Tag Archives: how to

-Hybrids-, -Other EVs-

Super Cheap Ways to Make your Car Look Great

1 Comment

Your car is a huge investment and if you want to make it look great then there are a couple of things that you need to take into account. After all, you need to make sure that it is accessorised and you also need to make sure that it is clean and polished as well.

Cleaning your Car

Every time you get out of your car, make an effort to take any rubbish out. You also need to try and focus on your interior detailing as well. For example, are there any marks that you could cover up? Is it possible for you to replace the gear shifter knob? Little things like this can make a huge difference to your car and by simply dusting your dashboard you can really improve the general appearance of your vehicle. Organizing your car also helps and you don’t have to spend a ton of money on organisational tools or spiffy hardware. Try and consider using ziplock bags to keep all of your car manuals together, or even use cable tidies to keep your phone wires together. Of course, it’s understandable that you won’t want to wax your car every month, but do consider doing it a couple of times a year. It also won’t hurt to put it through a car wash from time to time, and make sure that you give the alloys a good scrub as well.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/blue-bmw-sedan-near-green-lawn-grass-170811/

Floor Mats

The first thing that will get ruined in your car is probably going to be your floor mat. If your car has the original floor mat that it came with and it is in great condition then you have nothing to worry about here, but if you don’t or if you know that your car mats are in bad condition then you may want to get these replaced. When you do get them replaced, try and opt for rubber mats. Felt mats can store mud and moisture, and all of this can lead to a mould build up. Eventually you’ll have to buy a brand new set and this can cost you a ton of money as well. Rubber on the other hand, can be cleaned time and time again.

Keywords: driver;motion;auto;car;man;boy;guy;street

https://www.pexels.com/photo/adult-automotive-blur-car-13861/

Car Body

If you have dents or dings in your car then why not consider getting them fixed? A Jeep rear bumper for example is very easy to buy and very easy to replace as well so you can easily bring your old car back to life. If you haven’t cleaned your windshield wipers in a while then you need to get a microfibre cloth so that you can get all of the dust and debris that you have accumulated over the years. This will help to keep your glass clean and it is a great way for you to really boost the general appearance of your car.

Other things that you can do include replacing the alloys, the door handles or the trim underneath the car. These things are a little bit more expensive but they can make all the difference.

 

-Hybrids-, -Other EVs-

How To Prepare Your Vehicle For Business Uses

Leave a comment

Being able to drive is a wonderful privilege that we have, and while being able to get from A to B easier and faster than walking, our cars can be used for much more than just transportation. Many people use their cars for business purposes, whether that be to get them to business meetings, pick up clients, or even advertise their own business. If you’re looking to utilize your car for business uses, take a look at the advice in this article so that you can be safe on the roads, while driving in comfort at the same time.

https://pixabay.com/en/car-dashboard-speedometer-speed-car-2667434/

Use radar detectors

For those who don’t know, radar detectors are installed in cars to alert you when you’re going too fast and when there are police detectors nearby. This could prove massively helpful if you’re using your car for business purposes because not only will it save you from gaining points on your license, but it will also save your business from creating a bad reputation. Take a look at the best undetectable radar detector and buy yourself one to protect yourself, others, and also your business.

Keep business cards and merchandise in your car

Ensuring that you constantly have a supply of merchandise and business cards in your car will allow you to do business wherever you are. Even if you’re not on a business trip, it’s likely that you will run into someone and begin talking about your business, and having everything ready in your car could gain you more customers! Make sure that they are kept flat and away from any damp so that if the time comes that you are showing off your business, that you look professional and prepared.

Have it serviced regularly

Like all cars, there’s a chance that your car could break down at some point, which will obviously not be good for business, especially if you have places that you need to be. Getting your car serviced regularly will give you that extra bit of reassurance that your car is going to be reliable through all journeys that you need to make. Also, having it serviced more regularly will likely prevent any pricey fixes coming your way because your mechanic should be able to pick up on small problems before they turn into larger and more expensive ones.

