My Car

Not too long ago, I wrote about my car’s milestone; reaching its 100,000 miles. To date, I am still driving my car at 133,000 miles! It is still in good running condition with only minor repairs (knock on wood!). However minor it is, once the engine light comes on, I still panic right away and would switch cars with my husband the next day.

The most recent of my panic attack was when I was on my way home from work. But even before the check engine light came on, I already had two instances where my car would die while in idle and thankfully it starts back up. It was on the third one that check engine light came on and stayed. How I wish the car has switches that can just turn the check engine light off. As soon as I got home, I asked hubby to bring the car to the shop and run a diagnostic test to see what is going on. The test gave him a code P0340 camshaft position sensor with list of probable causes like open or short circuit condition, poor electrical or weak battery condition or faulty camshaft position sensor. Although the part is available at the car parts store, we did not buy the part itself; we left to our mechanic to give us a quote for both parts and labor. He is one of the trusted and reliable mechanics we have known and who does not overcharge. ,To make the long story short, my car got fixed and the check engine light is now off.
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We have been preparing for the day that my car would not be drivable at all. At this point, my big thanks for the services and comfort it has given us for the past 9 years. We started looking for a replacement but we have not made a pick yet. Which cars are we eyeing for? There are three, all are 4 cylinders only. We are still debating which of the three. ,Why not get a hybrid? That is another to consider too. But let’s see. We will let you know.

Auto Insurance For Teens

At age 17, kids can start to drive. Just like the step daughter who was so excited to drive, she purchased her own car, not at 17 though but as soon as she turned 18 years old. She has a job so she has the money to buy a car. When you are a teenager and driving, first you have to face is your monthly car insurance. There is no such thing as affordable car insurance for teen drivers especially if you live in my state.

How I wish I can get her a discount auto insurance. The step daughter is paying more than her car note for her car insurance. I guess she was prepared for that because we never heard her complaining. We just keep on reminding her to be very careful when driving to avoid any points in her driver license. So far, she has been very good.

Do you want to get a free auto policy quotes for your car? Avail of the services being offered by http://automobileinsurance.me to know what kind of coverage you may need for your car. For students like the step daughter, AIM Auto Insurance has a program called inexpensive student coverage. Probably that is worth checking to save money for your kids who are starting to drive. For more information, just visit their website to contact them or get a free quote for your vehicle.

A Car For CD

CD who used to be our neighbor got in touch with me through email yesterday. I was so happy when I saw her message. Her family moved to Florida right after winter and we have not communicated until now. She wants me to hear the good news – that she is going to a university in Florida starting September. When they left New Jersey last March she was still undecided to pursue school but I guess she took all our advices seriously. Yes, she is determined to go to college this time. Her dad already bought her a used car from http://www.northlakecjd.com, a West Palm Beach jeep dealer. Napleton Northlake Jeep is one of the trusted dealer of used cars on West Palm Beach. She sent me pictures at the dealer during her first service using her oil change coupon but she forgot to attach a picture of her new car on her email but I saw what she bought when I searched for West Palm Beach Car Blog online. That car will really fit her lifestyle.

Thanks CD for getting in touch. I am delightful for all that is happening in your life right now. Hope to see you next month. We will be in Florida for a vacation.

The Soul

The first time I saw a Kia Soul was in a TV commercial. I right away said that this car is going to be a hit. Not because of its cute commercial and the popular hamsters driving the car but a very practical one when gas prices are going higher and higher. This car is just so cool and what a catchy model for such a cute car, right?

I have actually drove the Soul when we went for a test drive at a car dealer last Memorial weekend. We were there for our regular Kia oil change and it so happened that we saw a friend checking their new car inventory so he let me drive his Soul around the block. It is a perfect car for driving around the city. I would love to have that car in exchange of my V6 engine van but my baggage will not fit anymore. Maybe for the daughter 10 years from now. Drive the Soul, it is so cool!

Buying A Car Made Easy

I remember when i bought my first car, i spent around 6 hours at the dealer. Once you step into the dealership, you are greeted by a sales person who will readily lead you to his desk. This is the start of the negotiation and to me the sales person has no other goal but for you to come home with a brand new or used car. Today, buying a car has become so easy and convenient. You can buy, search and browse inventory, get you credit approved, estimate your payment, schedule a test drive or know your trade in value online at http://www.napletonhonda.com, the St. Louis Honda dealer in St. Peters, Missouri. The honda dealer blog at http://www.hondamashup.com also helps future customers in knowing the specifications and details of the car you are planning to purchase. Just click on the different categories located on the website.

