Car Buying Tip; Beware Of The Switch!

Buying a Car can be a taxing ordeal, but make sure you are aware of the Car Salesman offering you the Switch!

When you buy a Car, you probably go to a dealership looking for a specific Vehicle. Has a Car Salesman ever had you look at a totally different Car? The Car Salesman is going to try and sway you to a Car that he/she is going to make the most money on, speaking from experience. You may be looking at a New Car and the Salesman tells you that he has one with a few miles on it that you can save some money on.

This tactic is set up for several reasons. If you are asking for a discount on the new Car or it is slightly out of your budget, there is usually a Program Car with a few miles on it that will fit your budget. Number one, this takes the New Car away from you instead of discounting the car to your offer. This tactic works well because you either buy the used one that the dealership and Salesman make more money on, or, you bring your offer up on the New Car. Either way, beware of the switch and what is really going down.

Clint Eastwood Chrysler Super Bowl Commercial

The Clint Eastwood Super Bowl commercial was a very patriotic look at America and the impact the Car Industry has on the US. This commercial was a Chrysler commercial although it felt like a US workforce and Auto Industry commercial.

The Auto Industry seems to be coming on strong after the bail out with GM climbing to the top once again. The US Auto Industry is trying to catch up and make cars that are sought after and bring back confidence in the buying public.

Some are saying this was a commercial for the government and the role it played in saving the Auto Industry. What do you think?

Trac Light Off, Car Stalls, Check Engine 2001 Grand Am

I have a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am and the car has recently had the Trac Off light coming on, then it started sputtering and running rough, then the car has recently started stalling. Well, yesterday it stalled on the highway and would not start back although it sounded like it wanted to.

I was immediately thinking it was the Fuel Pump. So, I get out and tap the gas tank underneath with a rubber hammer as my wife sit in the car to crank it. The Grand Am immediately started. I had to do this same procedure 4 times to get the Car back home.

I read on other sites where the traction light will come on when there is an evaporate leak in the fueling system somewhere. This is to keep your car from damaging other components and to let you know to get it checked out. The code set by the Check Engine was a P0172 I believe which was the car running too rich. I also read to make sure that it was not the Fuel Pressure Regulator or even the Fuel Pump Relay. Well, I deducted that it must be the Fuel Pump as it was making a loud growling sound instead of the usual hum when the key was turned to on.

I replaced the Fuel Pump and it now runs like a gem. I hope this helps some that are having the same problem. There are several things to check when your car won't start though. If you are not sure, don't throw parts at it, take it to a mechanic that is skilled in diagnosing issues with no start.

There is another issue GM vehicles have with the Security system. If your Security light is coming on, you can reset the system by turning the key to RUN for 10 minutes and your security light will flash and it should then start.

Car Driving Tip For Driving In Rain

This is a Car Driving Tip I received in an email and I am passing it on to see if anyone else has tried this. I have not tried this yet, but will as soon as I am in another hard rain situation.......PLEASE USE THIS TIP WITH CAUTION----

Driving in the rain -- this may save your life
GOOD VISION IN A DOWNPOUR

How to achieve good vision while driving during a heavy downpour.

We are not sure why it is so effective; just try this method when it rains heavily. This method was told by a Police friend who had experienced and
confirmed it. It is useful....even driving
at night.

Most of the motorists would turn on HIGH or FASTEST SPEED of the wipers during heavy downpour, yet the visibility in front of the windshield is still bad......

In the event you face such a situation, just try your SUN GLASSES (any model will do), and miracle! All of a sudden, your visibility in front of your windshield is perfectly clear, as if there is no rain. PLEASE USE CAUTION as some Sun Glasses may be too dark to see at night---shooters glasses may work best as they are not too dark, but just knock the glare down.

Make sure you always have a pair of SUN GLASSES in your car, as you are not only helping yourself to drive safely with good vision, but also might save your friend's life by giving him this idea..

Try it yourself and share it with your friends! Amazing, you still
see the drops on the windshield, but not the sheet of rain falling.

