It’s the moment that every motorists dreads, a flat tire.  You don’t know if you ran over glass or hit a nail, but you need to take action.  You may need to call for road service, and then you have to have the tire fixed or do it yourself.  Surprisingly, it isn’t that hard to repair a tire yourself, and you can save the extra expense of having a repair shop do it.  Here’s how.

First, it is necessary to determine the location of the puncture.  You can do this by submerging the tire in water and watching where the bubbles come from.  Before you can patch the tire you must remove any foreign objects stuck in the tire.  You can pull out the object out with pliers.  Be sure to pull out the object in the direction of the tread so you don’t do additional damage to the tire.

Now, use a tire reamer and clean out the hole from the inside of the tire.  Center the patch over the puncture to ensure proper sizing.  Take off the patch and coat an awl using cement.  You should run the awl in the hole a few times to make sure the damaged area is coated adequately.  Then, put a coat of vulcanizing cement directly on the patch and tire and let it dry.

Next, apply a layer of cement on the stem of the patch and then pull the stem through.  When the patch stem is all the way through the hole, cut it off.

Now, you are ready to get back out on the road.  With a little diligence you can do a quick tire fix and save yourself a trip to the repair shop.  Just make sure to protect yourself with a good roadside assistance program and an auto warranty.

If you are thinking of selling your car you need to make a proper assessment of your vehicle.  Sometimes it can be hard to see your vehicle the ways others see it, because you have a special connection to it.  Here are some tips to help you.

Some car owners trick themselves into believing that their car is worth more than it really is.  People are convinced that their car is in excellent condition when it actually has a lot of wear and tear.  Even if you have an auto warranty and have tried to keep your vehicle maintained, know that it is a used car and it isn’t as fresh as when you bought it. When you are trying to sell a used vehicle its condition is the most important thing, so assess it honestly.

It is best to give an honest disclosure as to your cars true condition.  In most cases you don’t need to go to a body shop to get your car looking perfect.  People know they are buying a used car and don’t usually want to spend the extra money on a perfect body.  The best thing that you can do is to take your car to get a wash and wax.  This is equivalent to a house’s curb appeal. This will make your car look its best without spending a fortune.

If you are trying to sell your car make sure you make an honest assessment of your vehicle.  You don’t want to hold onto a vehicle waiting for money if your never going to get it.

Anti-lock braking systems, or ABS, were made available for cars in America in 1978.  Mercedes-Benz was the first carmaker to install them on their vehicles.  Then, Cadillac began installing ABS on their luxury vehicles in 1986.

ABS utilizes onboard computers, which have links to the wheel sensors, that make the brakes automatically pump at a rapid rate.  Anti-locking brakes apply pressure selectively by being able to determine which of the wheels might lock, and then lowering the pressure of the brakes on those wheels so they can rotate properly. ABS will only work in a panic situation, not in normal braking circumstances.

It is important to keep in mind that ABS won’t create a shorter stopping distance.  Yet, its advantage is that drivers can maintain control and avoid skidding.

Drivers need to know how to use ABS correctly.  The proper way to brake with this system is to stomp and steer.  While many drivers are accustomed to pumping, this isn’t correct for this system.  Instead, drivers should apply a strong pressure down on the brake without letting up.

Auto safety is becoming a big priority for motorists.  New car technologies are allowing for advanced safety features that protect passengers and drivers.  Drivers should also protect themselves by buying an auto warranty for their car.  This allows motorists to have peace of mind.

Many people struggle to decide what kind of car to buy.  It can be difficult to sort through all of the vehicle options to arrive at the car that best suits you.  Here are some important factors to consider that will help you make the right decision when purchasing a car.

First of all, decide what you intend to use the vehicle for.  Don’t buy a 4WD SUV because you take two camping trips a year.  If you’re using the car everyday for commuting, you are going to want to purchase a car that is easy to maneuver with good fuel-efficiency.

Next, consider the looks of the vehicle.  You need to find a vehicle that you can stand to look at every day without getting sick of it.  If you end up with a car that makes you shudder when you look at it, you will never enjoy it.

Finally, fuel-efficiency, although not as big of a deal three years ago, is now a major factor in car buying.  Now there are options of what kind of fuel you want to burn.  For example, some options are E10, E20, compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, petrol, diesel, and B5.  All of these fuels have their benefits, so decide which will suit you the best.

The best way to get the car that is going to fit you is to do your research on various vehicle models.  Also, when doing this consider the added costs of an auto warranty, vehicle maintenance, and auto loans.

In order for a vehicle to maintain its peak performance motorists must get routine maintenance and service.  This will also keep your car prepared for difficult driving conditions that come up. Purchasing used car warranties is a good idea so that you don’t dread taking in your car just to find that it requires additional repairs.  To keep your car in tip-top shape, follow these tips.

First, check your tire pressure on a regular basis.  To keep track, you should do it every other time that you get gas at the pump.  In addition, check your tire treads to look for wear and tear and ensure that there isn’t any cracking.

Second, get regular car washes to keep a nice, shiny exterior.  And add a coat of wax to keep away corrosion.

Don’t forget to be aware of your check engine light.  Don’t ignore it if it lights up.  Make sure to take your car to a professional in this case so that you don’t have expensive repairs down the road.  Of course an auto warranty will help you avoid unnecessary repair expenses.

