Some More Winter Tips

Another winter time tip.  Take the time to walk around your vehicle and make sure your lights and plate are not covered in snow and ice.  Yes you will get pulled over if the police can't read your plate.  Got pulled over in Potterville for that last summer because of the mud covering our plate.  Any lights that are out can get you pulled over and more importantly, aren't safe.

Take two minutes to walk around.  Watch your reflection on the car in front of you at the light or drive-thru.  If you see someone with a light out and you get the opportunity, tell them.

Buying a used car

For many of you, buying a used car can be a daunting thought.  Do I buy from a dealership or an individual?  How do I know if I buy this car it's not gonna nickle and dime me to death?

First of all, unless you buy a brand-new car or truck with a warranty, there's no way to guarantee you're not going to have to put money into it.  And some new car warranties even have a deductible so it could cost you no matter what.  Buying so-called "certified pre-owned" cars can have an advantage.  The dealership has an investment in repairing anything that they found after taking the car in and the price will reflect that.  But these vehicles come with some kind of warranty.

Buying from an individual has a few different little twists.  If the deal looks too good too be true, it probably is.  It pays to have it inspected by a mechanic, one of your choosing, not theirs.  If the seller is un-willing to allow an inspection, don't buy the vehicle.  Consider what repairs your mechanic sees into the price when you negotiate.  

Drive the car!  Or have someone somewhat knowledgeable drive the car.  And more than just right around the block.  Put 10 miles on it.  Go 55 and hit the brakes.  Does it shake?  Does it make any noise?   Look for any obvious stains under the car or anything dripping off the car.  Check the oil.  Is it clean and full?  What's the mileage on the sticker?  What are the tires like?  Are they all the same size?  Is there a spare?  I got stranded once when I was a kid the night I bought a used car with a flat, only to find out there was no spare or jack or anything.  The people who's house I ended up in front of called the State Police on me and I was given a certain number of hours to move the car, which I think cost me a $55.00 tow bill in the middle of the night.  Cover your ass.  Anything that's promised or assumed must be in writing or it's not worth anything.
And as a side note, don't carry your title in your car.  It's proof of ownership and if someone takes your car all they have to do is forge your name and they can get a title for it.
I'm sure there's more, but this is off the top of my head.
C  

Cold weather tips

I posted this on FB the other day and wanted to share with a larger, more focused audience.  When temperatures reach the severe levels they have in the mid-west of late, any maintenance you've forgone will make itself painfully obvious.  Namely, your battery.  I see a lot of batteries fail at 2 years!  And at 4, you better think about getting a new one if you live in extreme temperature areas.
If you do have a decent battery, when you start your car after it's been sitting for several hours, cycle your key from off to on, off to on.  Turn your headlights on for a few seconds.  This "primes" your fuel system, and the headlights being on will get the juices in your battery kind of stirring before you zap the crap out of it trying to start the engine.
You will usually find a stamp or some other marking that will tell you the age of the battery.  If you have any doubts, just about any service station will check it for you for free.  I know the local oil change place where I live will check them for free and their batteries have a 4 year replacement warranty.