Month: January 2019

Vehicle Transport Services and Insurance

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Local vehicle transport services towing cars

Statics say that less than 5% of the vehicle transport services have problems during shipping but actually 5% is not a small percentage. Accidents happen out of nowhere so your vehicle might be one of the damages vehicles too. Taking your precautions is the best solution. Arranging insurance for your transported vehicle is the best solution even if the dangers are not so big.
This guide will tell you nearly everything you need to know about vehicle transport services and insurance.


1. Vehicle Transport Services Shipping Insurance Requirements:


Understanding auto shipping insurance requirements is the first step to be able to arrange your insurance well. In order to run an authorized vehicle transport services, you need to have a liability insurance policy. Your auto transporter must have cargo insurance policy too. When your transporter has these two insurance policies, it means that your vehicle is covered against damages as these policies will cover any kind of damages. Pay the insurance deductible and make sure to read all the terms of the contract that you will sign. Companies differ in their terms and amount of coverage so you really need to inspect the transporter’s coverage.


The vehicle transport service agent has to show you the insurance certificate. You will find a number; call the insurance company and make sure that the transporter has a legal insurance.


2. Is The Minimum Coverage Enough?


First of all, you need to be comfortable with the amount of coverage and the policies that your transporter has. You need to make sure of the minimum coverage that the transporter has to make sure that if something happened to your vehicle, you will have enough money to compensate the damage or the whole value of your vehicle in case it is stolen, towed, or gets a flat tire. Ask the right questions like the type of damages that is covered, what parts of the vehicle are covered, the amount of the deductible, the limits of the coverage, and the possibility to buy an additional coverage or not.


Arrange everything between your auto insurance company and your transporter. It is better to notify your auto insurance company that you will have your vehicle transported.  


3. What if you needed a claim?


When your vehicle arrives, inspect it well. This is your only chance to make sure that your vehicle is good and without any kind of damages. In most cases, you will not be present at delivery so you need to assign the mission of inspecting and assessing your vehicle to someone who is trusted.


If there is any kind of damages in your vehicle, make sure that your representative will have them pictured. Pictures are the best idea to document the damages. If your vehicle arrived at night, make sure to inspect it under strong and bright light or wait until the morning and inspect it; just don’t receive the vehicle before inspecting it well.
If there are any damages, contact both your vehicle insurance company and the transporter and resolve the problem. Of course you need to choose a reputable transport services from the beginning to make sure that they will solve any kind of problems.

6 Things That Dishonest Auto Repair Shops Won’t Tell You

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Dishonest auto repair shop

Auto repair shops must be honest. There are high-profit services most vehicles don’t require during their lifetime. Here’s a look at some common ones.

1. Engine Flush:


• The sell: Engines develop sludge, and a flush removes that sludge.

• The fact: I’ve heard people in the auto-service industry call this a “profit centre,” an easy-to-sell but unnecessary procedure in auto repair shops. An engine flush can actually harm engine components.

2. Injector Cleaning:


• The sell: Fuel injectors become dirty and clogged and rob the engine of power and fuel economy, so there are auto repair shop services to solve the “problem,” from putting additives in the fuel tank to flushing the injector assembly.

• The fact: Most cars never have problems with fuel injectors. Besides, the only way injectors can be cleaned properly is by removal and disassembly, which is hardly ever done. Your engine’s computer will tell you if there’s a fuel-delivery problem; otherwise, you can leave things alone. If the computer does indicate a problem, have the fuel filter checked. Clogged fuel filters cause most problems.

3. Head-Gasket Replacement:


• The sell: Auto repair shops may say that an oil or coolant leakage from the top of the engine may indicate that the head gasket is failing, so an expensive replacement is needed.

• The fact: Head gaskets seldom fail; if they do, the engine will run poorly and blow smoke. All engine gaskets will begin to seep oil after a certain mileage and amount of time, so if the engine is running fine and you do not have to top off the oil frequently, there’s likely nothing to worry about.


4. Timing-Belt Replacement:

• The sell: Many shops suggest replacing a timing belt before it’s necessary. They may claim that the belt never lasts that long or that it has stretched and is altering the engine timing or that it’s about to fail and destroy your engine.

