Carsut – Understand cars and drive better

Tag: tips

  • Texting while driving

    texting while driving
    Texting while driving is a very bad habit that most teenagers get used to do it. In Carsut’s car driving lessons, we often discourage anyone to send text messages while driving because it leads to a high risk of having car accidents. Distracted driving is dangerous especially when your concentration is not on the driving but something else – composing a text messages, trying to play a song from your car stereo, listen to loud music, trying to style your hair, or simply talking to other passengers. In that case you are driving irresponsibly. Thus, it should be strictly prohibited and not allowed to text and drive although the law in certain countries isn’t saying you can’t compose or send text messages while driving.

    Most people go into the “chatting” mood when they are texting each other. If the conversation is about Hawaiian Pizza, you may start imagine about pizza and relatively forget that you are actually driving. What if the conversation is about sexy girls? Will you still be able to drive a car properly? Moreover, with the advance technology we are having today, messages can be reached in seconds. Be it LINE, WhatsApp, email, Facebook chat, IM, or Yahoo Messagers, all these apps in your smartphone will certainly influence your driving when they beep or informing you a message has reached. Let’s look at some statistics and facts that related to texting and driving.

    Texting and Driving Statistics

    • About 50% of teenager drivers admit that they used to send text messages while driving.
    • Roughly 14% of drivers admit that they are surfing the internet while driving. What a dangerous act!
    • Approximately half a million car accidents are caused by texting while driving.
    • There are pedestrians were killed by young driver due to texting while driving each year.
    • The risk of car crash for drivers who text and drive is approximately 20 times higher than non-distracted driving.

    Texting and Driving Facts

    • Most drivers especially teenagers drive out of their lane while they are texting or playing with their phones.
    • When a teenager is over into the phone, he or she is not able to see if any vehicles come close by.
    • At the speed of 120mph, if you were distracted by a message and it takes 5 seconds to read it, your car will travel 0.17 miles without a driver.
    • Majority people understand that they shouldn’t be texting while driving but they are addicted to it and still do it.

    Distracted Driving Story

    Here we have got a story told by an American R&B singer Alicia Keys when she shares some of her firsts with PEOPLE contributor Kelly Carter. “The first time I heard my music on the radio… I was driving down the BQE (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway) in my first car and I almost out of control.” said Alicia Keys “Oh my God! I’m almost crashing into the orange construction things on the road. I was screaming… by myself, by the way.”

    Safety always comes first. Whether texting while driving has been outlawed in your state or your country, you should not do it under any kind of circumstances. You are just look like an idiot by doing so. For more safety driving tips, see also driving in the rain and how to parallel park a car.

  • Driving in the Rain

    Driving in the rain
    Driving in the rain can be challenging, exciting, and difficult especially during heavy rain day. This is because the road surface is wet and your car tires will lose traction and do not grip the wet road as good as dry road. During raining day, drivers feel harder to see incoming vehicles, vehicles at the back, road signs, and may not notice if someone is giving signals. Thousands of car accidents happened every year during raining day. Thus, if you are often driving in the rain, these tips are just so useful to you that might save your life.

