Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with vehicle

Car Buying 101

royalsong — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:50:45 -0800

I need a car. I'm poor. I've never bought a car before, and it's been a long time since anyone in my family has bought one. Need guidance. How do you buy a car? I am so very tired of driving old used cars that break down every couple of months. My current car (1994 buick lesabre) is leaking coolant and has now developed a putputting when accelerating. Not to mention it eats gas like it's candy.

I assume, being poor and all, that I can't afford a new car. I'd have to get a used one. Problem is that I don't know how to buy any kind of car, new or used. I see advice that says I should get preapproved for a auto loan, but where do I even get one of those?

I could, at most, afford a $200 monthly payment. Is it even possible to have a car loan that's sub $200? I see tv advertisements that say I can, but I am skeptical. There's gotta be strings attached.

How do I even know, if I buy a used car, that it's not going to break down on me within a year of buying it?

Complete car newbie here. I don't know what I'm doing. All my prior experience has been "for sale by owner" types. Hope me.

Possible relevant details: I do not live in a place where public transportation is an option. I already car pool for work, but this doesn't work for grocery shopping. Work is a 20 minute commute over pot-hole ridden roads

Looking for sites and organizations for amateur underwater vehicles?

hanoixan — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 22:06:16 -0800

Quadcopters are cool and everything, but I find exploring the ocean a way more interesting proposition. I want to start making autonomous underwater vehicles. Are there forums for people who are doing this? I've googlebinged for sites and people that are into this, but no dice. It seems like everyone involved is a closed academic research project, or a government body. Basically looking for a forum of people to discuss ideas with.

Why do ABS systems work so much better than traction control systems?

Juffo-Wup — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:15:21 -0800

Why do anti-lock brake systems [seem to] work so much better than traction control systems on modern sedans? For many years I drove a car without what you might call electronic safety systems, by which I mean anti-lock brakes, traction control, and electronic stability control. Since 2010, I have been driving a 2010 Ford Fusion with all three of these systems. It seems to me that the anti-lock braking system works much better than the traction control system does, and I am wondering why this might be.

To clarify, by the "traction control system," I mean the system which tries to keep you from losing traction (acceleration) if you depress the accelerator pedal too far while driving in a straight line on a slippery surface.

When it is safe to do so, such as on an empty road or in an empty parking lot under appropriate conditions, I like to "experiment" with my car's performance in slippery conditions. I do this because I am curious about the performance and limits of the modern brake/traction/stability systems, and because I think it is important to know how one's car handles at the edges (or outside) of control in case I encounter that type of situation by mistake or in an emergency while driving.

By "experiment," I mean doing such things as:

a) Increasing brake pedal pressure on a slippery surface to see at what point the ABS kicks in and how quickly the car can stop once it does.

b) Increasing accelerator pedal pressure to see when the wheels start to slip and the traction control kicks in and how quickly the car can continue accelerating once it does.

c) Other things involving steering in conjunction with braking and/or accelerating which would normally send the car out of control, in order to see what type of order the ESC system is able to maintain.

I have been very impressed with the car's ABS system whenever I experiment with it. In every case I have tried, the ABS has been able to stop the car more quickly than I would be able to if I back off (and then modulate pressure on) the brake pedal once the ABS kicks in.

On the other hand, it seems like I can often make the car accelerate faster (in slippery conditions) if I back off and then finesse the accelerator pedal than if I simply hold the accelerator pedal at a position past where traction control kicks in and let the traction control system do its job.

[I have been *extremely* impressed with what the stability control system is able to do, even under the most extreme/unwise sets of control inputs, but that's not germane to this question.]

So, my questions are this:

1) If you drive a front-wheel-drive sedan with ABS and traction control and have experimented with or used the systems, do you agree that the ABS works substantially better than the traction control?

2) Why do you think this is? I can come up with some ideas off the top of my head (e.g., braking is frequently more safety-critical than acceleration, so they put more work/money/etc into it), but I would be very interested to hear actual engineering, mechanical, scientific, or otherwise fact-based explanations of why this might be.

Thanks in advance and, as always, I look forward to reading your input.

