Maintaining your vehicle
Always try to perform preventive maintenance. It is much cheaper to repair a little thing here and there, rather than a whole list of items when time matters most. Is your vehicle sputtering, having a rough idle, feels like it doesn’t want to stay running? Consider a tune up which includes new spark plugs, cap, and roter, and possibly more like fuel filters, fule injection cleaning, etc. These parts keep your vehicle running smooth… You don’t want to be stuck on the highway having to pay for a tow.

Avoid speeding and parking tickets
The adrenaline rush felt when speeding down the highway is one of the many pleasures of driving for some, but it comes at a high price. Slow down and avoid paying traffic tickets and higher insurance premiums because they are money thrown out the window. Watch your speed and the speed limits of the road. not only is it dangerous to ignore, but safety is not to be forgotten. Also, make sure you read the parking signs and remember to feed the meter before your time expires. As obvious as it seems, most of us still waste a lot of money through negligence.

Use gas sparingly
Controlling your passion for speed also means you should control your acceleration habits. Every time you rev the engine, your gas consumption also increases drastically. If you’re the type to pass everybody and boost your RPM (revolutions per minuete) in the red zone every time you step on the gas, think twice because it can decrease your fuel economy by as much as two miles per gallon. That’s quite a bit of gas over the course of a year.

Another way to save on fuel costs is to make sure you are pumping gas yourself and that you’re using the lowest octane called for in your owner’s manual. Most vehicles do just fine on 87 octane. Combine cheaper fuel with proper tire pressure and a well-tuned engine, and you can easily save a few hundred dollars a year on your gas expenditures. Also, always remember to replace your fuel filter at the suggested interval for your type of vehicle.

Other ways to save are:

• Make sure you turn off your engine when your car is idle for long periods of time.
• If you’re driving a manual car, try leaving it on neutral when going down a hill, but be careful and make sure there is plenty of room between your car and the one in front and check your local laws to see if this is legal. You could also put it in neutral when you’re waiting at a red light.
• Check and change your oil regularly. Most vehicle manufacturers recommend changing the oil once a year or every 5000 miles in passenger cars and light trucks with gasoline engines. Changing your vehicle’s oil is one of the most important things you can do to avoid delivering bundles of money to your service center later on.
• Be aware of gas prices: The high competition among gas stations can make prices fluctuate from one place to another. Saving a few cents each time you fill her up will pay off come the end of the year. Check out GasBuddy.com to find low gas prices anywhere in the USA and Canada.

Another great way to save money on your car expenses is by ensuring that all the accessories your car needs are purchased at the lowest price possible. Buy in bulk and look for bargains for each of these car-related products:

Windshield washer blades and fluid, Engine oil, Air fresheners, Products to wash your car, Mats, Winter tires, and Spark plugs.

Article Copyright © 2009 www.UsedCarSavings.com

Automotive advice, news and reviews, for buying, owning and evaluating vehicles. Includes New and used car tips, advice, insurance, and financing information for consumers.
http://www.usedcarsavings.com

1) Step one: Your history teacher was right: do your research.

There are a gazillion websites ready and willing to help you sort lemons from peaches, offering tips on reliable vehicles with the best track records for the least amount of cash. The most popular are Cars.com and AutoTrader.com. Check them out, then move on to the Kelley Blue Book – the granddaddy of used car information – and NadaGuides. These resource have collected data on cars for decades and are known for their trustworthy information. Don’t be shocked if you compare data from all four sources and find that it differs. Each uses different sources to compile and produce their information. Bottom line is that you’ll feel better about your search if you check out more than one of these.

2) Step two: Line up your financing.

If you belong to a credit union, you might not have to look further for cash. Credit unions have traditionally offered members top-of-the-line car loan rates. If this isn’t an option, contact your bank and get the skinny on financing with them. Many clubs have signature financing (e.g. AAA, gas company groups) and if you belong to a professional association, loan sourcing may be one of the perks of affiliation. Touch bases with your insurance company; some agents offer financing or will put you in touch with financial sources. Unless you are in such dire straits that none of the above will consider your application, don’t turn to short-term solutions like cash stores with sky-high interest rates. Yes, you will be offered financing by the car dealership you choose, but why not arrive to shop for cars loaded with information on alternatives?

3) Step three: Shop ‘til you drop.

These days, your search can start in your living room! Reputable used car dealerships will help refine your selection by giving you a virtual tour of what’s available in your area. Understand up front that franchise dealers usually get the pick of the crop when it comes to the best used cars because they come directly from dealerships as trade-ins or former lease cars, so they control a bit more of the history of these vehicles. You’ll be able to retrieve quite a bit of the information you need to make an informed buying decision on both Carfax’s or AutoCheck’s websites if you can get VIN numbers on your picks from the dealership. It can’t hurt to find the most recent April issue of Consumer Reports magazine to see what car owners have to say about the make and model(s) you’ve honed in on. Now, you, the fully informed buyer, can head out for the test drive. Feeling powerful? You should. Your due diligence might just impress your folks so much, you could get the loan they said they’d never again offer!

