MYTH – You can only buy an extended warranty from the dealer who sold you the car.

Most car dealers are middlemen who make their highest commissions on the financing and extended warranties they sell. They are going to want you to purchase your warranty from them when you buy your car, so it can be included with your financing. Finance charges can increase the overall warranty cost by hundreds, or even thousands of dollars. You should try to buy your warranty direct from the source, if you can. Why not look for the best price for the extended warranty, just like you did on your vehicle?

FACT – You have many choices in buying an extended warranty.

MYTH – All extended warranties are basically the same; I should just buy the cheapest coverage.

Nothing could be further from the truth. There are many different types and levels of coverage. Without the knowledge of how an extended warranty actually works, price is the only thing one can base their decision on. You should insist on reviewing the actual warranty contract before you purchase.

Buying a warranty is all about transferring your risk of costly repairs and having your claims paid. Low prices may look good up front but they are often coupled with low levels of service and many restrictive contract clauses which will lead to many out of pocket costs for you on each claim.

Here are a few contract clauses you should be leery of:

• At the sole discretion of the Administrator
• Parts may be used or recycled
• You must maintain your vehicle according to the severe requirements of your manufacturer (that will double your maintenance costs)
• Any covered part that has not failed, this includes seepage of seals and gaskets.
• The gradual reduction in operating performance is not covered.

FACT – A reputable warranty company will allow you to review the warranty contract before you buy.

MYTH – If I buy the extended warranty before the manufacturers warranty expires, I will have double coverage on my vehicle.

A common misconception is that by waiting to purchase extended coverage, you will get coverage for a longer time. Much like life insurance, costs rise as we age; the cost for a car warranty will rise as the vehicle ages and accrues mileage. You will be offered the longest terms and the lowest rates for newer vehicles with lower mileage.

Warranty companies understand that you may have a warranty from the manufacturer. Their coverage is simply an extension of that, not double coverage. The manufacturer’s warranty has been factored into your price quote. The more factory warranty you have remaining, the lower the cost and greater the length of the warranty extension. In other words, you are paying for tomorrow’s coverage at today’s rates. In addition, benefits like roadside assistance are available to you during the manufacturer warranty period.

FACT – The newer your vehicle, the lower the rates for extended coverage.

MYTH -You must purchase an extended warranty in order to qualify for dealer financing.

It does not make any sense that a person would be required to increase the amount they are financing by adding an extended warranty, in order to obtain financing. Financing is approved or denied based upon your credit, and nothing else. By including the extended warranty in your car purchase, you will be stuck paying additional interest. There are several companies that now offer interest free payment plans for their warranties.

FACT – You do not need to include an extended warranty or other expensive dealer add-on to qualify for financing.

MYTH – A “mechanical breakdown” warranty offers the same coverage as a “wear and tear” warranty.

Some service contracts exclude repairs needed due to “wear and tear.” However, a large number of car repairs are needed because a part wears out from a long period of use or improper maintenance, not because it was poorly built.

The more miles on a car when a repair becomes necessary, the more likely it is that the repair will be needed because a part wore out, rather than because the part broke due to poor manufacturing. Again, some service contracts do not cover parts that wear out.

Most service contracts and policies define “mechanical breakdown” as a defect in parts and workmanship as supplied by the manufacturer, or a defect that makes the part unable to perform the function for which it was designed. Service contracts that exclude wear and tear will not cover repairs needed because a part’s performance has gradually deteriorated because of normal wear and tear, unless a mechanical breakdown has occurred.

Before buying a service contract, you should carefully review what is covered and not covered to see whether wear and tear claims are excluded from coverage. If they are, you might want to consider buying a service contract that does not exclude wear and tear claims. That way, if it is not clear whether a repair is needed due to a manufacturing defect or simple wear and tear, it is more likely that the service contract company will pay for the repair. It is a mistake to assume that a repair agreement will cover every repair your car may need.

FACT – A wear and tear warranty provides much greater protection that one that solely covers mechanical breakdowns.

MYTH -As long as I have an extended warranty, I don’t need to worry about my car.

Cars still need proper maintenance, as outlined in your vehicle’s owners manual. Be sure to keep accurate maintenance records and receipts. To neglect this responsibility to your car may not only jeopardize your claims getting paid, but will also put your investment at risk.

FACT – All extended warranties require that you properly maintain your vehicle and perform the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance.

