The most cost effective things to do are: clean, clean and clean.

1. The inside should be carefully vacuumed. There are many products to fix tears and restore a new look to the plastic, leather, carpet and vinyl so get them and use them. They should pay for themselves by helping to get you a higher price, or at least one closer to your asking price. Do not forget to clean the glass!
2. Take out and leave out any mats that are worn and remove the stuff in the glove box. Leave the owner’s manual and records of services done to the car.  The longer and more detailed the records the better. Copies with your personal information blacked out will do just fine in most cases – use your judgment as to what to leave.
3. Clean out the trunk and touch up any rusty spots or worn paint.
4. The outside should be washed and waxed. Carefully try to touch up any rust spots and rock chips. Again touch up paint, wax and car wash is not expensive and you will have lots left over!  Do not forget to polish the chrome. The wheels should be cleaned to be free of brake dust and the tires should be sprayed with tire shine.
5. Under the hood you should consider having the engine bay cleaned. You can do this yourself at a car wash but you need to be careful to cover electrical components and air intakes. Failure to do so can leave you stranded there or cause electrical system problems. While there clean the battery terminals (baking soda works but do not get any inside the battery!) and apply an anti-corrosion spray or gel.

The next six things have a small cost but can make all the difference when a buyer is comparing your car to the competition.

1. Tires should have at least one half the tread left and all should be the same brand if possible. No one wants to buy a new (to them) car and then have to go out right away to buy new tires.  Installing a set of used tires or ordering tires online can make the difference between a sale and your car sitting unsold for months.
2. The exhaust system should not be noisy, if there are holes in the exhaust get it fixed.  It will only scare away potential customers or reduce what they are willing to pay.  Most muffler shops will charge as little as $50 to professionally fix an exhaust leak in a pipe or seam.
3. A fresh oil change says a lot about the fact that you cared for your car. They are not expensive to do and are a good idea as most inspection reports include the state of the oil.
4. Subscribe to The Secret Mechanic Newsletter for your free used car buying guide. Think like the buyer and do as many of the things listed there as are appropriate to the value and nature of the car you are selling. Try to have as many things as possible right on the included buyers check list.
5. Price it right. Check sources like Kelly books, Edmonds, Autotrader, Buysell, newspapers, Ebay and other online sources to determine a value. When asked, auto dealers will typically tell you a trade in value or a wholesale value. You would like to sell at the higher retail price. This is a good reason to sell your car privately and not trade it in to the dealer. There may, however, be reasons like taxes that make trading in logical and you need to determine that in light of your personal circumstances.
6. Advertise where you get the biggest exposure for the lowest cost. Kijiji, Craigslist, bulletin boards, a sign on the car (Buy one! Do NOT use a crummy piece of cardboard with a price scrawled on it. That sends the wrong message – one that says you do not care).  The Autotrader, and local newspaper classifieds are a bit more expensive but can also help spread the word about your car if the free methods above don’t get you the interest you deserve.

Happy selling! (more…)

In many years of trying to get better performance out of my cars, a few things have consistently worked well. I will start with the less costly.

A high flow air filter and cold air inlet can almost always improve airflow to the engine.  These are usually relatively easy to install and quite affordable.

However, better airflow to your engine will be more beneficial if the exhaust gases can leave freely. A low-pressure exhaust system should take care of that and will also have a good sound.

Next, fuel flow should be looked at. Sometimes bigger injectors will do the trick. Be careful to match the size of the injectors to the optimal fuel needs of the engine. Getting the biggest injectors possible can actually reduce your power. At this point, you may start looking at an engine performance chip. Be careful! Unless the chip is from a very experienced tuner, the independent reviews have shown inconsistent results. Check it out before you spend your money.

Now would be a good time to upgrade the wheels and tires.

If you are looking for still more power, then either turbo charging or supercharging may be the ticket. This gets EXPENSIVE in a hurry.  The temptation is to go for high boost and horsepower. This puts big strains on engine components that were generally not designed to withstand them. That means BIG repair bills. Check with experts to see how much boost to run. It also means that airflow, exhaust and fuel demands must be matched to the forced induction system.  Also be aware that, with the large horsepower increase, other components like the transmission and differential will probably need beefing up for longevity.

If you have come this far, then brakes and suspension upgrades are going to be required. Bigger rotors, perhaps cross drilled and vented, along with calipers with more pistons than stock, and braided brake lines will make stopping easier.  Suspension upgrades could start with performance shock absorbers, bigger roll bars and performance springs. These upgrades should be done at the same time and purchased as a package from a professional tuner or car manufacturer if they are available.

Again, these engine, brake and suspension upgrades will do little if your car has the wrong tires and wheels. So with brake and suspension upgrades, tires and wider wheels will allow you to extract the most from your car modifications.

My recommendation is that, if you improve airflow in, fuel quantity in and exhaust flow out and you have better tires and wheels, you will have reached the point at which the law of diminishing returns kicks into play and increasingly larger amounts of money will need to be spent to further increase performance significantly. If you are still not happy with your car’s performance at this stage, save your money and buy a car that has the performance you want.

Many people have poured thousands of dollars into mods, were unable to get the performance they wanted, yet also did not see a dime back of the money they had spent on the modifications when they sold the vehicle.  If you still intend on modifying your car with all of this in mind, make sure to shop around for the best price as local shops often have huge markups over the same parts online.
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Electrical problems in cars can be very difficult to locate and fix.  They can include things like dim or nonfunctioning lights, hard starting, surging acceleration, malfunctioning gauges, and check engine lights.  If the problem is intermittent, even dealer shops with specialized equipment can require the car for days to try to track the source, and will not always be successful.

