Repairs and caring for your wallet

Unless you're a mechanic, taking your car into the repair shop can be a scary and mysterious experience. Your car goes behind the doors and minutes later, you're presented with a list of problems, and possibly a large bill. Even if you aren't a car expert, there are things you can look out for to make sure your car repair is honest and necessary.

Brakes are a common area where repair estimates can be inflated. Calipers are the devices that push the brake pads against the disc. They can last up to 100,000 miles; so if the mechanic says they need replacing, ask if you can see how they aren't working properly or where the brake pads are wearing.

An oil change is a fairly simple task, but it can sometimes end up costing you more than you intended. This is because there can be hidden fees, such as disposal fees, extra services included, or extra parts, such as new air filters or wiper blades, added on. Make sure you know what's included in the price of your oil change. Mechanics typically recommend an oil change every 3,000 miles, but many car manufacturers recommend only twice a year or every 7,000 miles. Somewhere in the middle may work for you.

Surprisingly, if your battery is weak or dead, it may not be the battery. Instead of automatically purchasing a new battery, it may be cheaper in the long run to have a reputable mechanic run an alternator and voltage regulator test. This will tell if your car's electrical charge system is working. If there's a problem, it may cost a few hundred dollars to fix, but it will save you hundreds in constantly buying new batteries while the problem goes unchecked.

When you go in for a new muffler, you may also be told you need new exhaust pipes, tail pipes, even a new catalytic converter. Make sure the mechanic shows you the damages on your pipes before paying out. Federal law requires cars built before 1995 to have catalytic converter warranties of five years or 50,000 miles. Cars built after 1995 have warranties of eight years or 80,000. If you're satisfied the work needs to be done, get the estimate and shop around for the best price.

The old standby, the tune-up, is an old-fashioned term these days. Yesterday's tune-ups included carburetor and ignition system adjustments. Today's computerized systems take car of that for you. All you may really need checked are the spark plugs, which should last about 30,000 and cost around £20 to replace. If your car is running rough and you've noticed your fuel efficiency is down, explain the specific problem to your mechanic rather than just asking for a "tune-up."

Getting bodywork done can be extremely expensive - especially if the repair shop puts on used parts and charges you for new. You could also be charged for replacement parts when your old parts were simply repaired. If you suspect this might be done, tell the mechanic you'd like to see your old parts and the packaging and documentation that comes with new parts.

The most important thing to remember is to find a reputable mechanic that you can trust and don't be afraid to ask questions. It's your car and your checkbook, and you have a right to protect them both.

Credit and loans

Due to innate alterations in the UK finance marketplace, borrowers that possess an adverse credit record now have a greater access to more reasonable loan rates than ever before. Research shows that approximately one quarter of all UK consumers have experienced some type of unfavorable credit. This is a fairly substantial amount of people representing nearly fifteen million consumers. Whilst it's somewhat alarming to hear that so many people have struggled with debt problems, it's not surprising in today's credit-driven economic system.

Credit card balances and revolving debt amounts continue to increase in the UK, which naturally leads to more consumers fighting to deal with their financial debt situations. The positive news for the developing group of consumers that experience unfavorable credit is that at present more than ever, they have alternatives to use in obtaining finance facilities. The increase in the amount of bad credit finance opportunities could in reality be partially attributed to a flourishing population of consumers who meet the profile of this target market.

As more borrowers experience bad credit, and whilst the credit marketplace has become awash with lenders and card companies, rivalry causes the banks and finance lenders to be significantly more competitive with finance products. As a result of this some lenders have aggressively pursued the adverse credit sector with specific finance products. Whilst it can't follow that having adverse credit is advantageous, it can be said that it's not as desperate as it formerly was for those that have been irresponsible with debt in the past. There are now, more than ever before more opportunites for borrowers to be given a second chance especially regarding a cheap car loan
Of course, there is certainly more risk to financial institutions whilst offering financial products to consumers that have already exhibited a poor payment history with debt. Nonetheless, a few financial institutions market themselves as being sympathetic to the needs of adverse finance consumers. Financial institutions endeavor to pursue consumers with either easy to complete and fulfill application processes, fairer or lower rates, significantly better terms on loans, or financial products of lower amounts that assist the lender to rebuild their credit rating with a more manageable payment structure which is affordable with budgeting.

An additional modification that has profited adverse finance consumers has been the development on the World Wide Web with reference to lending. Independent finance companies and brokers have caused there to be significantly more rate competition amongst finance lenders, and more financial institutions are extending their porfolio by offering products online. This change in the way the market delivers its products has created a more effective market for financial institutions and allowed for quicker finance decisions for consumers. Consumers do need to be cautious whilst looking for financial products if they have adverse credit. Whilst many reputable lenders are available, some unscrupulous lenders may look to take advantage of desperate consumers with high rates and up front finance fees. A few conceal these fees in the small print of the documentation or disclosures to stave off communicating it immediately with the borrower.

