Car Insurance

Many Hybrid Cars have double systems; a gasoline motor and battery system. This means more potential things to go wrong and therefore potentially more work for automotive shops and service companies. Unfortunately with a shortage of mechanics in the United States there may not be enough of the high-tech technicians needed to service the demand.

Additionally, there maybe mandatory Manufacturer only repairs otherwise warranties can be voided. Of course even if non-manufactured licensed repair stations can fix these vehicles then the auto shop still must be able to perform the services and that means you will need specially trained personnel and technicians.

Currently of course the number of Hybrids on the road is nearly nil compared to the 17 million cars sold in America each year. But the oil change intervals for oil change shops and basic preventative maintenance items is the nearly the same as regular cars, which is a good thing. And the oil used is also the same for the most part for both Honda and Toyota Hybrids.

And at 82 miles to the gallon or so they claim, means their owners will have more money to pay your shop and probably not put off the required preventative maintenance like the industry average is fairly use too.

In the sophisticated country of Europe, there is a vehicle model there that happens to be one of the best vehicles that can be found on the roads and streets of the continent. This is the Mazda MPS line and the members of this vehicle family have been quite known for sophistication and high performance which, of course, is not so surprising when it comes to Mazda vehicles that are marketed in culture-rich Europe.

Belonging to the Mazda MPS family is the Mazda6 MPS. This one can be considered quite new on the roads of Europe but still, it has already gained fame and popularity during the short span that it has been showing off its stuff to the Europeans. And despite the Mazda6 MPS still being new, there is yet another new MPS member to join the range.

The newest and youngest member of the Mazda MPS clan is the Mazda3 MPS. It bears the same kind of quality of the Mazda 626 car parts as well as all other Mazda products. And you sure would not have to expect much less when it comes to this new one after all, in Europe, the Mazda MPS range of vehicles are considered to be the brand’s flagship models.

When the Mazda3 MPS starts zooming down the streets, those who would be able to witness its prowess would only be able to gape at the vehicle. However, if you are interested in taking a much closer look at the vehicle, you can head out to Mazda and vehicle showrooms and you would surely be awed by the speed, cultivation, grace, and athletic stance that the vehicle boasts of. Power would also sure not be something that Mazda has left out when it came to creating this new Mazda3 MPS.

Equipped on the vehicle is the same MZR 2.3 liter DISI Turbo petrol engine with intercooler. This is also the same type of engine that the elder Mazda6 MPS using. Plus, this new vehicle holds it own kind of style that makes heads turn. It also delivers well and has a good fuel mileage so much so that it allows users to save much on expenses. The vehicle also has got upgraded suspensions and brakes.

We all know it is cheaper to fix things yourself. It is the same with a car or truck. The biggest expense with any repair is not the parts, but the labor. It is not uncommon for repair and service shops to be charging $60 to $70 per hour of labor. And they round to the next half hour or hour for any repair. Just go to any new car dealer and ask to have your windshield wiper blades replaced. They will charge you 10 times the price of replacements at your local auto parts store. So anything you can do yourself to save will be a big help. The purpose of this article is to show you some things you can do on your own and how to get the lowest prices on parts so you can save big and put your money towards something better than fattening your local auto dealers pockets.

First off is routine maintenance. Routine maintenance consists of items like oil changes, tire rotations, and similar. Oil changes are a must at every 4000 to 5000 miles for most every car. Do not go by what your dealer says. They want to rev up your maintenance plan and have you doing more than is required. Instead, use your owners manual. If your car didn’t come with one, than buy one off of Ebay. The owners manual will give you exact recommendations for every service and when and what should be done. For oil changes use Walmart. They charge around $15 for a oil and filter change and will lube your chassis at the same time. They will also check your tires and change your air filter if you desire or need it. They have the best service for the lowest price and at $15 its better to have them do it than do it yourself. Expect to pay twice this at a new car dealer.

It is also a good idea to check your tire pressure at every gas fill up. A tire pressure gauge can be purchased at Walmart or any auto parts store for a few dollars. Proper tire pressure will prolong the usefulness of your tires and help ensure better fuel economy. To most people a under inflated tire is pretty obvious, but a over inflated tire can be just as dangerous as it can lead to blowouts and loss of traction especially in wet conditions (hydroplaning). Also, check your tires for nails, punctures, slashes, anything that could be wrong with it. If you need new tires, be sure to shop around and avoid the new car dealer as they will have a huge markup on them. For instance, 1 ZR Goodyear tire for a 2002 Ford Mustang GT was $289. The same ZR tire with a different make (Kumho) was $100 installed and balanced (the $289 at the dealer did not include installation or balancing. Shop around and look at discount stores. Also look at Costco, Sams club and BJ’s for tires. If you have an older car and don’t care about matching the exact style you can always go to your local junk yard and buy an entire set for dirt cheap. You would be amavzed at what you might find there. A friend of mine picked up 4 tires for a 1999 corvette for $150 and the tires only had maybe 10,000 miles on them if that.

