Change Your Own Oil and Save!

Some people in life like to get their hands dirty, and others just like to spend money. If you make the decision to change oil yourself in your vehicle, be prepared to get dirty, greasy and wear a little oil. You will get your tools dirty and will sweat in a hot garage for about half an hour.
Other motorists will simply take it to one of those convenient 15 minute chains that specialize in catering to don't like to change oil. It's clean, it's fast and for the most part, it's professionally handled. It usually costs around $30 but sometimes you can touch a special like I did and pay $19.95. Some people in life like to get their hands dirty, and others just like to spend money. If you make the decision to change oil yourself in your vehicle, be prepared to get dirty, greasy and wear a little oil. You will get your tools dirty and will sweat in a hot garage for about half an hour.
Other motorists will simply take it to one of those convenient 15 minute chains that specialize in catering to don't like to change oil. It's clean, it's fast and for the most part, it's professionally handled. It usually costs around $30 but sometimes you can touch a special like I did and pay $19.95.
If you are seeing private mechanic it's a good idea to know his qualifications. Sometimes if you pay a mechanic to change oil he will do the job for a fair price,but then later you find out there's an oil leak. Oil leak if you're lucky! I know one individual that had shoddy work then which led to major mechanical failure.
When hiring a mechanic, make sure good communication is established, a set price including labor, parts and any extra services, and that the mechanic is reliable and respected in the community. Does he have many satisfied customers? You can usually tell this volume of work he's currently doing.
Along with the worry of hiring a good mechanic, the $30 charge is simply too much for some drivers and they decide to change oil in their vehicle for free, with just a little bit of effort and one spent afternoon. If in fact you to decide to do it yourself you can expect to save a few dollars and you will have the satisfaction of learning a new skill.
There are other issues to consider when you decide to change oil in your car yourself. Are you equipped with the proper tools? Do you actually know what you're doing? While you can learn how to change oil over the Internet, to do it properly takes study and practice. Don't skimp on $30 if it means sending someone unqualified to do a professional's job. Don't make your car so for this because you're looking to save a few dollars. Realize that in the end it could cost you a whole lot more if it's not done right.
Another thing to think about is proper oil disposal. The safest way to dispose of your oil is to keep it properly contained and find a local shop to take it off your hands. The wrong way to do it is to pour it down a sewer or just throw it in the trash can. The EPA can give out large fines for improper oil disposal.
Would you like to know how to change oil yourself? Maybe you can find a mechanic friend that will show you or take a shop class at a local community college. While simple instructions can be found online, it's a procedure you really have to understand and perform correctly if you want your car to run an optimal order.

Gas Sense

Gas prices are getting more and more ridiculous. And it's going to keep increasing with no limit in sight! For the new car owners out there, do you know that a gallon of unleaded gasoline used to cost only $1.25?
Therefore, it is becoming more and more important to maximize your money and save at the gas station.
So here we have compiled 10 best tips to help you get the most out of your dollar!
Tip 1: Shop Around
This is the advice that you can apply anytime you buy anything. Always shop around. You can get a cheaper price for your favorite brand, and probably a yet cheaper price for a different brand.
Tip 2: Use a Gasoline Credit Card
Gasoline credit cards are great! They can save you 5% - 10% off your gasoline purchase.
Tip 3: Buy Gasoline When the Weather is Cool
Gasoline is denser in cooler temperatures, such as in the morning or at night. Gas stations measure volume, not density, so you'll be getting more solid fuel than vapors, thus improving your overall gas mileage.
Tip 4: Avoid Gas Stations That Just Refilled Their Tanks
When underground tanks are refilled, particles at the bottom of the tank get stirred up, and when these particles get into your gasoline tank, they affect the fuel efficiency of your car.
Tip 5: Don't Top Off
The gas pump needs time to draw out the full amount of gas, so When you purchase a bit of gas the station, you get short bursts of fuel that you'll probably pay extra for. You should refill your tank when you have less than half a talk left or when you find a price that is so low you cannot afford to miss it.
Tip 6: Don't Use High Octane Gas
Most cars nowadays are built to run on regular unleaded gas. Purchasing higher octane gas is simply a waste of money. Octane measures how hard it is to ignite gas, not the quality of the gas, so getting higher octane gas will not improve fuel efficiency. You should only get these more expensive gases when your engine pings, knocks or rattles.
Tip 7: Pump Your Own Gas
It's cheaper to pump your own gas at the self-serve stations rather than using the full-serve pumps. Full-serve gasoline naturally costs more.
Tip 8: Lessen the Use of Air-Conditioning
This tip is simple enough. Air-conditioning uses electricity, and they can reduce fuel economy by up to 20%. It's advisable to use the air ventilation system instead.
Tip 9: Plan Your Trip
You can avoid unnecessary driving by planning your trip before hand, and of course that saves you money on gas consumption.
Tip 10: Purchase Vehicles That Get Good Mileage
This is probably one of the best tips anybody can give on saving money at the gas pump. It's always better to purchase vehicles that get good gas mileage. Check with your car dealer about cars that have better fuel economy.

How to Select a Body Shop

When you find suddenly that you are in need of a body and paint shop on an immediate basis, you realize that you have several options and choosing one body shop from so many shops available becomes a real difficult task. There are several things which you need to consider when you are choosing and paint shop. The main reason being that if you make a wrong choice you will not only be risking your vehicle but you will also be wasting your hard earned money and time too. This is especially in case of those who use their vehicles everyday and need to have it in spic and span condition always. Here are some tips which shall help you to choose a body paint shop for your car;  hope you find these tips really very useful. <BR><BR>

Check out how long the body shop is in its existence and the type of customers it has served. This shall give you an idea whether the company will be able to undertake the job or not, so that you do not have to face any kind of problem later on. <BR><BR>

It is better to choose a body shop which is located in a place which is well connected, so that you can get in touch with the representatives as soon as you feel the need to do so. If you choose a body shop in a remote place you might spend a lot of time traveling and your expenses will increase also. <BR><BR>

You should also check more about the people who are working for such an auto body shop. You can find out more about the experience, expertise, skills and ability of the staff to complete your work. If you get to know about the staff of the company, it shall help you to understand, if you should actually rely on the staff of the shop. This is important because you might have to leave your car with such a body and paint shop and if you are not sure about the company; how you can you leave your expensive car with the company. <BR><BR>

  If you are looking for a body shop in a large city, it is recommended that you first make an online search to know about all those companies which offer the services of car body repair and paint. Once you get to know about all those companies, you can easily make a comparison of their features, services and price charged so that you are able to get the best deal. This will help you to have an idea about the prevailing rates and features of these companies. This will be an assurance that you will not be cheated by your car body company and you will get true value for the money you choose to spend.<BR><BR>

Car Repairs - Cheap and Easy

Does your car need some repairs? Well it can be less time consuming and save you money, if you decide to repair your car yourself. And who doesn't like saving money?

The main reason for concern would be in finding the right parts for the car. It is a good idea to get the parts before starting to repair.

If you notice there is repair needed on your car before something actually goes wrong, it's good to have the parts ready on hand. Because if you wait its possible that the store is out of stock for that particular part. That way your prepared and have no worries.

You could also consider stocking up on quality used parts; you can practically get any part you're looking for on the chuckandeddies.com website. Just search the site and you're bound to find it. And hey you'll get a good deal regardless of where you live because chuckandeddies.com ships anywhere in the world!

Though make sure when you're ordering your car parts that you're buying the right parts for the make and model of the car that you're repairing. It can waste time if you make a mistake and get the wrong part. It is good to plan ahead and be as organized as you can. It will make the process more efficient and won't waste time.

Go ahead and be ready for the next repair, you will see how it'll be taken care of in no time. Don't moan around, it won't get the repair done any faster. Just do the repair yourself and see how much money you'll save. Here at chuckandeddies.com we're here to help you save!

"Shocking" Shock Absorber Facts

Bouncing down the road one day it occurs to you that things are just not what they should be. The road you are riding on is as smooth as glass, yet your car is jostling up and down like nobody's business. You enter an upcoming curve in the road and quickly learn that the control you had over your car was lost just moments before. Suddenly, the vehicle careens off the road, goes down through a ditch and up an embankment before coming to rest against a fence adjacent to Chuck and Eddie's. You are in luck: you aren't dead and your car is at the junk yard.
Yes this story is ridiculous, exceedingly so. All joking aside, your shock absorbers [or struts in the case of some cars] plays a vital part in your vehicle's suspension system. When certain signs of wear and tear become apparent, you must replace your shocks or otherwise you can put yourself in danger and/or damage your car.

A shock absorber works by damping the compression and extension of the vehicle's suspension springs to prevent ongoing movement. Shocks work to diminish road impact, prevent excessive bounce back, reduce sway, and improve general road handling. When your shocks are functioning properly your vehicle grips to the road whether you are braking, negotiating a curve in the road, driving on uneven roads, or experiencing powerful side winds. When worn out, shocks can play a part in you losing control of your car putting you and everyone else in harm's way.
How often should you replace your shocks? One manufacturer suggests no less than once every 50,000 miles, but that depends on whether you frequently drive on coarse roads [in this case it will need to occur sooner] or it could even be much later if you do mostly local driving, the roads are well maintained, etc.
There is a simple test you can perform on your car to establish whether your shocks need replacing. It isn't absolute, therefore you may want to take your vehicle to a garage to make certain:
Take hold of a corner of your vehicle's bumper.
Press down on the bumper with all of your strength and then let go.
Your shocks are probably okay if the bumper drops down and returns in place without rebounding again. Slight movement is okay, but if it continually moves, then that particular shock is no longer effective. Duplicate the test on the remaining three corners of your vehicle.
Other telltale signs of shock wear can be observed through leakage [although a leak is not always indicative of wear] and by observing tire wear patterns. Finally, if you are simply experiencing motion sickness every time you go for a ride, then that can be the best indicator that your shocks or struts need replacing. No kidding here!

Convert Your Car To Run On Water?

Convert your car to run on water:  save gas, save your car, save money and save the planet.

Fox News recently broadcasted an interesting and very important video report.

A savvy automobile owner has come up with a very simple yet incredibly efficient way of boosting his old car's gas mileage by up to 100% - that means several thousands of dollars economy every year.

The creator claims that his developed invention converts water into a gas called HHO (2 Hydrogen + 1 Oxygen). Also called Brown's gas or Hydroxy burns better than regular gas at our fuel pumps and provides more energy. This process is often referred to as Hydrogen Fuel Cell conversion.

Gas prices are on constant rise and the fuel economy question is starting to get very serious. More hybrid cars are sold all over the world, concepts of electric cars and Hydrogen fuel cell cars are developed in almost any country and finally there is a way for you to add a little something to fuel efficient revolution.

Car owners seem to forget or maybe ignore the fact that they could get better gas mileage simply by changing the way they drive. You do not need to buy an ugly and slow prototype in order to save on gas. You could increase gas mileage of your V8 truck as well! To get better gas mileage you should follow these simple rules;

  *Accelerate gently. This will use less gas.

*Keep your distance - every time you stop you will have to accelerate.

*Take your car to a mechanic; simple air filter change or spark plugs replacement could greatly increase gas mileage

*Drive slower. Going over 120kph will use up much more gas.

* Change gears as soon as possible - low gear uses up to 30% more fuel than needed.

Our cars engines are designed in such poor way that they only burn about 20% of the fuel , the other 80% is wasted in heat and unburned gas (pollution). When converted to money at $3+ a gallon  per every gallon your car actually uses only 60 cents, and $2.40+ is completely wasted. When you convert your car to run on water, you create a gas which helps burning the fuel in a better proportion.

Instructions on how to convert car to run on water are also available for sale on the Internet. There have been many skeptical people that do not believe in the efficiency of the system  but there doubts always vanish after finding out that the instructions come with 2 month full satisfaction money back guarantee.

Is it not only the saving money part that attracts people - when you convert your car to run on water you also increase your car's engine longevity and you greatly decrease the pollution. The system allows you to burn gas more efficiently  which decreases the noise of the engine and the wear and tear of the motor's parts.

The system is composed by simple parts that are basically bolted on the engine. It could be done at almost no cost, by anyone and to any car. The system is completely untraceable when taken off of the engine.

Just imagine yourself buying half the gas you are buying now! Wouldn't it be nice to have an extra couple of thousand of dollars for Christmas presents? For a vacation? For a down payment on a new car?

The Benefits of Axle and Transmission Lubrication

Nearly all car owners are generally informed nowadays that proper engine servicing is normally vital to the dependability and lifetime of a car or truck. A nonfunctional motor creates a stranded driver. But the truth is, most people have a tendency to overlook their vehicle's transmission as well as differential gears. Routine servicing of these gearboxes is every bit as important as engine servicing. Not surprisingly, in the event that the transmission or differential stops operating, the driver is just as as stranded.



Transmissions operate at high temperatures, very often leading to deterioration of the transmission fluid, producing clutch glazing and deterioration in shift quality. Clutch glazing can be experienced as an elongated, slipping or even sloth-like shifting feel, and it's almost always a sign of transmission breakdown. Synthetic transmission fluids offer you maximum defense against oxidation and also clutch glazing.

While rear end styles have remained somewhat the same over the previous 30 years, their working environments have changed drastically. Current differentials usually are put through approximately 93 percent more power, towing limits as much as eighteen thousand, high working temps plus diminished lubricant quantity. Numerous suppliers recommend switching the original gear lube during the initial 500 to three thousand miles based mostly on Society of Automotive Engineers tests. We advise the original differential gear lube always be changed no later than the first 5,000 miles, regardless if car or truck producers do not designate to change the factory-fill gear lubricant to take away wear particles. If you use synthetic gear lubes, we suggest drain intervals of 50,000 miles in extreme service or one hundred thousand miles in normal service, or longer if suggested by the manufacturer. Synthetic gear lubricants not only give top-notch insurance and overall performance in cars, including diesel passenger trucks, they usually are substantially much less than original synthetic gear lubes.
Some time ago, the typical automatic transmission was a three speed. Presently four, five and six speed transmissions are typical, and one producer provides an eight speed transmission! Contemporary transmissions and differentials usually are subjected to increased horsepower, greater towing limits in addition to hotter heat extremes, and they involve a lot more clutches and are usually subjected to increased shifting for the same driving speeds. Wear protection along with oxidation resistance, for this reason, become more essential than in the past. A good synthetic automatic transmission fluid (ATF) will provide fantastic wear protection, and it resists oxidation twice as long than required for regular automatic transmission fluids.