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Thursday, June 7, 2007
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Buy a used rental car and save
Buy used rental car cheep and get good transportation and fair pricing. It is an old wives tale that rental cars are beat to death and not maintained well.
When you are looking to buy a car this buy used rental car option should be seriously considered.
I have had some dealings with turned in rental cars from the two largest rental car fleets. The land based car auction center I worked for received more then 50% of its total inventory from just these two suppliers.
These vehicles where checked out by my department and in almost every case the vehicle was maintained very well.
The rental car agencies have strict guidelines on performing regular maintenance to their fleet. This is for many reasons.
They need to protect their investment in each and every vehicle. Also they need to protect themselves from lawsuits related to vehicle accidents.
Many times if the renter gets into an accident they will blame the car. The rental car company must maintain safety check inspections and maintenance records to prove its vigilance in maintaining the safe operation of the vehicle.
As a side note your current vehicle may be an ex rental car. The cars that where sold at the auction I worked for where purchased by dealers all over the country.
When I ran the free vin check on my fathers doge caravan guess what? It was a retired rental car. You can Get a FREE VIN Check from AutoCheck®.
If you buy used rental car from the major players like enterprise the vehicles are certified and inspected before delivery.
If you’re looking to buy a car from enterprise you also get a 7-day money back guarantee. And a rigorous 109-point inspection for your peace of mind.
Enterprise certifies and inspects every used car it sells. Including the proper operation of the engine and power train systems, a complete brake inspection and the condition of the seats and exterior finish.
You can be confident that all their certified used cars have passed the 109-point saftey inspection performed by an independently trained ASE-Certified mechanic.
Enterprise Car Sales also offers no-haggle pricing policy so you can avoid stressful and unpleasant negotiations and typical sales games.
You'll be pleased with their professional sales people and low-pressure sales approach. Every vehicle they sell comes with their Perfect Used Car Package® to ensure your complete satisfaction.
Also a CARFAX Vehicle History Report is included with every vehicle.
Buy used rental car with confidence. Verify that your next vehicle wasn't previously involved in a major accident or natural disaster.
Enterprise provides a this report on every vehicle they sell, at no additional cost to you.
I have no affiliation or motivation to send you to enterprises web site. I am recommending it as a courtesy to my loyal web site visitors.
The web site offers free articles and provides an in-depth look at one of the largest rental car fleets in the United States.
They have also provided a complete list of exactly what their 109-point inspection covers and how and when this safety check is performed.
Enterprises web site buy used rental car : http://www.enterprisecarsales.com/carsales/home.do
Another advantage that happens when you buy used rental car (s) from any company is that you receive the balance of the factory warranty.
You can also buy an extended warranty that covers just the power train components or buy a full coverage warranty that covers all major components.
This can add additional piece of mind and confidence in your buy rental car experience
Tip pages: http://www.auto-facts.org/buyusedcaronline.html
When you are looking to buy a car this buy used rental car option should be seriously considered.
I have had some dealings with turned in rental cars from the two largest rental car fleets. The land based car auction center I worked for received more then 50% of its total inventory from just these two suppliers.
These vehicles where checked out by my department and in almost every case the vehicle was maintained very well.
The rental car agencies have strict guidelines on performing regular maintenance to their fleet. This is for many reasons.
They need to protect their investment in each and every vehicle. Also they need to protect themselves from lawsuits related to vehicle accidents.
Many times if the renter gets into an accident they will blame the car. The rental car company must maintain safety check inspections and maintenance records to prove its vigilance in maintaining the safe operation of the vehicle.
As a side note your current vehicle may be an ex rental car. The cars that where sold at the auction I worked for where purchased by dealers all over the country.
When I ran the free vin check on my fathers doge caravan guess what? It was a retired rental car. You can Get a FREE VIN Check from AutoCheck®.
If you buy used rental car from the major players like enterprise the vehicles are certified and inspected before delivery.
If you’re looking to buy a car from enterprise you also get a 7-day money back guarantee. And a rigorous 109-point inspection for your peace of mind.
