Negotiating Tips for Women

1.Be . . . → Read More: Negotiating Tips for Women]]> Car buying can be a very intimidating process for anyone. But for most women it can be especially daunting. Many women feel obligated to take a boyfriend, husband, or father with them to the dealership in order to get a fair deal. Look over these negotiating tips we found to feel more confident!

Negotiating Tips for Women

1.Be Empowered! Negotiating is simple if you follow the EPR™ steps. Anyone can do it.

2.Educate Yourself.Research cars online and figure out what you want and can afford.

3.Wait to Negotiate. Feel free to shop around and do a few test drives, but avoid the impulse buy and do not negotiate anything while you are at the dealership!

4.Avoid Temptation. Don’t get lured in by incentives, gifts, or even sweets (dealers love leaving donuts and brownies around the showroom). Keep a calm head and wait until you are home to negotiate. When dealers give you a total price, they’ll be forced to include any applicable rebates to beat their competitors, and you can go out and buy as many brownies as you want with all the money you save.

5.Turn the Other Cheek. If you are talked down to, patronized, ignored, or treated poorly, don’t get mad, just walk away. They just lost any hope of a commission!

6.You are Not Obligated. Do not feel obligated to buy from the salesman who showed you around. You can always ask him to beat your best price later after you get a good price online.

You don’t have to actually buy a car online, only negotiate and settle on a price. You’ll still have a chance to go to the dealership, kick the tires, and take it for a spin before signing. Whether you are a seasoned negotiator or uncomfortable talking to strangers, we’ll help you negotiate a fantastic car price!

Care and Maintenance Tips Keep Your Car Running in Top-Notch Condition We’ve compiled our best expert advice, surprising tricks, and car care tips to prolong the life of your Buicks, GMCs and Subarus Fort Worth!

1. Be patient during the break-in period

You’ve bought your dream car and now you want to make it last at long as . . . → Read More: Extend the Life of Your Buicks, GMCs and Subarus]]>

Care and Maintenance Tips Keep Your Car Running in Top-Notch Condition
We’ve compiled our best expert advice, surprising tricks, and car care tips to prolong the life of your Buicks, GMCs and Subarus Fort Worth!

1. Be patient during the break-in period

You’ve bought your dream car and now you want to make it last at long as possible in top condition. Here are some things to remember as you pull it out of the dealer’s lot:

• During the break-in period, typically the first 1,000 miles, keep your speed under 55 mph.
• Avoid heavy loads on the drive train, such as towing trailers, and loading the roof rack or trunk with heavy construction materials.
• Do not allow your new car to idle for long periods — this is good advice for the life of your car, but especially during breakin. The oil pressure generated by doing so may not be sending oil to every part of your engine.
• Use only light to medium acceleration, keeping the engine rpms below 3,000 for the first few hours of driving.

2. Drive with care everyday
Being car considerate shouldn’t stop after the break-in. Drive with care every day and your car will reward you with longer intervals without repair.

• Do not race your car’s engine during start-up. This is a quick way to add years of wear to your engine, especially if it’s cold outside.
• Accelerate slowly when you begin your drive.The most wear to the engine and drive train occurs in the first ten to twenty minutes of operation.
• Warming the engine by letting it idle in the driveway is not a smart idea.The engine doesn’t operate at its peak temperature, resulting in incomplete fuel combustion,  soot deposits on cylinder walls, oil contamination, and ultimately damaged components.
• Put less strain on your engine and automatic transmission by shifting to neutral at red lights. Otherwise, the engine is still working to push the car even while it’s stopped.
• Avoid driving at high speeds and accelerating quickly, especially when it’s very hot or very cold outside. Such driving behavior will result in more frequent repairs.
• Extend the life of your tires with careful driving. Observe posted speed limits. Avoid fast starts, stops, and turns. Avoid potholes and objects on the road. Don’t run over curbs or hit the tire against the curb when parking. And, of course, don’t burn rubber.
• When turning your steering wheel, don’t hold it in an extreme right or left position for more than a few seconds. Doing so can damage the power-steering pump.
• Consolidate your short driving trips. Most of the wear and tear — as well as the pollution your car generates — takes place in the first few minutes of driving. Doing several errands at once, during low traffic hours if possible, will keep your engine happier longer.