    Tips and techniques

    • Many holes have been covered with water during raining day and you will never know if it is a huge hole or just water. If you are not sure whether there is just water in front of you or a huge hole, try to avoid it. Be smart, avoid it better than going through it and crash your own car.
    • Hydroplane could be happen if your speed is too fast, tread dept, water dept, or some other reasons. In case your car starts to hydroplane, remember, DON’T PANIC. Do not accelerate or brake the car suddenly. The biggest mistake people did is applying the brake suddenly due to panic. Hydroplaning is a lost of traction in front tires, sudden brake will lock the front tires and this could cause a spin out for any front-wheel-drive (FWD) or rear-wheel-drive (RWD) cars. It could be dangerous if you accelerate the car suddenly if there are other vehicles traveling in front of you or you are heading the edge of the road. The correct way to deal with hydroplane is to ease off the gas, look for open space and try to steer to the direction.
    • Never use cruise control during raining day. This is because cruise control will automatically provide more gas to the fuel system when the car slows down. In case of emergency happen like hydroplane, the system may try to provide more gas.
    • It is inevitable if someone else hit your car but you can avoid yourself hitting others during wet day. Try to stay in the middle lane or second lane during wet day because water tends to pool in the lower side (both outside lanes). Also, do not keep your car too close to other vehicles. Remember the 3 seconds rule need to change to 5 seconds during raining day.
    • Defog your windows if you are driving in a rainstorm. It helps you to see the road clearly.
    • Turn on high speed wiper if the rain is very heavy. Otherwise, use the minimum speed if the rain is little. High wiper speed is disturbing if the rain is very little.
    • Brake earlier with less force when you see something isn’t right happen in front of you. Emergency brake is always not encouraged during wet day.
    • Avoid following large vehicles or vehicles with wheels larger than 20-inch. Water will spray to block your vision if you are behind them. Either drive slower to avoid them or overtake them.

    Safety

    • Slow down boy! Driving in high speed will increase the risk of having an accidents because the road becomes slick with water. It is easier to stop the car if your speed is below 50 mph compared to above 100 mph. So, please slow down.
    • Switch on your headlights or double signals if the rain decreases your visibility to others.
    • Get a complete emergency kit for your car if it doesn’t have one. Do not buy those cheap emergency kits that don’t have enough equipment.
    • Other than knowing what to do in the rain, it is a must to check your car tires thread. In our car buying guide – inspect a used car before buying it, we mentioned before that a good way to check the tire tread is to use a penny to go through the tread. If you are able to see Lincoln’s head, it is time to get a replacement. Other than tire tread, tire rotation, tire pressure, balancing and alignment should be checked on time too.
    • Be more alert. Watch out for signals, high beam, or brake lights from other vehicles.
    • Rushing in the rain is definitely not a good thing. Give your self more time to travel by leaving the house of office earlier.

    Unforeseen circumstances

    • Old wiper may suddenly stop working while you are driving in the rain. First, do not panic. The best way is to turn on the double signals, pull over and stop your car at the emergency lane. We do not recommend you to continue drive the car especially heavy rain. The best way is to check if your wiper is functioning properly from time to time and replace your wiper blade when it is in bad condition.
    • Always notice your car dashboard symbol and see if some warning lights have turned on. Here you can find some of the common dashboard symbol and explanation at learning to drive a car.
    • If your air conditioning (AC) or defrosters is not working or your car doesn’t have an AC, the windscreen will mist up when the inside temperature is higher than outside temperature. Try to wind down the window a little bit to allow the colder air flow in from outside. If it is not working, stop the car beside and use a rag or tissue to clean it up.

    Besides several points mentioned above, there are many other things where you need to be more cautious. Why not hang around in a shopping mall, restaurant, 7-11, coffee shop, grocery stores or reschedule your appointment if you are not in hurry for your journey? Well, we know that’s in the perfect world otherwise no one will need the art of driving in the rain.

  • 12 Best Car Pranks

    GPS in Korean
    Pranks and jokes can always bring laugh to our society especially a funny and harmless one. Here we have shared a dozen of funny car pranks that you can pull on anyone’s car easily. Some of these pranks are just illusion but it brings an unexpected result while some require a little knowledge about car. We guarantee any of them is a great one to play around.

    Red wine wiper fluid

    Okay, you don’t really need to use red wine or the expensive Lafite. Buy some liquid food coloring from any grocery stores that looks like wine color and drip and few drop into the wiper fluid reservoir. Your victim will be shocked when he needs to clean the windshield. In order to make it more interesting, you can get the liquid color that looks like blood. Tips: to get an instant effect, make the windshield dirty with some bird shits!

    When you brake, the car horns

    The sound of horn is good to alert passengers or other drivers but it is very irritating if someone always horn. But now you are going to make your victim’s car horn every time he steps on the brake. Rewiring the horn with the brake, make the brake horns every time the driver applies the brake and all you need to do is stand there and watch the show.