Article Copyright © 2008 www.UsedCarSavings.com

Automotive advice, news and reviews, for buying, owning and evaluating vehicles. Includes New and used car tips, advice, insurance, and financing information for consumers.
http://www.usedcarsavings.com

OK, we all know that to fill the family vehicle up with gas these days, one has to take into consideration the cost that will appear without mercy on the digital readout of the gas pump.

No matter how we whine and blame others for our dilemma, the fact is that the prices are what they are and we have to live life anyway. Sure, you can bury your head in the sand and pretend that it will work itself out but truthfully, these gas prices aren’t going anywhere but further up.

So, that being established and settled, one must honestly cultivate a plan to combat this unwelcome intrusion on the family budget. We have had enough bad news about how high these gas prices may go. Now, lets focus on what we can do about it.

There are the obvious things that people suggest like driving less, watching your speed and making schedules to ensure that you are able to complete tasks along an efficient route when you’re out and about. Of course, there are those that take the drastic actions of trading in their less fuel-efficient vehicle for a motorcycle or scooter. But before you go that far, lets look at the tools available today to help today’s drivers cope with today’s and tomorrow’s gas prices.

There are two tools that everyone should be using. What are they?

They are www.GasMoneyToolbar.com and www.GasBuddy.com. Using these two online tools are essential to enhancing your ability to cope with gas prices irrespective of how high they go. Both of these gas tools are absolutely FREE and they provide an invaluable service in today’s energy climate. The free downloadable gas money toolbar provides drivers with the opportunity for gas money to offset the rising cost of fueling up as they surf the web.

At www.GasMoneyToolbar.com, consumers use the power of their observation skills to gain gas money by reporting to website owners instances of specified types of errors on their webs properties. Companies can offer small monetary rewards to consumers for finding common errors such as misspelled words, grammatical errors, incorrect punctuation, etc. The downloadable gas money toolbar interfaces with TypoBounty.com and it is free to use as well.

Consumers essentially trade what retailers want “their attention” for what the consumer wants “a shot at gas money”. Retailers and corporations essentially trade the consumer the opportunity to gain gas money for their undivided attention, time, and appreciation. This is a great advertising, marketing and public relations coup for business.

Complaining won’t help. “Consumers aren’t aware of the power of their attention and corporations haven’t taken full advantage of the public relations of publicly helping consumers with the current gas cost problem. Says, John Michaels of TypoBounty.com, sister site of GasMoneyToolbar dot com. This is changing rapidly.

When consumers combine the benefits of gaining gas money via sites like GasMoneyToolbar.com with the low gas price search of websites like GasBuddy.com and conduct various necessary tasks online, the effects of high gas prices on the household budget can be curtailed significantly.

What do companies get out of the deal? Well, quite frankly a low cost means of getting visitors to their website and much more. If the retailer is smart enough to recognize it, participating retailers and website owners gain the perfection of their web properties and the attention of millions of appreciative consumers. It’s a great public relations move for businesses and websites that are consumer supported. Consumers are able to find some gas price relief they need.

Companies have benefited in the publics eye in the past by donating to charities and other humanitarian concerns. This is no different. Coping with high gas prices is a genuine public need and companies are in a unique position to benefit from helping consumers take on this very real assault on the household budget.

So, remember this. You have no power over the gas prices but you have complete power over the companies that you give your attention to. Use that understanding and the two tools listed above to your advantage and tell all of your friends and family to do the same.

About the Author:
The author, John Reed, has 15 years business marketing experience and has had the opportunity to use and review multiple online businesses and strategies. You can read more about avoiding the money trap of music downloads at www.moneymakingtoolbar.com

In Detroit: General Motors has recently announced that it will be providing consumers with a fully transferable five-year/100,000 mile powertrain limited warranty with no deductible, on all GM Certified Used Vehicles—the industry’s top-selling manufacturer-certified used vehicle brand.

According to Troy Clarke, GM Group Vice President and President, GM North America, “Last fall, GM unveiled the best new car and truck coverage of any full-line manufacturer in the nation, letting customers know that every one of our 2007 light-duty vehicles delivers a superior level of quality. We’re very pleased to now offer that same level of confidence with every GM certified Used Vehicle from Buick, Chevrolet, GMC, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac.”

