April 2017 - Euro Automotive

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Month: April 2017

Simple Steps to Sell Your Car

Posted on | 26 Apr 2017 By Anita Gaal

Selling your car sounds like a simple concept when you finally decide to take the plunge; however, selling a vehicle the right way involves research and investment of time and energy in order to be sure that you get the highest value, among other things. Selling your car for quick cash may seem appealing to many people, yet they don’t always take the time to be sure the process is done in the most beneficial fashion. Getting top dollar for your vehicle should be the priority in a car sale, and this requires a little bit of research on your part. Here are some helpful tips and ideas that will help you once you have decided to begin the process of selling a vehicle.

Refer Blue Book value

The first thing you should do is look up the Blue Book value of your vehicle. You will be required to enter some basic information about your car including mileage, model, make, year, etc. that will give a general calculation of what other cars similar to yours sell for these days. While this is a helpful guide of how to set the price of your car, it is also important to take into consideration the condition and wear of your vehicle—for instance, if you know that your car has had upgrades or recent engine work done, this could increase the price of your vehicle. However, if your car has been in several accidents, has worn parts, and the interior is torn up, you may end up lowering the price you set.

Know your car’s sell ability

Another factor that may influence the price of your car is the sell ability of the vehicle itself; for instance, if the vehicle is not very popular, or if it is notorious for spontaneous combustion, it may take longer to sell—in this case, the seller usually will lower the cost of the car if they wish to sell it in a timely manner. The current demand of the vehicle you wish to sell plays a role in the price that it will go for, but keep in mind that the lower the cost, the more likely it will sell quicker. Depending on the urgency of your situation, this may be something to consider. It is not uncommon for people to sell their vehicles in order to extinguish credit card debt or lower a monthly payment. In any case, taking the time to research the value of your vehicle is crucial.

Get your car cleaned

Take pride in your car! These are the last few moments you may have with it, so get it looking its best; give it a bath and clean it out of dirt and debris, at the very least. Especially if you are listing your car online, you should take pictures of the car once it’s cleaned up—it should look in as good of condition as possible for the photographs, or in person. Maintaining honesty and credibility is an important moral quality; get your engine inspected and perform any low-cost maintenance or repairs that you can afford. If a car comes across as well-taken-care-of, it will likely sell quicker. If you are selling your car at the dealership, it usually is not necessary to wash the car or vacuum it out; dealerships will usually wash the car anyway, and a dirty car is not unfamiliar to them, nor will it factor psychologically into the price of the vehicle.

Make arrangement for title transfer

After your car is cleaned up and ready to go, the next thing you will need to do is dig out the title of your vehicle. After the money transaction is finalized, you will need to sign over the title to the new recipient and be sure to include the current mileage of the vehicle. This step is important, because it releases liability to the new owner of the vehicle. You can then go online through your state DMV and communicate to them that you have sold your vehicle, which, again, legally transfers the liability associated with the vehicle to the new owner. In other words, you are to notify the DMV that anything that happens to or with the car is now the responsibility of the person you sold it to. Overall, selling your car can be a simple process, as long as you are an informed seller!
10 Preventive Maintenance Suggestions for Your Car

Posted on | 11 Apr 2017 By Anita Gaal

When money is tight, preventive maintenance for your car is probably the last thing on your mind. However, the idea behind continually maintaining your vehicle is that it will save you money in the love run. By monitoring your vehicles needs based on your own individual driving schedule and habits, you can prevent serious wear and tear from occurring to your car. Beyond the interest of saving money, it is also possible that you are a car enthusiast who loves your vehicle like a mother loves a child; you would do anything to keep it from harm. Preventive maintenance is good to practice when you own a vehicle for countless reasons; the most important being saving time and money on more expensive repairs that could have been prevented by routine maintenance. All vehicles follow a different maintenance schedule depending on the manufacturer’s recommendations, but there are at least 10 general maintenance suggestions that will help your car stay in tip-top shape. After all, you never know when you’ll need to leave town unexpectedly, or when you’ll be taking a long drive. In either case, leaving your car sitting in your driveway could cause problems, but issues could also occur along the course of a long drive—the difference will be noticeable when you follow these 10 suggestions.

Routine oil and oil filter change

Firstly, stay on top of oil and oil filter changes; oil is the lifeblood of your vehicle—it keeps all the moving parts greased up and running properly. When the oil and/or oil filter in your car is not clean, fine particles of dust and dirt begin to grind between the other moving parts of your car’s engine, causing wear and difficulty for the car to run smoothly. Another item that must be inspected and replaced routinely is your air filter; for the same reason, your air filter is meant to keep unwanted, damaging particles out of your engine and the moving parts. A good rule of thumb is to have your air filter checked each time you get your oil changed—about every 3 months or so, depending on how often and how long of a distance you drive your car regularly. Additionally, keep all the fluids in your car topped off—these could also be checked and filled when you take your car in for a routine oil change.

Take care of your tires

Checking your tire pressure is highly underestimated; it is essential to be sure that all 4 tires are running on the same pressure—if not, it can cause an uneven tread in your tires causing them to need to be replaced sooner than generally necessary. Furthermore, when there is a clear issue with uneven wear on your tires, it may be an opportunity for you to investigate the cause of the unevenness—it could be due to an issue with the suspension, and the earlier you catch such an issue the better, because you could prevent further harm to take place to other parts of your car. Also regarding the tires, they should be rotated every so often, particularly before a long drive; this will help you get the longest life out of those expensive tires.

Follow the manufacturer maintenance schedule

As mentioned before, every car has its own maintenance schedule as recommended by the manufacturer; it is always best to follow the maintenance schedule on your vehicle to ensure that you are following the suggested guidelines. Some of these services may include checking the battery life and terminals to make sure the power remains intact and sufficient for years to come. In addition to scheduled services and checking the battery every so often, it is also important to check the functioning of your headlights and brake lights regularly. Not only is this safer for driving in the dark and it can prevent car accidents, but it will save you money in the long run; fix-it tickets are totally avoidable.

Do regular car washes and waxes

Another preventive maintenance that is often overlooked is regular car washes and waxes; this keeps the paint on your car shiny and polished—not only does it look fabulous, but in the future, if you ever decide to sell your car, it will make the car look brand new and hardly used. Taking pride in one’s vehicle is always evident in the paint. Lastly, you should always monitor your gas mileage. When there is a huge dip in fuel economy, this can be a big indicator that something is wrong with the engine. Following most of these 10 suggestions will not only ensure better gas mileage, but it will maintain the value to your vehicle, and extend the life of your vehicle for years to come.