    Flying wipers

    Remove the wiper nuts and cover it back with the rubber plug. The wiper will fly away when the victim turns it on. PS: This prank is not completely harmless.

    Ghost voice in the car

    Pre-record some ghost voices or scary sound in a CD and place it into the stereo of your victim’s car. Turn the volume to the loudest and the sound will come out once the victim turn on the ignition. Now that’s pretty shock and scary!

    Wake them up now

    It’s not often the driver is the victim, now the driver gets to play some pranks to the passengers. If you are on a long journey and some of your passengers have fall asleep, it is your turn to play a prank. First, make sure there are no other vehicles close to you. Second, slow down the car to about 20 km/h (10 mph) and apply the e-brake. Hahaha, all the passengers will wide awake.

    Change the GPS language

    Change the GPS default language to some other foreign languages that the victim doesn’t understand. Be it Chinese, Korean, or Japanese. The GPS will say “Qian Mian Zhuan Jor” instead of “Turn left in front”. It will at least take an hour for them to figure out how to revert it back to English.

    Make the car flood with golf balls

    This funny car prank requires some investment but it can be played again on other victims. Go to a second hand golf stores and purchase 1,000-2,000 used golf balls from them. Borrow your friend’s car key and pour all the golf balls into the car. It will be best if the car has sunroof. Otherwise, open the window a little bit and pour the golf balls in carefully. Stay back, prepare a video camera and watch the show. Do not forget to upload the funny video to Youtube afterwards.

    Give a free upgrade to your victim

    Use an unknown number to call your victim and inform him he has got a free upgrade from the dealer. Inform him he can drive the car to the nearest dealer and get a free GPS, stereo systems, and alloy wheels. Tell him it is just a funny prank when you feel he is very excited to top. Nay~

    Exotic cars and sexy girls

    This is more like a prank to your friend who don’t own a car. Rent an exotic car like Ferrari 458 Italia or McLaren MP4-12C, get a few super sexy girls and have them send you to your school or working office. Make sure you have arranged your friend to wait you at the car park.

    Where the damn sound coming from?

    Attach and fishing line to the back of your targeted car and tie it up with some empty aluminum cans. Hide these aluminum cans under the car and they will make some noises that shock the driver when he starts driving.

    Simply weird prank

    This is one very classic car prank without any special technique but it will make the victim feel weird. First, get the car key or copy a spare key of your victim’s car. Get into the car and adjust the seat height, change the stereo radio station, replace the perfume with different smell and etc. There are many things you can do to make the victim feels weird and scary.

    Sex doll prank

    Buy a blow-up sex doll from the store and leave it in the rear seat without letting your victim see it. Attach it to an automatic air pump that uses 12V battery power from the car battery. The inflated sex doll will be blown up when the car runs. This prank works best on nerd or anyone that looks nerd!

    A dozen of car pranks is not enough? Don’t worry there is more at: harmless car pranks, funny car pranks, pranks to pull on cars, and disappearing car prank.

  • Step 9: Making the deal

    BMW Mini Cooper
    It comes to the deal when you have decided to buy a car. Do not be over excited with the new car you are buying and overlook some other important things including insurance, loan rates, processing fees, registration fees, ownership endorsement fees, extended warranty and sales tax which vary from state to state. Do not forget about incentives and rebates if you are buying a new car. If you are buying it with your company name, these fees could be doubled.

    Steps to deal a new car

    Ask for a complete quotation from the salesperson who arranged the deal with you. Bring the quotation home and view it in a stress-free environment if you are not in a hurry to seal the deal. In that way, you can clearly review the amounts and see if other expenses are too high. If the salesperson is giving you the best car price but with sky high insurance or loan rate, you can still buy the car from him but not the insurance and loan. Double check the invoice and see if there are redundant charges such as processing fees, handling fees or miscellaneous fees. All these refer to the same thing. You can request the dealer to have these extra fees removed. If they refused to do so, look for another dealer.