Moving Emergency in Montreal

PinkMoose — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 03:44:00 -0800

I need to move today. Last week I found a mover on Kijiji. Confirming about 11 pm last night, we found out that he didn't have a vehicle. I have enough boxes/bags (three bags of clothes, one lap top bag, 8 bankers boxes of books, one box of misc. knick knacks, one desktop computer, one printer) that transporting it in a cab is not really going to happen. I have too little stuff that a moving company isn't going to work. I know no one in Montreal well enough, that drives, that is available, and can help at all. I have about 100 dollars to pay for about 3-5 hours of work (i need help packing as well).

I have emailed about 5 people who answered the kijiji ad last night. I have no idea what to do next.

any ideas.

A smaller car with great gas mileage?

reenum — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 07:41:48 -0800

It's time for me to get a new car. I'm leaning towards a smaller car. What should I get? Right now, I drive a 2000 Honda Accord. It's not a bad car, but a bit too large for my needs.

The criteria I'm looking for (in order of importance) are:

- Fuel economy
- Leg room
- Low mileage, if it's a used car
- How it drives
- Aesthetics such as color

So far, I'm looking at the following cars:

- 2013 Hyundai Accent
- 2011 or 2012 Honda Civic
- 2011 or 2012 Toyota Yaris
- 2011 or 2012 Toyota Camry
- 2011 or 2012 Toyota Corolla
- 2011 or 2012 Scion xD

Are there any cars I'm missing? Do any of you have any experience or advice related to the current cars on my list? Any input is appreciated.

Thanks!

How far is too far for a used car test drive?

lpcxa0 — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:13:19 -0800

I need to take the plunge and buy a new, used car and have never done the test drive before. I need to take the plunge and buy a new, used car. However, I'm also interested in getting a preinspection done on the vehicle, and my garage is a solid 30-40 minutes away from the dealership.

So how far is too far for a used car test drive or should I just tell the dealer that in order to buy the car, I want it inspected by my garage?

How much extra safety would a crash helmet offer a highway driver wearing a seatbelt?

Egg Shen — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 07:10:16 -0800

How much extra safety would a crash helmet offer a highway driver wearing a seatbelt? In other words: Are the injuries that kill seatbelted highway drivers generally ones that involve injury to the skull? Or are they ones - like broken necks or exsanguination - that a crash helmet wouldn't prevent?

Holy C**P, a 65 Marlin!

Mitheral — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 19:20:56 -0800

Have you imported a 16+ year old vehicle from the US to Canada (BC)? What was the experience like and roughly how much did it end up costing? I'm considering flying down to Arizona; buying a vehicle; and then driving it home for either use or resale. I'd be buying something older than the 15 year cut off for exemption from meeting MVSS standards.

It looks like I should be able to:

Buy road worthy car after confirming clean clear title
Email the US border crossing I intend to cross into Canada making sure to attach a copy of the title.
Drive to the US Border crossing arriving no sooner than 72 hours after email.
Have the US Border agents stamp the title.
Proceed to Canadian border crossing where I'll present the stamped title, bill of sale, and a certificate of insurance.
Fill out Form 1 and pay fee (How much?)
Pay GST, BC PST, and RIV Fee.
Wait for form 2 to arive and then take that to RIV inspection centre.
Have BC Safety inspection performed
Take forms 1, 2, and safety inspection to ICBC. Pay registeration and licencing fees. Drive Car.

Is there a big gotcha lurking to cost me thousands of dollars and days of time?

Bonus Question: Where do I get a certificate of insurance for a car that hasn't been safety inspected in BC? Is it just a regular multi day permit? Or is it something I can buy in Arizona?

Car Stereo Filter: Am I better off with a whole new head unit, or just an adapter?

bleachandink — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:41:37 -0800

Car Stereo Filter: Am I better off with a whole new head unit, or just an adapter? I'm looking to be able to play music from my phone, in my car, and have been investigating my options. I drive a 2006 Honda Accord VP. I just bought the car in March, so I plan on having it for a looooooong time.

My current factory stereo unit has the ability to install/have an aux in (14-pin adapter ~$75), but it goes to the red/white cables which I then have to buy another cable to get to a 3.5mm headphone plug (~$7). Reviews are mediocre and say that while it works, you can get some noise distortion with all of the connections.

My other option is to buy a completely new headunit with a aux/usb/bluetooth capabilities (I only need one!) and use that instead. I know it's a significantly more expensive option (~$150) however, it may allow me to charge my phone (if I go the USB route - android phone) and wouldn't necessarily have the noise issues. I'm just clueless when it comes to headunits (other than going to Crutchfield and going HELP!).

