchase one that has prepaid minutes already on it. You won't have to sign a contract for this type of phone and when the minutes run out, you can dispose of the phone or pay to have more minutes put on it.
Once you've completed the safety check, you can then focus on maximizing fuel economy, even though your vehicle may be loaded down with people and or presents, by having a clean air filter and by adding fuel injector cleaner to the vehicle's gas tank prior to departure is recomended.

If you are going to be one of the thousands of people traveling the roads for the holidays in your own car, rather than a rental vehicle, make sure you have done all you can to prepare your car for the trip. Car maintenance and repair will help to insure your vacation trip is a happy and successful journey.

Dave Burton
www.bargain-motors.com

Undersealing Your Car

The first thing to do is give the vehicle an initial inspection and assessment.Then it is important to clean the underside of the vehicle, removing all dirt and loose rust or flaking underseal/paint. Any plastic, inner wheel arch covers should be carefully removed at this point to gain access to the areas behind - which are often secretly harbouring months, if not years of mud and dirt accumulation.
Then the brakes and exhausts should be carefully masked up before it is coated with durable, black, rust inhibiting underseal.
Underseal is a thick resilient coating which protects against impact damage from small stones, which would rapidly chip ordinary paint, allowing rusting to begin.
A bitumen-based compound was used originally, but after approximately a decade this becomes brittle and water can become trapped between the underseal and body metal, ironically creating a more favourable environment for rust than if no underseal was applied at all. Wax-based underseals do not have this disadvantage but can be eroded and eventually washed off by enthusiastic use of a hot pressure washer. Rubber-based underseals are also sometimes used.
Waxoyl is also advised to be injected into all the crossmembers.All the necessary interior trim is carefully removed. Rust inhibiting cavity wax is then applied at high pressure inside every box section such as the pillars, doors, sills and boot etc.Sometimes it maybe neccessary to drill a small hole to enable the waxoyl to be injected into the cavitys that are otherwise impossible to get to,then these are sealed with a small black, plastic plug to retain a standard appearance.
When the treatment is complete, any necessary parts are unmasked. Any removed trim is carefully refitted and any overspray would be cleaned from the bodywork.

This results in a neat, weather proof 'factory look' finish
The process usually takes around 8 hours - depending upon the vehicle size, type, condition and preparation time required. Please note however that larger vehicles may require slightly longer than a day to complete.
The benefits of a complete treatment include:are peace of mind in the knowledge that your car is protected,your car retains its highest possible resale value,reduced maintenance & repair bills
and reduced road noise (‘drumming’)

Dave Burton
www.bargain-motors.com

Online Auctions

In times of recession more people are looking for vehicle auctions online. It is commom knowledge that you can get the lowest price for any vehicle that you want through an online vehicle auction website.

Used Vehicle Dealers

Used vehicle dealers have been using vehicle online auctions websites to find a bargain. Most often they can find a great vehicle at a cheap price that they then sell again at their dealerships to get a high profit.

1. The Top Tips at Auctions

The secret is to know what you are dealing with. Once you make a bid, all bids are considered final. Before you make a bid you need to join the auto auctions online websites.

There are free auction websites such as www.bargain-motors.com and paid websites such as Car Online Auctions where you can access a database containing car auctions across United States. There is one story where one client saved over $8000 buying car through Car Online Auctions.

2. What You Should Do?

The first thing you should do is to research the price at your local dealerships first. This will give you a good idea what you can expect to pay at auto auctions online website. Aim to pay at least 20% lower than the price you have found at your local dealerships.

The next thing you should do is to research other similar listings selling same vehicle. In that way, you can compare different sellers and the offers.

The last thing is to look for the vehicle condition. You need to be aware that there might be few problems hidden by the sellers. It will be wise to bring mechanic to inspect the vehicles conditions.

You can start to find the vehicle of your dreams by visiting http://www.bargain-motors.com You can find all models, years, and types of vehicles that fit your budget across United States.

Dave Burton
www.bargain-motors.com

Driving in the Snow

When Driving in the snow make sure that your car is well maintained, plan your route carefully and check the latest weather forecast.
Keep a full petrol tank. It may be necessary to change routes or turn back during a bad snow storm.
It's also a good idea to keep a breakdown kit (warning triangle, torch, blanket, chocolate bar and a shovel) in your car in case of emergency. Membership of a breakdown service is also advised.
The first fall of snow is very dangerous if the roads have not been gritted. Once gritted, there should be enough grip for careful driving, but it's when snow becomes compacted and refrozen overnight that the greatest care must be taken. Ungritted roads will become impassable by most vehicles and even gritted surfaces can remain extremely slippery.
Keep your windshield and windows clear.Keep a ice scraper handy, and use the car defroster or a clean cloth to keep the windows free of mist
Allow more distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead. At least TEN seconds.
If your vehicle skids, don't hit the brakes! Ease off the accelerator and steer slightly into the direction of the skid until you gain control. Turn with steady rather than jerky motions.
An equally common problem is getting stuck in the snow. Your wheels spin but your car goes nowhere. This is when emergency equipment is most important. Don't continue to spin your wheels; you'll only wind up in a deeper rut. Instead, pour sand, salt or gravel around the drive wheels to give them something to grab onto and improve traction ( An old piece carpet is ideal). You can also shovel snow away from the wheels and out from under the car to clear a pathway.
Ice is even more dangerous, because the thicker it is, the harder it is to see. When running or standing water freezes on the road, it forms black ice. This can linger in the shadows cast by trees and buildings throughout an otherwise sunny day. So if there has been a sharp frost overnight, be careful, especially when driving through shadows that keep the sun off corners and roundabouts.

Dave Burton
www.bargain-motors.com