3. Buy gas at reputable service stations

Ask whether the gas you buy is filtered at the pump and if the station has a policy about changing the pump filters regularly. If you get a song and dance, find another gas station. Some stations don’t have pump filters, making you more vulnerable to dirty gasoline. Other stations may not mix alcohol and fuel properly — or worse, water down their product. Find a station you trust and stick to it.

4. Don’t fill up if you see the tanker

If you happen to see a gasoline tanker filling the tanks at your local gas station, come back another day or go to a different station. As the station’s underground tanks are being filled, the turbulence can stir up sediment. Sediment in your gas can clog fuel filters and fuel injectors, causing poor performance and possibly necessitating repairs.

5. Go easy when you’re stuck

When stuck in mud or snow, don’t make the problem worse by damaging an expensive component. Gently rocking in an attempt to free the car is fine. But if it looks as though you’re really stuck, don’t keep at it. Throwing your car from forward to reverse repeatedly, as well as spinning tires at high speeds, can generate lots of heat and spell trouble for transmissions, clutches, and differentials. It may be cheaper in the long run to call the tow truck rather than risk big repair bills down the road. It’s a good idea to carry a traction aid in the trunk, such as sand, gravel, or cat litter.

6. Lighten up your key chain

Does your car key share a chain with a dozen or more other keys? That’s a pretty heavy load hanging off the car key when it’s in the ignition.The weight, combined with bouncing while you drive, can wear out the tumblers inside the ignition and eventually lead to ignition switch failure.To add years of service to your ignition switch, purchase a lightweight key chain that allows you to separate your ignition key from the others. Drive with only the ignition key in your ignition. If your ignition key “sticks” when you try to turn on the car, it’s a warning that your ignition switch is about to fail. Replace it before you get stranded.

7. Choose a good car insurer

Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, disaster inevitably strikes — typically in the form of an accident. Make sure that your car will be repaired to the best possible standard by finding an insurer that will pay for parts from the original manufacturer and guarantee the repairs it authorizes.

8. Keep an auto log

Keep a pad and pencil in the glove compartment and use them to record your gas fill-ups and mileage. If you notice that your gas mileage worsens, mention it to your service man. It may be an early warning sign that something is wrong with your car.

9. Preserve your car during long-term storage

If you are not going to use your car for more than a month, store it properly to prevent unnecessary damage and repairs upon your return.

• Fill the gas tank to help prevent condensation from accumulating in the gas tank. Add a fuel stabilizer and drive the car around a bit to distribute the additive to engine parts.
• Wash and wax the car thoroughly to protect the finish.
• Place a vapor barrier on your garage floor. A 4-mil polyethylene drop cloth will do.
• Disengage the parking brake to help avoid brake corrosion.
• Put the car on jack stands to take the weight of the vehicle off the wheels and tires.
• Disconnect and remove the battery to keep it from draining. Place the battery on a trickletype charger. Or periodically drain the battery, using a small light bulb, and then recharge it with a low-volt charger.
• Plug the tailpipe with a rag to prevent moist air from infiltrating into it.

I heard on the news the other day that the driver allegedly responsible for a semi driver’s death last month was drunk. According to news reports he was served 10 beers at a Fort Worth bar.  By now, even a gin-soaked barfly knows that mixing drinking with driving conjures up a potentially lethal brew. Responsible . . . → Read More: Feeling Tipsy, Don’t Drive in Fort Worth… OR ANYWHERE]]>

I heard on the news the other day that the driver allegedly responsible for a semi driver’s death last month was drunk. According to news reports he was served 10 beers at a Fort Worth bar.  By now, even a gin-soaked barfly knows that mixing drinking with driving conjures up a potentially lethal brew. Responsible drinkers long have had two options for getting home safely – asking a sober friend to drive or hailing a taxi cab. But a company called Be My Designated Driver is offering tipplers in nearly two dozen cities a third alternative: Turning your own car into an “instant taxi” by hiring a designated driver to chauffeur you around for the night.

In the search for good drivers, BeMyDD only hires candidates who have spotless driving records. Many of the drivers have commercial driver’s licenses and a history of working as limousine drivers.  Drivers with DUIs or more than four points on their record and registered sex offenders are among those who do not make the cut. If you find a driver with a winning smile or an especially light touch on the accelerator, you can request that person when you make your next reservation.

The service, known as BeMyDD, was born out of the frustration the twenty-somethings and their friends experienced when trying to get home responsibly after a night at the bars. They’d always have to do the coin toss for who’s going to be the designated driver, or who looks the most sober, and that’s a scary game to play.