I'm fairly handy, so neither option would require labor costs. Just parts costs (and maybe a few tools).

So, my question is, wanting to keep overall costs low, do I spend the big bucks on a new head unit, or do I go with the 14-pin adapter? And if I spend the big bucks and go for the headunit, any recommendations (UNDER $150)?

Low cost paint job or Vehicle Wrap?

Debaser626 — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 13:25:38 -0800

Should I spend 2-3 thousand on a "premier" Maaco job, try my luck at a mom and pop (WPB, FL area if you have any recommendations), or go for a vehicle wrap? Any MeFites with experience with either? I have a 1957 Chevy Bel Air, I just sank a ton of money into the mechanics, so it's running pretty sweet. Unfortunately, I had NO idea how much it would cost to do the paint work on this when I bought it. I've received a few quotes in the $10,000-$12,000 range. There's not too much rust on the chrome, and no visible rust/damage to the body panels or undercarriage, but the 10-12k range are the restoring quotes I received.

It is highly doubtful I will ever possess this much money to spend on a paint/chrome restoration job for a car. Even without the chrome restoration work, the quotes I received are in the $6-$7k range for paint alone.

Now for the horrific part.... I unfortunately lost my mind a week or two after getting the quotes, and I tried to blend some discolored areas on the car with touch up auto spray paint. Of course, this didn't go too well, and then... I tried to "fix" the areas I initially sprayed by painting blue flames on the car and... well... ahem, I'm sure you can imagine the rest.

So now... I'm left with a partially self-painted car, and I desperately want to undo my dumbass mistake. I don't plan on selling this car for the foreseeable future, so I would like something I can look cool in for at least 4-5 years and revisit the actual paint job a few years from now. I just don't know if I should go with a vehicle wrap or a 2-3 thousand dollar paint job. I'm in the West Palm Beach, FL Area. Any advice?

Is the dealership scamming me?

biograd08 — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 18:30:49 -0800

Bought my used 01 Toyota Camry from a dealership over a year and a half ago. Today they inspected the brakes and told me all pads need to be replaced + new brake fluid + powersteering fluid flush + resurfacing the rotors, and new battery. I have been taking this vehicle to same dealership for routine oil changes which include multi-point inspections, and only the battery was an issue in the past. Am I wrong to think that after just over a year and a half I shouldn't need so much work done- should I complain and write a letter, or is this to be expected with a used vehicle? Nov 2010 I bought a 2001 Toyota Camry from a dealership. I got the 2 year warranty, which does not cover "normal wear and tear" which is what it seems like everything falls under.

This is only the second car I've owned, and the Saturn I had for several years never needed any brake work. I have been noticing that the brake pedal pushes lower, so I DO think the brakes probably need to be replaced.

I realize that I bought a USED car, and that the pads may not have been new, but do I have grounds to complain to the dealership about needing to replace the brakes already?

The dealership has also been telling me that my battery has been testing poorly for probably over a year now (each time I bring it in for an oil change), but I have had NO problems whatsoever starting it up, so I have not replaced it. Why does it keep testing bad and should I just try to get as much life out of it as I can and THEN replace it, or is that a terrible idea?

Must admit, I don't know a lot about cars, but I also don't have a lot of money, and don't want to be paying more money to this stupid dealership than I really should.

Really appreciate your help!

Help I know nothing about cars

NoraReed — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:13:54 -0800

I need help buying a car. First time car buyer. I want a car that's a decent investment-- I don't care much about bells and whistles, but I don't want to spend a ton on insurance or gas. I'll be buying with cash; I have pretty much enough to get whatever car is best but I'd rather save than blow it all on a vehicle. My daily commute is about 9 miles (15 minutes) and my SO lives about that far too, so I make that drive a lot. I'm 24.

What's this 1966 Chevy vehicle called?

attercoppe — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:21:04 -0800

What is this vehicle called? I'd like to find out more about it, but I'm not sure of the model name (if any) or even what to call the type. 1966 Chevrolet delivery-type truckish thing. Here are some pictures:

http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c51/attercoppe/?action=view&current=photo-2.jpg

http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c51/attercoppe/?action=view&current=photo-1.jpg

http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c51/attercoppe/?action=view&current=photo.jpg

The VIN is too old to search, Google Image searches aren't finding anything that looks like it (could be my search terms, as I don't know what to call it - truck/van/delivery/etc aren't doing it), and the title doesn't list a model name. Does anyone know what these were called, and/or where I can find out more about them?