Add some homely touches

Being a business owner means you will probably be spending a considerable amount of time in your car, travelling to clients and other meetings. Take the time to make your car more homely so that you can travel in comfort. Things you could add to your car include:

  • Hands free set
  • Seat warmers
  • GPS
  • Snacks and water
  • An improved sound system

There are many other things you could add, but the above would make any journey much more bearable.

Use these tips to prepare your car for business uses and you will soon find yourself in a safe and productive car that can help you and your business.

-Hybrids-, -Other EVs-

A Beginner’s Guide To Classic Car Restoration

Leave a comment

Whether you have a passion for restoring them or driving them, there are many classic car lovers out there. Bringing a classic or vintage car back to life can be a labor of love and can be an incredibly rewarding experience. It could be to sell the car on, and the process is what you enjoy. It could be to then keep the car yourself and enjoy it as a weekend vehicle.

But if you’ve not done it before, but quite fancy the idea of it, then where do you start? Here are a few of the steps you should take if you’re interested in a classic or vintage car restoration. Then, no matter your previous skills or experience, you can be on the right path to getting the project done well.

image

Do Your Homework

A vintage car restoration is not a small project. So you need to take some time to figure out how much it could cost you and what you have available to spend on it. What are the tools you need for such a project? Do you have the right ones? If you know someone that has done it before, then that could come in really handy.

Choose the Right Car

Choosing the right car can be one of the trickiest parts of a car restoration. It isn’t always going to be straightforward; the chances are that you will find one with a few problems. But you don’t want to have too many problems that will cost you a lot to fix. So take your time checking out what is for sale near you. Looking up ‘car auctions near me’ could be a good idea too, as you can often get a good deal at an auction. Classified ads, local papers, and car garages can be good places to look to. Be sure to ask plenty of questions for the previous owners.

Original or Personal

When it comes to classic cars, there are some stalwarts that believe you have to recreate the car back to its original form. But will that be the route that you take? You could opt for classic, or add some personality to the car. Making a plan and deciding what you want the car to look like is really key. It can be a good idea to know what you want to do beforehand, so that you can plan the right tools and design.

Space

You might have grand plans for your car restoration, but have you thought through where it is all going to go? Do you have space in your own garage, or would you be placing the car elsewhere? If so, you’ll need to check the security of the place, as well as check on insurance (though if the car isn’t driveable yet, it can reduce the insurance).

The thing to think about is why you are doing it, as classic car restoration can take a while. It should be a labor of love, as that will make it more appealing, and get you out there each week, rather than putting it off and wasting your money.

Electric Car Maintenance

Maintenance Musts: Essential Steps Every Electric Car Owner Should Take

Leave a comment

Every car owner should take steps to keep their vehicle in tip-top condition. If you’re prepared to look after your car, you’re likely to save money on repairs, and your wagon will be worth more if you ever come to sell. Electric cars are a different proposition to traditional motors, but this doesn’t mean that maintenance is any less important. Here are some essentials for every electric car owner.

Picture credit https://www.pexels.com/search/electric%20car/

Servicing

All cars, regardless of the type of technology or fuel they use, need to be serviced on a regular basis. Servicing involves a series of basic and routine checks, which are designed to ensure that the car is running well and reduce the risk of problems developing. You have to pay for a service, but keeping up to date with services could save you a huge amount of money in the long-term. Servicing an electric vehicle is often more straightforward and therefore cheaper than traditional cars, as there are fewer parts and the mechanisms are simpler. If your car is due a service, look for local garages that offer maintenance checks for electric cars.

Cleaning and polishing

If you’re a driver who takes pride in the appearance of their car, microfiber car wash towels are an excellent investment. Cleaning won’t prolong your car’s life expectancy, but it’ll make the car look more attractive, it will enhance the driving experience, and it’ll make the vehicle more marketable if you come to sell. If you use a car for business purposes, cleaning and polishing the vehicle will help to give off the right impression and enhance the appeal of your brand.

