New Car Purchase – Answer You Have Been Looking For

Did you ever wonder why new vehicles have window stickers?  Granted – it was a great way to let your neighbors know you just bought a new car!!

Here’s the real reason behind the sticker.  In 1958, Senator Michael Monroney proposed a bill that would take the mystery out of new car prices.  This bill required that every car manufacturer attach a label to the window that would show the suggested retail price (MSRP), transportation method, freight charges and accessory prices. 

Prior to this, price tags did not tell the full story.  Very often there was a large discrepancy between the “showroom” price and the actual price.

Now a customer could walk into a new car showroom and shop with confidence.  The price of an accessory was no longer a secret.  In fact, all hidden charges were now readily available to the customer.  Car dealers were no longer able to inflate prices in order to show a higher trade in value.  As a result, sales increased as consumer confidence increased.

That’s the way life is – if you apply this principal to anything you are selling.  Give the customer more than they expect and they will respond in a positive way.  Even if they don’t buy from you they will spread your “gospel of truth” to their friends and neighbors.

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How To Buy A Car (Trust Me - I Used To Sell Them)

We Americans like to buy a car at the dealership in one afternoon, and the dealerships try very hard to make us think that is possible and even smart. But it’s not. Realize how big a purchase a car is. And it is complicated. Buying a car is the second-largest purchase most people make after buying a home. When you buy a home, think about all the help you have: you have a broker to help you find the best home for you, and a mortgage broker to help you find the best financing. And an inspector to make sure the house is safe. Sometimes you also have an attorney to make sure the contract is fair, and a title company makes sure the title is clear before you pay for the home. But when you buy a car, there is not one person there to help you. And the dealers want you to THINK you can waltz in to the dealership and buy a car from start to finish in an afternoon… and sure, you can, but you will pay much much more if you do it that way. Here are four tips to give you an advantage: 1. Make at least one trip to the dealership JUST to look around and drive the cars. Promise yourself you will not buy that first time, no matter what. Why? So that you can go home and look up information on the internet, including dealer cost, safety ratings, option prices, and any manufacturer to dealer incentives that the dealer has certainly not told you about! 2. Know what you can afford before you visit the dealership to buy! This means talk to your personal banker or credit union officer before going to the dealership. Why? Some dealerships might actually WANT you to sign on for a more expensive car than you can afford so that you will then default on your loan and they will repossess the car. 3. Whenever the finance manager calculates something, insist that he show you the calculation. Why? The easiest place for dealerships to take more money from you is in the monthly payment. It is VERY common for dealers to increase monthly payments by just a few dollars, even $20 per month, over about a five year period is like giving the dealership $500 extra on the spot. E.G. If you tell the salesman you can afford a payment of $500 per month, he might find a deal for you in which the payment works out to $460 per month. But instead of telling you that, he might tell you that he has “great news”!! - - that your payment is down to $480. What happens to the $20 difference between the lender'’ $460 per month and the $480 the dealer is charging you? It goes right into the dealer’s pocket, and you will never know it unless you Len how to run the calculation yourself, or at least run it by your banker. How much would a dealership make, taking in an extra $20 per month for five years, on a loan with an interest rate of 3.9%? About $500. It is next to impossible to figure this kind of thing out without a financial calculator, or a friend with a financial calculator. But it’s worth the trouble! 4. Write down everything you learn about the car, from the internet, magazines, and especially from the salesman. Why? Doing this keeps everybody honest, and literally “on the same page”—YOUR page! Your salesman will see that you are writing down everything he says, and he will be less inclined to lie, or to try to change information on you later on. This tip is all about staying in control.

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Check Engine Lights: Myths And Facts

You’re driving along and suddenly your Check Engine Light comes on. What does it mean? Check Engine Light, Check Engine Soon Light, Service Engine Soon Light, Engine Light, Engine Management Light, "whatever" you want to call it, simply means that your vehicle’s computer system has detected a problem.