    If there is no problem on the invoice, you can request the salesman to deliver the car to you at your convenience. You will have to check the car properly before signing the contract. Make sure you have gone through the car from head to toe before you nod your head to confirm the car. A person who had just bought a new car told Carsut that the dealer who delivered the car to his house showed him how a thief can open the car and drive it away without the key. They showed the whole process in front of him and tried to sell him additional security items to protect the car. Besides, a salesperson will always take this opportunity to sell you extended warranty, steering lock or a GPS locator. We recommend you turn down all these things, otherwise it will end up an extra few hundred or few thousand dollars. You may only consider extended warranty when you feel it is really needed in your situation.

    There will be several forms to sign including the loan contract, insurance contract, transfer ownership of your trade-in (if you have one), and new car registration form. DO NOT HURRY! Nothing to rush about. Read every form one by one carefully before signing it. Last but not least, check if all the options and accessories are there when the salesperson passes you the key. If you are buying a full options model, make sure everything is there, for example, paddle shift, GPS system, 18” wheels or special edition body kit.

    Steps to deal a used car

    Things could be easy if you are paying cash for the deal. Make sure what you are getting is the same car that you have inspected (Refer to Step 7.1 Inspect a used car before buying it). Make sure there are no scratches and no parts have been replaced since the day you inspected the car. Compare it with the pictures you took on the inspection day if you are suspicious about the car.

    If you are planning to finance the car, compare to see who is giving you the best rate; dealer, bank, credit union, online lender or some insurance companies that provide car loans. Financing through a bank is highly recommended because it is easier and usually cost less.

    The dealer will prepare all the documents and sales contract for you if you are buying from them. Still, you will need to read through everything written in the contract before signing it. Ask the dealer to amend the contract if you find something is not right.

    If you are lucky to get a great deal from a private seller, you may request the seller to prepare an automobile bill of sale. This is very important because it serves as a legal contract between buyer and seller (Refer to Step 9: Bill of Sale for more details). You can also print it out and use it for the deal. It is either the seller or the buyer do the leg work to transfer the title and registration. You can request the seller to do this before making the payment. In some cases, buyer and seller will have to do it together to have everything transferred on the same day. You will have to make sure you have insurance for the car you bought.

    Last but not least, check again everything from head to toe and compare the car with the pictures you took on the day you inspected the car. If there is nothing wrong, all you need to do is get the key and go for a ride.

  • Step 8: Selling your car

    used cars
    There are ways to sell a car and turn it into cash. It is either fast or slow way. The biggest temptation for dummies when prepare to sell a car is to rush things. Based on our experience, no dealers or buyers will offer a good price for an urgent sale vehicle. We understand that there are times when one needs money urgently but at least show poker face. Here we created five easy steps to sell a vehicle.

    Step 1: Determine the market value

    Go to some famous websites to find out the average market value for your vehicle. You can also make use of online car classified websites like eBay to see what the price others are selling. Make use of the sorting function in eBay and you can find out the cheapest and the highest price. Forums, local newspapers and car classified magazines are some other good sources. A vehicle usually has three prices which include:

    • Lowest price: This price is what the dealer will offer to the seller for the first time. It is the lowest price based on the model year. As a seller, you should treat it as the lowest offer and always ask for a higher price.
    • Standard price: This is the price between the highest and the lowest.
    • High price: High price usually comes from private sellers who hope to get more cash or create more room for bargain. If you think your car is in good condition compared to others, you may aim for this price.

    Step 2: Know where to sell a car

    In our opinion, there are four ways to sell a car.

    Sell it to dealer

    The fastest way to sell a car is to go to a reputable dealer. Trustworthy dealer often has adequate cash on hand and they are able to buy your car immediately. However, you will never get high price because a dealer needs profit. What you lose is usually what they earn. Dealer will offer the lowest price, bargain at least three times with them. Ask for more if your car is in good condition, for example, your mileage is lower than average, your car has full options, your car is the most wanted and popular color, your dashboard is still shining or you have just replaced all tires. Dealers will usually offer higher price if you are trading in the car and buying a new car from them. Dealer’s highest price means higher than the lowest but lower than the standard as mentioned in Step 1. Trade-in is often the fastest way to get rid of old one and get a new ride.