Enter BeMyDD. After paying a $25 annual membership fee, you are eligible to use the company’s Personal Driver Service and reserve a designated driver in advance to drive you around town in your own car. The designated driver – clad in shirt and tie – waits in the car while you and your friends carouse. The service costs anywhere from $12.50 to $15 an hour, depending on location. There is a three-hour minimum, but no mileage limits. Cars can be filled with as many people as there are seatbelts in the car.

If you forget to pre-plan before getting tipsy, there’s no problem. Just call BeMyDD and activate the “Pickup Service.” A team of two drivers will arrive to take both you and your car to the destination of your choice.  There is a $25 flat fee for the service, with an additional charge of $2.95 for the first 10 miles, plus $1.50 for each additional mile.

There’s no word on whether BeMyDD throws in two free aspirin to help cure the next morning’s hangover. Hahaha.

Originally, the company targeted drivers their own age – recently out of college and still in prime pub-crawling mode. Surprisingly, the company’s founders say much of the interest has come from customers who are 30 years old and above – people with something to lose who don’t want to risk the damage to their finances and their reputations that a DUI often brings. It promotes itself as generally being less expensive and more convenient than a taxi service, and I imagine it’s a lot cheaper than the legal fees and fines associated with a DUI.

Customers are urged to ask about the company’s insurance coverage and to find out under which circumstances BeMyDD would accept liability in the event of an accident caused by one of the company’s drivers.Of course, every time you turn your keys over to someone else, you’re putting your car – and your auto insurance – on the line. Remember the old saw: Insurance follows the car, not the driver. So if there’s an accident, the claim will fall on your policy. BeMyDD insures all its drivers and carries an umbrella policy for extra liability coverage. If an accident occurs and exhausts the car owner’s insurance coverage, BeMyDD will cover the rest.

BeMyDD services are not limited to bar-hoppers. The company offers a “Peace of Mind” plan designed for weddings and other special events. And  the service can be used for other purposes, such as making sure an elderly parent gets to a doctor’s appointment safely and on time.

It is now available in major cities such as Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Miami and Washington, D.C. and it hopes to have BeMyDD in all 50 states by the end of the year.

While not everyone is planning on taking their car to a race track, most people do want to find ways to get more power out of their vehicle.  The problem is, most people don’t understand how more power is made in the engine to begin with.  The most straight forward way to get . . . → Read More: Give your engine a boost, DFW]]>

Boost your engine

While not everyone is planning on taking their car to a race track, most people do want to find ways to get more power out of their vehicle.  The problem is, most people don’t understand how more power is made in the engine to begin with.  The most straight forward way to get more power is to allow more air to get into your engine and pass through it quickly.  The more air there is, the more combustion is made when the fuel is sparked inside the engine.

This means that you can get more boost from your car without having to drop in a new engine.  But how do you get more air into your car?  The easiest way is to keep your air filters clean.  The longer you drive without changing or cleaning your air filters, the less air goes into your engine.  If you are driving with a dirty filter, your car is actually doing more work to bring air in, and still creating less power.  This will also take away from your gas mileage since more fuel is required to combust.

Another way to help air flow is to allow the air to exit your car faster.  This is done through your car’s exhaust system.  The bigger your exhaust pipe, the more air is allow to be pushed out of your car.  But sometimes you don’t need to buy a new exhaust system, you just need to keep your exhaust pipes clean and unobstructed.  By checking  and cleaning your exhaust regularly, you will get more power, and it is another way to squeeze in a few miles per gallon.

If you are looking for easy solutions to get a little more kick out of your motor, as well as save some money at the tank, just be sure that you are keeping your air flow strong.  If you have any other questions on how to put some more horses under the hood, feel free to come by, and we’ll help you out.

The Buick brand is highly regarded as making some of the best cars on the road, so how does it enhance that reputation?  How about becoming more fuel efficient?  That is the plan that Buick is planning to unveil with their 2012 Lacrosse.  With gas prices starting to climb again, and more hybrid and fuel conscious . . . → Read More: The 2012 Buick Lacrosse will save you money on gas]]>

The Buick brand is highly regarded as making some of the best cars on the road, so how does it enhance that reputation?  How about becoming more fuel efficient?  That is the plan that Buick is planning to unveil with their 2012 Lacrosse.  With gas prices starting to climb again, and more hybrid and fuel conscious cars on the market, Buick is planning on creating more cars that will get you more bang for your gas buying buck.