MYTH -My dealer does not accept third party warranties for repairs.

The marketing and sales of extended warranties has moved beyond the traditional car dealer channels. Dealers not only offer the manufacturer’s extended warranty, but are now offering third party warranties as well. Most third party warranty companies pay the repair facility immediately over the telephone by credit card, so there should be no objections about accepting the warranty. In fact, a warranty from a third party will require the dealer do less paperwork and not wait for reimbursement.

FACT – It is very rare that an honest repair facility will refuse to accept an extended warranty that pays them via credit card upon completion of the repairs.

*Source: Copyright © 2011 Warranty Direct. All rights reserved.

Yahoo Auto | Maintain | Auto Repair Tips &  Advice

http://autos.yahoo.com/carcenter/warranty/article.html?a=extended_warranty_myths

You may also need a brake job if you’re having brake problems such as grabbing, pulling, low or soft pedal, pedal vibration, noise, etc., or if some component in your brake system has failed. But if the problem is isolated to only one component, there’s no need to replace other parts that are still in perfectly good working order.

There is no specific mileage interval at which the brakes need to be relined because brake wear varies depending on how the vehicle is driven, the braking habits of the driver, the weight of the vehicle, the design of the brake system and a dozen other variables. A set of brake linings that last 70,000 miles or more on a car driven mostly on the highway may last only 30,000 or 40,000 miles on the same vehicle that is driven mostly in stop-and-go city traffic.

As a rule, the front brakes wear out before the ones on the rear because the front brakes handle a higher percentage of the braking load — especially in front-wheel drive cars and minivans. So many service facilities advertise $59.95 brake job “specials” that replace the linings on the front brakes only. Doing the front brakes only is okay and can save you money as long as the rear brakes are in good condition. But if the rear brakes need attention, they should be relined too.

One of the problems with the brake specials you see advertised in the newspaper is that the price is very misleading. A person typically goes in expecting to spend $59.95 for a brake job, but usually ends up spending considerably more because the brakes need more than the minimum amount of work to restore them to like-new condition. The price of a brake job depends entirely on the work that needs to be performed. So any advertised special is not a firm price, but only an estimate of the least amount of money it might cost you to get your brakes fixed. A price should not be quoted until after the brakes have been inspected. Then and only then can an accurate determination be made of the parts that actually need to be replaced.

*Source: Yahoo Auto | Maintain | Auto Repair Tips &  Advice

http://autos.yahoo.com/maintain/repairqa/brakes/ques005_1.html

If you read the fine print, however, you’ll discover that the once a year, 7,500 mile oil change is for vehicles that are driven under ideal circumstances. What most of us think of as “normal” driving is actually “severe service” driving. This includes frequent short trips (less than 10 miles, especially during cold weather), stop-and-go city traffic driving, driving in dusty conditions (gravel roads, etc.), and driving at sustained highway speeds during hot weather. For this type of driving, which is actually “severe service: driving, the recommendation is to change the oil every 3,000 miles or six months.

For maximum protection, most oil companies say to change the oil every 3,000 miles or three to six months regardless of what type of driving you do.

A new engine with little or no wear can probably get by on 7,500 mile oil changes. But as an engine accumulates miles, blowby increases. This dumps more unburned fuel into the crankcase which dilutes the oil. This causes the oil to break down. So if the oil isn’t changed often enough, you can end up with accelerated wear and all the engine problems that come with it (loss of performance and fuel economy, and increased emissions and oil consumption).

Oil Analysis
Truck fleets often monitor the condition of the oil in their vehicles by having samples analyzed periodically. Oil samples are sent to a laboratory that then analyzes the oil’s viscosity and acid content. Oil is then burned in a device called a spectrometer that reveals various impurities in the oil. From all of this, a detailed report is generated that reveals the true condition of the oil.

Oil analysis is a great idea for fleets and trucks that hold a lot of oil. But most consumers would have a hard time justifying the cost. Having an oil sample analyzed typically costs $12 to $20 for the lab work and report. Most quick lube shops charge $16.95 to $19.95 for an oil change. So why spend your money on a report that will probably tell you your oil needs changing? Just change the oil every 3,000 miles and don’t worry about it.

Regular oil changes for preventative maintenance are cheap insurance against engine wear, and will always save you money in the long run if you keep a car for more than three or four years. It’s very uncommon to see an engine that has been well maintained with regular oil changes develop major bearing, ring, cam or valve problems under 100,000 miles.

