Don’t Trade It In - Instead Sell Your Used Car

Writen by Dennis Watson

The easiest way to discard your used car is by trading it in on another car but it isn’t the most cost efficient way. To maximize your return it is best to sell your car yourself. This will however require additional work on your part.

The first thing you must do is to determine the value of your car and decide on a fair price. To help you determine this you can compare cars already for sale with the prices listed in your local newspaper classifieds or go online and visit Kelly Blue Book.

Next you should place an ad in your local newspapers and use free on-line classifieds sites in order to gain the most ad exposure. Your ad should list the year, model and body style, number of miles, engine size, and color. Always be honest and don’t exaggerate the condition of your car. Buyers respond well to such phrases as; real clean, low mileage, one owner, excellent fuel economy, regular service records, and so on. Being honest and up front will make selling your car a pleasant experience. You could also place a “For Sale” sign in the window with your number on it.

It is important to make sure the car is cleaned and that the oil has been recently changed. There is nothing worse than having a prospective buyer check and find dirty oil in the motor. Make sure that you have all repair documentation on hand as well.

After your ads have been placed you will start to get calls. Be sure to offer as much detail about the car on the phone to prevent wasting your time showing it and by having someone travel to your location just to have them find out something about the car you could have easily mentioned before.

In no time you will sell your car, make sure you call your state Division of Motor Vehicles to determine the process for transferring the title to the new owner. The process usually consists of you signing and dating the title before you pass it on to the buyer and notifying the DMV of the transaction. To prevent additional processing time and paperwork make sure that the transfer process is followed correctly.

And finally, never let someone take your car alone. Always go with them on the test drive to prevent damage or theft. When finalizing the deal do not accept a personal check or release your car by only accepting a down payment but instead require cash or a certified bank check.

Share This

Cars! The Coolest And The Most Essential

Writen by Mike Perry

Which will you choose? There are hundreds of cars on the market right now. You have several brands competing for you dollar right now. There are all types of deals on the table to help you get the one you want as well. So, what do you look for in a car and how will you get yours? You know, for many, half of the fun comes from test driving several choices!

Let’s buckle up and explore the options. Should we first start with the classics that every safe person should know? For example, there are mini vans for all the big families out there that have to lug kids to and from on a daily basis. Then, you have the sedans that offer a roomier interior for maybe the average sized family? If you are a one man (or woman) team, a compact car might be the most economically friendly choice as it consumes less gas.

But, then we can enter into the world of, well, fun vehicles. From sports utility vehicles, commonly known as SUV’s, to sports cars, there are several models in these lines that are sure to turn heads. You have the racers, with engines so powerful that even some trucks are lagging behind. You have the coolest, hottest sports cars on the market that are sure to turn a few heads and definite crowd pleasers. Let’s not forget the snazzy looking trucks that are out there either. While we may say we need them to carry stuff around, we love the power behind the wheel just as much. Sure, these all cost more than that compact car, but aren’t these just so much more fun?

Which is your choice? Before you go out and purchase one, we should stop to realize the costs and how we will pay for the cars we choose. Often times, we can get a few dollars knocked off here and there and we can always comparison shop for the best deal, but we have to admit to ourselves that the cool cars aren’t always in the budget. Sad, but true, we have to strive for which cars fit within our lives not just our hearts!

Share This

Diesel or Gas - Loud Smoking Dinosaur or Fuel Gulping Monster

Writen by Simon Byholm

In this article I’m going to discuss the properties of the diesel and gas engines, and compare them to each other. I’m specifically referring to their use in automobiles.

Looking at them from a distance both the gas and the diesel engine work in about the same way. A fuel made from refined crude oil is burned inside a cylinder and the hot expanding gasses forces the piston to move. The movement of the piston is then transferred to the wheels through crankshaft, gearbox and transmission.

It’s when we look at the engines a little closer that we start to notice that there are differences. Differences in gas mileage, smell, vibrations, price and expected age to name a few.

The gas engine has an ignition system with high voltages, wiring and spark plugs. The diesel does not need this, it compresses the fuel/air mixture until it’s so hot it ignites all by itself. In the gas engine it’s the spark plug that ignites the fuel-air mixture through a high voltage spark at the right time.

Another thing that separates the diesel from the gas engine is that gas engines adds the fuel vapor to the air in the intake manifold either through a carburetor or through fuel injection nozzles. The air/fuel mixture is then sucked into the cylinder to be burnt the next time the piston strikes.

The diesel on the other hand sucks clean air into the cylinder and then waits for the piston to compress the air as much as it will go. At this time when the air is compressed and hot enough to ignite the fuel, diesel is injected directly into the cylinder (or a small space connected to the cylinder) through high pressure nozzles. The fuel ignites instantly due to the high temperature in the cylinder.

The differences is fuel injection and ignition results in the diesel burning the fuel more efficiently than the gas engine. That’s why a diesel has a better gas mileage than it’s gas powered counterpart.

This is not to say that a diesel is better. It’s different, it has drawbacks too. Diesel engines usually is harder to start in cold and freezing weather. If you remember it was compressed hot air that ignited the fuel. When it’s too cold outside the air will never become hot enough to ignite the fuel, and the engine won’t run.

To handle this diesels have something called glow plugs for handling cold start situations. Electrical power from the accumulator is used to preheat the glow plugs inside the cylinders before the engine is started. This way the hot glow plugs ignite the fuel when the air is not hot enough to do it. Then when the engine starts it only takes a few seconds for the cylinders to get hot enough to ignite the fuel without help and the glow plugs are not needed again until the next cold start.

This is one of the nuisances of having a diesel in your car. The glowing takes from a couple of second to half a minute and can easily lead to stress when in a hurry. You just have to wait until it’s ready or the car won’t start. On the other hand if the engine is well done the glowing does not take long and you soon get accustomed to it.

Lets for a second look at the practical differences between the diesel and the gas engine. The diesel is large and loud, it emits black smoke when accelerating and is generally regarded as bad smelling by those not owning one. It also has a sturdier construction due to the higher pressures it must handle and thus can often go twice as many miles as a gas engine during it’s lifetime. The sturdier construction also makes it more expensive when first bought.

Features of The Gas Engine

• More quiet that the diesel
• Better acceleration and higher top speed
• Uses an Ignition System with Spark Plugs to Light The Fuel
• Adds fuel to the air before letting it into the cylinder
• Not as sturdy as a diesel. Lower price but breaks down faster
• Gas readily available everywhere

Features of The Diesel Engine

• Loud noise, sounds like a truck or agricultural machine
• Slow acceleration (get one with turbo charger, that helps)
• Lower top speeds but can easily reach the legal speed limit in most places
• Uses glow plugs to help the fuel ignite when the engine is cold
• Lets clean air into the cylinder and injects the fuel later
• Engine is simple and robust. Higher price but runs many miles
• Emits black smoke when loading it (like a quick acceleration)
• Easy to convert to using Eco fuel oils

If I where to give you advice on selecting either a gas or a diesel powered car I would probably tell you this: Get a diesel if you drive long trips and can live with the small nuisances of more noise and poor acceleration, get a gas powered car if you drive less than average or if you just want the comfort at any price.

Share This