How to get the most bang for my used-car buck?

gavagai — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:05:08 -0800

What should I look for/value in a used car when shopping on a tight budget? This will be my first car purchase, and I'm looking for some advice.

I have $6,500 cash (firm limit) with which to buy a used car. I want to get the best car for my money, but I don't know how to determine "best car."

When comparing cars with money as the only hard and fast requirement, what should I be valuing first: make, mileage, or year? I have access to Consumer Reports, so I know the general makes and models to avoid from a reliability standpoint, but I'm having trouble sifting out the signal from the noise with the results of the dozen models or so that remain and that I can find within my price range.

I am already ruling out anything that gets poor marks Consumer Reports' used car reliability list, along with any cars that have accident histories or salvage titles, but that still leaves me with many viable options. Apart from money, which is the major determining factor, I don't have too many druthers about the car itself: automatic transmission, reasonable gas mileage, and reliability.

I see many late-90s/early 2000s Toyotas/Hondas in my price range, is it worth it to get the Toyota/Honda name and associated reliability that means means buying a 15-20 year old car with 160,000+ miles?

Or should I be looking more toward a maybe slightly less reliable model if it's newer and with fewer miles? I can find some 2005-2006 Ford Focus or Hyundai Elantras in this price range with 80,000+ miles.

Or is year most important? Sometimes I can find a pretty new car (say, a 2007 Ford Focus), but which has high mileage (160,000+ miles); in that does year trump mileage or --?

Sorry if I sound completely clueless; I am. Thanks for helping me form a rubric/frame of mind with which to approach my search!

Should my mother's mechanic have caught a failing fuel pump earlier?

aaronbeekay — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:56:32 -0800

Should my mother's mechanic have caught a failing fuel pump when he repaired a closely related relay? My mom has a 2002 Ford Focus wagon with 106xxx miles, which has recently had a few fuel pump issues.

Earlier this week, her car died on the road and refused to start again. After some troubleshooting on the side of the road, we got it towed to my mechanic, who passed it along to his "electrical guy". That guy dropped out the fuel tank and checked the fuel pump- he says it tested good. He then did some troubleshooting on the associated wiring and repaired bad wiring and a relay- the work order says "NO START REPAIRED WIRING, R/R CCDM RELAY".

Fast forward about four days. The car dies again, won't start again, in the same way. We have it towed to the same place, where the diagnosis comes back: fuel pump is dead. The quote for part and labor is just north of $500, which jives with an over-the-phone quote from another local shop.

Should the mechanic have caught the failing fuel pump when he investigated the first issue, since he dropped the fuel tank out and said he tested the pump? The referring mechanic, when asked, said "that sucks, it sounds like you had bad luck but that sort of stuff happens, and you don't want to just go replacing good parts". This sounds fishy to me, but I don't know how quickly this part fails or how common this problem is. (Should the pump have been replaced as a matter of course when he went in the first time?)

I trust the original mechanic - he came to us with great recommendations. And I don't have a reason to distrust the "electrical guy" - he gave my mom a few pages of troubleshooting flowchart from Alldata and explained things well, it sounds like. But I'm suspicious anyway. Any insight?

Fair way to share vehicle expenses with SO

Under the Sea — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:45:03 -0800

What is a reasonable and fair way to divide up car costs when you are sharing your vehicle with your SO? I have a car that is 20 years old now. I'm not in a position to purchase a newer vehicle but will start looking in about 2years time.

My car has done reasonable kms, 319,000, mostly country miles and has been well maintained to date. It drives fine, its safe. Since 3 years ago it has started a bender on needing costly parts replacements (radiator, shock absorbers, wheel bearings, head gaskets, labor - etc). In the last 1.5 years Ive been sharing vehicle with SO. We've had many disagreements about the costs involved, mainly that I was paying all maintenance, servicing, rego and insurance cost while we each drove it. After 9 months of his driving it, he agreed to pay half rego and half insurance but no other costs.

My SO and I work different shifts so car-sharing suits us, however his home to work trip is greater distance than mine. He is adding about 3/4 of the kms on the clock each week while I add around 1/4, this is since he's been driving it (1.5yrs). I'm glad hes paying half rego and insurance however these costs are pale compared to the vast expensive of ongoing maintenance.