Here’s an excerpt from a recent Kansas City Star article singing the praise for the future of Buick, who has a manufacturing plant near the city.

But it will have something Buick hasn’t been known for — superior gas mileage. Its combined city/highway mileage rating is 25 percent better than this year’s. And its estimated 37 miles from a gallon of gas on the highway is up from 30 miles on the current model with a four-cylinder engine.

Those numbers come courtesy of several upgrades that don’t meet the eye — including slicker aerodynamics, an improved six-speed transmission, and a small battery pack that runs the car when it is idling and gives the four-cylinder engine a gas-saving boost when it needs a little extra power, say for climbing hills.

But Buick also wants people to know that a fuel-sipper rivaling many smaller cars doesn’t have to sacrifice ride, comfort and luxury features. So the company is proceeding carefully in its promotions, mindful of lessons learned in the 1970s when fuel-efficient cars often were labeled “econoboxes.”

As Daryl Wilson, lead development engineer for Buick, puts it: “It has to be a Buick.”

If you are thinking about buying a new Buick in the future, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the 2012 Buick Lacrosse.  If you have any questions about the new upgrades or any other aspects to the new Buick vehicles coming soon, be sure to contact me.

If you own a truck, then chances are that you are used to loading up your bed and hauling everything from lumber to couches.  After a while, you may notice that your truck bed becomes scratched and bruised.  The best way to avoid this kind of wear and tear is to invest into a bed liner.

The . . . → Read More: How to choose a truck bed liner]]>

If you own a truck, then chances are that you are used to loading up your bed and hauling everything from lumber to couches.  After a while, you may notice that your truck bed becomes scratched and bruised.  The best way to avoid this kind of wear and tear is to invest into a bed liner.

The problem then becomes, what kind of liner should you buy? There are two choices that you can make, either a spray on liner or a mold to install.  While both of these systems have pros and cons, it can come down to personal preference and cost.  So which one is right for you? I found a great article from bedlinersinsanfrancisco.com.

First thing is to decide if you want your new bed liner to be permanent because some spray-on bedliners or do it your self bed liners are forever bonded to the truck bed. A spray on bed liner keeps your truck bed looking new and is great for hauling light loads but you need to make sure you understand everything that goes into a spray on bed liner before you decide you that is the way you want to go. One big thing to know is that when they install your spray on liner they will have to grind down your factory paint to be able to prepare it for the spray on bed liner to adhere to the truck bed. If you are not interested in having a bed liner that you can not take in and out of your truck then it may be a good idea to look at a drop in bed liner. A drop in bed will give you a lot of different options as far as taking it in and out of your truck bed. There are all different types from a carpet style bed liner to a one piece drop in bed liner. One of the best bed liners I have seen lately on the market is a 5-piece bed liner that is custom fit to your truck bed and is not just a one size fits all. There are many nice things about a custom fit bed liner. One thing is you won’t have to worry about it rubbing your factory paint down to bare metal like the one size fits all drop ins. For many years that was a very common problem that gave drop in bed liners a bad name not having a custom fit to each truck and the combination of wind spelled disaster. When bare metal is exposed it does not take long for rust and corrosion to set in all from what was supposed to protect your truck bed. Something else to consider is cost cost can play a big factor in your bed liner purchase. A spray on is about $100 a foot so it can range any where from $500 to $1,000 for a spray on bed liner where the custom fit bed liners are about $399 shipped to your door and only take minutes to install and seem to outlast most spray on bed liner 2 to 1.

I hope that this helps you when looking at bed liner systems, and gives your truck bed  longer life.  You bought a truck to use its full potential, and a great bed liner can help you do just that.  If you have any questions about bed liners, feel free to drop by and we’ll help you out.

The Texas sun can be particularly dangerous if you are driving towards it.  Thousands of accidents every year happen due to people being temporarily blinded by direct sunlight.  It’s happened to all of us, you take that turn, or hit the top of a hill and suddenly you can’t see anything by the sun glaring straight . . . → Read More: Try to reduce road glare]]>

The Texas sun can be particularly dangerous if you are driving towards it.  Thousands of accidents every year happen due to people being temporarily blinded by direct sunlight.  It’s happened to all of us, you take that turn, or hit the top of a hill and suddenly you can’t see anything by the sun glaring straight into your eyes.