If you are planning of buying a new or used vehicle, do your homework first before heading to the dealership. Avoid the surprises; educate yourself and know your options ahead when you are buying a car. The savings are just in your fingertips. Make it easy for you and good luck on your next car purchase.

Too Much For Gas Money

I have read on the news that gas prices have gone done a little bit but I do not see any change every time I fill up my car. I drive a V6 engine car and I spend around $40 every week for my gas to work. It used to be around $25 per week. A co-worker who lives at the border of Pennsylvania and new jersey pays twice as much every week. She drives the Ford Mustang, a replacement of her 10 year old car she bought at from a very reliable used car dealer in Tampa that can be found in http://www.tampa-used-cars.com. That was the first car she bought after she graduated from college in Florida then she moved here at the East Coast two years go. Even if she bought that car as a used car she was still able to get a high trade in value.

My plan to get a car is put on hold for now. I have other priorities like my school to take care of. I can wait another year or two before buying my dream car. Do not ask me which car yet. I have three in my mind. I have to pick which among the three. As soon as I have it in my driveway, I will take a photo and share it with you guys.

A New Car For The New Hire

When a person gets hired, it means one person out of the unemployment rate. This is a sign of progress while a lot of companies are laying off workers due to recession. Two lucky people were hired here at my job today, one as an area manager and the other one as a warehouse man. When you get hired as an area manager, you also get a company car plus gas. Just in time when gas is almost at $4/gallon.

My boss prefers to get the company car from the Jeep Chrysler Dodge dealer or visit http://www.palatinecjd.com which to him is a great place to buy a car. He maybe looking for a car that is efficient with gas and a reliable one for travel around the new manager’s area. The area manager will be overseeing three branches so his job involves a lot of travelling every week. A dodge charger has been a favorite for the past two years but I am not sure about this time. They are now checking if there are reviews written on the dealer’s blog that can help them decide which among the brand new models meet their needs with total efficiency. My personal choice is the Nitro but I do not think my boss would like that for his sales people.

Car Warranty

Today is the start of my daughter’s spring break and my husband’s week vacation. If my husband was not able to switch his vacation days from last week to this week, it could have been a big problem because the babysitter is on vacation. I gave him to wrong date for Isabella’s spring break and I only found out two weeks ago. It is not easy to re-schedule vacation days at hubby’s job but with a little scolding from the HR dept, he was able to change it.

Right now, they are having the van serviced. It is a free service being offered by the dealership under the 36,000 mile auto warranty. Once this vehicle warranty is up, I think we might get the extended auto warranty that they offer for another 36,000 miles. Paying for this is a lot cheaper than spending money for car repairs. From the dealership, they are coming here at my job to pick me up and have lunch together. I cannot take vacation days until Thursday, so for now it’s just the daughter and daddy bonding together when Mommy is at work.

Locked Out Of The House

My husband just called me that he was locked out of our house. He and Isabella are going to the park to play tennis and he forgot to grab the key of the Kia Soul on his way out. He was asking me if I was already on my way home so that they can wait for me but I told him I was still at work. I suggested that he tried the kitchen window because I remember I opened it this morning when I was cooking some bacon for breakfast. I did not hear from him in the next 15 minutes, so I pretty much assumed that he was able to get into the house again. Oh, I just got a text message that they are already getting gas.

Speaking of gas, did you see how much it went up again? We are so thankful that we have this Soul that is so efficient with gas. This car has a very positive review on one of the used car blogs I have read. We bought from a friend who moved in from Chicago. He does not need the car for now because he takes the subway everyday so he sold it to hubby. I think our friend bought it from very reliable Chicago used cars dealership. The car is little but with big cargo space. This became our city car and the van for out of town and long trips only. I wonder what will be the price of gas this summer?