Here are some steps to follow that should help with a solution.

1. Check the battery charge and charging system using a simple voltage meter.  A fully charged battery should read close to 12.6 volts for a 12 volt battery.  Anything under 12 volts indicates too low a charge. Even if the voltage is 12.6 volts there still may be a problem inside the battery. The way to test for internal battery problems is a load test.  Tools to perform a load test can typically be purchased for under $70.00.  These meters often have the ability to test the charging system as well.  A cheaper  alternative is to take the vehicle to a battery retailer as most battery shops will perform the load test for free. These shops will also often perform a charging system check for free to ensure the alternator and voltage regulator are functioning properly. If they are not willing, go to another shop that will. It is in the retailer’s best interest to perform the test as they often get a battery sale or repair job out of it.
2. Clean the battery terminals including the two battery posts and the battery cables. Coat them with a proper protectant. Vaseline was used for years but there are specialized products available.
3. Fuses need to be pulled and tested with a meter.  There should ne no resistance. Just visual inspection may easily not be enough. Replace blown fuses only with fuses of the correct rating, not a higher-rated fuse as this could create a fire hazard.
4. Check the connectors under the hood. Corrosion is more likely there as the connectors are more exposed to the elements. Sometimes just separating them and reseating them will reestablish a good connection but also look for corrosion. It often shows as a green coating or dull coloured metal contacts.
5. If the car often has a dead battery in the morning or after sitting for a while, check the door light switches. They can become sticky with dirt and age and therefore may cause interior lights to stay on. Vanity mirror lights are also often culprits. Make sure all these lights turn off consistently.
6. Last, the number ONE overlooked spot. If all the above steps have not cured the problem this easily may, especially if the car is 5 years old or older. It is the ground strap where it attaches from the battery to the car engine block and then to the chassis of the vehicle. There may easily be more than one or even two ground straps. Many times they are easy to spot because they are bare copper metal but may be insulated.  To find the end of the ground strap(s) start at the negative terminal of the battery and follow it/them until it/they attach to the engine or chassis. Put a wrench on the bolt and loosen it. If possible clean the connection area with a wire brush. If it is hard to reach you may be able to reestablish a good connection just by loosening and tightening the bolt. Do this with all the ground straps from the battery.

Fixing your own car is often easier than you think. The knowledge gained by attempting to diagnose and trying to fix it can also save you money when a shop suggests unnecessary repairs.

Best of luck. (more…)

Friends often ask me whether they were dealt with fairly by shops doing brake work. The question is usually brought on by charges that are added or included in the estimate. Listed below is a brief description of the brake system parts and the reasons shops often give for the extra charges. Whether or not you should have the associated work done is also outlined, so you can make an informed decision when faced with the question at the shop.

Brake System Primer:

When you depress the brake pedal a small piston pressurizes brake fluid in the brake lines and in turn causes the calipers to squeeze the brake pads against the brake rotors. Picture your  fingers squeezing a turning pie plate. The wear occurs on the brake pads as the material is worn away gradually with each application of the brakes.  On most cars the brake pads have small plates that come in contact with the rotors as they get worn down to replacement thickness and cause a squealing noise.  That is a signal to the driver that maintenance is required. There is also some wear of the steel of the rotor over time.

The Brake Job:

Replacing Pads

Unless you do a lot of mountain driving, tow a trailer or high speeds the regular quality brake pads (OEM- Original Equipment Manufacturer) will do just fine. Shops may try to sell up to semi-metallic, ceramic, dustless, anti-squeal or other types. A rule of thumb is the harder brake pad will also be harder on your rotors. Nothing-free here. But if your driving requires more than the original pads gave you go to better quality pads. They will probably not stop you any faster in ordinary driving but may easily make a difference at higher speeds or heavier loads by having better fade resistance.

Often when shops are called for an estimate, they will give you a quote for only the replacement of the brake pads. Some shops will then, when you get there, inform you that you must also replace your rotors or have them turned. Turning is shaving some metal from the rotors to take out any wobble or just to smooth the surfaces. Some shops will even say that they MUST do this or they cannot give you a warranty.  This is a ploy to make them more money – look for another shop.

Turning Rotors

Rotors typically only need to be turned for one of two reasons. The first is if you feel a pulsing in the brake pedal when you apply the brakes. Usually when lightly applying them. The pulsing may go away on harder application. The second reason is to remove deep scoring in the rotor. Rotors are more likely to warp after turning! So unless there is clear proof the rotors needed turning do NOT have them turned.

Replacing Rotors

Rotors may need to be replaced if they are worn down below the manufacturer’s minimum thickness. Typically, that should not happen until at least two sets of brake pads have been used on them. If the shop insists that they always be replaced, look for another shop.

Some good ideas to avoid getting overcharged include:

Get three estimates – ask for a detailed breakdown of charges

Ask for the old parts – shops will be more reluctant to replace good parts and or do needless work

Go to shops that are ranked highly – CAA, AAA or certified by the Better Business Bureau are all good indications of a shop’s standing

No estimate, no business – Avoid any shop that insists on starting work before the estimate or wants to charge for it.

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