Write About Everything

Energy Level – This is a very important area to consider. Is your family active? Do you like to go hiking, running, or take long walks with a dog? Or would you prefer a more laid back, couch potato? Without proper exercise an energetic dog will develop behavioral problems down the road. And you don’t want a lazy dog if you dream of bringing your dog on adventures with you.

pick a part To replace the antenna, first turn on your 4Runner so the motor is running and the radio is off. Use needle nose pliers and insert the tips into the slots on the antenna mast motor nut and remove it.

Check with friends or business associates to see where they get their car serviced. Many shops offer free shuttle transportation when you drop off or pick up your car. If you have a more exotic car, be sure they specialize in that kind of car. Since the cost of parts can often be more than the cost of labor, you should realize that OEM parts from a dealer usually cost 50% more than the same parts from a good after market supplier, when available. But your dealer always uses OEM factory parts. And items like tires, brakes, filters and routine maintenance parts are inevitably a good bit more expensive from the dealership.

front bumber Not so long ago I was at a trade show. There I met a business owner who told me she tracks everything! (Now imagine her head nodding and then shaking as she says, I track everything…EVERYTHING!) I agreed that it is a wonderful thing, and figured that since she tracks everything, she would be able to pop an answer to my following question right off the top of her head: What percent of gross revenues go to pay for marketing? In other words, how much does it cost you to get a sale? She looked at me with a confused look.

Truthfully, used car parts will save you money. Obviously it is cheaper than buying brand new car parts, but do you think you’ll be getting the same quality? That is something you should be concerned about. Fortunately, most auto parts recyclers will offer a warranty with their parts. They also have a full database which makes it much easier, and quicker to locate parts than at a dealership. Even if they don’t have the part you need, they can get it to you pretty quickly.

pull a part If the last time you visited a junkyard was more than a decade ago, you may be surprised by the changes. Long ago, the carcasses of automobiles were strewn lazily throughout a plot of dirt. If you needed to find a particular component, you would spend time looking through the wreckage hoping to stumble upon it. Asking an employee for help was a hit-or-miss proposition; they would often be unaware of the items within their inventory.

Shock absorbers are another important and often overlooked component. Worn shocks mean faster tire and suspension wear, particularly the ball joints in the front end. It’s relatively easy to check a shock’s performance. Push down swiftly on the fender of your car over each of the four wheels. New shocks should be pretty stiff and recover from a hard shove with only a single rebound. If the car bounces up and down several times above the wheel, the shocks are worn and should be replaced. These are not expensive and a good tire dealer can stick in a quality set like Monroe Shocks for little more than $100 for all four on many models of cars.