Advance Auto Zone

If you have recently purchased a new or used vehicle, upon closing the deal, you may have been offered an extended warranty, a tire road hazard warranty, and/or dent repair insurance. But how about insuring your vehicle’s paint against bird poop? Spilled coffee on your seat? No problem; we got a plan for that too! No worries! Insurance—does it ever end?

Paint protection insurance is another ingenious marketing plan that nets big numbers for car dealers. Who would have thought car wax could become so profitable?

Simonize, a veteran in the car wax industry, is the leader in the paint and upholstery insurance business.

Simonize uses a Teflon-based wax to protect paint against acid rain, tree sap, the elements, and yes, bird poop. The interior is protected against coffee, soda stains…etc. All of these are quite harmful to your car. And yes, Teflon is the same non-stick material used on frying pans.

The full insurance/wax treatment process is called Simonize System 5.

The natural occurrences listed above are not covered by manufacturer warranties, thus Simonize steps in to fill this warranty void. The Simonize System 5 Protection Plan provides coverage of the paint and upholstery for five years, unlimited mileage.

Important Disclaimers

Simonize System 5 does not protect against the most common paint and body ailments such as dings, dents, scratches, and accidents. No “wax” could.

Also, Simonize does not and can not protect against cigarette burns or the normal wear and tear of an interior.

Application

According to Simonize, the treatment should only be applied by trained experts. I have asked those in the business who actually use the product, but they weren’t able to speak English. I’m sure they understood the training program taught in English…right?

Filing a Claim

It’s easy and straight forward. Your service center just needs to fax an itemized estimate to Simonize and voila a check arrives in the mail.

How Much Do These Plans Cost?

Protection plans cost several hundred dollars. You might be encouraged to conveniently roll it into your financing. Don’t!

Should I Buy The Simonize System 5 Protection Plan?

Absolutely Not!

Do I Need to Protect My Paint?

Absolutely! Wash and wax your car regularly…Hint: never wash your car with dish soaps—they contain detergents which strip any protective wax from your car.

You do need to wax your car, preferably with a premium wax. It doesn’t have to be Simonize System 5. Any premium wax will provide the same protection against acid rain, the elements, bird poop…etc.

Why is this protection even offered?

Profit baby! In the highly competitive market of auto sales, car dealerships are finding ingenious ways to increase/maintain profit margins.

In the end, despite the fact the System 5 is a good product; the extra expense of a protection plan does not make economic sense. The odds of ever having to file a claim for a spot or blemish (that would break the bank, or that you’d even care about) are not in your favor.

Great waxes to consider…

Mothers
Meguiar’s
Even Turtle Wax is better thank nothing, and it’s cheap!

Remember, all insurance is a gamble.

Waxing your car to protect against the elements is a must.

Bird poop insurance is a load of crap!

Save your money!

For more repairtrust.com/articles.html car repair help and general information on a variety of car repair insurance and auto protection plans visit our car repair help resource center

-Ted Olson
RepairTrust
Making Sense of repairtrust.com/ Car Repair Prices

Ted holds extensive certifications from Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, General Motors, and ASE. A twenty-year period in the automotive service industry, he is the author of eight books and numerous articles on the automotive service industry.

Other Works by Ted Olson Include:

ARREST the Automotive Service Industry!
Maintenance Myths: A Step-by-Step Guide to STOP Getting Ripped Off!
Auto Repair: The Shocking Truth About Who’s Ripping You Off and Why!
Automotive Service Pricing Strategies—a fair pricing guide for service centers
Being the Best—a comprehensive customer service handbook for service advisors
Service Center Personnel—an auto repair informational for general service staff
Service Mission Statement—a philosophical proposal to improve customer service

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Most people find parallel parking one of the hardest skills in driving especially for new drivers. However, the fact still remains that even seasoned drivers find this skill something that needs not only knowledge but also patience and lots of practice.

Parallel parking is actually a method of parking a vehicle in parallel to other parked cars in a parking lot or space. You will know that it is time to parallel park when cars are actually parked in parallel in just one line. They are parallel to the curb with the front bumper of each car facing the back bumper of an adjacent one.

To parallel park on the right side of the road, you first have to make sure that your parking space is about two meters or around six feet longer than your vehicle. This would ensure that you do have enough space to maneuver about. Although there are some skilled drivers who could parallel park with just a parking space that is around a foot longer than their vehicles.

When you have chosen your space, line up your vehicle beside the vehicle in front of the parking space. Then, you have to signal to the right. Now, turn your steering wheel all the way to the right and put your car in reverse.

Upon doing such, back up your vehicle so much so that your rear right bumper is the first part of your vehicle to enter the parking spot. Now once you achieve that your vehicle is around 45° degrees to the parking spot, slow down. Then, turn the steering wheel all the way to the left. Then, continually back up until the vehicle is parallel with the curb.

After that, you have to gradually turn the steering wheel to the right. This would curve your vehicle into a straight position. When you have already made your vehicle occupy the middle of the parking space, brake your vehicle.

To find top of the line

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The Volkswagen Jetta has been the corporation’s fastest selling model on the American Market, as it captivates the American consumer more than it does the European ones. Its continued growth and appeal is tied almost directly to the all-important American automobile market.

Throughout Volkswagen’s 50 years in the US it has consistently caught the attention of every type of American consumer; the young, the old, the man, the woman, the rich and the not so rich. Even though VW had a few slips in performance and availability, it has still captured and held the attention of the American driver; much to the chagrin of its rivals.

The Jetta’s completely recreated frame and body now features a longer wheelbase, wider stance, chrome-framed grille in front, and is, undeniably, the new face of VW. Chrome is a recurring feature of the Jetta. Chrome is also employed in the making of the eyebrows above the engine’s air inlets, and on similar models for their side-window surrounds.

There are many stores that can be found online that specialize in Volkswagen parts, including the Jetta’s grille. Since they specialize in the parts, they never compromise the caliber of the Jetta grille and promises that any Jetta part you purchase will be of the highest quality, meeting the Volkswagen standards for quality every time. You need not worry that this quality comes with a hefty price tag. These web stores offer these Jetta parts for the lowest prices and are just a click on the mouse away.

The Volkswagen Jetta’s most appealing attribute is the prominent thrust and slope of the car’s snout. The headlights, inlets, and grilles are all blended into the Jetta’s raked rear flow. At the Jetta’s rear, is a multi-link independent suspension, which greatly enhances the ride and the driver’s control on the road. Jetta’s steering is power assisted. This assistance is electro-mechanical, not hydraulic as some would think.

If you’re in the market for Jetta’s headlights and suspension, online automotive stores feature high caliber parts at low prices. They can assure you that purchasing from them will guarantee 100% customer satisfaction. By using these stores to supply you with your Volkswagen needs, you can experience excellent service staff and easy shopping for your replacement Jetta parts. Since they specialize in these parts, they offer a Jetta suspension that is the best on the market, unlike the suspension systems that some auto parts dealers would try to pawn off on you.

The Volkswagen Jetta is well known for being the most economically priced of the European sedans in America. This status has remained unchanged even after the release of the 2005 model. By using an online store that specializes in Volkswagen parts, you can be assured that the Jetta parts you want are in stock, will be shipped quickly if ordered from the online store, and are perfectly priced for your pocketbook.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as car-parts-plus.com Volkwagen auto parts at car-parts-plus.com car-parts-plus.com

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