Enterprise certifies and inspects every used car it sells. Including the proper operation of the engine and power train systems, a complete brake inspection and the condition of the seats and exterior finish.
You can be confident that all their certified used cars have passed the 109-point saftey inspection performed by an independently trained ASE-Certified mechanic.
Enterprise Car Sales also offers no-haggle pricing policy so you can avoid stressful and unpleasant negotiations and typical sales games.
You'll be pleased with their professional sales people and low-pressure sales approach. Every vehicle they sell comes with their Perfect Used Car Package® to ensure your complete satisfaction.
Also a CARFAX Vehicle History Report is included with every vehicle.
Buy used rental car with confidence. Verify that your next vehicle wasn't previously involved in a major accident or natural disaster.
Enterprise provides a this report on every vehicle they sell, at no additional cost to you.
I have no affiliation or motivation to send you to enterprises web site. I am recommending it as a courtesy to my loyal web site visitors.
The web site offers free articles and provides an in-depth look at one of the largest rental car fleets in the United States.
They have also provided a complete list of exactly what their 109-point inspection covers and how and when this safety check is performed.
Enterprises web site buy used rental car : http://www.enterprisecarsales.com/carsales/home.do
Another advantage that happens when you buy used rental car (s) from any company is that you receive the balance of the factory warranty.
You can also buy an extended warranty that covers just the power train components or buy a full coverage warranty that covers all major components.
This can add additional piece of mind and confidence in your buy rental car experience
Tip pages: http://www.auto-facts.org/buyusedcaronline.html
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Are we all treated equal ?
Before I tell you about the actual stories of people I have helped and the details of their problems and solutions, I would like to review some strategies for women motorists.My wife has been proof reading and editing the book for me. She has told me that even though I have tried to strike a balance in the presentation that I have leaned toward the side of how a man would handle the service situation. So we discussed this at great length and decided to add a section for the female motorist.Service department personnel treat women differently and I don’t want to act like it’s not true when it is true. I wish I could say that automotive repair shops treat everyone the same, but I can’t.Women can be considered easy targets for auto repair rip-offs and scams. Most shops will see a woman as an easy sell because of a lack of automotive knowledge and an increased need for a feeling of safety. This is most definitely one of those situations were women must work harder then men to get the same treatment. Your automotive knowledge base must be very strong and your automotive vocabulary strong as well.Women can win this battle just like men. Go back to last chapter and click on the two links provided for the free educational materials. Learn at your own pace, but take the time to learn the information provided. I will be glad to help in anyway I can. mrg@certifiedmastertech.com My wife tells me that I must provide an alternative method to the kick ass and take names approach that I recommend. She says that women will not be comfortable at getting tough with the hardened career service managers and service writers. The alternative is knowledge about the subject being addressed by the service center. You won’t have to yell or get tough when you know the material being negotiated. When I was on the debate team in high school the women on the debate team had the advantage. This was in most cases due to their superior verbal skills and public speaking confidence. This can be the case as well when negotiating with the shop, but being prepared to debate is the key.
See more about my book on this free auto repair information page
See more about my book on this free auto repair information page
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Learn about cars for Free!
I would like to make you aware of the best FREE web site I know of for learning about how the automotive engine operates and more.
This site is 100% free and really makes learning the basics easy. You can study up on this topic and appear knowledgeable to your repair shop staff.
The how stuff works web site is amazing and can teach you more then just how engines work.
The start page for the FREE automotive section is located at the following link http://auto.howstuffworks.com the free articles section is impressive. I have listed just a few of the available topics you can research at the above link.
How Air Bags Work
How Air-Powered Cars Will Work
How Anti-Lock Brakes Work
How Automatic Transmissions Work
How Automobile Ignition Systems Work
How Automobiles Work
How Biodiesel Works
How Brakes Work
How Camshafts Work
How can I measure the drag on a car?