Taking care of your battery

There may be different guidelines for optimum charging for different makes and models, but it’s important to take care of your battery regardless of the type of car you drive. Nissan recommends charging the battery to 80 percent, rather than 100 percent to prolong the life of the battery. Check with the manufacturer so that you get the best out of your battery. While it may not always be the best option to drive with a full battery, it’s certainly not advisable to run your car on empty. Avoid getting to the stage where the battery is on 1 percent.

Tire tips

All drivers should check their tire pressure and tread depth on a regular basis. If your tires are worn, or they’re under-inflated, this can affect the driving experience, as well as putting you and other drivers at risk. Check the air pressure before long journeys and take a minute to inspect the surfaces of the tires. If the pressure is running low and you’ve only just pumped the tires up, you may have a slow puncture, and it’s worth trying to repair the tire or replacing it with a spare.

If you own an electric car, it makes sense to try and keep it in pristine condition for as long as possible. Taking good care of your car will enhance safety, save on repair costs and boost the value if you choose to sell.

Sustainability

4 Surefire Ways To Save Money On Your Car Usage

Leave a comment

It’s an inevitable fact of life that you need your car. No matter how much you try and save money by taking lifts with pals, using the good old public transport system and walking once in a while, sometimes only a car will do. A trusty four-wheeled motor also gives you the freedom to go where you want as and when you please. You can drive off the beaten track to find a secluded spot for some downtime, or you can find the quickest route to get to your mom and dads without having to change trains twice before taking a bus across the state.

The world of automotives can be a bit of a minefield. There are a ridiculous amount of cars on the market ranging from the swanky new hybrids that utilize greener and more sustainable technologies to the older, yet more affordable diesel guzzlers. No matter what your vehicle of choice is, you can save money in the way that you use your car. Read on to find out more.

Image by

Buy New… If You Can

One strategy that car dealers swear by is to purchase new off the forecourt. Many people disagree with this stating that the moment you drive your shiny new car away from the dealer, your car has already depreciated in value. While this is true, a new car will give you the reliability and warranty you need to ensure you’re not forking out hundreds or maybe even thousands each year on maintenance. Your brand new vehicle should have at least a three-year warranty meaning that if anything breaks down or stops working during this time, you should get a free replacement. The ability to keep the car for longer before having to trade it in means that you won’t be losing money every time you swap your vehicle. It makes more economic sense to keep a vehicle for six or seven years rather than changing every two to three.

A new car is also safer. They have enhanced features such as side impact bars, computerized technologies that allow you to see behind you and intuitive braking systems that will deploy in the event of a potential accident. Older cars, while they may be cheaper, will have a higher chance of being in rear-end bumps that often mean lawyers like Babcock Partners are called in. Try to mitigate this with a newer, more reliable and safer vehicle.

Image by

Maintenance

There are points in every car owner’s life where it feels like everything’s falling apart at once. Your car’s exhaust might be blowing, the tires threads are near the legal limit, and you need to swap a headlight. In the scheme of things, these are relatively minor outgoings to keep your car running. The bigger issues occur when the drive shafts, cam belt or gearbox need changing. If you have an older vehicle, it can often make more financial sense to purchase a whole new car rather than change a particularly expensive component.

Make sure you check out the manual of your car and complete all of the basic maintenance checks. Change the oil filters when necessary, get your car serviced at the correct intervals and always have good grippy tires on your vehicle. This can make your car more fuel efficient saving you money on gas. By keeping your car well looked after you’ll receive a premium price when you do eventually trade in.

Image by

Common Sense

If you have a particularly busy day ahead of you ferrying the kids to swimming lessons, doing a spot of grocery shopping, checking in on the parents and popping to the library to hand back some books, make sure you’re sensible with your car usage. It makes sense to combine these tasks into one car journey rather than heading home after each one. Try to formulate a route that is the quickest and uses the least miles saving you money on fuel.

