Icebound No More: Getting Your Car Unstuck

If you've done much driving in wintry weather, at some point your vehicle has probably been stuck on ice or snow. You might get stuck, but there are some tricks to getting your car moving again. For the purposes of this article, we'll assume that it’s stuck simply because the tires have lost traction on a slippery surface (that is, it's not in a ditch, and all four tires are on the ground).

First, keep a winter-driving emergency kit in your car. The contents of the kit should include the following items:

1. A bag of some gritty substance to offer traction for your tires. Common choices are sand, kitty litter, rock salt, or pea gravel.

2. Two long, thin lengths of carpet. A runner-style carpet that is cut in half lengthwise is ideal.

3. A spade shovel. If you're in an area where significant accumulations of snow are likely, consider adding a snow shovel as well. To conserve space, you can purchase these with folding handles at a camping or military surplus retailer.

Now, for getting unstuck:

When you realize that your vehicle is stuck, the best course of action is to avoid making the situation worse. As soon as you feel the tires begin to spin, take your foot from the accelerator. Hitting the gas and causing the tires to spin in place only packs down the ice or snow into a hard, smooth surface, making it harder for the tires to get any purchase.

Ease the car backward a little, and then gently rock it forward, up and out of any depression that spinning tires may have caused. If this doesn't work, turn your steering wheel hard in either direction, and try again to rock the car back and forth.

If you’re still stuck, now is the time to get out of the car and assess the situation.

Determine which direction is most likely to be successful. If you can, aim toward the closest ground surface where you're most likely to regain traction. Avoid going uphill. If there's an accumulation of snow, use the snow shovel to clear a path.

Use the spade to dig down underneath the front of the vehicle's drive tires (note that it must be drive tires that get traction; the others are incidental). If the surface just in front of the tires is packed down hard, try to score it or roughen it up a bit with the edge of the shovel.

Shovel some of the sand or gravel underneath the tires. It's essential that the tread come into contact with the sand. If necessary, you can get down and use your hands to push some of the sand under the tires. Then, spread a path of sand over the area you've cleared.

Going on the same premise as before (easy on the accelerator), try again to move the car forward. If you have people who are willing and physically able to push from behind, have them push. Make sure that they're to the sides of the car—not behind it—and ready to move out of the way in case the rear of the vehicle should skew or slide.

If the vehicle moves a few inches but then gets bogged down again, try the carpet as an alternative. Push the edges of the pieces underneath the tires. Should the car start moving again, it will at least be able to travel the length of the carpet.

If the vehicle moves forward, try to maintain the momentum without causing the tires to spin...and keep on going until you're on your way.

If the vehicle doesn't move at all, you may need to repeat the whole process again, possibly several times. In certain cases, you might even have to concede to necessity…and enlist the help of a local towing service.

It happens, unfortunately. But even if it does, at the very least you'll know that you used all the resources available to you, and did the best that you could on your own.

If You Are Looking For A Cheap Used Car Then Go Online To A Specialist

If you are looking for a cheap used car then you can do no better than to go online in your search for your car. A specialist will offer many helpful ways of allowing you to browse through hundreds of used cars in the shortest time possible without you even having to leave your own home.

Perhaps the biggest asset to helping you find a cheap used car is the used car search that specialist providers offer. You can begin searching for your used car by searching for the price, this narrows down the possibilities drastically so you can be assured that all the cars you look at online and consider, you can afford based on the budget you have set for yourself.

Once you have found your price range you can then set about narrowing this down for the exact make and model you desire, the extras and even the color. If you want to keep the search to your local area then you can do this and of course the area you search in should be given some consideration as you will have to travel when it comes to taking the test drive.

You are usually able to search through used car dealers and private buyers and depending on what your preferences are both have their benefits. Sometimes you can a great deal and make huge savings if you go with a private buyer providing that you know what to look for in a used car but very few provide warranties of any kind. While if you buy your used car from a dealer you will get a warranty and if you bargain can sometimes get something knocked off the asking price.

All specialist websites who offer a catalogue of used cars will give you a contact number so that you can ask questions, along with photos of the cars and plenty of information. Going online if you are looking for a cheap used car is the quickest way to find the car of your dreams and a specialist website gives you all the tools you need along with advice to help you buy your used car.

