Car Tuning,Car Finance,Auto Loans

Archive for May, 2009

When looking for car finance you may come across no deposit financing. This is an offer available from most car finance companies who specifically deal with people who have a poor credit history. They will be able to help you regardless of your situation, such as if you are self employed or have no credit history at all. The loan you can achieve is based only on your current capability to pay it back.

The usual period of time a loan can be stretched out for is 5 years so if you have your eye on a vehicle you will have to make sure you can afford the repayments based on this set time. The rates for car finance should be pretty competitive thanks to today’s booming market. Many finance companies out there are specifically tailored to conduct business with people who have a poor credit rating or similar situation and for whom it would normally be difficult to acquire a loan. For these types of companies it is not unusual for their main customer base to be people in situations just like yours. Whether it’s a low credit rating, self employment, or no credit rating at all they have been designed to offer you the finance you need.

This in mind there are negative aspects of some companies you need to be aware of before signing on the dotted line. Companies that offer 0% interest rates on their car finance deals are more than making up for it in deposit. Some companies request you supply 30% of the car value as your deposit. This is more than a little too expensive for most people. This shift of money means the company then has this money sitting in the bank gathering interest as opposed to you. It is much more beneficial to go for a no deposit car finance solution and have a competitive interest rate.

Your vehicle may also not be as new as the car dealership would have you believe. Many have realized to their horror at a later date, that they are in fact the second registered owner of the vehicle. Although the car is new, the car dealership sometimes transfers a few cars at the end of the month into their own name. This is to ensure they can keep up with manufacturer demand for that month. These cars will then be sold on as special offers to entice would be buyers. When you then come to the point where you wish to sell your vehicle, your car is near to worthless as it will become third hand goods.

Once you have found a trustworthy and reliable finance firm who works closely with the car dealerships and offers you car finance with no deposit required you need to work out how much you can afford. You may not be able to get the car of your dreams straight away, but obtaining the car you need and building up your credit rating is one step towards it.

Financing a car purchase is pretty easy if you know the right places to go to and the right things to do. The only problem only comes in when you have to pay back the loan under the different rates of interest. Even though that is a major factor to be considered it is never quite a real stumbling block. Using information in this article you should be able to get car finance loans with very few hassles.

Before you decide to actually try to source financing it is very important that you consider your present financial position. It does not help to get a loan approved when you will not be able to pay it back. So rather carry out a budget of all your monthly expenses and find out if the excess is enough for you to pay all due payments. In addition to this consider the uncertain expenses that may materialize every month.

The next and most obvious step is to actually visit the dealerships in your town and see what sort of car you want to buy. Have you monthly excess in mind so that you know which price ranges are suitable. After having done this you should then go home and make an evaluation of all the deals you got and ascertain which one you are going to ride with.

But that is not all. Credit scores and down payments are important factors to take into account. A good credit score means you are dependable debtor who pays back loans on time. On the other had a bad credit score means you will be putting the loan financier at financial risk of not being able to retrieve their money.

So if you have a bad credit score you had better wait until having cleared your debts to apply for a loan. A loan given when you have bad credit attracts high interest. Alternatively a good score means reduced interest rates. A down payment on a car also attracts a lowering of interest.

Your car should get a tune-up, or major service, every 30,000 miles. And, this is probably the best preventative maintenance tip a car owner could get. The components of a good tune-up will check into and replace all the things that cause normal wear and tear on your car. If tune-ups are missed, this could lead to damage and further problems that cost a lot more than a tune-up. In addition, tune-ups can give you better gas mileage. Best of all, tune-ups can be done on your own, saving you the high cost of labor.

Here are the things you will need to do as you tune your own car, as well as an explanation why it is strongly recommended.

1. Fuel Filter- You will want to replace your fuel filter. Dirty fuel filters can lead to difficulty starting the car, can restrict the engine, and cause the car to lose power.

2. Sparkplugs and sparkplug wires- you will want to replace these, as bad plugs can rob your car of fuel efficiency and even take away from drivability. Bad spark plugs can even cause breakdowns, meaning an expensive tow. Bad wires can also cause problems. (See our article on this process)

3. Distributor cap and rotor- these two parts are usually made of plastic, therefore they deteriorate with age and use and cracks may develop, allowing moisture in. Because of this, metal contacts on both can corrode, which causes misfiring.

4. Valves- you will want to check and adjust your valves as needed. Also, you will want to replace the valve-cover gasket, especially when you see oil on the top of your engine.

5. Belts- you will want to check all of your belts to make sure that they are not worn. If they show signs of extreme wear and tear (fraying, tension) you can replace those as well.

6. Air filter- A dirty air filter blocks airflow to the engine, making it work harder. This results in a decline in horsepower and fuel economy.

7. Fluids- check all of your fluid levels underneath the hood. If any appear to be thirsty, give them what they need. (Transmission, brake, etc.)

8. Battery- give your battery a cleaning. (see our article on this process)

9. PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation)- this should be replaced because a clogged breather filter prevents the PCV from siphoning the blow-by gases and moisture created by engine combustion. This results in oil breakdown and sludge buildup.

The previous nine tips are the usual for tune-ups. When giving your car a once-over, you may also want to check your brakes, wiper blades, lights and other gauges. Also, while much of the aforementioned parts can be changed with a major service every few years, from time to time, you may need to replace one or more as a stand-alone project. But, all in all, following this guide will keep you with a smooth, reliable ride!