There is no avoiding car repair. One way or another you’ll ust have to go down that line. Now what pisses me off is when I am not only inconvenienced by a malfunctioning car, but when the guys with whom I entrusted to revive the darn thing rips me off too. So this are just some tips to avoid rip offs.

Be prepared. Learn how your vehicle works and try to identify common car problems. Know your own vehicle well especially its quirks. With a little car knowledge, you won’t be intimidated by smart asses when they use technical terms in assessing so-called problems.

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Okay, back to car maintenance basics with this posts with a simple illustrated guide to checking your engine oil level. I know a lot of drivers who just don’t like the idea of popping up the hood before starting the car and rolling off to somewhere. Believe me, I also know a lot of cases where cars conked out just because of this.

The engine has a lot of moving parts and to keep them running smoothly, lubrication is needed. Running the engine without oil is mechanical suicide. Here’s how to check you engine oil level.

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For the health conscious and those who wish to kick their junk food habit while driving on long trips with the family. Here are a few tips on what to eat. It ain’t a nature trail but, it sure does come close to it. By the way, the driver should always keep his or her attention on the road and not on the cooler.

Keep a small cooler in your car. You car might not be a camper with a fridge or a limo with a minibar but a small cooler can always be accessible. Fruit slices like apples, bananas, and pears make good snacks. Dried fruits can also be an option.

Be sure to check that they’re the more healthy variety. Vegetable sticks like carrots and celery are another option. Grapes, cherries, and cherry tomatoes need not be sliced. Kids may prefer to have dips with their sticks so keep yogurt and low fat dressing in the cooler as well. Some cheese and mini sandwiches of cream cheese and peanut butter can also do the trick for the tots.

Instead of candy, pack some trail mix. Try the one mixed with chocolate. You can also mix your own granola at home before leaving. Include lots of dried fruits and nuts!

If you’re the kitchen-type of person, why not bake a batch or two of oatmeal cookies the night before the trip? Include this in your snack pack.

Here is a bit of a guide on what to attach to your car when you need that extra space. They need carrier racks but if your car doesn’t have one, there are car clips available in your local automobile accessories store. These babies can be hooked to the ledges on the sides of your car. There are also carriers that already have special straps that can be attached through the inside of the car.

Car back carriers are large cargo bags that can be hung from the luggage rack. Good news, they are easy to load. Bad news, they won’t work with sedans and are of use only to wagons, vans, and SUV’s. Afraid they’d be in the way of your vision when driving? Don’t be. They hang under the rear window.

Car-top carrier bags are basically the same as the one above. The only difference is that they are attached by straps to the rack on top of your car. Choose carrier bags that are UV resistant and waterproof. The only downside to this is that you have to pack them full so they don’t flap in the wind.

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The most common electrical problem that a car-owner encounters is the battery wearing out. Depending on brand and design, a car battery can last between 3 and 7 years.

Another common electrical problem is having a bad alternator. This can be indicated by dimming of headlights when your car is idle. Better take your car to a garage. If the alternator cannot produce enough electricity, the car battery has to compensate for this, which will then wear it out. If your car immediately loses juice despite a brand new battery, try to have your alternator checked. It might not be charging your battery during use. Don’t be surprised if all you hear is a “tick” when you try to start your car.

If the interior lights and the dashboard lights are not working, then the problem might be the fuses. There is a fuse panel in the glove box under the dash or one beside the air intake (common located) in the engine. Discoloration of the fuse means that has blown. Replace and test the system not working. Just be sure that you are using fuses with the same rating. Or if not, just check the bulbs. Bulbs wear out quite commonly. However, if your bulbs burn out quickly, have your system checked for any short circuits.

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Rust is the number one enemy of a car when it comes to its body. It will eat your car away and if you’re thinking of reselling your car rust diminishes the value a great deal. Still, a few points on car care would help you prevent body rust from developing. Here are a few tips on how to keep the body of your car in tip-top shape.