I'm starting to get annoyed that since he's been driving it, its been 100% my obligation to keep the car fully maintained at my expense. We've discussed it many times and whenever we do make an agreement its always verbal and that creates doubt when it comes time to do actual works (this lets him renege, or perhaps I have amnesia). As of this week (hooray!) we've agreed to pen an actual agreement so that we aren't getting frustrated at each other over the silly car. We either decide to this or we can't share the car due to ongoing disagreements.

His argument is that paying maintenance on a vehicle he doesn't own that is 20 years old is not good for him because he doesn't want to "buy in" to an old vehicle. He argues that most of the current costs for wear and tear are from the 20year span of the vehicle which was not his driving contribution. (Note I bought the vehicle in 2008).

I understand his point about buying into an old vehicle. My argument is why should I be paying 100% of maintenance wear and tear costs to keep the car in good nick, when he is now the primary driver since 1.5 years, (in terms of adding to the clock). All I see is that he has enjoyed a fully maintained vehicle for 1.5 years now while its cost me loads of money, I think he needs to contribute!

So my question is, what is a fair way to split ongoing maintenance costs given our situation and points of view? I am also keen to hear some thoughts on where to draw the line with buying expensive parts for an old vehicle? I think we need an "end-point" mutually agreed on before we can commit to such a deal.

Thanks in advance for your wonderful words of wisdom!

Need a thick Aux-In Cable for my car.

dbirchum — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 04:21:01 -0800

I am looking for a new Aux-In Cable (3.5mm, male to male) to use my mp3 player in my car. I had a couple of cheaper retractable ones, but they usually break after a short period of use. I live in a cold climate and the cord gets cold in the car for long periods of time and I think this has an affect on its life. I have seen some people with thicker aux-in cables in their car and I have searched, but I can't seem to locate one for a decent price. Does anyone know where I might be able to buy a thick (preferably white, but not critical) 3.5mm Aux-in cable?

Baby you can steal my car

roboton666 — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:06:49 -0800

Looking for some advice on how to deal with repeated thefts and vandalism. I recently moved up to the PacNW, and in the space of two months I have had one vehicle outright stolen, found stripped, then was sold for salvage (6K loss) and just last night another vehicle broken into and items stolen from it (window smashed). My total loss in two months exceeds 6 thousand dollars, and I'm sitting here thinking to myself "this is ridiculous". I'm kinda stunned actually.

Right this minute I'm thinking "Pull my kids out of school friday, send the wife and kids to live with family back home this weekend, tell my landlord I'm breaking the lease to find some other temporary place to live and begin looking for a job back home." I feel that's a bit. excessive. But I FEEL it so strongly right now.

I guess I'm asking for advice on how to deal with this, and what a rational response might look like.

Hack my L.A. trip.

enzymatic — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:49:04 -0800

What's the best way to access a car in L.A. for two weeks without going through a traditional car rental agency? I'll be in L.A. for the next two weeks. I'm somewhat averse to a traditional car rental-- I'm trying to keep expenses low because I'm starting a company and bootstrapping it entirely. But I also suspect L.A. will be a lot easier if I have access to a car.

2 weeks, L.A., need access to a car.

Any clever hacks for this problem?

Observed emissions for pre-2000 vehicles by model?

lasitter — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 03:34:05 -0800

Looking for links to Ford F-150 emissions prior to 2000 model year. Want data for NMOG, PM, CO, NOx, pounds per year smog forming pollution. Not Tier 1 targets but observed emissions. This is exactly the sort of resource I'm looking for, if available, because you just select the vehicle you want via pulldowns and click compare. Problem is that it ends at the year 2000. I want to be able to compare emissions from the 1990s to later vehicles.

Truck or Van for Towing?

AzraelBrown — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 07:09:06 -0800

Wifey and I are talking about buying a used vehicle with some internal storage and/or seating for 4 that can tow a 5x8 trailer. We're looking for recommendations for a vehicle that will do the towing -- with a little more criteria inside... Reliability is our big concern, which is why these two criteria came into play:

1. a 1500 - 2000 lb 5x8 trailer is 'small', but the people I've known who have pulled a 'small' trailer with a low-weight vehicle like a minivan or bronco, even if it's rated for that size trailer, ended up with transmissions falling apart. I'd like to avoid shredding a transmission by aiming for a vehicle rated for well over 2000lbs.