If You Are Looking For Used BMWs Then Search Online

Searching for a used car can be hard enough as it is but when you are looking for a particular make and model such as a BMW then travelling around used car dealers can take time and a lot of effort on your part, a far easier way to look over many is to go online and search with a specialist used car website for used BMWs.

All good specialist used car websites will give you tools to make finding your used car a whole lot easier and one of the best is a search engine, a search engine such as this gives you far more options than just searching broadly. You are able to narrow down your choice of car not only to used BMWs but also down to the exact model, colour, price and any extras which you want on the car including how big an area you wish to travel when it comes to going and taking a test drive of the car.

Once you have entered the search criteria then depending on how big the site is and how many cars are listed you will be presented with the results to look through which of course will all match the criteria you entered, this gets you off to a great start and saves an enormous amount of time wading through second hand cars you have no interest in.

Once you have some used BMWs to choose from then you can start to narrow them down even further. To help you do this you will be presented with photographs of the cars and while this isn’t quite the same as looking a car over in the showroom it can give you an excellent idea if you want to add the car to the shortlist. Some of the bigger used car websites will encourage sellers to post more than one picture such as the front, back, sides and interior of the car, if you are lucky then this is even better when it comes to helping you narrow down your choices.

While the photographs certainly help when it comes to deciding if you want to add the car to the shortlist it is essential that you read the listing of the car over, the listing is where you will find all the details regarding the car. if you are lucky then the seller will have taken the time to prepare a detailed listing to help sell the car, if not then it should at least include the basics.

Searching online for used BMWs is the quickest and easiest way to find your ideal car but you do have to be aware that while the majority of cars that are listed are what the seller claims they are there are some unscrupulous sellers out there that will try to pull a “fast one”. Take advantage of the advice and hints and tips a specialist used car website offers to help you decide if the listing you are interest in is really the good buy it seems to be.

If You Have A Bad Credit Rating Then Look For Car Finance Guaranteed

If you have got a bad credit rating or a less than perfect credit rating score then when looking to buy a new car you could have come across a very serious snag, you can’t get the credit needed because you are seen as a risk. If this is the case then you should consider looking for car finance guaranteed.

There are specialists websites that will offer car finance guaranteed to those who have poor credit ratings or who are having trouble finding a car loan for any reason and have been turned down by everyone. Sites such as these will offer credit for a car loan even if you have CCJ’s, mortgage arrears, low credit ratings or have no credit history at all, say on just leaving college and could be the only option available to you to finance your new car.

Your credit rating is what all lenders will look at when you apply for a loan of any kind and applying for a loan to buy a car is no exception. Lenders are very strict and if you have a poor history of credit either through no fault of your own or due to such as poor payment history, then it will be next to impossible to get a loan unless you look for a site that specialises in car finance guaranteed. Of course you won’t get the best rates of interest on the loan but at least you will get a loan.

While you can’t expect to get the cheapest rates of interest on your car loan, if you do go with a specialist site they will ensure that they shop around for you and get you the best deal possible. A specialist site will have the knowledge of where to look when it comes to getting car finance guaranteed for those who are having problems getting car finance and you simply won’t be able to get a better deal by looking around yourself.

If You Want To Buy A Honda Then Start Your Search With A Specialist Website

The easiest and quickest way to start your search when you wish to buy a Honda is to go online with a specialist website. A specialist used car search website will allow you to sift through private sellers and Honda dealers all from one page and display the listings for you to browse through.

While the specialist website will have many tools to help you when you want to buy a Honda, one of the most useful which gets you up and running is the search tool. The search tool is very similar to those you use online everyday except you are able to narrow down the criteria. By narrowing down the criteria you are quickly able to find a Honda within your price range, the area in which you wish to travel and that meets any other criteria you specify.

The choices you have when you are looking to buy a Honda are car dealerships and private sellers and there are good and bad points to both. If you choose to search with private sellers you can often get a bargain and the car of your dreams cheaper than with a car dealer. However when buying privately more care has to be taken to ensure that the car is legitimate, there are many honest sellers online but also some people with no ethics. Cars that have been stolen or deemed unfit to repair after being in accidents and which have a loan attached to them can be found for sale.

When you buy a Honda from a private buyer you have to make sure the seller is who they say they are, many will give just an email address and mobile number in the listing. If you are seriously considering buying the car then you have to get their full name, address and a landline number and check these online. You should also consider making a car data check online and this can be made with the vehicle identification number which can be found in several places on the car. An honest seller will not mind you looking the car over for the number or discourage you from making a check.