Keep thy car clean. You car can only tolerate so much dirt and dust, debris, salt, and moisture! Wash your car and don’t forget to “scrub” the underside too, most especially during and after the winter season. Build up of salt from the roads (which are used to melt the ice on the roads), will erode the protective layer of your car paint which will then make it prone to rust.

After washing your car, a little waxing on-and-off will also protect the paint from elements, my little grasshopper. But if you have the time and money, why not get extra protection by rust-proofing your car? Undercoating is a must too! If your car is still new, then this will be a very easy job. However, older cars with some rust on them will need more work.

Allow water to exit the ledges around the trunk and hood of your car by making sure that all the drain holes around them are clear. Don’t forget to check the weather stripping for rips and tears to prevent water from sneaking in.

Any object, no matter how small and light it is, can feel like a ton if hurled at a speed of at least 60 mph. Many car injuries are actually caused by loose objects that get flung in collisions. If you’ve paid good attention during your high school Physics class, you’d remember that force is exerted when a speeding object is subjected to sudden deceleration. So imagine how much damage it would cause if you have say, canned goods in the grocery bag?

The more disturbing thing is that, people and pets, which are not strapped well into their seats can become loose objects too! No wonder most fatal injuries occur when drivers or passengers are not wearing their seatbelts.

So what to do? Take a good look around the interior of your vehicle. Secure all heavy objects in the trunk of your car or at least safe under a fixed cargo net. Avoid putting unnecessary objects on your dashboard. If you have passengers with you, may they be babies, children, adults, or pets, make sure that they are well strapped with seatbelts before driving off. And don’t forget to buckle up yourself.

Car overheating? Then one (or more) of these could be the source of your problem:

Your car’s water pump may not be doing its work well. How do you know if this happens? If you are observant, you’d notice that there is a strong coolant odor while driving and there would also be small spots of coolant under the car. If the damage is worse, you’ d hear a tinny screeching noise and a very telling leak from the front of the pump or under the car.

The hose or the fan belt is broken. Hoses and fan belts do wear out and break and once they do, coolant will not be circulated through the engine which will then lead to overheating.

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This is for pet lovers who can’t help but bring their pets with them in their car trips. Choosing the right restraint for your pet dog depends on several factors which include the breed and size of the animal and the type of the vehicle you are driving.

The quickest way to deposit your dog in your vehicle is through the use of a pet seat belt system. It can be a harness which attaches to the car’s seat belt, or it can have hooks which you can install in larger vehicles. This allows more freedom and comfort to your pets, as they are made with nylon that are padded and adjustable, making sure that pressure is does not suffocate your pet. The cost of this safety contraption can go up to $60.

Pet car seats, which cost from $40 to $80, are also like the seatbelt but it also gives more prevention from injury in case of accidents, as most are framed in sturdy steel.

For cats and smaller dogs, pet carriers can be the best option. Not only they offer the freedom of the seatbelt and the protection of the car seat, but they also offer a more reassuring environment to pets that are not used to traveling. For larger pets, a more spacious version of a carrier, a pet crate is more advisable as they can be placed in the back of SUV’s and station wagons.

I get headaches when driving at night and that’s not just about incompetent drivers and frustrating traffic jams. It’s the glaring headlights of other vehicles! For other motorists such as moi, here are a few tips on how to not get these halogenic problem get to you.

First of all, it is illegal to turn bright lights on in the face of another driver. In some states, it is even a law to dim bright lights within a specific distance of an approaching vehicle or from behind. But in any case that you encounter such a fiend, do not lose yourself to the temptation of flashing your lights at him as well. One visually handicapped driver is bad enough, and when you make it two we’re talking about an impending disaster.

What you do is you avert your eyes instead making sure that you move them a bit downwards to the right. This will still enable you to use the fog-line (or the white stripe that outlines the edge of the road) as reference to keep the car aligned with the road, even if you are slightly visually impaired at the moment. Just make sure that you still keep aware if the vehicle with the ignoramus driver start to drift into your lane.