How Car Computers Work
How Car Cooling Systems Work
How Car Engines Work
How Car Financing Works
How Car Insurance Works
How Car Steering Works
How Car Suspensions Work
How Car Washes Work
How Cars Work
How Catalytic Converters Work
How Champ Cars Work
How Child Car Seats Work
How Clutches Work
How Convertibles Work
How Crash Testing Works
How CVTs Work
How Diesel Engines Work
How Diesel Two-Stroke Engines Work
How Differentials Work
How Disc Brakes Work
How do 30 pounds of air in your tires hold up 2 tons of car?
This free training might be time consuming but it is not only interesting but can make you appear very knowledgeable to your auto repair shop.
If this information was helpful please bookmark my blog and visit my new web site at the link below ( I need the traffic! ) Thank you
More valuable information at my auto repair web site
This site is 100% free and really makes learning the basics easy. You can study up on this topic and appear knowledgeable to your repair shop staff.
The how stuff works web site is amazing and can teach you more then just how engines work.
The start page for the FREE automotive section is located at the following link http://auto.howstuffworks.com the free articles section is impressive. I have listed just a few of the available topics you can research at the above link.
How Air Bags Work
How Air-Powered Cars Will Work
How Anti-Lock Brakes Work
How Automatic Transmissions Work
How Automobile Ignition Systems Work
How Automobiles Work
How Biodiesel Works
How Brakes Work
How Camshafts Work
How can I measure the drag on a car?
How Car Computers Work
How Car Cooling Systems Work
How Car Engines Work
How Car Financing Works
How Car Insurance Works
How Car Steering Works
How Car Suspensions Work
How Car Washes Work
How Cars Work
How Catalytic Converters Work
How Champ Cars Work
How Child Car Seats Work
How Clutches Work
How Convertibles Work
How Crash Testing Works
How CVTs Work
How Diesel Engines Work
How Diesel Two-Stroke Engines Work
How Differentials Work
How Disc Brakes Work
How do 30 pounds of air in your tires hold up 2 tons of car?
This free training might be time consuming but it is not only interesting but can make you appear very knowledgeable to your auto repair shop.
If this information was helpful please bookmark my blog and visit my new web site at the link below ( I need the traffic! ) Thank you
More valuable information at my auto repair web site
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Basic vehicle skills
Learning some basic automotive skills will make you feel more confident about going in for auto service. The service writer or service manager will instantly recognize this confidence.
A consumer that understands the vehicle and how the auto service business works is usually passed over when it comes time to apply the rip offs and scams.
Just like a lion out hunting the shop goes after the weak for an easy kill. But also like the lion when the shop gets hungry enough it may attack even the strong.
This is when we will break out everything we have learned and make the shop sorry they came after us.
In this chapter my goal is to teach you about the technical aspects of the automobile.
In my research about the subject and how to deliver the information I found two FREE premium websites that let you learn as much or as little as you want.
You can learn at your own pace as in the material is in bite size sections. The links to these sites are to follow in this chapter.
When I went through the material I noticed two key factors were missing.
So before I provide the links to these web sites I want to hit the basic principal of opening your hood and what you will see when the hood is open.
It very important to demonstrate this ability to you repair shop to change the way the shop thinks of you during the service procedure
The number 1 essential skill is to learn how to open your hood. Your owner’s manual explains how to do this in detail. But the basics are that there is a primary and secondary latching system.
This is to prevent the hood from flying up into the windshield while driving.
If the primary release is triggered or fails the secondary latch will catch the hood striker and hold it down.
To open the hood both the primary and secondary latches must be released.
The primary release is inside the vehicle usually to the left of the driver and down toward the foot well.
The secondary release is harder to find. In most cases the hood will have to be lifted up slightly to see the secondary release and is usually located towards the center of the hood.
Again your owner’s manual will give exact details to the location and operation of the latches.
You could also roll in to your local brand dealership and ask a sales person to show you how to open the hood (even if you didn’t buy the car there).
When you get the hood open take your time and look around and get familiar with the easy stuff first.
Things like fluid reservoirs are clearly labeled and marked. Your owner’s manual has a detailed break down of the location of these critical fluid locations and instructions on how to confirm proper levels.
