Keeping Track Of Your Fuel Economy to save some $$$

 

The average household will spend at least $500 more on gasoline this year then they did last year. We all want to get the most miles per gallon out of our cars. Few people know how to do this though.

The first step is to keep track of your miles per gallon.  The key to keeping track of this data is being organized. People report that they see an improvement in their fuel economy just by keeping track of it and being aware of what it is.

FuelClinic.com allows you to be organized. It’s free to sign up and it will calculate your miles per gallon. You can read more about how it works here.

http://www.fuelclinic.com/how-it-works/

The real cost of Auto Repair...a little FYI

A lot of owners right now make an effort to effectively maintain their vehicles in order to steer clear of automotive repair shops. Some may possibly even go as far as arming themselves with as a lot understanding as probable so that they can manage performing diagnoses and repairs them selves to prevent the paying fees for automotive repairs. However, one can only go so far as their knowledge and expertise permits them to and unless you truly do this for a living, seeing automotive mechanics will eventually turn out to be unavoidable as your vehicle’s parts begin to wear down and its complicated systems begin to malfunction.
The thought of having to take their vehicles to an automotive repair shop is rarely a pleasant one among vehicle owners. The number one reason for this is that they pretty much have an idea of how high the overall price can get. This is surely a excellent reason for thinking this way and one that deserves some clarification.

Typical automotive repair shops post their hourly rates in a visible location that can be seen as you bring your vehicle in. It may well indeed be fairly expensive but it would also be greatest to think about the truth that fixing up technical issues with vehicles can get pretty complex that some may well even describe the job as nerve-wreaking. It’s not simple to do what they do which usually demands specialized training and intensive encounter. You should also keep in mind that these automotive technicians have to invest enormous amounts of cash to gain access to advanced tools and sophisticated equipment in order to do their jobs effectively. Furthermore, they typically have to invest a lot more to cope up with the numerous advances in the automotive business. Guess where a massive component of that upkeep price goes? That’s right, it is reflected on that hourly rate appropriate there. You only need to have automotive repair manuals.
It would also be very best to point out that automotive repair shops won’t give you a dollar quote right away once you ask them how significantly the overall price would be right after dropping your vehicle off for repairs. They’ll nearly often offer to offer you with an estimate instead. This is due to the obvious truth that each and every vehicle was built and manufactured differently. For instance, a repair job that requires replacing a catalytic converter on a Cadillac could demand a longer or shorter quantity of time to do in a Honda Civic.
Automotive repair shops generally supply a list of flat rates pertaining to a particular repair work. The estimates that they might offer you are made employing the flat rates as a baseline. Truth be told, automotive technicians will rely on their knowledge to assess if a specific repair could take longer than what was indicated on the list and thus charge you the price of the estimate. Nevertheless, if the repair work demands a shorter quantity of time than what was listed in the flat rate list, you will still be charged the flat rate price.
Automotive repair shops may well also charge additional fees for conducting specific tests and diagnosis in order to make up for the quantity of time spent setting up and working the essential equipment.
Lastly, the price for replacing necessary components is also one thing that contributes to the overall cost. They generally raise the retail price to a minimum of 25 percent. You can attempt steering clear from this cost by acquiring the parts yourself and making use of haynes repair manuals. Nevertheless, numerous automotive technicians may well just refuse installing them for you.
Having mentioned all of the points mentioned above, you may possibly be wondering how all of these info can be of any help? Well for one thing, knowing how automotive repair shops actually work, you can ask them about their flat rates for a distinct repair you require to have done and have them confirm the quantity of time required to complete the repairs. That way, you won’t be left blind with the cost and know how to set the appropriate expectations in terms of overall price.