Depending on the year, make, and model, it may be related to the engine, the transmission, even the brakes and suspension. There are literally hundreds of reasons a Check Engine Light may appear. The following questions and answers discussion will clarify the truth about Check Engine Lights…

Service Engine Soon Light FAQ:

1) Can the car be driven?
The general rule is: if the Service Engine Soon Light is on, and the car seems to be running ok, you can drive it. However, you should have it checked at your earliest convenience.

If your vehicle is running poorly—bucking, stalling, hesitating, or you just don’t feel safe, tow it. When in doubt always tow it!

2) The check engine light went out by itself. Is it ok now?
Probably not. Check Engine Lights often come and go. Even if the light is out, your vehicle’s computer system will retain information that will allow the problem to be diagnosed. To avoid potential long term issues, get it checked out.

3) My check engine light stays on. What should I do?
If your check engine light stays on constantly, follow the instructions above, under “Can the car be driven?” Don’t panic.

4) Can I disconnect the battery, or pull a fuse to reset the service engine soon light?
Maybe, but I wouldn’t. Removing the battery cable or an ECM or PCM fuse may clear the code, but it is not universally recommended in the industry. Most manufacturers advise against it. See the Best Way to Reset Check Engine Light Codes below.

5) What is the Check Engine Light?
The Check Engine Light is a warning light for multiple systems operating in your vehicle. In simplest terms, it’s like an engine management warning light to alert you of a problem. Just like your computer pops up with an “error message window” saying that something’s wrong, your service engine soon light pops up to warn you that it has detected a malfunction: mechanical, technical, software, or otherwise.

6) How to Reset Check Engine Light?
This is a great question! I get it all the time. See the guide below.

Resetting Check Engine Light:
First, if your Check Engine Light is on, it’s on for a reason. The Check Engine Light indicates that your vehicle’s on-board computers have stored a fault code. There are hundreds of fault codes, any one or more could be stored in the computers memory.
Fault codes are critical for accurate diagnoses of the problem.

Sometimes the fault code points directly to a faulty component, allowing for a quick diagnoses and repair. Other times, the code may only indicate a problem circuit and thus extensive diagnostic procedures may be required.

By resetting the Service Engine Soon Light, it erases important fault code data that turned the check engine light on in the first place. Without this critical information, the root problem can not be discerned.

Unfortunately, there is no "universally" accepted way to safely turn off a check engine light. Even if there was, if the root problem is not addressed, it will come back on.

So whether it’s a Chevrolet Service Engine Soon Light, Camry Check Engine Light, Mighty Max Check Engine Light, or a 1993 Thunderbird Check Engine Light, they require individual procedures to diagnose, repair, and reset the check engine light code.

Following is a Safe and FREE way for resetting check engine light codes.

Best Way to Reset Check Engine Light Codes:
If you’re not interested in diagnosing your truck, SUV or car Check Engine Light, or it’s already fixed, and you just want the engine light out, visit any local repair shop. Most shops will have a universal Check Engine Light Code Reader that can quickly and safely reset, and check engine light trouble codes. It should take about 30 seconds.

Note: European models are better off with a specialist, and some older vehicles may require more time.

Here’s what to do:
Politely ask your local service center (ask a technician if you see one) if they could reset the check engine light with their Check Engine Light Code Reader. They may protest, arguing that the problem must first be diagnosed.

Tell the service representative that you understand fully, and that you appreciate his professionalism. But that you would just like to try resetting the Service Engine Soon Light, and if it comes on again, you’ll come back for a full diagnosis.

Be genuine. Service representatives respond positively to sincerity. If the service center wants to charge you just to reset your Service Engine Light, try another facility.

Alternatively, some parts store such as NAPA and AutoZone will reset your check engine light for free. Be wary of "diagnostic ideas" from parts representatives, however. Don't let them sell you any parts to "try" to fix the problem.

IMPORTANT, check engine light repairs can be quite costly given their technical nature. Service centers can easily hide behind complex technical language to inflate the difficulty of your Check Engine Light concern.

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