There are ways to reduce the glare of the sun on your car and to become a safer driver.  While wearing sunglasses and using your sun visors are the first line of defense, the sun can still wreak havok on your ability to see the road.  One of the main problems is that the glare will hit any dirt and grime on your windows, giving you many small blind spots.  Using a water beader, such as Rain X, will help keep your windshield clean.

Also, be more proactive and anticipate where the sun will be before turning. This will let you get your visor in an optimal position to block the sun.  Also, when driving try to keep plenty of space between your car and the one in front of you.  If the sun is impairing your vision, this will give you more time to read and react to what is happening in front of you.

If you are looking for any sort of top wind shield tint, or other accessories to help fight road glare, be sure to let me know, and I’ll be sure to help.

With warmer weather coming it is time to make sure that one of your vehicles most important components, especially in Texas, is working.  I’m of course talking about your air conditioner.  While we are still far away from the true dog days of summer, it is best to make sure everything is working now before having . . . → Read More: Fight the Texas heat with A/C maintenance]]>

With warmer weather coming it is time to make sure that one of your vehicles most important components, especially in Texas, is working.  I’m of course talking about your air conditioner.  While we are still far away from the true dog days of summer, it is best to make sure everything is working now before having to drive in a car that feels like the inside of a pizza oven.

The problem with having a non-working air conditioner is that having your system checked and fixed can often times cost a few hundred dollars.  The good news is that you may only need to recharge your cars air conditioning system which will save you time and money.  Recharging your air conditioner is simply refilling your system with refrigerant. Here’s an article from carjunky.com that explains how this simple task can save you many headaches.

According to industry research, most people are not aware that they can “recharge” their automobile’s air conditioning themselves. Recharging is simply adding refrigerant.

Easy-to-use, cost effective air conditioner charging products, such as Measure & Charge from Interdynamics, can save the do-it-yourselfer up to $100 per use compared to repair shop services. When factoring in the cost of a rental car, time spent at the repair shop and disruption of the daily routine caused by using a service station to do the job, the savings become even more significant.

“Recharging your vehicle’s air conditioning system is a simple process that takes less than 10 minutes from start to finish,” said Vincent Carrubba, director of research and development at Interdynamics.

Measure & Charge can be found at most automotive stores. For more information on do-it-yourself air conditioner recharging and retrofitting, visit www.id-usa.com.

One of the most popular things that people upgrade with after market products in their vehicle’s is their sound system.  While today, most new cars come loaded with a high quality system, older cars generally did not take such things into serious consideration.  While an upgraded stereo head and CD player will help improve the quality . . . → Read More: Blast those tunes with new speakers, DFW!]]>

One of the most popular things that people upgrade with after market products in their vehicle’s is their sound system.  While today, most new cars come loaded with a high quality system, older cars generally did not take such things into serious consideration.  While an upgraded stereo head and CD player will help improve the quality of your sound system, the real game changer is in the speakers.

The problem arises when trying to choose which brand and type of speakers will work best for you.  There are literally hundred of choices to choose from, and it can get a little over whelming. The good news is I found a great article on crutchfield.com which explains what you should look at before buying your new set of speakers.

Match your speakers to your system

New speakers, like these C2-570X 5×7′s from JL Audio, put the life back into your music.

You should consider two main specifications when considering which speakers will work best in your car.

• Sensitivity
  Sensitivity measures how much sound a speaker yields from the power applied to it. If you have a low-powered car stereo, like most factory systems, speakers with high sensitivity ratings will make the best match. If you have a high-power system, like that provided by a brand-name receiver or external amplifier, then consider speakers with lower sensitivity ratings. Properly powered, they’ll provide excellent sound quality.
• Power-handling
  Power-handling lets you know how much power (measured in watts) a speaker can handle. If you’ve got a low-powered system, your speakers don’t need to be able to handle lots of power. On the other hand, a system with powerful external amps will require speakers whose power-handling is close to the output of the amps. And remember, the key spec in power-handling is the maximum RMS power-handling, not the peak power handling. RMS ratings realistically measure how much power the speaker can handle on a continuous basis, not just for a short period of time.

Be sure to check out the rest of the article as it gives great information on what kind of speaker options you have. Let me know in the comments what kind of speakers you have installed in your car or truck.