Thursday, January 21st, 2010
Can you believe that it has been about a year and two months and I just got my first oil change in the 2008 BMW X5?
The dealer says to bring the vehicle in for it’s first service at either one year or 15,000 miles. I didn’t here the “one year” part. I was going on the mileage and it only reads a bit more than 13,000. Why the one year? Does oil get old if the car just sits? I mean, I drive it enough, just not a lot. Whatever.
A few days ago, I called the service manager and asked about bringing it in. He said that I should and we set up an appointment. The nice part is that BMWs come with a maintenance plan for four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. They handle all maintenance issues except for gas and tires. That’s makes the checkout at the dealer somewhat fun. You don’t even have to open your wallet. All you do is sign a few forms that describe the service that was performed and leave.
So here’s what happened. I pulled up to the dealership last Friday. Since I had never been there before for service, I had no idea where to leave the car. I walked inside and asked someone. They told me to pull the car right up to the big service door and it would open automatically. I thought that was neat. I got back in the car and pull it into the service bay. I parked the car and a few guys ran over to me. They pulled my paperwork and took my key. They plugged the key into the computer and downloaded all the information that was recorded on it. Don’t ask, I have no idea. Apparently, the car is a big computer that records all sorts of information, such as average MPH, MPG, seat settings and all sorts of stuff. It’s for them to know and for me not to care.
Anyway, I let them do their thing and I had a seat in the waiting area.
One thing I wasn’t aware of was the fact that there was a wireless connection in the waiting area. I could have brought my laptop to get some work done. Next time. Instead, I read a few pages of the book I brought along. I was probably better off doing that anyway.
There was also a guy walking about asking everyone if they needed a ride into Hartford. He had a shuttle and really wanted to drive someone someplace. If I had something to do, I may have taken him up on his offer. Since I am a fairly boring person, I sat there and waited.
I did start chatting with the young fella next to me though. He was 25 and interested in business. My eyes lit up when I saw how eager he was to learn. I sat there for about an hour teaching him about all sorts of things. He was all ears and made me feel very important. He must have read Dale Carnegie’s book, “How to win friends and influence people.”
2008 BMW X5 oil cap
Let’s get to the fun stuff. What does the dealer do for the first maintenance visit?
- Standard scope: basically hooks a machine to the PCM/computer and asks the car what it needs
- Brake fluid service: brake fluid flush
- Microfilter service: swap out the microfilter that filters the cabin air
- Low mileage annual oil service: change oil and filter
- Windshield cleaner: add windshield wiper fluid
- Wash and vacuum: I thought that was nice
The car was filthy and the wash and vacuum was the cherry on top.
There was also some software download that needed to get done, but would have taken another two hours. I was told that they could take care of that next time. Since 15,000 miles is almost here, I will have to go back for another service. That’s right around the corner. As the service guy put it, I’ll get another free oil change. I would prefer they not call it “free.” It’s more like, “included.”
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Thursday, September 25th, 2008
Jay G writes for a wide selection of websites on various topics. He is a veteran of the internet and has come to be respected in his many areas of expertise. This article was written on behalf of AutoLeeg, a popular used cars for sale website.
Buying And Selling Cars with Ease
Whether you are buying a car or selling one, you know how frustrating it can be. You need to find a buyer or a car quickly, but there are so many marketing options available. Which ones are the most effective? How can you be sure you are getting a good deal or selling your car for what it is truly worth?
Choosing the Right Car
For those who are buying cars, the first step in finding the right car is to decide the type of vehicle you want. You can spend hours scouring resources full of used cars for sale, but if you do not know what you want or need, you are going to struggle to find the right vehicle. First, make sure that you find a vehicle with enough space for your regular passengers. This does not just mean enough seats. Many of the vehicles with three rows of seats have very little legroom in the rear, so if you are transporting adults on a regular basis, your passengers will not fit, even though there is a seat for them.
Next, consider the amount of trunk or storage space you need. Will you be using the vehicle for vacations, or just for driving to and from work? Also, make sure you consider the gas mileage on the vehicle. With the ever increasing cost of gas, you need a vehicle that is as fuel efficient as possible.
Once you have an idea in mind as to the type of vehicle you want to buy, consider visiting an automotive dealership that has used cars for sale and test driving a few. This will give you a chance to check out the actual space inside the vehicle, get a feel for the engine, and see how comfortable the controls feel. Narrow down your search after visiting the dealership before you begin searching auto classifieds for a vehicle. However, be sure that you do not buy on this first visit. Car dealers can be pushy and make you feel like the deal they are offering is the best possible deal you will find, so you need to be tough to avoid this pressure. You will want to take time to search on your own for the truly best deal.
