Be Prepared Before Calling a Tow Truck

If you have roadside assistance, give them a call.  If not, make sure you are calling a reputable tow truck service; you can always call your insurance company for recommendations.

Make sure the tow truck company isn’t located too far from where you are stranded, no need to wait any longer than you have to.

When You Decide on a Tow Truck Company

Make sure they have accurate directions, give details. Some smart-phones and GPS units can provide you with your exact coordinates. If you have them, share them.

When you call the company, ask them what type of payments they accept.  You may have to tell them your credit card number over the phone, if you are not carrying enough cash or checks. Make sure you have a plan to pay before the tow truck arrives and you find yourself in a pickle.

Where to Have Your Car Towed

 Make sure you are getting your car towed to the right place the first time.  Be certain the shop or dealership you are using for your repair is covered by your insurance company and can handle the repair.  If you get your vehicle towed to the wrong place and need to have it towed again, that’s probably going to come out of your pocket.

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Understand The Different Types of Gasoline

Regular

Unleaded – (Octane Rating 87 – Fastest burn, lowest detergent rating) These are the general octane ratings according the government, they may differ slightly, depending on where you live. The difference between these 3 types of gas is their octane rating. The higher the octane, the slower the gasoline burns. The higher the octane, the higher the detergent levels, which supposedly keep your engine cleaner.

Mid-Grade

Unleaded – (Sometimes referred to as Plus. Octane rating: 89 – Mid-burn and mid detergent rating) If you own a car that takes premium gas, sometime you can get away with using mid-grade as opposed to premium and save yourself some money. 

Premium

Unleaded – (Octane rating: 93 – Slowest burn, highest detergent rating) 

 

Diesel 

Diesel is less refined than unleaded gasoline, it’s about 18% heavier and it doesn’t contain as many detergents or cleaning agents. Diesel cars or trucks need a lot more lubrication than vehicles that require unleaded and as a result diesel is a much “greaser” substance. Diesel fuel gets better miles to the gallon, however it’s more expensive. 

Ethanol

Bio-Fuel – (85% Ethanol, 15% Gasoline) – Ethanol is a plant-based (mostly corn) fuel that was originally developed to be more environmentally friendly and cheaper than unleaded gasoline. Ethanol is a cleaner burning, less explosive, renewable resource that supports local agriculture. Unfortunately the technology of creating ethanol hasn’t been perfected enough to make it cheaper than unleaded gasoline. It price fluctuates with the price of corn, and it also takes about 1.5 gallons of ethanol to do the same thing that gasoline does, essentially you are getting poorer gas mileage.

Bio Diesel 

Bio-diesel is created by chemically combing vegetable oil or animal fat with alcohol and is designed to run in diesel engines. It is a renewable resource and less toxic. There are about 600 places you can get bio-diesel across the country. 

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How To Prevent Your Vehicle From Overheating

Watch Your Temperature Gauge

This may seem like rather elementary advice, but it does warrant a mention because so few drivers actually make a habit of monitoring their truck's engine temperature gauge. Once you've located your truck's temperature gauge, pay attention to what the gauge displays as a normal operating temperature for your engine. If your engine's cooling system is operating properly, you'll find that the temperature should remain fairly stable or at least consistently fall within a certain range. If you see the temperature reading begin to increase rapidly, you may have a problem.

Look for Obvious Leaks

One clear indicator of a problem under the hood (or really anywhere on your vehicle) is the presence of fluid beneath your parked truck. But how do you determine if you're seeing coolant and not some other type of fluid? Typically, it's fairly easy to determine the specific type of fluid your truck is losing based on the fluid color and location of the puddle. To put it in the simplest terms: If you see a puddle of coolant beneath your truck, you have a leak. And if you have a leak, that means you're in danger of running low on (or running out of) engine coolant, which would definitely cause your engine to run hot or even overheat. So, don't delay in getting that leak repaired, or you could end up with a hefty repair bill.

Don't Get Hosed

Again, this falls under the category of "routine maintenance" but it certainly is deserving of additional recognition. Checking hoses and belts is a step that's frequently overlooked or forgotten, despite its simplicity. And this is yet another engine overheating cause that doesn't differ all that much from the way it would be handled in a car. Check the edges of the belts for fraying or wear, and while you're at it, check the tension. If a belt's tension isn't correct, it'll make the alternator work much harder than necessary, as it tries unsuccessfully to transfer power to other components. 

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Four Essential Things You Should Always Have In Your Car

Flashlight

A big aluminum Mag lite used to be the favored flashlight to carry (good enough for police work, good enough for everyday citizens), but now there are compact LED flashlights that are really bright and don't take up much space in the glove box. It's a help that you can hold one in your teeth when you need both hands to change a tire or open a fuse box on a dark night. An LED headlamp is a great alternative, and a set of spare batteries is always a good idea.

Tire-pressure gauge

Keep an air gauge in the center console as a reminder to check each tire once a month. Low tire pressure can cause dangerous blowouts, and tires under inflated by only 6 pounds per square inch can reduce fuel economy by 5 percent and reduce tread life by 25 percent. Your car's specified tire pressure is posted on a sticker in the driver's side door frame. It's normal for tires to lose a pound or two of pressure a month.

First-aid kit

For those minor injuries that don't require dialing 911, a few bandages, gauze, tape, disinfectant, tweezers and ibuprofen are handy for handling minor cuts and scrapes on the road, especially if you are traveling with kids. Medication for motion sickness is another thoughtful addition.

Jumper cables

Some day you will turn the ignition key and hear — nothing. A dead battery is not a disaster if you have a set of jumper cables and a friend to call, or if a friendly driver happens by. Your owner's manual will have instructions on how to use the cables to start your vehicle without harming the electronics or — more importantly — hurting yourself.









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Essential Tips For New Drivers Regarding Auto Insurance

Find a good agent.

With many national insurance companies pushing customers to buy insurance over the telephone, through the mail, and on the Internet, it may seem a little old-fashioned to have an agent. However, new drivers need to get educated regarding insurance terminology. One of the best ways to get this knowledge is to sit down with a good agent or broker ask your agent to explain.

If you do not own a car, consider buying non-owners auto insurance.

This type of insurance will cover you when you drive a borrowed or rented car. For new drivers, this can be a great asset if the car is involved in an accident while you are driving. It will cover your liability needs, and help pay for repairs to the car that you were driving. You can add other options to this policy to cover passenger and pedestrian medical expenses.

Always carry at least the minimum legal liability coverage before driving any car.

Having an accident without being covered by liability insurance that meets the legal requirements can leave you exposed to prosecution. Your financial risks are also great when you do not have liability insurance to protect the financial needs of the other driver and any passengers that may be involved in the accident. It is actually better if you carry liability insurance that exceeds the minimum requirement if you have significant personal assets. In a law suit, your personal wealth can be attached if your insurance is inadequate to cover the loss. Even future earnings can be at risk.

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