Find your washer fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid; coolant reservoirs engine oil dipstick and transmission fluid dipstick.
On the next page is a picture of a modern engine out of the vehicle so things are easier to see. This is an example of what engines look like these days.
Inside the vehicle things can get hard to see because they really pack the engine in on the latest models.
You may be able to find pictures of your exact engine in your vehicle by going to google and searching for your model vehicle plus the key words engine picture.
Come see my new Automotive and car repair web site
A consumer that understands the vehicle and how the auto service business works is usually passed over when it comes time to apply the rip offs and scams.
Just like a lion out hunting the shop goes after the weak for an easy kill. But also like the lion when the shop gets hungry enough it may attack even the strong.
This is when we will break out everything we have learned and make the shop sorry they came after us.
In this chapter my goal is to teach you about the technical aspects of the automobile.
In my research about the subject and how to deliver the information I found two FREE premium websites that let you learn as much or as little as you want.
You can learn at your own pace as in the material is in bite size sections. The links to these sites are to follow in this chapter.
When I went through the material I noticed two key factors were missing.
So before I provide the links to these web sites I want to hit the basic principal of opening your hood and what you will see when the hood is open.
It very important to demonstrate this ability to you repair shop to change the way the shop thinks of you during the service procedure
The number 1 essential skill is to learn how to open your hood. Your owner’s manual explains how to do this in detail. But the basics are that there is a primary and secondary latching system.
This is to prevent the hood from flying up into the windshield while driving.
If the primary release is triggered or fails the secondary latch will catch the hood striker and hold it down.
To open the hood both the primary and secondary latches must be released.
The primary release is inside the vehicle usually to the left of the driver and down toward the foot well.
The secondary release is harder to find. In most cases the hood will have to be lifted up slightly to see the secondary release and is usually located towards the center of the hood.
Again your owner’s manual will give exact details to the location and operation of the latches.
You could also roll in to your local brand dealership and ask a sales person to show you how to open the hood (even if you didn’t buy the car there).
When you get the hood open take your time and look around and get familiar with the easy stuff first.
Things like fluid reservoirs are clearly labeled and marked. Your owner’s manual has a detailed break down of the location of these critical fluid locations and instructions on how to confirm proper levels.
Find your washer fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid; coolant reservoirs engine oil dipstick and transmission fluid dipstick.
On the next page is a picture of a modern engine out of the vehicle so things are easier to see. This is an example of what engines look like these days.
Inside the vehicle things can get hard to see because they really pack the engine in on the latest models.
You may be able to find pictures of your exact engine in your vehicle by going to google and searching for your model vehicle plus the key words engine picture.
Come see my new Automotive and car repair web site
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Confirm The Repairs Where Actually Done
I know what your thinking asking for the old parts back is my solution to this problem. Yes it is but I have a twist up my sleeve and I want to talk about asking for the old parts back in more depth.
The problems with asking for the old parts back are many. Number one what you are really saying is I don’t trust you, right to your shops face.
Another problem is if you ask for the old parts back from lets say a tune up you may get six old spark plugs and a smelly fuel soaked fuel filter.
You do not want to carry around a wet fuel filter. And when it comes to the old spark plugs they could be out of anybody’s vehicle.
And some times the part numbers on the old spark plugs is hard to read on very old plugs. If you can read the part number you can call a parts store to verify the spark plug part number belongs in your vehicle.
When you are talking about getting the old parts back when the repair is brake job, trust me you do not want the old brake pads back.
They are in most cases unidentifiable and very dirty and dusty. Plus there is no readable part Number to verify if they are off of your vehicle.
So again they could be off someone else’s car. (Quick story) I remember one time my sister had her car repaired when she was out of town.
She was driving and her check engine light came on. She called me in a panic. I told her to take it to a chain store and hope for the best but to ask for the old parts back.
The shop said the vehicle needed an o2 sensor and my sister confirmed the light was out and received the old part.
When she got back in town I asked to see her old part, it was not an o2 sensor but an egr valve off of a large diesel engine. Definitely not from her little economy car gas engine.
