Economy, Auto Travel Make Car Maintenance Critical

With todays economy, auto travel makes car maintenance critical. Find these car maintenance tips from WIX Filters.

People today are keeping their cars longer, a trend that is putting automobile owners better in tune with their car maintenance needs. Add to that the added annual miles from a decline in airplane travel, and vehicle upkeep becomes paramount for safety, reliability and enjoyment.

Best practices for car care are surprisingly easy, says one expert.

"Car maintenance shouldn't be intimidating," said Lauren Fix, SAE-certified mechanic and author of "Lauren Fix's Guide to Loving Your Car." "Many of the simple tips our parents told us still hold true -- get regular tuneups, keep your tires inflated correctly, change your filters."

Fix says what has changed, though, is the interval at which you need to change those filters.

"Check your car owner's manual. You might be surprised at how today's filtration technologies and high-performance oils can extend the time between oil changes," she said.

Another change in car maintenance is the number of filters your technician should check. Fuel filters, when left dirty, can lead to decreased fuel mileage and other problems in the fuel system. Also, make sure your technician checks both your engine and cabin air filters, which help your engine and HVAC systems work at peak performance, says filtration expert Paul Bandoly.

"Many people don't realize that the majority of cars manufactured since 2000 have a cabin air filter, whose job is two-fold," said Bandoly, manager of technical services at WIX Filters. "Not only do cabin air filters clean the air before it enters the vehicle's HVAC system, protecting vital system components from damage, but they also filter the air breathed by occupants in the vehicle, making car travel more enjoyable."

Prior to packing up the car for the vacation drive, tend to filtration needs, check your tire air pressure and top off the engine's fluids. But don't put off car maintenance until the last minute.

"Taking your car to your regular shop for maintenance visits allows technicians to monitor your vehicle's condition, and provides them with the opportunity to identify symptoms of distress before costly repairs become necessary," said Fix.

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New Car Shopping?

New car shopping? Why the time is right, and why it’s the right thing to do.


(ARA) – Highly motivated dealers, offers to make your payments if you lose your job and a wealth of inventory – all make it a great time to buy a new car.

Even with American automakers’ very public struggles to stay afloat, many financial and business experts agree that the American automobile industry will never disappear. But a perfect storm of rising inventory, greater competition and economic factors make this summer a particularly good time to buy a new car.

Factors driving the trend include:

* Ample Inventory

Right now, most American auto dealers have about a six-month inventory of new vehicles on their lots. That means if they stopped adding cars to their inventories tomorrow, they’d still be able to sell for six months before they ran out.

Ideally, dealers prefer to keep smaller inventories -- just a few months’ worth -- because every unsold vehicle costs them money the longer it sits on their lots. For potential buyers, this excess of inventory means more motivated dealers and a wider selection of makes and models to choose from -- even high-demand hybrids.

* Incentives

From zero percent financing and no-money-down deals to low interest rates on shorter-term loans, dealers are offering a plethora of incentives to woo buyers. Rebates and employee pricing have been around for a while, but last year several car companies introduced programs that promise to make at least some car payments for you if you lose your job (and income) within a certain time frame after buying one of their cars. With the arrival of warm weather – traditionally a prime car-buying season – dealers and automakers are rolling out new incentives every week.

* Financing

With competition for your car-buying dollar expected to become even fiercer, your financing options may soon expand. You’ll be in an especially good position to land a deal if you know the power of your credit score prior to negotiations.

Your credit report and score give lenders a better idea of what kind of credit risk you may be. The higher your score, the more likely it is that you will be able to negotiate good finance terms for your auto loan.

If you don’t know what’s on your credit report, find out before you head out to the dealer’s lot. Web sites like FreeCreditReport.com give you instant access to your free credit report and score with enrollment in their in Triple Advantage Credit Monitoring membership.

* Competition

Not only are new car dealers competing with each other, they’re competing with a booming used car market. More Americans are opting to buy used vehicles, perceiving them as cheaper to purchase. Yet new cars most often cost less to operate and maintain, so buying a new car now (when everyone else is looking for used) may actually make greater economic sense for you in the long run.

Finally you might consider buying a new car because it’s one way you can actually help the economy. Recovery from the recession is everyone’s concern and responsibility, federal officials have said. Contributing your hard-earned dollars to support a vital American industry can not only put you in a new set of wheels you’ll enjoy for years, it can give you a sense of doing your part for the economy as well.

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