You can see where the rain bounces off the road. It works to eliminate the "blindness" from passing semi's spraying you too.

Or the "kickup" if you are following a semi or car in the rain. They ought to teach that little tip in driver's training. It really does work..

Another GREAT Driving Warning comes out of this story...
A 36 year old female had an accident several weeks ago and totaled her car. A resident of Kilgore , Texas she was traveling between Gladewater
& Kilgore. It was raining, though not excessively, when her car suddenly began to hydro-plane and literally flew through the air. She was not seriously injured but very stunned at the sudden occurrence!

When she explained to the highway patrolman what had happened he told her something that every driver should know -NEVER DRIVE IN THE RAIN WITH YOUR CRUISE CONTROL ON. She thought she was being cautious by setting the cruise control and maintaining a safe consistent speed in the rain. But the highway patrolman told her that if the cruise control is on when your car begins to hydro-plane and your tires lose contact with the pavement, your car will accelerate to a higher rate
of speed making you take off like an airplane. She told the patrolman that was exactly what had occurred.

The patrolman said this warning should be listed, on the driver's seat sun-visor - NEVER USE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE PAVEMENT IS WET OR ICY, along with the airbag warning. We tell our teenagers to set the cruise control and drive a safe speed - but we don't tell them to use the cruise control only when the pavement is dry.

The only person the accident victim found, who knew this (besides the patrolman), was a man who had a similar accident, totaled his car and sustained severe injuries.

NOTE: Some vehicles (like the Toyota Sienna Limited XLE) will not allow you to set the cruise control when the windshield wipers are on.

GPS Safety Advice For Car Owners

This is a MUST read for ALL GPS Owners! I heard of this happening at a local football game, criminals are getting smart.

We all rely on our GPS directions to get to certain locations. What is the first thing you do with your GPS? If you are like most, you program your home address so you can find the closest route home from wherever you are. Well, you may want to re-think this, as at the football game, a GPS was stolen off the dash of a car along with the garage door opener. You can see where this is going....yes, they used the GPS to go straight to the home of the football fan, then gained entrance to the home with the garage door opener. They parked their car inside the garage where they were unnoticed and knew how long it would be before the football game would be over.

If I can give one piece of advice, program a gas station or local store into your GPS that will get you close to home. DO NOT PROGRAM YOUR HOME ADRRESS IN YOUR GPS!!! Use the link below this post that says "email this" and send it to ALL YOUR FRIENDS!

Used Car Buying Tips; 3 Reasons To Buy Used

Remember, I am an ex-Car Salesman and I am going to give you 3 reasons why I was going to push you (the customer) towards buying a Used Car.

Used Car Buying Tip #1
The biggest reason I wanted you to buy a Used Car was because I was going to make a much better commission. The Used Car Commission would average between $400 and $1200 where as a New Car Commission was $100 to $300 on average. Let's be perfectly honest, what would you do?

Used Car Buying Tip #2
The second reason I wanted you to buy a Used Car is because of the survey. This would make dealers and car company's cringe, but let's be totally honest with everyone. You need to know why you are being pushed to this Used Car. This is felt by many Car Salesmen, not just myself. Every time I sold a New Car, the customer would get a survey that would rate how the salesman did along with the dealership. I always received high scores, but its because I had to work extra hard to insure that I did. When I sold a Used Car, I could literally toss you the keys and be done. I have witnessed many car salesman do this. It was just about the immediate gratification and they did not care about the next car you were going to buy or about your brother, sister, neighbor, co-worker or anyone else that may be interested in buying a car.

