Wheel alignment is one of those car maintenance tasks you need to keep up with. Warranties for your car or your tires may be voided if you don't keep your wheels in alignment. If you take your car to the shop according to the schedule the manufacturer recommends, the mechanic will automatically check the alignment and make sure it is maintained. If you have an older car that you only have serviced when something goes wrong, you'll want to watch for signs of trouble so your tires don't wear unevenly due to alignment issues.
- When you purchase a car, unless you pay for it in cash, you will secure a loan from a lender for it. The two main ways to secure an auto loan are known as dealership financing and direct lending. With direct lending, you go directly to a bank or another financial institution and negotiate the terms of your loan. With dealership financing, the dealership acts as a mediator between you and the financial institution.
- If your vehicle's manual transmission is making a grinding, whining, or whirring noise each time you shift, or if you notice your clutch has begun to sink spongily to the floor rather than providing resistance when you depress the pedal, you may be concerned that your clutch (or entire transmission) is beginning to fail. Because repairing or replacing a transmission can be a pricey prospect, you likely want to investigate all possible options before sending it to the shop for repairs.
- If you drive a truck for a living in California and are an owner-operator, purchasing a used semi truck is a major decision. The truck will be your livelihood for many miles to come. Finding a good semi truck for sale isn't difficult, but it's important to get one that will meet your specific needs -- particularly in California where state laws are especially strict. As you shop for a used truck, make sure not to make any of these three mistakes.