Archive for December, 2008
When Your Car's Heater Isn't Working
by admin on Dec.05, 2008, under Car Maintenance, Car Tips
When Your Car’s Heater Isn’t Working
Depending upon where you live, you might rely on your vehicle’s heater to keep you warm while driving. When it fails to produce warm or hot air, the drive can be unpleasant. The problem is that a lot of factors can contribute to your heating system not working the way it should. In this article, we’ll briefly explore some of the components that make up this part of your car. Then, I’ll offer a few suggestions regarding why it may be malfunctioning.
How Does It Work?
When you drive your car, the engine goes through internal combustion. As it does so, it produces enormous amounts of heat. If this extra heat were to remain inside or around the engine, it could cause the engine to fail. Your car has a cooling procedure that removes it before it can do any damage. A portion is pushed out through your vehicle’s exhaust while the remainder is absorbed by a coolant (usually a blend of water and antifreeze).
As the coolant absorbs the excess heat generated by the engine, it becomes warmer. The warm fluid travels to the radiator, allowing some of heat to dissipate along the way. As it dissipates, the temperature of the coolant declines and by the time it reaches the engine, it’s cool enough to absorb more heat from the internal combustion process.
Inside your car’s dashboard sits a heater core. It functions similarly to your vehicle’s radiator (though it’s much smaller) and has a number of tubes through which the hot coolant circulates. Near the core sits a fan that blows across it when you turn your car’s heating system on. That warm air is what eventually blows out of the vents.
Why Isn’t It Working?
One of the most common reasons why your heating system may not be working is due to the level of coolant in your car’s engine. There’s a plastic tank into which you can replenish the supply, but you should also check for leaks. After all, putting more of the fluid into the tank won’t solve the problem if it’s leaking out somewhere.
Other factors that could be causing a problem include a thermostat that won’t close properly, a heater control valve that needs to be replaced, or a faulty vacuum feed. In most cases, unless you have experience with performing mid-level car repairs, you should have your mechanic inspect the heating system. It’s easy enough to tell whether the coolant is low, but looking for leaks or defective parts can be much more challenging.
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Sales Tricks Car Dealerships Play
by admin on Dec.04, 2008, under Car Tips
Sales Tricks Car Dealerships Play
When you walk into a car dealer, you should realize that you have a big dollar sign painted on your forehead. That’s exactly how you’re being considered by everyone who works there. Every sale they make either helps them meet their monthly quota or adds a little boost to their bonus. You’re there to help them do that (at least, from their perspective). And they’ll unleash a number of sales tactics to accomplish their goal. Today, I’ll share with you a few tricks that dealerships play on the road to selling you a vehicle.
The Good Guy
The essence of good salesmanship is being likable. The friendly grin, firm handshake, the shoulder grip… all of these are part of a salesperson’s training. Dealerships know that people are more likely to do business with someone they like. To that end, they spend time and effort to ensure the people they hire are properly trained to leverage that tendency.
Watch The Emotions
Even though most of us are loathe to admit it, we make a lot of our decisions – even financial ones – emotionally. When you’re buying a car, that can end up costing you a lot of money. Dealers are very savvy about the power of emotion on a person’s tendency to buy. That’s why some salespeople will even suggest that you take a vehicle home with you for the evening. They’re not being nice. They know that once you spend the night with it parked in front of your house, you’ll form an emotional attachment to it. At that point, giving it back to the salesperson is much more difficult.
Playing To Interests
Everyone looks at buying a new vehicle differently. Guys are different than ladies. Young married couples are different than older married couples. The salespeople at car dealers modify their approach based upon profiling. If they see a young couple with a newborn, they’ll emphasize rebates and safety concerns. A 25-year-old male is told about a car’s ability to attract women. Father-daughter teams receive another pitch: safety issues for the dad and the “fun” element for the daughter.
Knowing What To Expect
As long as sales quotas exist and compensation is tied to sales, the tactics described above will always be used by car dealers. The key is knowing that in advance so you don’t let your guard down. Most experts agree that you’ll pay less for your vehicle if you approach the negotiations analytically rather than allowing your emotions to influence your buying decision. Do your homework ahead of time. Set your budget, determine your driving needs, and be willing to walk away from a “deal.”