Car and Gas

Every day when I go to work, I pass around four gas stations. Since the gas prices have been increasing so bad these past days, I always pay attention on the prices these gas stations post. In, short I am doing my own survey before I fill my tank. So today was the day I have to get gas. It was $3.49 per gallon, up by 10 cents from few days ago. I have the van today so it cost me $70 dollars to fill up!!! What happens come summer time then? If I could only trade this van for a new Honda accord or any used Honda for the summer, I would gladly do it. This was our first choice when we walked into the Honda dealer when gas was around $2.25 per gallon but it becomes impractical to be driving this vehicle for 30 miles every day to work.

We are already used to higher gas prices during the summer time but I hope it will not be $5.00 per gallon as rumored. Once this happens, all vacation plans will be cancelled or we will just stay local and stay within the budget.

My Nephew

Does anybody know how much to transport a car from Salt Lake City to NY? I have a nephew who lives in Utah and is moving to upstate New York for schooling. He got accepted in one of the colleges there. He definitely needs a car when he moves upstate so he is asking me as early as now if which one is better, to just sell his used Nissan and buy another used car or bring the car to NY. To drive all the way from Utah is not advisable taking into account the condition of the car. Because he is going to school, spending money to buy a car is not an option and he would not probably be able to sell that to any used car dealer in Utah for a good price anymore. If he is moving to the city itself, having a car is not practical at all but it is different if you live upstate.

Summer school is not going to start until May or June, so my nephew still has time to think about different options before he leaves his hometown. I have not seen him for years. I am happy he will be closer to me and be seeing more often when he school starts.

New Car On The Block

I and the husband always talk about cars, probably our future car. If we see brand new models on the road, we always pretend as if we are also the owners of the car. Like the other day, we were having breakfast at a restaurant and we were seated in an area where you see the parking lot and one guy came in a Lamborghini. When hubby saw the car, he right away said, “Oh that will be our retirement car!” I laugh out so loud almost choking. I know it is his dream of owning a sports car someday. He is even fascinated with our neighbor’s Hyundai Genesis R-Spec sports car but I tell you, this Genesis from Hyundai is really a beauty. He got the red one and it is always a head turner every time he is on the road.

I hope our Chrysler car will last for another three years. It is over 100,000k miles but still in good condition. With the gas prices going up again, a 4 cylinder car is the best bet when you talk about gas efficiency. Is the Volkswagen Golf a 4-cylinder car? That is the car I like. I am sticking to VW but a smaller car this time.

Used Cars At Park Auto Mall

Is it true that the best time to buy cars and SUVs is during President Day sale? Based on my experience, my husband’s last Ford F 150 was bought on a President day weekend and we got good deals at Tampa used cars. Then, when we replaced the truck with our mini van, we bought the van on a Thanksgiving weekend and just the same we got some good deals like zero down and zero interest. To me, it does not really matter when you buy cars to get a good deal but a high credit score will help you with the financing and credit approval.

Are we looking for another car? Not yet, as long as my car still runs, we are holding it until the next two years or so. Hope my car will stay in good running condition. The car dealers know when you are due for another car because they keep on sending you flyers and invitations in the mail. Every week I get one or two mails for a buy back offer on my car, no down payment or pre-approved loans. I sure do love driving a brand new car but it is not within our budget right now. We will talk about this next time.

The New TSX Wagon

Have you seen the new Acura 2011 TSX Wagon? WE have been eyeing this car since we saw it at the website of used cars in West Palm Beach Acura. This car has all the features we want for our next vehicle. First, because it is an Acura and they are known to have a good resale value for its used cars. Next, it is only powered by a 2.4 liter 4-cylinder engine making it economical in gas. And third, my husband likes station wagon.

When I had my oil change the other day for my car, we saw this station wagon pulled over. Both me and hubby got awed as we follow this beauty into the shop. It was our first time to see one on the road although we already see one being displayed at the dealer. The one we saw at the shop has a built in navigation which is pretty cool but we think we do not really need that feature.

Is the TSX Wagon the one? We have to schedule a test drive first then we decide.

The Scion iQ

When you speak of the rising price of gas, we are not a happy camper. With the ongoing crisis right now, they are predicting that it will affect gas prices of at least additional of 10 cents per gallon. We do not want any more cents on every gallon of gas.

