Wednesday, 27 June 2012
What is Book Value?
Car dealers are notorious for trying to bargain their way out of giving away money when it comes to negotiating prices on buying or selling used cars. Usually, they will try to convince the person they are dealing with that their calculations of ‘book value’ are the best and most lenient, and assure you that they are giving you the best price possible “without costing them too much out of their own pocket”. This sounds familiar to anyone that has ever tried to buy, sell or trade in a used car, right? However, not many people really know what ‘book value’ is supposed to be, so they end up having to trust that the dealer has done the right calculations and isn’t trying to take advantage of the situation (which happens more often with females, as dealers tend to think of them as not being very ‘car-savvy’).
Book Value
‘Book value’ is a term used by accountants to determine the value of an asset as it has depreciated up to a certain point. This means that the ‘book value’ of a car is the amount it is worth as an asset a few years or months down the line. The technical equation (Purchase price of asset - Approximate salvage value ÷ Estimated useful life of asset) used to calculate the depreciation of an asset is quite simple, so there is no reason why it cannot be used by anyone looking to double-check their dealer’s estimation. The approximate salvage value is the amount you would expect to get back if the asset were sold for spare parts. The estimated useful life of the asset is the amount of time the asset is expected to perform optimally (assets such as computers have an expectancy of 4-6 years, and cars between 10 and 15 years).
For individuals that are too lazy to bother trying to figure this all out by themselves, there are quite a few reliable websites all over the internet that will calculate it all of you. Your best option will be to visit a few of them and make sure their calculations all coincide to be sure that you have the right value.
Saturday, 23 June 2012
What do I do when my brakes fail?
We’ve all seen at least one movie (or greatly overacted soap opera) where the hero finds himself or herself the victim of having their car sabotaged. The resulting chaos from having the brake lines severed and failing, almost always while plummeting full-speed down a hill seems like one of the most terrifying experiences imaginable.
However, brake failure is not something that occurs very frequently, but that makes the pressure to react to the panic all the more instant. To help yourself avoid one of these scary situations, make sure to have regularly scheduled maintenance checks and inspections, and pay attention to the sound and feel of your brakes at all times. Have any inconsistencies or odd behavior/sounds checked out immediately.
Here are a few (adapted) tips offered by the US National Safety Council on how to react during situations of complete or partial brake failure:
1. Putting the car in a lower gear allows the engine to slow the car, and may give you enough time to be able to safely pull over. Whether you're driving an automatic or a manual, try to downshift smoothly through the gears. If you downshift too quickly, you risk a skid. Do not shut off the car to stop it, as you'll lose your power steering, and do not put the car in neutral or you will lose the engine braking effect.
2. If you're driving a car with a good, strong emergency brake, go ahead and use it. In cars with manual transmissions, the emergency brake is often operated via a hand-activated lever located behind the shifter, while in many automatics you use a small pedal located on the far left of the driver. It helps to try your emergency brake out at slow speeds to see how much stopping power it really has.
3. Move toward the left shoulder of the road, or, if possible, toward an exit. If it is necessary to change lanes, do so smoothly and carefully, watching your mirrors and the traffic around you closely.
4. Perhaps this goes without saying, but do not touch the accelerator pedal. Your goal, right now, is to slow down, pull over and safely stop.
5. Believe it or not, debris such as coldrink cans or bottles, coffee cups, rolls of paper towels and other items bouncing around in the cockpit can wedge behind your brake pedal, preventing its use. Make sure the pedal's path is clear and if not, kick the obstruction out of the way.
6. If your car has standard brakes they may respond to pumping, which could build up enough hydraulic pressure to allow them to work again. But many newer cars with ABS will do the pumping for you, so you should firmly press the brake pedal even if the brakes are not working. The brake failure may be temporary and if they suddenly start working again, your foot will be where it needs to be.
7. Turn on your hazards and sound your hooter until you're stopped so other motorists will know to give you plenty of room.
8. If you must, aim for something ‘soft’. This is a judgment call, but a wooden fence is better than a tree, for example -- and anything is preferable to hitting a human being.
9. Knowing the steps outlined in this article and being able to perform them should give you the confidence to respond naturally instead of panicking, in the unlikely event that your brakes do fail.
10. Don't be tempted to drive the car again, even if the brakes suddenly start working. Have the car towed to a repair shop or dealer for inspection and repair.
