Author Archive: Chad Baus

Preventative maintenance now can help ensure worry-free driving this winter

The vacations are over, the kids are back in school and cooler evenings have begun. Take advantage of the lull to prepare your vehicle for the winter ahead, advise the pros and the non-profit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). Breakdowns, never convenient, can be dangerous in cold weather period.

The following tips from ASE should give parent and student alike a road map to fall car care.

There are a number of times when people need to store a vehicle for an extended period of time. Maybe you have a convertible that you love to drive in the summer, but winter is on the way. Or perhaps you’re going to leave town for a job or an extended vacation. Maybe you are in the military and are being deployed overseas.

Whatever the reason for your time away from the vehicle, you’ll need to put it in storage. If you simply let your vehicle sit on the street or in a garage for an extended period of time, you may return to a dead battery or — worse yet — a damaged engine, ruined tires and a rat’s nest under your hood.

Here are important steps to take before you store a vehicle. They will preserve the life of the engine and ensure that your car starts when you return to it.

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You don’t have to travel far to take in the phenomenon of fall foliage. All across the U.S., from New England to the Pacific Northwest, deciduous trees put on their dazzling display of color. Leaf viewing is one of the easiest (and least expensive) ways to experience America’s awe-inspiring natural beauty. Check out our picks for the ten best destinations for fall foliage or get out there and discover your own.

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It won’t be long before the weather gets iffy, if that time hasn’t already arrived. Driving safely during the fall months requires more than just cautious driver behavior. Your car also needs some attention.

Here are 10 practical tips to help get your car ready for fall.

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Fall is a time for hay rides, leaf peeping and pumpkin picking. It’s also a time when road and weather conditions make getting there a little tougher.

Stay safe on the road this season with these smart driving tips.

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It’s perhaps surprising, but true: Driving on a rainy day is more dangerous than driving on a snowy one. When the rain starts to fall and pavement is wet, your likelihood of a crash is higher than during wintry conditions like snow, sleet and ice, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

After averaging 10 years of statistics, NHTSA researchers found that 46 percent of weather-related crashes happened during rainfall, but just 17 percent while it was snowing or sleeting. Those statistics are partially explained, of course, by the fact that many drivers have the good sense to stay home during a bad snowstorm, says Debbie Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council, which offers defensive driving courses. But the statistics also reflect a sobering truth, she says: Drivers often do not respect the rain, and fail to adjust their driving habits to hazardous conditions.

Here is how to [...]

Regular preventive maintenance is probably the single thing you can do as a car owner to keep your ride happy and save money on repairs in the future. However, not everyone agrees on what preventive maintenance is, what you should do, and when you should do it. Let’s clear that up, and give you some tips that’ll apply to any vehicle.

Anyone who’s ever worked on cars or spent a ton of money getting their car repaired will tell you: Don’t ignore preventive maintenance. The basics, like changing your oil, checking your tire pressure, and getting scheduled inspections and work done are like getting regular checkups at the doctor. They keep you healthy and give you—and the experts—a chance to catch anything serious before it becomes a major problem. With your car, that can save you thousands.

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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Ruckersville, Virginia, has a history lesson in the lobby. That’s where it displays the 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air that it crashed into a 2009 Chevy Malibu to demonstrate the progress in safety over the past 50 years. The Malibu’s front end is annihilated, but its passenger compartment looks practically undisturbed. The Bel Air, however, looks like it cruised straight out of one of those gruesome old driver’s ed safety videos. Cue the voice-over: “Jimmy was on his way to the prom when he decided to try a little street racing …”

Cars are indisputably safer than ever, and that’s partly thanks to the work at the IIHS. The organization is funded by insurance companies, so its mandate is to identify problems and then essentially shame the manufacturers into fixing them. I’d always assumed that all cars met federal safety regulations, so they must all [...]

Getting recalls performed is important, and every single vehicle in CAR 1’s inventory has been checked for recalls and had them performed if possible. With that being said, we oppose legislation that would make it illegal to sell a used car that has an open recall, and a new report shows why consumers should be as well.

From HartfordBusiness.com:

The National Association of Automobile Dealers is out with a report that claims consumers would be significantly hurt if a law banning used cars with recalls from being sold is enacted. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s proposal, the trade group claimed, could cost consumers anywhere from $1,210 to $5,713 per car.

The article notes that while current federal law prohibits the sale of new cars under recall until they are repaired, it does not require the same of used cars.

If such a proposal were to become law, it won’t just be dealers who are adversely effected.

The [...]