Auto Talk

Should I Buy An Extended Vehicle Warranty?
Whether you are purchasing a new or used car, breakdowns can occur. It?s always a worry that you could have major problems such as engine trouble or a transmission that stops shifting, and you suddenly are digging deep into your pockets for the cash to repair it. So the question that arises often is ?Should I Buy An Extended Vehicle Warranty?? There are always pros and cons. An extended vehicle warranty adds to your total cost, but over the long run it can also be very beneficial especially if a big breakdown occurs. A vehicle extended warranty is a contract between a vehicle warranty company and you. It isn?t an insurance policy even though most people think of it as one. It is actually the most profitable service a car dealer sells, but it can also be very beneficial to the consumer. When you buy a new car you get the manufacturers warranty. Then, for a specific fee, you can extend that warranty. If you tend to keep your vehicles longer than the period of the original warranty purchasing the extended warranty can make good sense. If however you tend to trade your vehicles in every few years, the purchase of the extended warranty would probably not be beneficial. When it comes to used vehicles, some dealers will offer a 30 day warranty and then offer to sell you an extended warranty. There are many companies that are now offering extended warranty coverage on used vehicles. Purchasing an extended warranty is a great way to give you peace of mind. You can protect your investment and your pocket book from unexpected costs. Extended warranties usually offer the same benefits as your new car warranty. This means that no matter where you travel within North America your warranty will cover you. Some extended warranties cover just the powertrain, while others cover bumper to bumper. Be sure to check with your dealer or read your policy. As an added bonus, almost all extended warranties offer 24 hour roadside assistance. Roadside assistance includes gas drops, flat tire changes, locksmith, and towing benefits. You may also get benefits such as vehicle replacement in the event of a breakdown along with accommodation expenses. Filing claims is a simple process. Many dealers simply require you to provide proof of coverage. Normally you are issued a coverage card. If you are dealing with your local dealership, chances are you are in their computer system. On used vehicles you usually are required to pay the costs and then submit the bill for reimbursement. Different plans have different deductibles. Don?t buy your extended warranty coverage by price alone. More doesn?t mean better; but then again cheap can mean that many repairs are exempt so read the fine print and read the entire policy carefully before signing on the dotted line. With so many companies offering extended warranty coverage online and through dealers, it?s important you are sure that the company is reputable. If your extended warranty comes from Ford or GM it?s pretty straightforward; but otherwise you?ll want to make sure you are dealing with a well funded company. Whether you should buy extended vehicle warranty coverage is really a personal choice, but good coverage can be beneficial. If there?s one thing for certain, vehicles will break down. It?s just a matter of when. Gray Rollins is a writer for automotive websites. Visit us for more <a href="http://www.mcgeeautosales.com/extendedvehicleswarranties/">extended vehicle warranty tips</a> and be sure to check out our site about <a href="http://www.pellauto.com/luxuryvehicleauctions/">luxury vehicle auctions</a>.
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Understanding Your Auto Warranty
The auto warranty is something everyone thinks about when they are purchasing a car, but few of these people realize that they need to think about it after that as well. You go into a dealership, which convinces you to purchase an auto that is perfect for you. What seals the deal, in many cases, is the fact that the auto has an auto warranty on it. You think that they could not or would not offer a warranty on a product that wasn’t up to standards. So, you purchase your car and get your auto warranty. Regardless of the car, the make or model number, you simply shove that auto warranty into the glove box and call it done. But, what you need to do is to know what is covered on that warranty, what you need to do to get those services, and what you need to do to keep that warranty up to date. Getting the information that you need to make a decision about your auto warranty is also important. For many people, they may not even realize that they should read the thing! You would be surprised at what is and isn’t covered in that warranty. If you have one and you haven’t read it, dig it out and get going. What you will want to know first of all is what things it cover. Does the auto warranty cover things such as parts and oil changes? Does it cover the tires, brakes and the body work? Now that you know that, do you know what to do to get the services that it covers? Read on. Learn where you will need to go to get these services, if there will be any fee and what happens if you don’t go to the right location. Lastly, you also want to know about the auto warranty expiration date if there is one. In some cases, you may actually be able to increase that amount of time by purchasing a warranty extension. The auto warranty can offer many things after all. For more information please see <a href="http://www.auto-warranty-help.co.uk" target="_blank">http://www.auto-warranty-help.co.uk</a>
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Tire Safety: How Old Is Too Old?