Saturday, 16 June 2012
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Monday, 11 June 2012
Friday, 8 June 2012
Thursday, 7 June 2012
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Wednesday, 6 June 2012
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Monday, 4 June 2012
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Sunday, 3 June 2012
Save Fuel, Save Money
In these tough financial times, saving money in any way we can is one of the most important things that can be done to help soften the blow. With recent increases, large ones to say the least, in fuel prices all around the world, one way in which it is possible to save money is by being more conscientious when it comes to fuel usage./p>
Here are a few tips (adapted and taken from About dot com experts) on how to better manage your fuel consumption in order to save money both short and long term. Remember, different cars and vehicles use fuel in different ways, but these tips will generally help out, although results may vary from model to model.
1. One of the best ways to save petrol is to simply reduce your speed. As speed increases, fuel economy decreases exponentially. If you are one of the “ten over the limit on the highway” types, try driving the speed limit for a few days. You'll save a lot of fuel and your journey won't take much longer.
2. Under-inflated tires are one of the most commonly ignored causes of bad Km/Litre. Tires lose air due to time (about 1 psi per month) and temperature; under-inflated tires have more rolling resistance, which means you need to burn more fuel to keep your car moving. Buy a reliable tire gauge and check your tires at least once a month. Be sure to check them when they are cold, since driving the car warms up the tires along with the air inside them, which increases pressure and gives a falsely high reading. Use the inflation pressures shown in the owner's manual or on the data plate in the driver's door panel.
3. A dirty air filter restricts the flow of air into the engine, which harms performance and economy. Air filters are easy to check and change; remove the filter and hold it up to the sun. If you can't see light coming through it, you need a new one. Consider a"permanent" filter which is cleaned rather than changed; they are much less restrictive than throw-away paper filters, plus they're better for the environment.
4. Immediate, jerking starts are an obvious fuel-waster, but that doesn't mean you should crawl away from every stop. If you drive an automatic, accelerate moderately so the transmission can shift up into the higher gears. Manual divers should shift early to keep the revs down, but force the engine to work once you’re up there. Downshift if you need to accelerate. Keep an eye well down the road for potential slowdowns. If you accelerate to speed then have to brake right away, that's wasted fuel.
5. Ever notice how, in bad traffic jams, cars seem to constantly speed up and slow down, while trucks tend to roll along at the same leisurely pace? A constant speed keeps shifting to a minimum, important to those who have to wrangle with those ten-speed truck transmissions but it also aids economy, as it takes much more fuel to get a vehicle moving than it does to keep it moving. Rolling in the same way as the bigger vehicles saves fuel.
6. Consider shutting off the air conditioner, opening the windows and enjoying the breeze. It may be a tad warmer, but at lower speeds you'll save fuel. That said, at higher speeds the A/C may be more efficient than the wind resistance from open windows and sunroof.
7. New wheels and tires may look cool, and they can certainly improve handling. But if they are wider than the stock tires, chances are they'll create more rolling resistance and decrease fuel economy. If you upgrade your wheels and tires, keep the old ones. I have fancy sport rims and aggressive tires on my own car, but I keep the stock wheels with a good narrower-tread performance tire in the garage. For long road trips, the stock wheels give a smoother ride and better economy.
8. If you're the type who takes a leisurely attitude towards car cleanliness, periodically go through your car and see what can be tossed out or brought into the house. It doesn't take much to acquire an extra 25-30kg worth of stuff, and the more weight your car has to lug around, the more fuel it burns.
9. Not a popular thing to say to those who are used to having cars readily available, I know, but the fact is that if you can avoid driving, you'll save fuel. Take the bus, taxi, carpool, and consolidate your shopping trips. Walking or biking is good for your wallet and your health. And before you get in your car, always ask yourself: "Is this trip really necessary?"
10. If you're shopping for a new car, (now that you’ve saved all of that money on fuel by using the tips mentioned above!) it's time to re-evaluate how much car you really need. Smaller cars are inherently more fuel-efficient, and today's small cars are safer and roomier than ever. And if you've never considered a hybrid, maybe it's time -- hybrids really do work, and new entries like Toyota's compact Prius c and SUV-sized Prius v the sporty Honda CR-Z make it easier than ever to find a hybrid you can live with.
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Saturday, 2 June 2012
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