Sources for Used Cars
You can find the right car through a dealership, by shopping online, or through a private seller. The route you take depends on your preferences and the asking price of the vehicle. You can find cars for sale from private parties, in newspaper and magazine classifieds or by shopping online. Most people find that the Internet allows them to comparison shop and get a better price on the car they want to buy. Shopping online also helps buyers see a larger selection of autos, since they are limited to the inventory on hand when shopping at a dealership. Most dealerships also register with online classifieds, making the Internet the most convenient place to begin when buying a used car. There are many online automotive classifieds that are great tools to use when shopping for a used vehicle.
Financing Your Purchase
You can finance your purchase through a lender whether you purchase from a private party or a dealership. The best way to ensure that you get the car you really want is to get pre-approved for financing before you begin actively shopping. This will, of course, require that you have a car in mind so that you know the approximate amount of money that you need. Once you have chosen a vehicle and know the price, approach a lender and apply for a car loan. Once you are approved, you will be given a pre-approval notice that you can show a seller if you are ready to make a purchase. If other buyers who do not have pre-approval are interested in the vehicle, the seller will be more likely to choose you because you have the money ready to go.
How to Determine a Car’s Value
Whether you are buying or selling cars, you need a way to determine the value of the vehicle. You can use many tools to help you set determine the value of a particular vehicle. One way to do this is to look in automotive classifieds to see what the asking price of similar vehicles is. Of course, you have no way of knowing based on classifieds alone whether or not the price a particular seller is asking is too high, but this can give you a general feel for the current market.
One tool you will want to use when determining the value of a vehicle is Kelley Blue Book. This guide, which is available online, allows you to see the average listing or selling price of a vehicle that is the same make, model, year, and condition as the vehicle you are either buying or selling. Keep in mind that Kelley Blue Book is a national guide, so the fair price in your location may be slightly lower or higher than the Blue Book value. The bottom line about the value of a car is that it is worth what the buyers in the market are willing to pay. If you are selling a car and have it priced just below Blue Book value, yet no one is willing to pay that, you have the car priced too high for your market.
How to Advertise a Used Car for Sale
Sellers have basically three options to use to advertise their cars. The first is to place a sign in the window and drive the car around town or park it in a visible location. The second option is to advertise in paper classifieds, such as automotive publications or the local newspaper. This can be an effective way to sell a vehicle, but it can also be quite pricey. The third option is the use online classifieds.
Sellers can benefit greatly from using the Internet to help them sell their cars. Just as shopping online provides the buyer with more cars to choose from, selling online provides a wider customer base. There are many free and low cost automotive classifieds websites that advertise used cars for sale. This makes the marketing simple, as the owners of the classifieds sites will promote their sites and draw in the buyers. All the buyer has to do is set the price, submit the information, and then sit back and wait for the vehicle to sell.
Finalizing the Sale
Whether you are a buyer or a seller, finalizing the sale of a used car is basically the same. Once the buyer and seller have agreed to a selling price, the buyer will present the money, usually in the form of a check, to the seller. The seller will then sign the title over to the buyer. At this point, the vehicle is considered sold, and the buyer can drive away in his new vehicle.
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Thursday, March 27th, 2008
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While virtually everyone is familiar with the use of biodiesel as a substitute for diesel fuel, there are a few novel uses that may not have crossed your radar. Biodiesel can produce hydrogen, clean up oil spills, degrease your tools, heat your home, and more.
Does the Human Brain Possess Potential Super-Powers?
Some of the most incredible minds on Earth lack the ability to filter irrelevant facts and can retain information at incredible rates. Somehow their brains are able to store & access incredible loads of info, even perceiving & relating to this info in an entirely different way. Some scientists even believe that our brains could possess super-power.
Top 10 2008 Hybrids
Hybrid rankings have often been simplistic: Most are little more than lists of the highest-mileage models on the market. Here, we ranked hybrids based on how much fuel savings they get when compared to their non-hybrid version, as well as how much all that saved gas is going to cost you.
Vista SP1: Threat or Menace?
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Paint on Solar Power!
The idea is to coat every piece of steel cladding with a solar cell paint. As steel is passed through the rollers multiple coatings of of the solar cell system are applied to it. Based on the preliminary research, the materials that are being applied are suited to capturing low level solar radiation, which means that they should work just as well.
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