All in all it needs only a little time and some comparison web site researching to ensure that you feel that you are geting a decent deal for the credit being offered. Always keep in mind that different finance instituitions look for different types of customers, therefore your personal circumstances and your credit rating are important.

How to get a better deal from your garage

A car owner’s guide
to servicing and repairs...
Servicing your car will make it last longer. It also makes it safer for you, your passengers and the environment. Here are some tips to help you avoid dodgy garages, get effective work done and achieve good value for a service or a repair of your car. If you have car finance bought from a dealer, the last thing you want is to be paying huge bills as well as your monthly payments for your motor.

START NOW
• Don’t wait until you need a service or repair
• Spend time comparing garages beforehand
• Get your car serviced regularly
• Ask around about good garages

A RELIABLE GARAGE WILL CERTAINLY DO
SOME, OR ALL, OF THE FOLLOWING
• Display a menu of fixed cost works
• Tell you how much they will charge to diagnose a fault if it includes dismantling and putting back together
• Be a member of a trade association (such as the Motor Vehicle Repairers Association)
• Have trained staff and display certificates
• Have an auto complaints procedure

if your looking for car finance check out http://www.infinitycarfinance.co.uk/

Buying a new car?

All new cars come with some sort of warranty covering parts failure. In almost all cases your car warranty stays valid no matter where you get your car serviced but terms and conditions attached to warranties can vary.
When you’re looking for a new car it’s worth comparing warranties as well. Make sure that the
warranty gives you what you want and doesn’t include conditions that will cost you money later.
Types of warranty
All new cars sold in the UK include a basic warranty, called the manufacturer’s warranty.
These usually last for one, two or three years. Most manufacturers with a one or two year basic
warranty also offer at no extra charge a dealer based extended warranty. This can extend the
total period of cover to three years, or longer. It is also possible to buy other types of extended
warranty once you have bought your car. But beware – the manufacturer’s warranty, the
dealer-based warranty and other warranties you can buy can be quite different. The dealer-based warranty and warranties you can buy can have more limitations, like mileage.
Servicing
Where you get your car serviced is an important consideration. Following action by the OFT in
2004, all major makes of new car in the UK are sold without servicing ties as part of their
warranties. This means that the manufacturer’s warranty and any extension offered free, such as the dealer based extended warranty are covered by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and
Traders Limited (SMMT) OFT Approved code of practice (see www.smmt.co.uk). The code from the SMMT, who represent all sectors of the automotive industry in the UK, says that you are free to get your car serviced anywhere in the UK and still benefit from the manufacturer’s new car warranty, as long as the service is carried out to the car manufacturer’s recommendations, even if this service is carried out by an independent service or repair outlet. However, any additional warranty which you have bought, may contain restrictions on where your car can be serviced and for bought warranties this restriction has to be obeyed (as well as any others) for the warranty to be valid. The code also has procedures for dealing with complaints concerning your new car. Aftersales costs, such as services, can represent
around 40 per cent of the whole life cost of the car and many independent garages can offer the
same quality of service as franchised dealers, who tend to be more expensive than
independent garages. It is important to shop around for the best deal and only use reputable
garages that will carry out servicing work in line with the car manufacturer’s service schedules.
Your legal rights
A warranty adds to your legal rights, it is not a substitute for them. In law if the car develops
a fault in the first six months, it will usually be assumed that the fault was there when you
bought it. In these circumstances you can ask the dealer to repair the car free of charge or
replace it.
Before you buy ask the salesperson
these questions
• Is the warranty covered by the SMMT code which permits servicing by independent
garages?
• How much will the servicing costs be? (Compare them to other garages in your area)
• How much leeway is there if I cannot get the car serviced in accordance with the approved
servicing schedule?
• How long does the manufacturer’s warranty last?
• What does it cover?
• When does the dealer’s warranty start and what does it cover?
• Is every fault covered by the manufacturer’s/dealer’s warranty?
• What isn’t covered by the manufacturer’s /dealer’s warranty?
• Is the warranty restricted by the amount of mileage I do?
• If I have an accident but I get the car repaired, is the warranty affected?

When you’re thinking of buying a new car, perhaps using car finance UK for your motor it’s worth comparing warranties as well as cars –
it can save you a lot of time and money later particularly on the car loan if you have one.
Examples of restrictive conditions in warranties
Most manufacturers allow you to service your car wherever you choose so long as certain
standards are met. But some warranties place restrictions on you. Watch out for the following
restrictive conditions:
‘Only an authorised (make of car) repairer services and maintains your vehicle in
accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.’
‘This warranty is dependent upon the manufacturer’s recommended servicing being
carried out by an authorised (make of car) dealership at the time or distance intervals
specified in the (make of car) Warranty and Maintenance Record booklet, subject to the
vehicle being driven less than 60,000 miles since first registration.’
‘The vehicle must be regularly serviced by an Authorised (make of car) Dealer in accordance
with the (make of car) service schedules using (make of car) approved parts during the 3 year
warranty period.’
A good place to look for a facility for this would be at http://carfinanceuk.me.uk/