• The fact: Trust your owner’s manual on when the timing belt should be replaced; most manufacturers suggest it at intervals of 60,000 miles or more. There’s no way for a mechanic to see that a belt is failing without removing some components–it can run silently until it breaks. While it’s true that in older cars a broken timing belt can harm the valves, vehicles made in the past decade or so are designed not to experience engine damage if a timing belt breaks.

5. Emission-System Repairs:


• The sell: Your car failed emissions inspection; the shop suggests a system overhaul.

•The fact: The system may need repair, but many owners pay for oxygen sensors, catalytic converters, and other emission-system components when they shouldn’t. Vehicles made since 1995 carry federally mandated warranties that cover those components for eight years or 80,000 miles. Reputable auto repair shops will tell you about this and refer you to a dealership if they can’t get the manufacturer to authorize repairs on-site.

6. Scheduled-Maintenance Add-Ons:


• The sell: You’ve brought or towed your car in for its scheduled maintenance–say, at 30,000 miles–and the shop recommends other services, claiming that the scheduled-maintenance checklist is only the minimum requirements.
• The fact: Those scheduled-maintenance intervals are written into the manual to address known component lifetime issues and to allow technicians to monitor other components that might exhibit premature wear. A lot of shops add unnecessary services to those listed in the scheduled maintenance. When taking your vehicle in, agree only to those items listed unless there’s an obvious problem, like the need to change a flat tire that randomly occurred.

Our Towing Guide: Changing a Flat Tire

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changing a flat tire at work

Changing a flat tire is one of those life skills that everyone should know. It’s not difficult if you follow a few basic steps, have the right gear and know how to use it.
Flat tires often happen in inconvenient locations. Out on the road, you’ll need to find a safe spot to pull over to make the change. Or call a heavy towing service if you’re in a tractor trailer and see if they have the services you need. ‘Safe’ means well clear of traffic and preferably on a hard, level surface. If you find yourself stopped on soft ground and will be changing a flat tire, a piece of solid board is a handy item for sticking underneath the jack before you start lifting up the car.


First, you’ll need a few things when changing a flat tire:


First to changing a flat tire, you’ll need a spare, a wheel brace for loosening the lug nuts (or an appropriately sized socket with long handle) and a sturdy jack. It’s a good idea to carry a brick or chunk of wood as well. This can be wedged up against one of the wheels on the opposite side of the car for extra safety and stability.
This is especially important if the ground isn’t quite as level as you’d like. Again, f you find yourself stopped on soft ground there’s a few things you can do. A piece of solid board is a handy item for sticking underneath the jack before you start lifting up the car.


Lift up the vehicle:


Before you get started, activate your hazard lights, make sure the car is in Park and apply the handbrake. Look for the notches or grooves on the underside of the car – these are where the jack is safely placed. Once you’re happy with the stability of the vehicle and placement of the jack, start slowly turning the wheel brace until you’ve taken a bit of the weight off the flat tire. (Make sure there is still enough weight on the tire to allow you to loosen the wheel nuts without inadvertently spinning the wheel.


Loosen the wheel nuts and remove the flat tire:


Getting stubborn wheel nuts to loosen up is less about brute force and more about using proper technique.
Getting stubborn wheel nuts to loosen up is less about brute force and more about using proper technique. Once you’ve got the wheel brace onto one of the nuts, use a quick anti-clockwise ‘jolt’ to loosen it. Face the wheel and keep both your arm and your back straight. Don’t let the brace slip off the nut. Go around and loosen each nut in turn. The trick is to keep the wheel brace more or less horizontal to the ground and let your body weight do most of the work.

Once all the nuts have been loosened, use the jack to continue lifting the car. Get it high enough off the ground to allow for putting the new wheel on. If the flat is suspended an inch or two above the ground, this is usually sufficient. Don’t lift the car any more than you need to. To remove the old tire, take off all the wheel nuts and carefully lift the wheel from the vehicle.


Put on the new tire:


Grab your bright, shiny new wheel from its recess in the boot and position it up against the wheel assembly. Line up the wheel holes first so you can lift it straight onto the car in one go without twisting and fiddling. Once the wheel is up and in position, screw on all the lug nuts and hand-tighten. You don’t want to tighten them all the way at this stage. Wait for full tightening until the car is down off the jack and completely stable.
Lower the car and remove the jack.

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