Warning to everyone uncar savy. If your tire is punctured put on the spare ASAP.

[Pika...]

So, now I need to shell out $80 for a new tire because when I felt it go punctured I waited less than two minutes to finish getting to a friend's house to change it. Now instead of it being fixed free of charge at Discount tires I need to shell out for a new one. :smallsigh:

Just a heads up to other new/newer drivers out there.

If anyone would like to share any other "You did not know that?!" info for us new/newish drivers on here please do.

[Bhu]

Check your fluid levels weekly, especially if you have an older car. Doing this is better than the problems that could arise if you dont. 5 minutes a week is better than hundreds of dollars in repair.


If your oil light comes on, pull the car over NOW. Your engine can last as long sans oil as you can with no heartbeat.

[Eldonauran]

If your gas pedal stops revving the engine and providing acceleration, please do not keep pressing it or stomp on it. If your piston is stuck (for any reason), putting that much energy behind it is likely to free it and puncture the side of your engine block (or crack it).

Even if it is a dirty oxygen senor, do not floor the gas pedal... :smallannoyed:

[Winter_Wolf]

1. Maintenance schedules are guidelines, but it's better to follow them than not. It might cost $50-80 to change the radiator fluid, but a new radiator is about $180-300. Also, four oil changes in a year is still a lot cheaper than a new engine. (You might can do two in a year with newer model cars. Mine's old.)

2. Take the time to actually look under the hood of your car and see what you can get to and fix easily. You simply do not need to spend $50+ to change an air filter: ten bucks and two minutes and you can do it yourself, usually if not always without even needing any tools.

3. A well maintained car can and does get a lot more than 100,000 miles on the odometer and still functions perfectly well. Car dealers will lowball you if you try to trade in a car with that many miles on the odometer. Run your car into the ground. You'll probably be sick of the car before the car eventually dies. Likewise, you can buy used cars for a LOT cheaper than what the dealer claims is the value of the car. Never pay more than 1/2 the sticker price on a used car. Don't worry, they're still making money off of you, or they'd have scrapped the car for parts.

4. Contrary to popular belief/what the car dealers and manufacturers want you to believe, it's almost NEVER "cheaper in the long run" to buy a new or previously owned vehicle than it is to fix your current car (provided it was in good shape when you bought it; if you bought a lemon, it's probably better to buy a new car).

5. When buying from a dealership, a new car is always a better deal for you as a buyer than a used car, if you can afford it. If you can't afford it, think about saving up a little more until you can. The salesperson makes maybe $100-200 commission on a new car, but more like $500-1500 on a used car sale. That's like reaching into your pocket and just giving an extra $300-1300 to the guy, and getting nothing in return.

6. If the transmission goes on a car that's not warrantied for that kind of problem, it's better to buy a new car.

...Why yes, I did briefly work in the arena of automotive sales. :smallyuk:

[Eldonauran]

3. A well maintained car can and does get a lot more than 100,000 miles on the odometer and still functions perfectly well.

I can attest to this personally. My 1998 ford ranger (sport edition :P) is still kicking, never had to do anything to it other than new tires and brakes (oil and air filters, too). It is currently at 198,000 (and change) and going strong. :smallwink:

[Jimorian]

So, now I need to shell out $80 for a new tire because when I felt it go punctured I waited less than two minutes to finish getting to a friend's house to change it. Now instead of it being fixed free of charge at Discount tires I need to shell out for a new one. :smallsigh:

Just a heads up to other new/newer drivers out there.

If anyone would like to share any other "You did not know that?!" info for us new/newish drivers on here please do.

On the other hand, if you have a puncture in a place that's dangerous for any number of reasons (bad neighborhood, busy freeway with no shoulder, blind corner), it's much better to risk having to shell out a few extra dollars for a new tire and/or rim than to risk your life. Drive as long as necessary (at a safe speed for having a flat) until you're in a place you feel comfortable to stop.

[skywalker]

5. When buying from a dealership, a new car is always a better deal for you as a buyer than a used car, if you can afford it. If you can't afford it, think about saving up a little more until you can. The salesperson makes maybe $100-200 commission on a new car, but more like $500-1500 on a used car sale. That's like reaching into your pocket and just giving an extra $300-1300 to the guy, and getting nothing in return.

Wait a minute. Just because the car salesman makes a better commission on the used car, doesn't mean it's not a better deal for you too. A car with 100 miles for $50,000, or a car with 10,000 miles for $30,000? Sounds like I got a virtually new car for $20,000 less, and my salesman got a $1300 bonus for helping me get a better deal. I think I know which is the better deal. The used car is what we might call a "win-win." Car buying is not a competition between you and the car salesman to see who can get the most value. It's a fundamental misunderstanding of economics to say that just because the salesperson gets a better commission, you are not getting as good a deal.

[Winter_Wolf]

Wait a minute. Just because the car salesman makes a better commission on the used car, doesn't mean it's not a better deal for you too. A car with 100 miles for $50,000, or a car with 10,000 miles for $30,000? Sounds like I got a virtually new car for $20,000 less, and my salesman got a $1300 bonus for helping me get a better deal. I think I know which is the better deal. The used car is what we might call a "win-win." Car buying is not a competition between you and the car salesman to see who can get the most value. It's a fundamental misunderstanding of economics to say that just because the salesperson gets a better commission, you are not getting as good a deal.

Based on the attitudes of my ex-coworkers and their own words, I'd say it's exactly like the salesperson seeing how much they can soak you for. It's certainly the verbal mission statement of every manager I've spoken to in car sales. There most certainly ARE good car salespeople, but I sure as hell don't know any personally. Even Ed, who was just about one of the coolest sales managers I know, still had "a little" cutthroat in him. Also, the fine print on any and all warranties is that it's from when the car was truly new, not just "new to me". So you've got 10,000 miles less on your warranty, and however many months/years since it was first sold as a new vehicle. You can buy extended warranty to cover that a bit, but you need to factor that into the cost as well.

I'd like to add that if you're paying $30,000 for an "almost new" car with 10,000 on the odometer, the commission isn't going to be anywhere near $1300, so it's my fault for not being clear. I was really thinking more in the 3 year/30,000 mile range. If you're paying $30,000 on that and it's not tricked out, well let's just say I'd love to be the one selling that car to you. Then again, if you're looking at $50,000 cars at all, you're well enough off that I doubt you really need to worry about the salesperson's commission.

I may have personal bias about the way car dealers and dealerships operate, so take it as you will. :smallwink: