If you don’t control your money, your money will control you. Today let’s focus on getting control over the cost of auto repair and maintenance.

The Cost of Owning a Car

Here’s a look at all the budget categories you may want consider when attempting to nail down your auto expenses:

• Purchase price – payment (cash and/or financing and interest) to acquire the vehicle
• Taxes - paid when you buy or sell the vehicle
• Fuel - the gasoline/fuel you need to make the vehicle run
• Insurance – all levels auto insurance including personal liability, collision, comprehensive, roadside assistance, etc.
• Repair and maintenance - tires, oil changes, and all other repairs and maintenance necessary to keep your vehicle operational

Benefits of Controlling These Costs

Many of the benefits of controlling your auto maintenance costs are similar to those you experience when gaining control over any area of your money, so let’s focus on those that are specific to the topic. Proper budgeting for auto repair and maintenance will allow you to:

• Have a better relationship and better communication with your auto mechanic
• Prepare/plan better so you don’t have to race to get oil changes before your next trip
• Reduce your maintenance expenses going forward
• Relax in the knowledge that you’re prepared

You can achieve all of these things simply by setting aside enough money to cover your expenses. That way you won’t have to stress or worry about where the money is coming from – if it can be found at all.

Regular oil changes are necessary to ensure the proper performance of a car’s engine. An oil change, which involves installing a new engine oil filter and draining old engine oil and replacing it with fresh, clean oil, offers a myriad of benefits.

Cleaner Engine
Oil changes help to keep car engines clean and running smoothly. As an engine operates, microscopic wear and debris particles flake off from various internal engine parts and enter a car’s oil. Regularly changing a car’s oil eliminates these particles and ensures that an engine is bathed and lubricated with clean, quality motor oil.

Longer Engine Life
Wear and friction are the two leading causes of engine wear and failure; regular oil changes reduce engine wear and result in a longer lasting car engine.

Lower Vehicle Emissions
Clean oil enables an engine to run cleaner, and a cleaner running engine emits less exhaust than a dirty engine. An oil change replaces old, dirty engine oil with fresh, clean engine oil, oil that is better able to absorb harmful engine particles and engine by-product emissions.

Better Gas Mileage
An oil change infuses an engine with clean, quality engine oil that provides better lubrication and friction-reducing capabilities than old, dirty engine oil. Increased engine lubrication results in less engine friction, which enables an engine to run easier and smoother and leads to increased gas mileage.

Better Engine Performance
Clean engine oil allows an engine’s internal parts to operate easier and smoother, enabling an engine to maximize its mechanical output. This leads to not only an increase in gas mileage, but also an increase in engine performance.

It’s a MYTH That Only New Car Dealers Can Service Vehicles Under Warranty
Service at a dealer is not mandatory to keep your warranties in effect.

Maintenance may be done by any qualified service facility or person who is skilled in automotive service such as Hudson Auto Care. Keep all receipts as proof of completion, and have the service provider fill out the Maintenance Record.

The Maintenance Schedule in your vehicle owner’s manual specifies how often you should have your car serviced and what areas need attention. It is essential that you have your car serviced as scheduled to retain its high level of dependability and safety, to protect the environment, and to enhance and maintain your vehicle’s value.

Our independent service technicians are qualified to meet your service requirements. Continue to bring your vehicle into Hudson Auto Care and build a long-term relationship with our service technicians, and we will ensure maintenance is done thoroughly and on a timely basis to keep your vehicle running and your warranty in effect.

Schedule your Warranty Vehicle Maintenance Appointment Online with Hudson Auto Care today! 604-533-6698

Article by www.carcarecanada.ca

Air Conditioning, which was once considered a luxury, is now a common feature on most cars and vehicles today.

While the servicing of modern car air conditioning systems is best left to professionals, you can get the most enjoyment from your A/C system if you know a bit about how it works and what malfunctions you should be on the lookout for.