Lights and lighting on your car are an item that is routinely overlooked. If your lights are dim you could have a battery charge, alternator or dim, cloudy lenses. These are all easy to fix. A battery should be checked for its ability to hold charge at least once a year (more in extremely cold climates). An alternator can be replaced very easily, or if you don’t feel comfortable a local mechanic can do it. Do not do this at a new car dealer as they will charge at least 300% more. A good tip is to go and buy the part at your local auto parts store and then inquire with the counter clerk as to a mechanic that they recommend to install it. You will save a lot and it will be professionally done. They will probably even come to your house to do it. As to your headlights, turn on your lights. If they are dim, is it the bulb or cloudy lenses? If it is the bulb, the cheapest replacements can be found at Walmart or on Ebay. It is recommended you go with brighter Xeon bulbs as they are only a few dollars more and increase brightness and night visibility by over 20 percent. If it is cloudy headlights there is a new headlight repair and restoration kit that will restore the lenses to new. This will save you big over replacement as the average plastic automotive lens costs $250 to replace.

Checking your fluid levels routinely is a good idea. A lot of cars now will do this for you and will even alert you to when it is time to perform a certain service. It takes 2 minutes to unscrew the oil cap and pull out the dipstick. On older cars you should also look under the cap. Is the oil really dirty, sludge like, or have white in it? These all indicate something needs to be done. The first two mean it is in dire need of an oil change. The latter with the whiteness or light chocolate look means you have a blown head gasket and coolant is leaking into the engine. That is really bad and requires major repairs and can be the result of running a car too hot. Fill all fluids to the fuel full line or indicator. By routinely checking your cars fluid levels you will be ahead of the game and keep your car running better and for much longer.

Another great idea to keep service costs to a minimum and save you big at the same time is to buy 1 to 3 year old used cars with around 30,000 miles on them. Then drive them until you get 100,000 miles on it and replace it. Most major repairs rarely occur before 100,000 miles with proper routine maintenance. Use and follow your owners manual. It was written by the ultimate expert, the people who built, designed and tested your car.

The IRL - Indy Racing League (IndyCar Series), which has been accepted for its technical advancements in automobile racing, is now the motorsport racing leader in renewable alternative fuel produced in America. All of the 2007 field of Indy Race Cars will be fuel by 100% Ethanol.

This is quite an achievement considering there is such a debate about whether or not ethanol is a viable alternative fuel source. Think about this, if ethanol can power a 600+ horsepower racecar to speeds over 200+ mph with efficiency - certainly it can power our everyday old “grocery getter” without problem.

Alcohol powered race cars are not that new to the IRL after all in 1927 at the third Indianapolis 500 a racecar driven by Leon Duray was powered by grain (ethyl) alcohol.

This new switch to 100% ethanol powered Indy Race Cars for 2007 will not only benefit our environment by burning cleaner thus, providing less emissions, studies have shown that it will cost the average Indy Race Team about $65,000 less for the cost of fuel compared with what they were paying for foreign produced methanol. Good for the environment and cost effective - what a concept!

The IRL has been testing the use of 100% ethanol powered racecars for a number of years with great results.

IRL president Brian Barnhart said: . . . “We knew it wasn’t going to happen overnight and we wanted to explore what to do to make it happen.” “There never has been a consideration of what we’d save. It’s been about taking the initiative to introduce a fuel that improves the domestic economy and reduces our reliance on foreign fuel.”

Ethanol industry officials are hoping that fueling the IRL IndyCar Series will help spread the word about the benefits of ethanol as an alternative fuel source, not only in high-dollar, high horsepower IRL Indy cars, but also in everyday sedans, truck, minivans and SUVs.

All good citizens would like to support the idea of saving gas, reduce the country’s dependence on oil and help keep our air pure and safe. One way we can do that is to make our next new car a hybrid.

Of course it would be nice to have a pure electric car with zero emissions and one that gets three hundred miles to an overnight battery charge. Since that day is in the future, we have only the gas/electric hybrids available.

In general, hybrid cars get twenty per cent better mileage than regular cars but cost $3000 more. It will take several years of driving to recoup the difference in better mileage but the overall quality of cars has made it possible for us to keep them five or ten years without major repairs . I have noticed that most hybrid cars are bought by highly educated people whose reasons for buying a hybrid include 1.- owning a high efficiency car, 2.- the latest in technology, 3. - owning something different, and 4.- doing something to help the oil problem.

One concern of the prospective hybrid buyer is the cost of battery replacement when needed. While it would be nice to be able to top off the batteries in your garage with cheap electricity, the internal charging system in the hybrid cars will keep your batteries going for five or more years. NiMh and LiIon batteries have no memory and weigh far less than the equivalent lead acid batteries of a few years ago. Check out the separate battery warrantee supplied by the dealers.

In many cases, the manufacturer will include special accessories that are not available on the regular models. Features like heated seats, ice free mirrors, automatic heat controls and steering wheel audio buttons. The government also entices us hybrid buyers with a hefty rebate of $1200 - $2000. If you want to take advantage of this offer, make sure you are within the time limit.

Some of the ways that hybrids save gas are: The shutting down of some of the cylinders while coasting, the shutting down of the motor when stopped temporarily, and some hybrids even can be driven short distances on the batteries alone( Honda Civic, Toyota Prius) The availability of the CVT is a plus, since there is no evidence or lurch of shifting and the direct coupling of the engine with the wheels without an intervening torque converter rivals the efficiency of a manual shift.

On the con side, most hybrids weigh slightly more than their gas cousins and most designers were forced to give up the folding rear seat backs for battery space. Nissan has solved that problem by putting the batteries in the space where the spare tire was kept, adding an air bottle instead for emergencies. I think that this is a good idea since flat tires are a thing of the past. AAA can get you to a repair station if necessary.