What About The Oil Filter?
To reduce the costs of vehicle ownership and maintenance, many car makers say the oil filter only needs to be replaced at every other oil change. Most mechanics will tell you this is false economy.

The oil filters on most engines today have been downsized to save weight, cost and space. The “standard” quart-sized filter that was once common on most engines has been replaced by a pint-sized (or smaller) filter. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that a smaller filter has less total filtering capacity. Even so, the little filters should be adequate for a 3,000 mile oil change intervals — but may run out of capacity long before a second oil change at 6,000 or 15,000 miles.

Replacing the oil filter every time the oil is changed, therefore, is highly recommended.

An engine’s main line of defense against abrasion and the premature wear it causes is the oil filter. The filter’s job is to remove solid contaminants such as dirt, carbon and metal particles from the oil before they can damage bearing, journal and cylinder wall surfaces in the engine. The more dirt and other contaminants the filter can trap and hold, the better.

In today’s engines, all the oil that’s picked up by the oil pump is routed through the filter before it goes to the crankshaft bearings, cam bearings and valvetrain. This is called “full-flow” filtration. It’s an efficient way of removing contaminants, and it assures only filtered oil is supplied to the engine. In time, though, accumulated dirt and debris trapped by the filter begin to obstruct the flow of oil. The filter should be changed before it reaches this point, which is why the filter needs to be replaced when the oil is changed.

If you wait too long to change the filter, there’s a danger that it might become plugged. To prevent this from causing a catastrophic engine failure due to loss of lubrication, oil filters have a built-in safety device called a “bypass valve.” When the pressure drop across the filter exceeds a predetermined value (which varies depending on the engine application), the bypass valve opens so oil can continue to flow to the engine. But this allows unfiltered oil to enter the engine. Any contaminants that find their way into the crankcase will be pumped through the engine and accelerate wear.

Filter Replacement
If you do your own oil changes, make sure you get the correct filter for your engine. Follow the filter manufacturer’s listings in its catalog. Many filters that look the same on the outside have different internal valving. Many overhead cam engines, for example, require an “anti-drainback” valve in the filter to prevent oil from draining out of the filter when the engine is shut off. This allows oil pressure to reach critical engine parts more quickly when the engine is restarted. Filters that are mounted sideways on the engine typically require an anti-drainback valve.

CAUTION: The threads on a spin-on filter must also be the correct diameter and thread pitch (SAE or metric) for your engine. If you install a filter with SAE threads on an engine that requires metric threads (or vice versa), you can damage the threads that hold the oil filter in place. Mismatched threads can also allow the filter to work loose, which causes a sudden loss of oil pressure that may ruin your engine!

Some people say it’s best to change the oil when the oil is hot (like right after driving), while others say it makes no difference. CAUTION: Hot oil is thinner and runs out faster but can also burn you if you’re not careful. In any event, avoid unnecessary skin contact with oil because oil is a suspected carcinogen (causes cancer).

Changing the oil when it is cold may take a bit longer because the oil will drain more slowly from the engine, but there’s no danger of being burned. Also, most of the oil will have drained down into the oil pan when the engine has sat for a period of time, which means you’ll actually get a little more of the old oil out of the engine than if you attempt to drain it while it is still hot.

Used motor oil should be disposed of properly. The Environmental Protection Agency does not consider used motor oil to be a hazardous chemical, but it can foul ground water and does contain traces of lead. The best way to dispose of used motor oil is to take it to a service station, quick lube shop, parts store or other facility for recycling. Your old oil will either be rerefined into other lubricants or petroleum products, or burned as fuel.

Do not dump used motor oil on the ground, down a drain, into a storm sewer or place it in the trash. Many landfills will not accept used motor oil even if it is in a sealed container because it will eventually leak out into the ground. If you can’t find an environmentally-acceptable way to dispose of the stuff, maybe you shouldn’t be changing your own oil. Service facilities that do oil changes all have storage tanks and recycling programs to dispose of used oil.

*Source: Yahoo Auto | Maintain | Auto Repair Tips &  Advice
http://autos.yahoo.com/owning/maintain/repairqa/qa.html;_ylt=AtEwjB.y1UYnR4czneh1aoqAc78F;_ylv=3?question=ques119&category=Air+Filters+%26+Oil&topics=qaairfil%01qalubric%01qaengoil

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