1. Odd smells coming from the air conditioning may be caused by bacterial build-ups in the A/C system.

As your car becomes older, or when the air conditioning system is used infrequently, bacteria, micro-organisms, mold and fungi may start growing, just behind the dash panel on the evaporator causing some very unpleasant odors. Some even claim this can result in headaches and flu like symptom sometimes referred to as “sick car syndrome.”

This problem can be solved by using an anti-bacterial treatment that destroys the bacteria growth and leaves your car smelling fresh again.

2. If your automobile does NOT feel cold enough, then you may need to recharge your system.

If you feel that your car doesn’t feel as cold as your friend’s car, then your system may need servicing. The air conditioning system in your vehicle is not usually covered by most manufacturers servicing schedules and the refrigerant gas that is used to operate the system depletes over time. This leakage can be caused when the system is not used during the winter months. Thus allowing the small “O” ring seals to dry out resulting in a gradual deterioration in system performance. If this continues, eventually the system will not be able to operate at all.

Most problems of this type can be put right fairly easily by a leak check of your system followed by a complete refill of your air conditioning refrigerant, this is sometimes referred to as a re-gas.

3. Running your air conditioning year round will help maintain the automobile A/C system.

If you run the air conditioning in the winter it will help to keep the system well lubricated and leak tight. This is because the refrigerant actually carries the oil that lubricates the system and most importantly the compressor. It also keeps the seals and hoses moist, thus preventing them from drying out and cracking which can lead to leaks. Note: A/C usually is on when the defroster is activated.

4. Strange noises coming from the air conditioning should be attended to immediately.

If your air-conditioning system suddenly starts making noises you have not heard before it is very advisable to have a qualified vehicle air conditioning specialist to have a look at it. Some noises could be early symptoms of a compressor failure (the compressor is the air conditioning pump). The compressor is usually the most expensive part on the system and if the bearings in your compressor break down or if the compressor seizes up it also means that other components can become contaminated with metal particles A flush of the system would then be needed as well as replacement of the compressor, the receiver/drier and the expansion valve – quite a hefty bill.

5. Don’t worry too much about a pool of water forming under your automobile after using the A/C.

If you see a puddle of water on the ground, usually under the passenger area don’t be alarmed. This is a normal feature of the system as it is only water dripping from the air conditioning evaporator. The evaporator has a drain tube fitted to allow the condensation from the evaporator to drain away from the vehicle.

6. Excessive moisture inside the car can be fixed easily.

Sometimes the drain tube from the evaporator may become blocked or detached allowing the condensation to build up inside your evaporator. If this occurs water will just build up inside your car to a point where there are damp carpets or misting / high humidity type problems. These problems can be solved with low-cost servicing.

7. Have your air conditioning serviced regularly, even if there are no visible problems.

Just as the other systems of your car need servicing on a regular basis, the same is true for the air conditioning system. The compressor needs oil, or else it will seize up. The filter collects debris and moisture. If the filter becomes blocked, then the performance of the system will deteriorate and it can even quit working entirely (probably when you need it most!)

Normally the refrigerant gas in a car air conditioning system has to be recharged completely within four years from the manufacture date and thereafter every two to three years.

An annual servicing of your car’s air conditioning system will guard against malfunctions in the compressor and other vital parts of the system. Regular maintenance will save you money in the long run and guarantee you comfort in the hottest months.

Schedule your A/C Appointment Online today!

www.autorepairtips.org

Record Gas Prices Make it Perfect Time to “Be Car Care Aware.”

“Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gasoline is wasted every day by motorists, because simple and inexpensive vehicle maintenance is neglected,” says Car Care Canada’s Marc Brazeau. “Loose or missing gas caps, under-inflated tires, worn spark plugs and dirty air filters all contribute to poor fuel economy.”

