On the front of a Carfax brochure is the picture of a happy customer holding the keys to a new car. At the very bottom is the statement: “The Truth About Used Cars”, while on the inside, the top of the first page states: “Buy With Confidence”. But how much of this is true and […]
1. Dog-ear your owner’s manual. Yes, it’s your car’s bible! Knowing where to find information quickly can help in identifying causes when trouble arises. You may even be able to avoid a trip to the auto mechanic in the first place if you discover that your “problem” stemmed from not understanding your car’s controls. Beyond […]
The first and most likely indication of a low battery would be a hard starting problem caused by slow cranking. If the battery seems weak or fails to crank your engine normally, it may be low. To find out, you need to check the battery’s “state of charge.” A battery is nothing more than a […]
The five biggest factors: 1) Your driving profile. Such factors as the number of miles you drive annually and your accident and ticket history are major elements in setting your insurance rate. The less you drive, the less risk of an accident and a claim. Safer driving — meaning a history free of accidents and […]
When you’re broken down by the side of the road, your motor club card suddenly becomes your most precious possession. But with roadside assistance programs being pushed by credit card and cell phone companies — to name just a few recent entries to this field — how do you choose from the glut of plans […]
In this final installment, I’ll tell you how to react to and recover from common driving mishaps, including dropping two wheels off the road and a front- or rear-tire slide. Although such incidents occur frequently in normal driving situations — especially on roads beset by heavy traffic or hazardous weather conditions — many people don’t […]
Coach Tom was a stereotypical high school driver’s ed teacher. But with one exception: He had a mean streak. When we made a driving mistake, he hit us on the head with a screwdriver handle. While we were driving. When we returned to the classroom, he hit us with a paddle: Imagine a from-the-heels stroke […]
To earn a private pilot’s license, one must show proficiency in overcoming emergency situations. But a motorist gets a license by demonstrating little more than a well-executed three-point turn and parallel parking. The first time a typical driver is truly asked to demonstrate accident-avoidance expertise, lives are on the line. In this three-part series, we’ll […]
It’s easier to get pulled over than you think. All you need to do is commit one of the five violations we’ve listed below. For even faster results, try combining two infractions at once. Many drivers find this very effective. Actually, the real reason for this list is to stop you from being pulled over […]
From Yahoo Autos: The electric-powered Nissan Leaf’s struggles to find buyers in the United States has been well covered; Nissan thinks it can still sell 20,000 this year, even though it’s sales totaled 2,613 through May. Fortunately, there may be new market opportunities for the Leaf, thanks to a Missouri firm’s brainstorm of building the […]