Rather than buying thousands of dollars worth of tools to add to your tool box collection here are some basic auto repair tools to have handy in your garage. Keep in mind I am not talking about overhauling an engine or transmission. I am talking about your basic tasks at home such as working on your car’s cooling system, changing your oil and filters and possibly tuning up your car. This is what I would recommend.
Your basic hand tools that you will need are your standard and metric sockets and wrenches. These especially come in handy when your replacing belts, starters and alternators. Speaking of which do not forget your trusting digital volt ohm meter for testing electrical circuits to the starter and the alternator. You can use your digital volt ohm meter for testing fuses, voltage, and amperage. The tool I find that comes in handy a lot of times is the 12 volt test light. This really comes in handy when I am going down the row of fuses looking for a bad one.
The standard 5/8 and the 13/16 sockets will be used for the two different type of spark plugs out there. Extensions and swivels come in handy when ever you are ready to tackle them hard to get to spark plugs. Although these basic hand tools will be used only a few times, try and get a good named brand so they don’t break on you while using them. The adjustable ratchets they make today are pretty reliable in helping you to get a good grip on nuts and bolts.
One hand tool to have all year around is the cooling system pressure checker you can pick up for around a hundred bucks at your local auto parts store. This tool is very easy to use and will attend you obtain those tough antifreeze leaks. Weather it be summer time or winter just pump up your cooling system to your systems specifications which is usually around 15 pounds of pressure and start looking for antifreeze leaks.
This last tool is used for pulling codes from your car’s computer system. Any time your “check engine light” comes on unbiased scuttle the scanner in and retrieve the trouble code that is normally stored for you. This scan tool can normally be bought for around forty or fifty bucks. After you retrieve your stored code or codes then reset the switch to turn off the check engine light.
For more reading on Automotive tools used please check out, “The Auto Repair Shop and the Tools used.” And for more year round car care tips go to, “Auto Repair Savings and my Special Links.”
Filed under Automotive Repair Insurance by on Feb 27th, 2011. Comment. 
Car Insurance Shopping Tips
As a savvy consumer, you know that it pays to do your homework and shop around for car insurance. Below are some tips that could help you save money and make the right insurance choice.
Do your research
Did you know that the cost for an identical car insurance policy can vary by hundreds of dollars every six months? Review your coverage. Shop around. You could visit car insurance company Web sites, or sites that give you rates for a number of companies. Retain your policy on hand while you’re visiting car insurance Web sites, so you can make a fair comparison. Most sites will save your insurance quotes, but you can also print them if you want to review them offline.
End with a leader
Visit A.M. Best, and Standard & Poor’s for information on the financial strength of various car insurance companies. See what benefits and features they offer? At progressive.com, you can learn about vehicle safety, view rupture test videos, or employ our calculators to decide repair costs.
Five Ways to Save Money on Your Car Insurance
1. Shop Around
This is the single most important thing you can do to get the best possible rate. A study by Progressive shows that the cost of a six-month auto insurance policy for the same driver with the same coverages varies from company to company by more than $500. It’s smart to review your coverage and shop around occasionally.
2. Don’t Carry Excess Coverage
Insurance companies only pay claims equal to a car’s actual cash value or market value, so comprehensive and collision coverage may not be worth keeping on an older car that has depreciated. It is generally recommended that you consider dropping collision coverage after four years, or when the collision premium equals ten percent of the car’s market value. Understand that by doing so, you will not be covered for damages to your car if it overturns or collides with another object.
3. Raise Your Deductible
According to the Insurance Information Institute, raising your deductible from $200 to $500 could reduce your collision and comprehensive cost by 15 to 30 percent.
4. Drop Rental Reimbursement Coverage
Rental reimbursement insurance is coverage that will pay for some or all of your car rental expenses while your car is being repaired or until you buy a new car. Policies and costs vary for this type of insurance, but there are always strict limits on the extent of the coverage. If you can obtain other transportation for a few days while your car is being repaired, you might not need this coverage.
5. Make Sure Your Current Policy Accurately Reflects You
It is important to update the information your insurance company has about you, your car and your driving record. You may be eligible for a rate reduction if you have gotten married, moved to the suburbs, no longer insure a younger driver, installed an anti-theft arrangement, or if it has been at least three years since your last violation.
Why Insurance Rates Vary
You might think that your auto insurance rate would be aesthetic noteworthy the same no matter which company you choose. But did you know that your auto insurance rates can vary widely? even by hundreds of dollars? from company to company? Prices for the same coverages vary primarily because of:
Varying claims experience. Auto insurance is priced to cover the costs of accidents that may happen in the future. Of course, companies cannot see into the future, so to do this, they use information about their past claims experience. Since each company has had different claims experiences with the groups of people they insure, the rates charged customers by different companies vary.
Varying costs of doing business. Each company’s cost of doing business (how much they pay to sell and service policies), along with their financial goals, is different, resulting in different prices being charged to consumers.
In simple terms, auto insurance companies notice policies to veil the amount they’ll need to cover:
# Accidents that have occurred;
# Claims salaries, building leases, and other claims-related costs; and
# Non-claims expenses such as customer service salaries, advertising and the price of selling policies.
Remember, it pays to shop around for auto insurance, because you could put hundreds each year. Research your coverages — and your company — to make sure you are getting the best value for your money.
Filed under Automotive Repair Insurance by on Dec 18th, 2010. Comment.