If gas prices keep on going up, car manufacturers see it as a demand for smaller and more efficient cars. Like us, we are anticipating this by planning to buy a smaller car as our next vehicle. We are one of the thousands or even more who are going into this trend. So what is the answer of automakers into this demand? Smaller cars are being made. Like Scion, they are launching a mini car called 2011 scion iq, which Scion calls as the world’s smallest four-seat car. The target date for Scion iq to be in the market is this coming spring 2011. The Scion iq is powered by 1.3 liter 4 cylinder engine making it very gas efficient, has a front wheel drive with continuously variable automatic transmission. I have been checking the scion iq pricing since a saw a picture of it at the New York Auto show. It is a car most definitely appealing to our youth. With its standard six speaker audio system, auxiliary and usb inputs for ipods and mp3’s plus steering wheel controls, it will surely be a fun car to drive.

Go For Oil Change

We have not been using my car for long distance driving anymore but before you knew it, you already run another 3,000 miles again. Yes, that time to do my oil change came by again last weekend. Actually, I was 300 miles over already. Thank god for 10 minute oil change. I spent $29.95 less $3.00 coupon plus the cost of the air filter.

If you see my car, you would not believe that it has 113,000 miles on it. It is a 10 year old car but it still runs good and very well maintained. Hubby always tells me that it is time to lease a new mini but I refused to listen to him. Even if I find cheap prices on new cars, I will drive my car as long as it takes. If we did not buy a new Volkswagen two years ago, I would probably consider trading my car for a new one but not until we pay off the VW. It would be very difficult for us to have two car notes every month. Why, am I talking like this? My car is perfectly fine and still fun to drive.

Needs Regular Updating

I got a phone call from my former classmate in high school asking me if I have looked at my schedule for next year so that I could attend our batch reunion. I have no idea what she was talking about, then she goes, “I sent you a message on your facebook!” Sorry, if you know me I still have facebook messages from October that are still unopened. I know I am bad when it comes to answering my messages but if you posted some pictures, I would surely browse them right away. Like the auto show in San Francisco which my friend uploaded recently, I just

saw his pictures driving the Chevy Corvette. I don’t think I can afford those cars so with the Mercedes Cl-Class but the Infinity M37 is within my budget and can be my second to the last car before retirement. A lot of the classic wiki cars are on the show too.

I will not promise but I try my best to check and update my facebook account regularly. Once I get my phone upgrade, I will be on the roll.

A Phone Call From A Friend

The guy that used to work in our warehouse called this morning to give us an update of his new job. He has been my co-worker for about 10 years. His father works here and that is the reason why he got his former job until he got an offer from a big car rental company. He is a person who has a passion for cars. When he was still working here, everybody was telling that he is in a wrong job. Finally he found a job that he really likes most. He was hired as a mechanic of the rental company along with a good pay and I guess better environment. He told us that his first day was spent watching videos about his new company then he was asked to install tire chains on some of their vehicles then by next week he will be sent to a technical school to get certified.

We are all happy where he is right now. His father is by his lonesome self driving 50 miles everyday to and from work. This used to be a father and son team but now no more.

Goldwing Country

Since the gas prices went up last year, my friend had a total change of his lifestyle. He bought a Honda Goldwing as an alternative to his SUV he uses everyday to work. When he has been using his SUV to work, all I hear from him are complaints about his weekly expenses for gas but now with the Goldwing, he is so happy with how much he has saved. Before he started using his new Goldwing to work, he made sure he has all the honda goldwing accessories, gears and security devices he needs. All these accessories were shipped to him by Goldwin country.com with a free t-shirt. If you are also a biker, Goldwing country.com is the store for you.

Plastic Cars Of Tomorrow

I have been driving since I was 15 years old or even younger. I have driven a lot of cars but none of them is made of plastic. To me, when you say plastic cars, you are talking about toy cars that our kids love. But what can you say that is it nor impossible if we will be seeing or diving Plastic Cars in the near future?

There is a senior thesis project made by students from Center for Creative College where they made concept cars utilizing plastics for exterior and interior designs. This study was sponsored by the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council in conjunction with the SPE Automotive Division. The final design for their concept cars was done December of 2004. If you may ask, why plastic? During the presentation of the concept cars, the students said that plastics are more durable, lightweight, can be cleaned easily, has refined toughness, stylish and more importantly are the environmental benefits. There are more information provided to you about these cars of the future at their website plastics-car.org.

If you have no idea how plastics can be used to make cars, you have to watch this video called “Cars of Tomorrow” made by the Center for Creative College students.