2. I see Jeep vehicles recommended a few places, but everyone I've known who has owned a Jeep has had repeated, ongoing mechanical problems, so no Jeeps please.

Lastly:
Reliability even trumps gas mileage -- better mileage is a plus, but 15-20mpg doesn't scare us. $15,000 is about the highest sticker price we can afford in a used car (or new, if such a magically-priced creature exists).

Can we skip the renewal in Utah and register it in Oregon?

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:27:29 -0800

My partner and I are moving to Oregon at the end of the month from out of state (utah) and we are very poor. Our car's registration ended last month (July 2011). Since Oregon says we have to register our vehicle within 30 days of moving there, I want to wait till we get to Oregon to do our car's registration. We wont really doing any driving before the end of the month (we both walk to work and the grocery store), I can't see any problems with this, besides possibly getting a ticket on the drive to Oregon. Are we likely to run into problems registering our car in Oregon if our registration from Utah is expired? Thanks!

Help with the indemnity bond process

Slothrop — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 04:52:58 -0800

Can anyone describe the process of using an indemnity bond to obtain title to a vehicle? I purchased an older (1988) sports car last Fall after asking for recommendations on here. I have really enjoyed driving the car. Mechanically and aesthetically, it is in very good shape. However, there is some fairly serious rust on the underside, as the car came from Cleveland. I have recently found a solution to this problem however - just down the street from me someone is also selling a 1988 model year of the same vehicle that does not run, but that has a very solid rust-free body from Virginia and North Carolina. The price is very, very good on this car; even running, these cars are cheap. I can eventually swap my running gear and interior into it.

However, the hitch is that the car has been sold for parts a few times and the title was left behind a couple of sales back. We know that it was last titled in Virginia, as it has a city registration sticker for Waynesboro, but I cannot find out who had the title last. The NC DMV cannot legally tell me and when I look up reverse VIN lookups, they are not available for Virginia. The current owner really only remembers an internet id for the person he bought it from, and that person got it from Virginia back in 1996, so they are unlikely to remember who they bought it from.

So, enter the indemnity bond process. I am going to call a local bond company that handles these things, but I was wondering if anyone on here had any tips or descriptions about the bonds. I will be doing this in North Carolina.

I know the DMV value of this car, as I have an identical one. It will be valued at $790. From what I've found online, that means that my bond will only be $100 total, as the bond is usually $15 per $1000 of vehicle value (times 1.5), with a $100 minimum.

Here are my questions :

1) Is that a correct calculation of what my TOTAL cost for using the indemnity bond will be?

2) What are the worst case scenarios for using the indemnity bond process? If the million-to-one chance that the car was actually stolen comes to pass, what would happen to the car and the bond? I've read in a forum that the $100 I pay is held by an insurance company which then makes restitution for the car, but that the car would still be mine. Is that correct?

3) Any other facts I should know before pursuing this path?

Thanks!

Car accident. If the repair costs more does your insurance go up more?

doomtop — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:27:35 -0800

Car accident. If the repair costs more does your insurance go up more? Got in an accident. My collision insurance has a $1K deductible. I understand this to mean that I pay $1K of the repairs and anything beyond that is covered by the insurance company, Geico in this case.

I would think this means that I should have them fix as much as possible, whatever the cost, because I will be paying $1K whether the repair costs $5K or $10K.

But, does it work like the more it costs to repair the more my insurance premium will go up? If that's the case, it might make more sense to get it repaired as cheaply as possible and maybe not repair things that are only cosmetic or things like that.

Never been in an accident before, so not sure what to expect. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Tire swap time!

thewalrus — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 16:23:36 -0800

How much should a tire shop charge to dismount four tires from a car, mount four new tires (purchased from tirerack.com and provided by the customer), balance the wheels and verify alignment/camber? The car in question uses 225/45/18 tires in front and 245/45/18 tires in rear. New W-rated all season tires have been purchased from tirerack and are on their way via UPS.

In the US, how much should a normal labor rate be to:

a) remove old tires and set aside for a few hours (I will pick them up, no disposal fees involved).

b) Install new tires on wheels, balance wheels.

c) Verify car's alignment. It does not drift or have any alignment problem at present.

d) Do the "camber" alignment on the car to verify that the wheels are not toed in, toed out and are aligned flat for even side-to-side tire wear.