When thinking about tire safety, it is important to consider two things: age and use. Vehicles driven daily are typically driven 15,000 miles a year. But there are situations where cars put on even fewer miles. This includes: being driven only on the weekends, never driving in the rain, show cars, and cars that are stored for extended periods of time. So, some tires on these types of cars put on less than 100,000. But it doesn t mean that they are safe tires. Tires deteriorate over time and can age out wear out before they wear out. In a statement from the British Rubber Manufacturers Association (BRMA) issued on June 5, 2001 regarding the age of tires they state, “BRMA members strongly recommend that unused tires should not be put into service if they are over 6 years old and that all tires should be replaced 10 years from the date of their manufacture.” Tire age can be accelerated by a variety of environmental factors, such as sunlight exposure and coastal climates. Poor storage and infrequent use of your vehicle are other things that can accelerate tire age. If you keep your tires in ideal conditions, the tire age can go as high as 10 years from its manufacture date. But ideal conditions are the exception rather than the rule. And the worst part is that you cannot tell the safety of an old tire just by looking at it since there are no conclusive tests for the safety of tires without destroying the tire itself! Due to this, some European car manufacturers of high performance sports cars, coupes and sedans have hedged their bets, stating in their owners manuals that the tire age should reach no higher than 6 years. How Better Rubber Makes Tires That Are Safe There have been a lot of changes in rubber compounds since Charles Goodyear discovered how to cure rubber when he baked a combination of natural rubber and sulfur on his family s kitchen stove. Thus, he would convert an unappreciated raw material into many useful products. Goodyear cross-linked sulfur with polymers that, when exposed to heat, would help make rubber durable and at the same time maintain its elasticity. The main focus of new research has been finding tire age inhibitors. Sulfur molecules are one such tire age inhibitor that is reactivated every time they are exposed to heat, making the rubber harder. Nowadays, rubber in tires has oil in it that tends to migrate into the tires under tread/casing and evaporate into the air. In the process of this, the tire compound releases oil and gets harder. If you can t quite visualize this, go into any tire store and take a big whiff. You ll smell the oil there. Before curing, most tires are coated with a mold release agent that is makes it easier to remove from their mold after curing. If it s a little hard to visualize, think about spraying Pam on a fry pan before pouring on the batter for pancakes. This increases the safety of tires because some of the mold release agent gets cooked onto the surface of the cured tire, which prevents all the oil from evaporating. What Is The Right Tire Age? In most cases, most street tires are good for 6-8 years if maintained properly. Don t forget though that this includes the time the tires spent from the manufacturer s plant to the dealer to you. So, keep this in mind when you are determining tire age. Most tires get to you anywhere between 3-6 months. Some stay longer with the tire manufacturer, but generally all tires that go on your car are less than a year old. So, you should not get an old tire from any tire manufacturer. Which Tires Last Longest? If you want to buy a tire based on how long it will last, you have to consider thread compound. The more aggressive its compound the shorter tire life. Below is a list of tires from longest-lasting to shortest-lasting: Max Performance Ultra High Performance tires DOT-legal competition tires Bottom line: if you want to avoid safe tire issues go with tires that last long and properly maintain them.Bob Martin says Don t buy any new tires until you take a serious look at this today http://www.discount-tires-online.com/TireRatings/tire-rating-guide.htm This article is a copyrighted work and does not come with reprint or resale rights and may not be altered or changed in any way including the resource box. The site owner acknowledges that by using this article they accept this condition. The only exception being to bold the appropriate copy i.e. headlines and subhead text.
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