Rich Wilson of Auto Valet Loader invented an innovative loader which automatically “valets” your car in and out of an enclosed car trailer.   Normally you drive your car up the ramp into the trailer and if you’re skinny enough to squeeze out a door or window, you secure your car.

With Wilson’s invention attached to your trailer, you simply drive up onto the Auto Valet, put the car in neutral and the hassle loading, securing and wiggling out of the trailer is eliminated.

The remote control starts loading and unloading cars in a few minutes.  It quickly secures the vehicle with a locking mechanism.

Toyota announce another recall which will affects nearly a quarter million cars in the Lexus luxury models.   Toyota is recalling 90,000 cars in Japan and may recall another 137,000 in the U.S. market at a later date.

Toyota did not specify the make or mode of the Lexus, but stated that there is a faulty valve spring which cause certain V8 and V6 engines to stall in traffic.

Toyota recently halted sales of the Lexus HS 250h hybrid and is recalling 13,000 vehicles sold due to a possible fuel leak in a rear end collision.

The catalytic converter plays an important role in your car’s exhaust system by removing harmful pollutants from the exhaust. But sometimes you need to have your catalytic converter repaired which is often costly.  The good thing is that the converter has a 7 year or 70,000 mile warranty; the, bad thing is that catalytic converters often fail long after warranties expire.

The first indication that your converter is no longer working is when you fail your biannual emissions test.  This test determines the pollutant levels of Carbon Dioxide (C02) and Ozone (O2) in your exhaust and fails your car if it exceeds levels set by your state.

Sometimes your engine is the cause of the emission failure, but often you catalytic converter just needs replacing.  Your mechanic will determine the source of your car’s problem.

If you take your car to a dealer, the dealer usually replaces the entire exhaust system all the way down to the muffler.   This is a costly repair.  You may want to look at alternative solutions such as taking your car to a Muffler Repair Shop.

The Muffler Repair Shop will cut out the faulty converter and weld in a new one.  This repair will cost a fraction of the cost.

Before you have your emissions retested, “break in” your converter by driving your car for a few days.

By repairing your catalytic converter, your car will emit less pollution that is harmful to the environment.  With a simple replacement of the converter, you can save money which could be come a costly repair.

Photo Credit: Podknox

April 2010 US Auto Sales showed sizeable gains over depressed 2009 levels.  Ford and Nissian Motors led the way with double digit gains posting sales increases of over 25 pct. GM sales showed a positive increase of last year April sales figures.

Consumer confidence returned as Government stimulus packages helped stem the Greatest Recession in the post WW II era.  Expensive consumer items such as automobiles were hit hard as buyers curtailed spending as panic set in.

Recent gains in the stock market and a glimmer of hope that unemployment has stabilized helped April sales with large gains.

Ford, who did not require a bailout package, showed favorable quarterly profit of over $2B USD.  GM fared just as well by repaying bailout loans years ahead of schedule.

Approximately 167,000 Acura TSX vehicles made between ’04 – ’08 are are among the latest set of recalls issued by automobile manufacturers.  The affected TSX cars were sold in the US with the 2.4L inline 4-cylinder engine.

The power steering hose could crack causing fluid to leak onto a hot exhaust component which potentially cause smoke or fire.

Acura will replace the power steering hose, o-ring gasket and power steering fluid at no cost to the TSX owner.  Owners of affected cars will be notified of the recall starting at the end of May 2010.

For more recall information please visit: http://owners.acura.com/recalls/

Photo: alex4981

The 2011 Ford Explorer 4WD will sport an intelligent traction control system that is easy to understand.  The icon-based system supports five different traction modes.   The majority of the time the Explorer will operate in the normal mode for regular driving conditions.  The other modes include conditions where there is sand, mud, snow and hill decent.

“Talking with customers told us that flexibility and freedom to tackle any road, anytime is important to them,” said Explorer Chief Nameplate Engineer Jim Holland. “We saw the opportunity to eliminate a compromise by adding an intuitive and efficient terrain management system that can demystify four-wheel-drive control and enable the driver to properly match 4WD traction to the situations and road conditions they encounter.”

Ford (F:NYSE) just announced a first quarter profit of $2.1 billion.  The new Explorer model should contribute to future company profits as drivers see and use the new traction control system.

Photo by: Flickr User klynslis

Every year, our roads and highways are becoming more crowded with millions of vehicles. Many people are choosing to travel long distances by car.  We no longer travel close to home, and work often involves road travel at all hours of the day and night.

Our mobile lifestyle has resulted in road travel problems such as vehicles breaking down on the side of the road and an increased risk of a vehicle accident. Fortunately, there has been a solution created to ease anxieties about vehicle problems when driving along our highways and byways.

An auto membership offers many benefits that will ease daily living.

During your daily routine, whether it is work or family activities, an auto membership will help ensure that you do not get in a stressful situation with no one to help.

One of the biggest concerns about driving is having an accident or having a car break down in an isolated area with no one available to provide assistance. One of the major advantages of an auto membership is emergency roadside service.

The last thing you want is to be hurrying to a meeting or work, or taking your kids to school and have a car break down.

If you have a car problem that requires a flat tire change, a tow service or a battery jump, with one phone call, someone will be dispatched to your location to help you get back on the road. Many times, a person can find them in such situations as lost or stolen keys, keys left in a locked vehicle, running out of essential vehicle fluids, or the gas tank runs empty.

In these types of situations a person from roadside assistance will come to your location to replace a lost key, and add such fluids as anti freeze, brake fluids, motor oil…etc.