Lastly, determine a service schedule with a mechanic and keep it.  Your car has certain parts that a professional should look at periodically.  Look at your owner’s manual in order to determine what maintenance schedule is best for your car.

Just by following these tips you can head off unnecessary repairs in the future.  However, you want to make sure you have an auto warranty to protect your wallet.

As it turns out, the stereotypes happen to be true.  Expensive vehicles and fast driving cause men’s testosterone levels to spike, reveals a study from Concordia University John Molson School of Business.

The study involved 39 men who volunteered.  Each of the men was told to drive down a pedestrian loaded street, as well as a calm residential road.  They drove each of these streets twice, each in different cars.  The cars were a brand new Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet and a 93’ Toyota Camry.  A sample of saliva was taken by researchers after each drive in order to measure the testosterone levels of the men.

According to the results, it didn’t matter which street they were driving on, however after driving the Porsche the men always demonstrated an elevated and sustained level of testosterone.

The author claims that men use expensive and powerful cars as sort of “sexual signaling devices”, much like male peacocks do when they show their tail feathers.  One thing is for sure though, although men are busy trying to impress women with their hot cars, they still need to buy an auto warranty to protect them.

With the poor economy, drivers are trading in their big gas-guzzlers for fuel-efficient cars.  Yet, while that makes sense, if you switch too soon you might be looking at more overall car costs than you’ll save on gas.  According to Consumer Reports, downsizing is beneficial in the long run if you time it right.

A study by Consumer Reports reveals that if you still owe on your car loan, it might not be beneficial to downsize after just three years.  With a loan, initially your payments are made up of a large percentage of interest.  Trading in too early will leave you with less equity, which will limit a down payment for a new car.

Another hurdle that affects the equity of your car is depreciation.  In the first five years of ownership, depreciation makes up about 48% of total vehicle costs for the owner.  On average, costs for fuel only equal about 21%.  Within the first three years, depreciation is the greatest, and then it begins to level off.

So, trading in a 3-year old car will result in a whole new depreciation ride.  However, if you have owned your vehicle for more than four years trading in makes more sense.  Just make sure you have an auto warranty for peace of mind when keeping your vehicle for several years.

It can be difficult to decide if you should buy or lease a vehicle.  There are more things to consider than just their car budget.  Most often, leasing ends up costing less money, but in the long run the motorist has no equity.  Consider these important factors when making your decision.

The most obvious thing to consider is the cost.  There are four factors to think about.  They are the length of the lease, the monthly payments, the restrictions on the mileage, and the down payment.  You could end up with large fines if your mileage exceeds the restrictions.  In addition, if you keep the lease for over three years, replacing tires and other maintenance costs will be up to you.

You also have to pay close attention to your budget.  If you are thinking short term, leases are generally less expensive because of the lack of a down payment and the low monthly costs.  However, purchasing a vehicle that you plan on keeping for ten years ends up being less expensive than leasing.  This is making the assumption that you have an auto warranty that will save you from paying unnecessary expenses.  Motorists who enjoy having a new vehicle every three years would benefit from leasing.

Also, consider if you have any changes coming up in your life.  If you are going to be moving far away or beginning a family, leasing is the way to go.  This gives you a lot of flexibility.

Consider all of these things to make an educated decision on buying or leasing.  Just keep in mind that whenever you buy you want to make sure you are covered by an auto warranty to keep you from paying unnecessary repair expenses.

According to the Associated Press, Toyota has “secretly” started to develop a solar-powered car, even though the Japanese company has experienced its first year down after having positive growth for 70 years.

However, don’t get too excited yet.  Perhaps the story that is the biggest here is the reason that the AP wrote about a potential solar car being created by Toyota.  This isn’t any different than any other carmaker that has developed a prototype in the Research & Development department.  Toyota is known for a reputation for its green technology that is cutting edge, and it will receive key expertise when Panasonic, its battery developer, takes in solar leader Sanyo later in the year.

The technology is there to build such a car, without a doubt.  However, you have to ask, what sort of range is it going to have?  Also, is there going to be anyone that will purchase a car costing $200,000 that will need to be recharged after 35 miles?  One thing’s for sure; an auto warranty would be a good idea for a car with solar technology, such as this.

In other words, can a vehicle that is solar-powered be mass-produced and actually work for people’s lifestyles?

More and more recent cars are being sold with all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive as an option.  Is this something that your really need?  Will it actually make you safer or is it just a way for automakers to make extra money?

As of now, there haven’t been any formal studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on the effectiveness or ability to prevent crashes, in regards to four-wheel drive.

To decide if two or four-wheel drive is for you, you should make a list of the ways you will be using the vehicle and the conditions you will be driving in.

And ask yourself a series of questions.  For instance, do I live in an area with a lot of rain or snow?  Or, do I go on skiing trips often?  Do I travel on dirt roads, or off-road?  Also, will I be doing a lot of hauling?

These are worthwhile situations to have two or four-wheel drive.  However, if you’re just traveling on roads where there are mild conditions, you probably don’t need it.

Having two or four-wheel drive can benefit you greatly if you’re going to use it often.  However, if you really don’t need it, it might just be a waste of money.  This is a terrific feature, but you will want to purchase an auto warranty to ensure that you aren’t going to pay repair costs that are unnecessary down the road.