When obtaining the all-important insurance for your car, you need to shop around and not accept the first offer you’re given. Even if you’ve been with the same insurance provider for years, there’s no reward for loyalty. If you can save $200 by changing your provider and the cover is like for like then swap.

Image by

How You Drive

You may be one of those human beings that loves nothing better than accelerating through the gears quickly and reaching the speed limit as fast as you can. While this may get you to your destination a fraction faster, you’ll also be consuming more fuel as your speed demon ways rattle up through the gears too quickly. Keep your acceleration at a more average pace to save more money on gas.

Although the thought of car sharing can make you break out in cold sweats as you might need to relinquish the driving duties once in a while, you could be cutting down your car running costs massively. If you carpool with a work colleague and share driving and car duties, you’ll logically be cutting down your fuel expenditure and car usage by half. This makes fantastic monetary sense. You’ll also be doing your admirable little bit for the environment as one less car will be on the road during rush hour traffic.

It goes without saying, but you should be driving sensibly and be the epitome of a responsible driver. Don’t allow yourself to be drawn into roadside arguments, don’t allow your frustrations with other road users lead you to drive erratically and keep to the laws of the land. Simply by using your common sense, you can save money on the roads.

While driving may be an expensive business, there are ways you can cut the costs of your car usage. Car ownership is necessary for millions, but this doesn’t mean you have to forego a decent quality of life to maintain a decent vehicle. Utilize some of these tips to ensure that you remain a thrifty, money-conscious car owner.

Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model X, Tesla Motors

Keeping Your Electric Car As Safe As Possible

Leave a comment

Picture Source: https://www.ratedradardetector.org/

Owning an electric car is very different to owning a standard diesel vehicle. Obviously, you know this and that’s why you bought the car. You know that the impact it has on the environment is far lesser, for example. The differences between electric cars and traditional cars are many. Nonetheless, when it comes to the ways in which you should be looking after your electric-powered vehicle, there are some similarities and some differences when compared to a standard car. Here’s how to keep your electric car as safe as possible.

Maintenance.

As with any car, maintenance is the key to keeping your car safe and roadworthy. And, as with any car, you need to become acquainted with the machinery at work within your vehicle so as to take care of it yourself. Even though regular check-ups are important, going to a repair shop every time there’s a problem is costly and time-consuming. Not to mention, it’s much safer and responsible to maintain your vehicle by yourself.

You need to understand the sophisticated electronics that run your car. Learn about the battery control module and how it discharges and charges the battery bank. You also need to learn about the heating and cooling systems because it’s important that these are well-maintained in order to keep your vehicle safe. Take a look at the hoses, clamps, and pipes to check the cooling system is working as it should be. As a piece of advice to make sure your battery doesn’t run into any problems, you should avoid a full charge; pushing your battery to its maximum capacity and then draining it is damaging.

Responsible driving.

If you want to keep your electric car as safe as possible then you need to be a responsible driver and that all depends on road awareness. You already have a license, so you’re qualified to drive a vehicle, but you might not necessarily be the most observant driver possible. Passing your driving test is one thing but you need to maintain that focus and concentration every time you get behind the wheel of a car. You might want to look into a mirror reversing camera kit because it’s so important to have complete vision of the road as a driver. And, sometimes, your rear view mirrors won’t suffice; blind spots are bad enough but other vehicles and things in the road can obscure your vision too. It’s a good idea to have as many backup options in place as possible and a camera can certainly help.

Continuing on from the point above, you need to be aware of the road in order to be a responsible driver but you also need to react to the road appropriately. Defensive driving is the best way to avoid accidents on the road. If you see a reckless driver then reacting aggressively to the situation and losing concentration could make you a danger to the road too. Additionally, driving defensively and cautiously means that you shouldn’t speed or brake hard; put your electric car under too much strain and it’ll wear out more quickly. You need to look after your vehicle in the way you would with any car.