When you buy a Honda from a dealer then almost certainly the car will not have a dubious history, but again if in doubt check. Searching with Honda dealers will probably give you the biggest choice of cars and they will also give you the option of taking out finance for the car at the dealership. However this is not always the cheapest way to get a loan for the car, so check online for the different finance options available and rates of interest. If you take a loan independently and walk into the dealership with cash in hand then you can haggle with the dealer to get something knocked off the asking price.

Always make sure you take the advice that a specialist website will offer on all aspects of used car buying before you buy a Honda car. By doing so you can save yourself not only a great deal of time but also money and problems in the future, a specialist motoring website offer free articles and FAQs on everything from searching for a car to taking out finance.

If You Want To Sell Your Car Online Then Use A Reputable Used Car Website

There are many advantages to selling your car online rather than taking it to a dealership or advertising in newspapers and free-ads. To start with you will not get ripped off by a used car dealer and will be able to get what the car is worth. However perhaps the biggest advantage to selling online is that you will be able to reach a wider range of audience and some of that audience will be searching for the particular make and model of car that you are offering. However to make the most when of it when you want to sell your car online you should choose a reputable used car website with which to advertise.

The bigger the used car website then the more people it will attract so the better chance you will have of selling your car; you should look for one that offers an extensive range of tools for both the buyer and seller including a powerful search tool. If the buyer can search for the make, model and color of the car then the chances are that people who are looking for the model you are selling will come across yours.

If you want to sell your car online then you will have to give a lot of thought to the listing you are going to put on the site, you will want to try and make your car stand out as there can be hundreds of cars similar to yours online. However you do have to be totally honest in the description of your car, if the car has any faults then you have to list them and honesty is always the best policy. You should of course list all the features that could make your car stand out above the rest, pay special attention to any additional features of your car such as any extra safety measures you have installed on the car or features such as electronic windows, DVD players or features which you think make your particular car special.

One of the things which can make a huge difference as to how successful you could be when it comes to selling your car is the photographs which you take to accompany your listing. You should always take photos in clear light so that potential buyers can get a clear look at your car and also take them from different angles such as front, side and back and perhaps the interior. However a good point to remember before taking photographs is to give the car a wash and polish, making your car sparkle will go a long way to successfully attracting buyers. When advertising your car online one point to remember is to include your contact phone number, this is one of the most important points and it can be easy to make a mistake so always double check your contact details.

Choosing to sell your car online is one of the best choices you can make, a specialist used car website will give you all the tools needed to get your car advertised in the quickest time possible and brings thousands of potential buyers right to you.

Impact Of Hybrid Cars On Environment

The 21st Century is beginning to realise the full extent of the effect we have on the environment around us. If we continue to abuse it the way we have been for many years, who knows what the future will hold?The result of any changes we make now may not be seen for many years – perhaps not even in our lifetime. But our children and grandchildren will certainly be affected by what we do now, and the good news is there is a lot we can do to help the environment.

Hybrid cars could make a huge change to the amount of damage we inflict on our surroundings. The hybrid car’s impact on the environment is much less than the traditional cars we use day in and day out.The hybrid car’s impact on the environment comes from the fact that it uses rechargeable batteries to provide much of the energy needed for it to work. Not only does this mean they use far less gas for the same length journey that a normal car would use, they also produce much less in the way of emissions as well.

The hybrid car’s impact on the environment is such that if we all decided to trade in our old cars today and buy hybrid cars instead, the environment would breathe a huge sigh of relief almost immediately.Just think of all the emissions, harmful gases and pollution trapped inside the earth’s atmosphere. Much of this is as a direct result of the emissions kicked out by cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles. We’re reluctant to give up the sanctity of our cars, so why not take advantage of the hybrid car’s impact on the environment instead?Better air quality also means the worst affected areas will have less health problems to contend with. Asthma and other lung conditions are made worse by poor air quality, so changing to a more efficient mode of transport can help us in the here and now as well as in the long term.

In an ideal world the electric car will totally replace gas powered and even hybrid cars. These have a minimal impact on the world around us, but until then, the hybrid car’s impact on the environment is small enough to greatly improve the air we are breathing in every day.It’s just a question of how many of us will make the change for a better future.

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