Car and Automotive

Your car is acting funny and something doesn’t sound right. When you bring your vehicle in to the mechanic, the mechanic informs you that something fell off of your vehicle and/or is missing from it entirely, meaning that you will need to replace the part. What do you do? You most certainly cannot afford to drive around with a car that is missing a part. What if something happens?

All car owners eventually find themselves in a situation where they need to replace a part on their vehicle. Most people take their car to their local repair shop and hope that they are not over charged for the part and labor. In order to help avoid this potentially expensive process, many car owners choose to save money by purchasing their parts themselves.

Before beginning the process of shopping for car parts, it is important that a car owner know how much the car part in question costs. A quick search on the Internet can often help car owners get an idea of how much a car part for their vehicle should cost. When searching, be sure to visit your manufacturer’s web site and search for your vehicle’s model and year. This will provide you with the most accurate information on the parts needed for your vehicle so that you will know what parts to look for and price.

When you have an idea of how much the car parts should cost, it is time to start shopping around. A quick and often affordable way to find car parts is to call salvage yards or junk yards. There are often cars that have been wrecked and left un-repaired for various reasons. These cars contain many good car parts that the salvage yards are able sell for very reasonable prices. Another way to get great deals on car parts is using the Internet to order the part directly from a manufacture. Many web sites offer deeply discounted prices either because the parts are being sold by a wholesale company that makes their money by selling a large quantity of items or by holding auctions.

For many years, car manufacturers have applied the concept of ‘regular service’, for the car maintenance schedule. It has been observed that usage of a car largely determines the maintenance schedule of that particular car. The user manual provides specific guidelines, regarding the schedule that needs to be followed by the owner for car maintenance. It is just meant give you an outline and should not be followed religiously. Maintenance schedule is a function of car usage and hence will vary from one vehicle to another.. There are websites that provide you useful inputs and tips on car maintenance. Some websites even provide Online organizers to help track your car maintenance schedule. Listed below are few tips that would help you in keeping your car in an immaculate condition.

• 3000 Miles Maintenance: Changing engine oil and filter is recommended after 3000 miles. Brake fluids, air filters, tyres, hoses and fan belt should be checked regularly.
• 5000-10,000 Miles Maintenance: Tyre rotation and wheel balancing should be done every five to ten thousand miles. This will ensure a even wear and tear of tyres and prolong their life.
• 15,000 Miles Maintenance: Changing air filters every 15,000 miles, will improve the fuel efficiency of your car. Brake pads and fluid should be checked and replaced if needed.
• 30,000 Miles Maintenance: Checking the transmission fluid level is recommended at this stage is recommended. The owner’s manual will have directions of how to drain and replace the fluid.
• 50,000 Miles Maintenance: Examining the coolant overflow tank to check if it needs top up.

1. Put your vehicle on a flat surface- Make sure your vehicle is on a flat surface, or lifting the car may result in damage. Turn on the hazard lights.

2. Remove the hubcap and loosen the lug nuts- First remove the hubcaps, if any, and loosen all the lug nuts on the tire, but do not remove them. It is best to use an anti-slip lug wrench, as it will give a firm grip to loosen the nuts.

3. Place the jack underneath your car- Using the owner’s manual, place the jack in the proper location so that it won’t end up in damaging you or the vehicle.

4. Jack up- Lift the vehicle by cranking the handle of the jack. Lift the vehicle until you can easily remove the tire.

5. Remove the nuts- Now remove the loosened nuts and store them safely. Do not lose them, as you need them to attach the spare tire.

6. Remove the flat tire- Hold the tire and pull it towards you by lifting it slightly. Tires may weigh from 20 to 30 pounds or more depending on the vehicle, so be careful while lifting it.

7. Move your spare- Mount the spare on the hub, place the nuts, and tighten them just with your hands – not using wrench.

8. Lower the jack- Lower the car until it is in contact with the ground, and remove the jack.

9. Tighten the lug nuts- Now tighten the lug nuts that you previously tightened with your hands. First tighten one nut, then the nut most opposite it. Repeat this pattern, always moving to tighten the next most opposite nut. Once all the nuts are tightened to some extent, tighten them more securely one-by-one.

10. Repair the flat (or replace it) as soon as possible- You may not know when you will need a spare tire again.

Playing with the heat settings does no good and a check of the coolant, hoses, and connections reveals that everything is okay. So, what is the problem? More than likely your Ford heater core has died. You jump in your car and head directly over to your Ford dealer to get a price on a new heater core. Within moments you are gasping for air as the man behind the counter looks over his computerized inventory and quotes an outrageously high price. For a moment you don’t know whether to whack the guy over the head or start driving around with a portable heater you plug into your car’s cigarette lighter. Quickly you dismiss either option and decide to take matters into your own hands.

Fortunately a heater core isn’t all that difficult to change yourself. For most cars, a heater core can be reached by pulling out the dash or checking under the hood adjacent to the firewall, locating the unit, yanking it out, and replacing it with a new one. Naturally, you will pay gobs of money through your dealer’s parts department, but you have other options besides visiting the dealer or making a futile trip to your local junkyard: shop the internet.

That’s right, online auto parts wholesalers carry Jeep heater cores and heater cores for just about any make/model of car out there. Best yet, when shopping with a wholesaler like the Heater Core Experts, you can save big bucks. By purchasing direct from the manufacturer, a first class wholesaler will turn around and sell a heater core to you for less. A lot less than what Mr. Parts Dealer would charge and without you having to pay for labor costs either.