When I looked under her car the old original o2 sensor was still in the exhaust stream.
To make a long story short the shop just cleared the codes and let her go after confirming with her she was heading back to her home state.
Two things to learn from this. One if you have out of state tags tell the shop you just moved to the state your in and have not changed your tags yet.
The shop knows that if you are a transient customer that they will never see you again and can give you the royal screw over with no problems.
The second lesson is if you ask for the old parts back know what the part looks like.
Have the shop show you the old part on the car before they remove it so you can confirm it is the part quoted in the repair estimate.
Ok here is my twist on this ask for the old parts problem.
Don’t ask for the old parts but instead ask for the boxes from the new parts that were installed. Now confirming part numbers with a third party parts store is easy.
You will not have to deal with dirty smelly old parts.
You still have the trust issue to get around but we can be creative on this subject. We can tell the repair shop we collect automotive boxes for your box collection.
Yes they will think your weird but they will not think that you don’t trust them.
Or tell them you want the new boxes so when you need those parts again you know the correct part numbers.
Its funny when even a known felon will get mad at you when you do not trust him.
When it comes to larger more expensive parts you can tell the shop you want to save the box for warranty purposes just in case the new part fails.
This will make it easier for both you and the shop to receive credit should there be a parts warranty issue in the future.
Learn more about the automotive repair business
The problems with asking for the old parts back are many. Number one what you are really saying is I don’t trust you, right to your shops face.
Another problem is if you ask for the old parts back from lets say a tune up you may get six old spark plugs and a smelly fuel soaked fuel filter.
You do not want to carry around a wet fuel filter. And when it comes to the old spark plugs they could be out of anybody’s vehicle.
And some times the part numbers on the old spark plugs is hard to read on very old plugs. If you can read the part number you can call a parts store to verify the spark plug part number belongs in your vehicle.
When you are talking about getting the old parts back when the repair is brake job, trust me you do not want the old brake pads back.
They are in most cases unidentifiable and very dirty and dusty. Plus there is no readable part Number to verify if they are off of your vehicle.
So again they could be off someone else’s car. (Quick story) I remember one time my sister had her car repaired when she was out of town.
She was driving and her check engine light came on. She called me in a panic. I told her to take it to a chain store and hope for the best but to ask for the old parts back.
The shop said the vehicle needed an o2 sensor and my sister confirmed the light was out and received the old part.
When she got back in town I asked to see her old part, it was not an o2 sensor but an egr valve off of a large diesel engine. Definitely not from her little economy car gas engine.
When I looked under her car the old original o2 sensor was still in the exhaust stream.
To make a long story short the shop just cleared the codes and let her go after confirming with her she was heading back to her home state.
Two things to learn from this. One if you have out of state tags tell the shop you just moved to the state your in and have not changed your tags yet.
The shop knows that if you are a transient customer that they will never see you again and can give you the royal screw over with no problems.
The second lesson is if you ask for the old parts back know what the part looks like.
Have the shop show you the old part on the car before they remove it so you can confirm it is the part quoted in the repair estimate.
Ok here is my twist on this ask for the old parts problem.
Don’t ask for the old parts but instead ask for the boxes from the new parts that were installed. Now confirming part numbers with a third party parts store is easy.
You will not have to deal with dirty smelly old parts.
You still have the trust issue to get around but we can be creative on this subject. We can tell the repair shop we collect automotive boxes for your box collection.
Yes they will think your weird but they will not think that you don’t trust them.
Or tell them you want the new boxes so when you need those parts again you know the correct part numbers.
Its funny when even a known felon will get mad at you when you do not trust him.
When it comes to larger more expensive parts you can tell the shop you want to save the box for warranty purposes just in case the new part fails.
This will make it easier for both you and the shop to receive credit should there be a parts warranty issue in the future.
Learn more about the automotive repair business
Saturday, December 9, 2006
Do I Need A Tune- Up?
On to the next scam the good old tune up. In the mid 90’s the tune up service started to change due to technology changes in the automotive industry.
This is one case were the manufacturer has taken your side as opposed to what was good for the repair shop.