    Sell it on eBay

    The most attractive thing to sell an item on eBay is the auction system. You can set the starting price of your vehicle and let others bid it. REMEMBER to set the reserved price otherwise you may have to sell it at the price lower than your reserved price when the bidding ends. Beware of scams we mentioned in Step 6 Buying a used car. Avoid meeting up with buyer at secluded places or at night. The key to successfully sell a car on eBay is to present what is the best you have. State all the details of the car and give good description about the car. Wash the car and shoot a few nice pictures of it. It is recommended to remove the registration plate number by Photoshop before uploading it.

    Sell it online

    Other than eBay, there are many popular websites to sell a car privately including Autotrader and Motortrader.

    Other ways to sell it yourself

    In old days when the internet is not popular, people will print the word “FOR SALE” and stick it at the windows on each windscreen. You can still do it today. Sometimes it works well. Local newspapers, car classifieds or magazines are other good ways to sell a vehicle.

    In the used car market, there are many brokers who try to arrange the deal between a buyer and a seller. You may receive calls from a broker after you have placed your advertisement. Ask if the caller is a broker once you receive a call. It is not recommended to give permission to sell or hand the car to a broker. We also recommend you to screen the caller, avoid arranging the viewing at your house or you should give up the sale if the caller sounds suspicious.

    Step 3: Things to do before selling it

    • Imagine yourself a genuine buyer, will you choose a dirty car? The first sight is important and therefore, wash it before arranging for anyone to view it. Consider polishing or detailing the car inside out if it looks dull. Clean the wheels, clear the windshield, and clear the interior. Hygienic seats, shining tires, spotless dashboard, dust-free floor mats and sparkling engine are what buyers expect to see.
    • We have viewed over hundreds of used cars in a year and we found more than 80% of the cars are full with junks. Tissues paper, boxes, toll receipts, documents, tree leaves, children’s toys, books, among others. Make sure these things are no longer in the car.
    • Prepare all related documents you have, including service history, parts replacement receipts or log book.
    • If your car has involved in a minor collision, dented or scratches, you may consider fixing it up to get better selling price if the repair cost is not high.
    • Last but not least, make sure the fuel tank has enough fuel for genuine buyer to test drive. Fuel gauge with the pointers point to F (Finish) shows how stingy an owner you are.

    Step 4: Promote the car

    Buyer will not know how well you have maintained the car. You need to convince them by showing the service record as a proof. Let them know the engine oil, oil filter, air filter and all fluids are changed according to schedule. Tell them if you are using grade one or high quality product to make the car better.

    Step 5: Be confident with your price

    As a buyer, you know how to bargain for the best price when buying a used car as mentioned in Step 7.2 Questions to ask when buying a used car. Now you as a seller, should have confidence with your selling price. Set a price and do not let the buyer go below it no matter what excuse they give. Often you will hear something like:

    “I like your car very much, but the price is a little bit high for me.”

    “I like your car but it is beyond my budget.”

    “This is the third car I have viewed but it is a bit expensive compared to the other two.”

    “What is your best price?”

    “I would offer $…, will you consider that?”

    All these bargain techniques from a buyer are normal. You should stay firm at your expected price and if the buyer is a prospective, the deal will be sealed. Otherwise, wait for the next potential buyer.

    Step 6: Close the deal

    Collect a down payment from the buyer once they have confirmed to buy the car. It can be of any amount, 5 to 10% of the car price sounds reasonable. If the buyer requests to send the car to his mechanic for inspection, go ahead. It is important to have a vehicle bill of sale and state everything clearly with signatures from the buyer, the seller, and the witnesses. If the buyer is paying cash for the deal, you could transfer the ownership to him after the payment has been made. If he is going to buy it with loan, you may have to keep the car until his loan is approved and the payment is made to you. Keep the log book until payment is completed. Last but not least, pass the car together with the key to the new owner and wish him all the best with the new ride.