The new GM Certified Used Vehicles five-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty with no deductibles covers all 2002-2006 GM Certified Used Vehicles effective from the vehicle’s original in-service date. The said warranty will cover more than 900 components related to engine, transmission, transfer case if applicable and final drive assemblies on all GM Certified Used Vehicles sold in United States. As to warranty related to other auto parts like GM AC condenser it was not stipulated on the warranty coverage.

GM Certified has also extended its 24-hour roadside assistance plan to 100,000 miles traveled or five years. The warranty also provides a three-month/3,000-mile bumper to bumper comprehensive limited warranty, vehicle history reports, a stringent 117 point vehicle inspection and a 3 day, 150 mile customer satisfaction guarantee on all GM Certified Used Vehicles.

“This is another proof point that GM’s turnaround is gaining momentum, and a clear sign of our confidence in the quality and value of our cars and trucks. Our GM Certified Used dealers have been asking for this because it adds a real point of differentiation for our program. GM Certified Used does an outstanding job of bringing in new customers, and this enhancement will only add to that,” said Brian McVeigh General Manager, GM Fleet and Commercial Operations.

Likewise, the new GM Certified 5-year/100,000 mile powertrain limited warranty with no deductible applies only to GM Certified Used Vehicles such as Buick, Chevrolet, GMC, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac brands. For the Saturn brand it will also announce a similar program later this year.

Cadillac, Hummer and Saab have also their particular warranties—Cadillac Certified pre-Owned Vehicles, Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles and Hummer Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles –Each of these programs offer a 6 year/100,000 mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty effective from the vehicle’s in-service date.

To further encourage more consumers to its Certified Used Vehicles, GM will also be adding Cars.com, one of the leading automotive websites to their online listing program. The addition of the said site will effectively double GM Certified’s Internet footprint when it comes to online vehicle listings.

Interested consumers can log on to gmcertified.com for more details on GM’s Certified Used Vehicles. Plus they can also locate the closest GM Certified dealer or search the industry’s largest available certified pre-owned inventory with over 60,000 plus vehicles.

About the Author:
Noah Scott is a 30 year old native of New Jersey, writer, and car fan – having grown up with both parents being auto enthusiasts. He works for an automotive consultancy firm and regularly contributes articles to car magazines.

The Cadillac Escalade Hybrid is the world’s first fuel-saving hybrid applied to a large luxury SUV, delivering a 50-percent fuel economy improvement in city driving. It is powered by GM’s innovative, fuel-saving two-mode hybrid system and offers the same dramatic design, luxury and full-size capability that have made the Escalade an icon.

“No other manufacturer offers a hybrid than can seat eight luxuriously while simultaneously carrying or trailering lots of cargo comfortably,” said Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager. “And no hybrid delivers the dramatic presence that is synonymous with Escalade.”

Escalade Hybrid is available in 2WD and 4WD configurations. It delivers up to 5,800 pounds (2,631 kg) of usable towing capacity on 2WD models and 5,600 pounds (2,540 kg) on 4WD models. Nearly all of Escalade’s standard comfort and convenience features are included as standard equipment on the hybrid model, including an eight-inch, touch-screen navigation system that displays performance readouts of the two-mode hybrid system on the screen.

Escalade Hybrid extends Cadillac’s leadership in the large luxury SUV category, particularly in the area of technology.

Patented two-mode hybrid technology

The Escalade’s two-mode hybrid system allows it to return exceptional fuel economy in both city and highway while delivering the capabilities of a true luxury SUV. In city driving, this advanced hybrid power system enables Escalade to launch and drive low speeds on electricity alone. As additional power is demanded, the system blends output from the battery and gas engine smoothly.

GM’s patented two-mode hybrid system consists of an advanced electrically variable transmission (EVT) and 300-volt nickel-metal hydride Energy Storage System (ESS). These systems work in concert with the standard 6.0L V-8 Gen IV gasoline engine with Active Fuel Management (AFM) and late-intake valve closing (LIVC) technology. AFM enables the V-8 engine to seamlessly shut off half of its cylinders when less power is needed, such as during highway cruising. This new hybrid system not only enables the Escalade Hybrid to drive low speeds on electricity alone, it also allows the 6.0L V-8 engine to operate in its more economical four-cylinder mode for longer periods.

The key to Escalade’s two-mode hybrid system is that the electric power used to propel the vehicle is generated by the hybrid system itself. When the brakes are applied or the vehicle is coasting, the electric motors within the hybrid system create electricity that is stored in the 300-volt battery. This stored energy is used to move the vehicle and the regenerative braking cycle is renewed.

The two-mode hybrid system provides seamless, dependable power on demand in an efficient package. In fact, its electric motor is less than half the size of those in single-mode hybrid systems. This technology was developed and is still used in fleets of hybrid transit buses on the streets today in dozens of major North American cities. Scaled-down for use in full-size SUVs, the two-mode system delivers fuel savings where it is needed most – in large vehicles with high levels of capability. It is a core part of GM’s energy diversity efforts, which are centered on reducing dependence on petroleum, improving fuel economy, reducing emissions and minimizing the automobile’s impact on the environment.