Car Care Canada offers these fuel-saving tips:

• Vehicle gas caps – In Canada, the provinces with emissions testing programs suggest that this is a common cause for failing an emissions test – yet it is simple and inexpensive to fix. According to US studies, about 17 percent of the vehicles on the roads have gas caps that are either damaged, loose or are missing altogether.
• Under inflated tires – When tires aren’t inflated properly it’s like driving with the parking brake.
• Worn spark plugs - A vehicle can have either four, six or eight spark plugs, which fire as many as 3 million times every 1,500 km, resulting in a lot of heat and electrical and chemical erosion. A dirty spark plug causes misfiring, which wastes fuel. Spark plugs need to be replaced regularly.
• Dirty air filters – An air filter that is clogged with dirt, dust and bugs chokes off the air and creates a “rich” mixture – too much gas being burned for the amount of air, which wastes gas and causes the engine to lose power. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.

Other fuel-saving driving tips include:

• Don’t be an aggressive driver – Aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by as much as 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent on city streets, which results in 2 to 15 cents per litre.
• Observe the speed limit - Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 100kph. Each kph driven over 100 will result in an additional 3 cents per litre. To maintain a constant speed on the highway, cruise control is recommended.

Click on Car Care Minute #11

Article by carcarecanada.ca

If the last time your were in for service you choose to defer the needed work for a short while, now is the time to come into Hudson Auto Care and have that work done!

You are invited to

Receive 10% Off Any Deferred Work AND RECEIVE YOUR REWARDS DOLLARS

or a bonus of $20.00 loaded onto your Rewards Card (whichever is greater).

If you have already had your deferred work done, please schedule an appointment for any other work and we will honor this offer!

Act Now! Please call 604-533-6698 to set an appointment or book online! Appointment must be booked by April 26th, 2011 and scheduled by the end of April to receive this offer!

More customers are satisfied with the work of independent mechanics than with that of dealership mechanics.

People who took their car to an independent mechanic for maintenance were generally more satisfied than those who went to a dealership, according to a Consumer Reports survey involving 349,000 vehicles.

Eighty-four percent of owners reported being very satisfied with maintenance performed at independent shops compared with 77 percent at dealerships.

Most customers agreed that their independent shop was “very thorough and thoughtful, and always gives a good sense of how important something is to fix.”

Among owners whose cars needed repairs and maintenance, the difference in satisfaction with dealers and independent shops was even more pronounced: 75 percent were very satisfied with independents vs. just 57 percent with dealerships.

Bring your vehicle into Hudson Auto Care next time you need service!
Schedule your next appointment online!

By the Editors of Consumer Reports

With the winter season fast approaching, it’s that time of year to get your car geared up with Winter Tires. Winter tires’ treads have more biting edges for better grip on snow and ice, while their softer compound remains flexible even in extremely low temperatures.

Learn more by watching Winter Tire Demonstration videos here!

The sticker price is only the starting point. Do you know what you really pay for your vehicle?

Your biggest vehicle expense? Your No. 1 cost of ownership? Depreciation, of course.

“For the consumer, selecting a vehicle with a lower depreciation rate will reduce their overall cost-of-ownership,” says Canadian Black Book executive vice-president Larry Shred, whose company has long been a reliable source for used-car values.

The CBB is used by dealers as a pricing guide to help them determine trade-in values. But savvy car shoppers can use the CBB’s “Trade-in Value” estimator (canadianblackbook.com) to calculate depreciation. By doing so, you can determine how much value your car loses over time – and get moving down the road to a complete understanding of what you’re paying for your daily driver.

Figures in chart are dollars per kilometre. Source: Canadian Automobile Association and Globe Drive research

Sure, if you keep your vehicle until it qualifies for a $300 Recycle Your Ride government bonus, depreciation is a non-factor. But most Canadians get rid of their vehicle before it turns 15 years old and for them it makes sense to factor depreciation as a real cost.

This is where CBB can really help. Using data drawn from a variety of real-time transactions – auto auctions, dealer sales, etc. – this site delivers what many believe are highly accurate current and projected used-vehicle values. Really, it’s a point-and-click operation: select the model and year, choose options and trim packages, plug in the kilometres on the odometer and up pops a low, medium and high value range in seconds.

From there it’s a matter of plugging in a few other numbers to nail down a pretty accurate picture of your total ownership costs. As a guide to figuring out total ownership costs, consider what the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) does annually.