Used Car Buying Tip #3
This Car Buying Tip towards Used is not as obvious as the others. It is much easier to make you happy with your trade in value when you are buying a Used Car. First off, the Used Car Manager is appraising your Car, so if you are buying a Used Car from their department, I could get you a little more for your trade. Used Car Managers want their numbers to look good, selling more Used Cars makes sure they keep their job. Second, you are able to over allow on your trade to show you numbers like you are getting more for your trade. This over allowance comes out of the profit the dealership and salesman makes, but many times this is what wins a customer over when they just received an appraised value down the street for $1000 less. This is one important thing to remember, YOUR CAR IS WORTH WHAT ITS WORTH! If you remember nothing else, remember this. All dealers are giving you very close numbers on what your car is worth, but many just present the numbers differently to make it look like you are getting more. You would be surprised how many times dealers in an area call each other on trades. For instance, if you are trading a Toyota Camry and are shopping Toyota, Nissan, Lexus, etc., many other dealers will call the Toyota Used Car Manager to make sure what to appraise the car at. If you already shopped at Toyota, they will say, "I just appraised that Car." You told the Toyota salesman you were going to have lunch and think about it, so they DO realize you are shopping. Be honest and tell the dealer you are going to shop around, this will cause these dealers to get the numbers as low as they are willing to go, this could work to your advantage.

These are just 3 reasons you are directed toward that slightly Used Car, not only is more money made by the salesman, but it is just an easier deal. Understanding these tips can help you get a better deal the next time you are buying a Used Car. If I can help you in any way, feel free to email me (email at the top of this page) and be sure to add yourself to the subscription link on the right side of this page and you will receive any new articles written on this page for more Car Buying Tips To Save You Money.

Blonde Car Driving Jokes

There were two blonde friends driving to Disney World. They were driving on the interstate when they saw a sign that said Disney World LEFT. They both started crying and turned around and went home!

A highway patrolman was on the highway when he saw a Blonde behind the wheel that was not paying any attention. After she ignored his siren and lights, he pulled even with the car and realized the blonde was knitting! He got on the squad cars loud speaker and yelled for her to PULL OVER! The Blonde rolled the window down and said, NO, ITS A SCARF!!!!

Car Insurance Comparison; What Car Insurance Is Best

Car Insurance Comparison among different Insurance Companies will differ from person to person, but I want to hear Car Insurance Comparisons among readers.

Car Insurance rates vary depending on many factors to include, age, driving record, type of Car, to name just a few. But I would like to hear how your Insurance Carrier is better or worse than the next. I would also like to tally the votes of what Insurance Company is most popular, so if you just want to say what Company you use, drop me a comment.

This will be an unofficial Car Insurance Comparison as it relates to readers of "Car Buying Tips To Save You Money."

Electric Car - Hybrid Car Question?

We all know the benefits of Electric Cars; lower emissions, lowering dependence on oil, and lessening our carbon footprint. The only downfall with Electric Cars is the need for re-charging after a given range of the battery.

This is where Hybrid Cars come into the picture as you get the benefits of the Electric Car and then it switches to a Gasoline powered Car after the Electric limit has been reached.

Now, for my question. This is probably a crazy question because if it could be done, I know that it would already be implemented. Why, when a Hybrid Car switches to Gas powered can there not be a way to charge the battery? I know it is a totally different setup, but something like an alternator. Don't call me crazy, just wanted to hear from internet experts.

Gas Prices To Soar Summer 2012; $5 Per Gallon?

There are rumors that gas prices could soar to $5 dollars per gallon or more in the summer of 2012. Are you prepared to pay double the amount you are now paying for gas? If the analysts are correct, you may want to start looking for a more fuel efficient vehicle now!

The reasons for the rise in gas prices go something like this, Iran is cutting the flow of oil coming thru its country if sanctions continue against their nuclear program....that is the short answer. If you are like me, I question how much of the US Oil Supply comes from that region? From my reading, it looks like 1/3 of the Worlds Oil Supply comes thru that region, but the US directly sees only about 6 percent of that oil. It always goes back to the golden rule, he who holds the gold, makes the rules.

We will see how 2012 fares for gas prices, but everyone can make a difference. Car pool where you can, try lowering unnecessary trips to town, buy more fuel efficient vehicles, and check for ways to get better fuel economy out of your present vehicle.