Energy Storage System (ESS)

Providing power to the hybrid’s electrically variable transmission’s (EVT) two electric motors is a 300-volt nickel-metal hydride Energy Storage System (ESS). This battery pack is located under the second-row seat, where it takes up virtually no additional space and does not interfere with second- or third-row ingress/egress.

The primary function of the ESS is to provide power (300 volts) to the EVT and to store captured energy produced during regenerative braking. In addition to supplying power to the EVT, the ESS also provides power to the air conditioning compressor and the Accessory Power Module (APM), which converts the high-voltage supply to 42 volts for the electric power steering system, and 12 volts for the vehicle battery and other 12-volt electrical accessories.

Battery pack durability and reliability are maintained via optimized charge and discharge cycles, as well as a dedicated cooling system that draws air from the passenger compartment. As part of the vehicle’s emission control system, the ESS is warranted for eight years/100,000 miles.

Regenerative braking

The Escalade Hybrid features fully blended regenerative braking to capture energy that would otherwise be lost during vehicle deceleration. By using one or both of the EVT’s traction motors as a generator, braking energy is converted to electrical energy and stored in the ESS for future use to propel the vehicle.

The regenerative brakes are used along with the standard hydraulic brakes to slow the vehicle and/or bring it to a stop. Depending on the amount of braking force required, the hydraulic brakes may not even be used, such as during mild deceleration when slowing to allow space for merging traffic near a highway on-ramp.

Regenerative braking has the additional benefit of extending the life of the friction materials used in the hydraulic braking system, as well as improving braking performance in the form of shorter stopping distances.

Cadillac’s smooth and quiet power

Acoustic details specific to the Hybrid model ensure it delivers the superior luxury that has been an Escalade hallmark since its inception. The details include:

• A new exhaust system and resonator specially tuned for the 6.0L LIVC engine’s Active Fuel Management operation. It ensures comfortable interior acoustics and a pleasant exhaust note during both V-4 and V-8 operation
• An electrically driven, 300-volt air conditioning compressor reduces vibration and allows the HVAC system to cool the passenger compartment even when the gasoline engine is shut off. It includes the standard tri-zone climate system
• An electrically driven, 42-volt variable-assist power steering reduces vibration and provides up to a 0.5-mpg fuel economy improvement by reducing parasitic losses common in belt-driven hydraulic systems
• The Energy Storage System cooling system’s internal fan is tuned to be quiet at low vehicle speeds, when the fan could more easily be heard by the occupants

6.0L V-8 engine

The Escalade Hybrid’s 6.0L V-8 engine is unique. It features Active Fuel Management and late intake valve closing (Atkinson-cycle combustion process) for reduced pumping losses and better overall fuel economy. It uses flat-top pistons, cylinder heads borrowed from GM’s 5.3L high-output V-8 and a 10.8:1 compression ratio, producing 332 horsepower (248 kW) at 5,100 rpm and 367 lb.-ft. of torque (498 Nm) at 4,100 rpm. It runs on regular unleaded fuel. A unique 3.42 rear axle ratio is used with this powertrain combination to help deliver the outstanding acceleration that is a hallmark of the Escalade’s performance.

A key contributor to the Escalade Hybrid’s fuel economy is the gasoline engine’s Auto Stop mode. Once the vehicle reaches 0 mph, the gasoline engine is automatically shut down. By leaving the engine off and allowing the vehicle to move only under electric power, such as during heavy stop-and-go traffic, fuel consumption and emissions are greatly reduced.

However, when extra power is required, such as for wide-open-throttle acceleration from a standing stop, the Vortec 6.0L V-8 is seamlessly restarted so it can deliver the necessary power and torque. In this case, the engine is restarted effortlessly from the Auto Stop mode using the EVT’s powerful internal electric motors; there is no traditional starter motor.

Escalade aesthetic

The Escalade Hybrid retains the qualities that have made it the leading large luxury SUV and a standard-bearer of Cadillac’s overall product renaissance. It is instantly identifiable as a Cadillac and incorporates styling cues from the landmark Sixteen concept vehicle, including a detailed signature grille, front fender vent ports and layers of chrome accents.

The Escalade’s warm and inviting interior features a premium layout. It is available in two colors, Ebony and Cashmere. Standard features include a distinctive instrument panel; gauges with white needles and blue light inlays with continuously lit, white-LED backlighting; Nuance leather-covered seats; leather-covered door trim and center console; and a power-assisted rear liftgate that opens and closes with the touch of a button.

Visit Cadillac.com for more information: http://www.cadillac.com/escaladehybrid/