If you are a person who loves to vacation by car, an auto membership can be very helpful. If you are in an accident while traveling, some auto memberships will provide compensation for such expenses as transportation home, hotel, and food expenses.

An auto membership can also provide such assistance as trip routing, discounts on recreational activities such as water parks, and discounts on cruises, hotels, restaurants, local attractions, theme parks, car rentals, and much more.

They can even offer road maps and travel guides. As well, there are essential traveling products that one can acquire for their trip such as no-fee traveler’s checks, travel insurance, medical insurance, emergency check-cashing services, and much more.

There are auto club memberships where customer service representatives will help you find a new car. They will provide helpful information such as the history of maintenance and repairs, retail sticker prices, options, safety features, mileage, and more. There even auto clubs that can provide such insurance policies as auto, flood, medical, and life. They can also provide driver training programs.

Depending on the features you are looking for with an auto club membership, there is a plan that can meet each individual’s needs. By purchasing an auto club membership, your daily living routine and vacations will be much more relaxing and you will be reassured knowing that you are protected.

Auto club provides travel insurance and CAA travel packages. Make sure you have CAA insurance for your next exclusive getaway. CAA ensures you are protected while you travel with worldwide health assistance and extensive coverage.

Even though it may seem hard to believe, it is easily possible for one to find cheaper car rentals in the current economic downturn.  Instead of putting expensive miles on your car, opting for a cheaper car rental is actually preferable when planning a trip.

To ensure that you have every chance of locating the cheapest car rental, it is important that you take the following things into considerations.

Car rental companies are known to base their premium based on certain factors, which if you are aware of will ensure that you have every chance of finding cheapest car rentals.

Don’t Rent Cars from the Airport

Now you may be asking your self why as this is one of the most convenient options when it comes to booking a rental car. The reason being is that booking a rental car from the airport usually includes an excess airport fee that is included in your premium.

Depending on how far the airport is from the city center, which in nearly all cases is at least an hour’s drive, is also known to increase the initial period that you would have to pay. You would be better of going for cheapest car rentals from somewhere in the area that you are staying.

Make sure you do not go for Unknown Car Rental Companies

It is very important that you only rent out cars from well known and used car rental agencies. If you end up booking with a company that is not so well known, there is always a risk factor of having to pay hidden costs.

The cars that they may provide could also be unreliable as such unknown companies would not have a set standard to maintain in comparison to one that is widely known and used.

Booking in Advance

To make sure you have every chance of getting cheapest car rentals with well known rental companies, it is important that you try and book well in advance. Not only will this ensure that you get the car of your choice, but what this also means is that you are in for a good chance to get the cheapest car rentals possible.

Use Discount Code

It is quite common for nearly all companies to give discount codes online or through newspapers and magazines. Make sure you do a bit of research on them to ensure you have every chance of finding cheapest car rentals. This does not apply to the peak seasons unfortunately.

Be Punctual

Try making sure that you pick and drop the car back on time. The moment you sign the release papers is usually when the car is under your name for a certain period of time.

Make sure you have everything preplanned so that when it comes to returning the car on time, you do it well in advance. You would want to give your self at least an hour’s lee way when it comes to returning the car as giving it in late would result in hefty fines.

Avoiding Booking when Cars are in Short Supply

Make sure that you book with the company when they have a lot of cars in supply. If they have a short supply of cars and you really need one, they can easily charge you more as they are in a more demanding position then yourself.

Ask for More

There is no harm in asking for more discounts or a free upgrade.

For more great information about cheap rental cars , visit our new website http://www.carrentalsonlinenow.com today.

The LA Times reported an interesting story today where despite all the bailout money the US Taxpayers have given them, automakers don’t understand what we really want.

GM, Chrysler don’t get it – Los Angeles Times

After receiving billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded bailouts over the last few months, General Motors and Chrysler returned to Washington on Tuesday to shake their chrome-plated tin cups again.

In addition to begging for billions more in bailout funds, the automakers presented the Treasury Department with plans for how they will repay — eventually — their taxpayer-funded bailouts and get back on their feet.

Americans need cars that go farther on a gallon of gasoline, pollute less and save money at the pump.

Even if we give them more money — and we will — automakers need to embrace the will of the people.  If automakers meet California’s clean law to reduce polluting hydrocarbons, we will see more efficient automobiles that will withstand future gas price increases.

But this takes time.  It takes many years to develop a test a new car.  It’s something that is not done over night. America is to impatient to wait until 2015 for these cars.  The question you have to ask, will American automakers still be around by then?

California motorists need to be aware of the new laws that are effective January 1, 2009, otherwise they may be headed for some serious traffic violations and fines.

SB 1557 requires that you mount your portable GPS on the lower 7″ square of the right side of the windshield or on the lower 5″ square of the left side of the windshield.  Motorists may still mount the GPS on the dashboard as long as it doens’t block the view of the road or interfere with safety systems such as airbags.

SB 28 prohibts use of cell phone text messaging or emailing while driving.

Violation of either law can run hundreds of dollars especially for repeat offenses.

Former NASCAR employee Mauricia Grant and NASCAR settled out of court in a $225 million lawsuit for sexual harassment, racial discrimination and wrongful termination.

The settlement was reached during a mediation in New York on Dec. 3.  Details will remain confidential per the agreement.

The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and lists twenty-three incidents of sexual harassment and thirty-four incidents of racial and gender discrimination.