The CAA’s Driving Costs 2010 Edition determined that depreciation accounts for $3,628 in annual ownership costs on a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt LT – or 20 cents/kilometre based on 18,000 km of driving a year. The No. 2 cost is insurance at $1,850 a year or six cents/km. Financing at $666 a year (four cents/km) is the No. 3 cost of ownership for the Cobalt.

Using the CAA figures, and research by Globe Drive to include the cost of government (HST) at 4 cents/km, the total cost of ownership for the Cobalt LT comes to 47 cents/km or $8,539.94 a year. That’s a substantial figure, but still dramatically less than the 69 cents/km to drive a new Dodge Grand Caravan minivan. The big cost: 32 cents/km in depreciation or $5,768/year. Total cost of ownership for the Grand Caravan: $13,833.85 per year.

In the middle is the Toyota Prius which in depreciation alone costs 24 cents/km. However, at four cents/km in fuel costs, the Prius comes in at half the figure for the Cobalt and about a third that of the Grand Caravan. Insurance, at 11 cents/km, is the highest of the three. Overall, the Prius costs 54 cents/km or $10,877.69 a year to own.

Some, of course, contend that depreciation and financing are not legitimate, across-the-board ownership costs. And not everyone pays to borrow the money for a new vehicle. But for this article we have included it as a cost. Indeed, the vehicle management company Runzheimer Canada does just that in calculating costs for the CAA.

But it is fair to point out that the new-vehicle marketplace is riddled with discounts that do complicate valuations. In addition, new-car values differ dramatically from region to region.

So we have broken out ownership costs on a kilometre basis and by category. Those who feel depreciation and financing don’t belong have the option of cutting those figures out of the final ownership cost calculation – restricting the numbers to black-and-white expenses for maintaining a vehicle and paying the very real cost of government.

Regardless of how many years you hold on to your car or whether you consider depreciation an important variable cost, car ownership represents a substantial and continuing financial commitment. There is no controversy about that. So in managing your family finances, it is critically important to understand how hard car ownership will hit your wallet.

In short, for most people a car is the No. 2 family expense behind housing. Therefore, for those who watch family finances, it makes perfect sense to look beyond the actual sticker price; it is only one piece of a much larger picture. Everything from fuel to insurance will take up major chunks of your transportation budget.

Also, if you are among those who consider depreciation a legitimate ownership cost you may be in for a surprise when comparing two vehicles with the same price. In short, some vehicles depreciate much faster than others.

Finally, if you are someone looking to rein in your car costs, the best choice is a smaller and consequently more fuel-efficient vehicle – like the Cobalt or any number of other compact and subcompact cars. Yes, in general terms, fuel costs are relatively minor compared to the price of insurance, financing and depreciation. But smaller cars also come with smaller price tags, thus a less substantial bite in terms of insurance and government expenses.

As for other costs, while maintenance and repairs do not consume a huge piece of the overall ownership cost of relatively new vehicles covered under three- or four- year warranties, there are still savings to be found in this area, minor as they might be in the first few years of ownership. Thrifty buyers might want to look over the maintenance schedule of any potential vehicle purchase and also ask the seller of a new model if maintenance is included in the purchase price, free of charge. With some auto makers, it is.

For those weighing a new-vehicle purchase against a used one, do note that repair and maintenance costs get higher as vehicles get older. According to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, by year five the average annual repair cost of a vehicle is about $800, a figure that by year seven and thereafter rises to between $1,000 and $1,100 annually.

The bottom line: crunching ownership costs should not be just an obsessive-compulsive exercise for penny-pinching drivers. Knowing what you can expect to spend on transportation before you buy a new vehicle is critical for proper budgeting and for guiding purchase decisions.

As this table shows, quite a lot of money is involved in owning a vehicle.

Figures in chart are dollars per kilometre. Source: Canadian Automobile Association and Globe Drive research

Article from The Globe and Mail / Glove Drive, Jeremy Cato, Globe and Mail Update