In the seventy’s and eighty’s tune up items like fuel filters and spark plugs required changing every 30,000 miles. With the frequency and profit margins so high once again we saw whole businesses built around just this repair.
On modern vehicles from the mid 90’s on up we saw the common deployment of platinum tipped spark plugs and canister type fuel filters.
The manufacture did not do this for your benefit but instead to meet increasingly tougher fuel economy and emission standards. This did as a side effect help the consumer.
Platinum spark plugs can go up to 100,000 miles before replacement is required. Canister type fuel filters can go as long as 60,000 miles before changing them is needed.
This doubles the life span of theses tune up items. Check your owner’s manual to see when tune up parts are recommended to be replaced.
The repair centers always considered maintenance tune-ups as a gravy job. This term means easy to completed and high profit margins to be had.
With the advent of fuel injection and increasingly reliable computer control systems the shop finds it harder to make profits in the tune up business.
But the repair centers have came up with other slick services to sell you to replace the less needed tune up.
The most popular up sell service is the fuel injection cleaning service. The service is rarely required and not recommended by the manufacturer in most cases.
The reason is that the improvement of the fuel filter system efficiency has reduced the amount of dirt and debris that will be distributed through the fuel system.
Also believe it or not gas companies have improved the quality of their product. In the instant of plus and super grade fuels system cleaners are included in the gas. Does this mean you never have to clean the fuel system?
Well yes and no. If the vehicle develops a rough running condition coupled with turning on the service engine soon lamp there may be a fuel system malfunction.
Fuel injectors by and large are very dependable but I have seen just a few cases were injectors have failed.
Again this is not common but can happen. The fuel injection service should not be performed if there is no drivability condition present in the vehicle.
The best way to protect your fuel system is never run your vehicle below a quarter of a tank.
The bottom of the tank contains almost all the dirt and sediment. When you hit a quarter tank go ahead and fill up, this can eliminate fuel system troubles.
Get the Whole Book At www.CertifiedMasterTech.com
This is one case were the manufacturer has taken your side as opposed to what was good for the repair shop.
In the seventy’s and eighty’s tune up items like fuel filters and spark plugs required changing every 30,000 miles. With the frequency and profit margins so high once again we saw whole businesses built around just this repair.
On modern vehicles from the mid 90’s on up we saw the common deployment of platinum tipped spark plugs and canister type fuel filters.
The manufacture did not do this for your benefit but instead to meet increasingly tougher fuel economy and emission standards. This did as a side effect help the consumer.
Platinum spark plugs can go up to 100,000 miles before replacement is required. Canister type fuel filters can go as long as 60,000 miles before changing them is needed.
This doubles the life span of theses tune up items. Check your owner’s manual to see when tune up parts are recommended to be replaced.
The repair centers always considered maintenance tune-ups as a gravy job. This term means easy to completed and high profit margins to be had.
With the advent of fuel injection and increasingly reliable computer control systems the shop finds it harder to make profits in the tune up business.
But the repair centers have came up with other slick services to sell you to replace the less needed tune up.
The most popular up sell service is the fuel injection cleaning service. The service is rarely required and not recommended by the manufacturer in most cases.
The reason is that the improvement of the fuel filter system efficiency has reduced the amount of dirt and debris that will be distributed through the fuel system.
Also believe it or not gas companies have improved the quality of their product. In the instant of plus and super grade fuels system cleaners are included in the gas. Does this mean you never have to clean the fuel system?
Well yes and no. If the vehicle develops a rough running condition coupled with turning on the service engine soon lamp there may be a fuel system malfunction.
Fuel injectors by and large are very dependable but I have seen just a few cases were injectors have failed.
Again this is not common but can happen. The fuel injection service should not be performed if there is no drivability condition present in the vehicle.
The best way to protect your fuel system is never run your vehicle below a quarter of a tank.
The bottom of the tank contains almost all the dirt and sediment. When you hit a quarter tank go ahead and fill up, this can eliminate fuel system troubles.
Get the Whole Book At www.CertifiedMasterTech.com
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