MDWholesale Automotive Blog

Are you in the market for a new car or truck?  Are you thinking of replacing one of your vehicles with either a new or used vehicle?  Well there are some things that you need to know if you want to save some money and not make the dealer rich.  There is a reason why car dealers are all millionaires – they know how to get as much profit and as much money out of your pocket as possible.

Car dealers don’t just sell you a vehicle – that was the way it was back in the 60s and 70s.  Nowadays they sell you the vehicle, the financing to go with the vehicle (which most of the time makes them more money than selling the vehicle in the first place), extended warranties (which they always double the price on), and numerous other gizmos and things you’ve never heard of before to help supposedly protect your car that you’ve purchased.

Are any of these things were what you would pay for it the dealer had his way and you paid top dollar – absolutely not.  Some of the things dealers have sold in the past and that still continue to sell today are actually borderline fraud.  So don’t let your dealer befriend you because that is their whole mission and then they can fleece you blind.  So how do you best prepare to go into a car dealership and get the best deal possible?

Do you have cloudy or worn headlight lenses?

First, do your homework, you would be amazed what you can find in just a few minutes reading a half an hour on the Internet.  You can easily find the invoice prices, the true cost of extended warranties and even pull your credit and get preapproved for a car loan with a great rate (be sure and avoid any financing through eBay for car purchases as whatever the company was last time I checked on their they were charging flat rate to everybody regardless of how good your credit is at 16% – which is a flat-out ripoff).   So with the Internet is so available and all this information so easy to access, there is no excuse for you not to know what the dealer’s true cost is and where he should be targeting for your car purchase price.  If you take the invoice price and at a few hundred dollars to it – you can buy almost any car at this price if you stick to your guns and you have the proof to show that you know what the price and costs are.

Now some dealers and their management staff will lie to you and tell you that the invoice price does not include transportation costs or that it doesn’t include cleaning and caring for the vehicle – this is all hogwash and lies as it will tell you that on the window sticker of the car that this is all taken care of by the car manufacturer.  If you really want to have fun with the car dealer looked up dealer hold back.  This is what the car dealer is paid by the manufacturer to help with advertising and other various costs so the car dealer doesn’t even pay the invoice price.  It is true cost is the invoice price minus the dealer hold back and then minus any other rebates to the dealer or sales incentives.  So even if the car dealer sold you the vehicle at the dealer hold back price he still making a profit.  But a fair price to target and never waver from is take the invoice price and add $300 to it. 

That is a very fair price and the dealer makes a healthy profit there.  Besides if the idiot sales manager doesn’t want to take your offer you can rest assured that his competition will.  Also be sure and check out your local credit unions as many of them offer some really great used car financing rates that none of the car dealers can touch.  And you will feel much better going to the car dealer having already been approved and knowing what your rate is.  Because then the car dealer can only beat your rate.  They can’t give you a higher rate because you won’t take that.  And you’ll feel great being armed with the true cost of the extended warranties.  So when the finance manager shows your price of $2500 tell them no and that you wanted for the same price they would pay from their own car which is $1200.  Why should you pay a $1300 profit for an extended warranty?  Oh but millions do because they don’t do a little bit of simple homework on the Internet.

Restore your car’s headlights to new again with the best in headlight restoration from MDWholesale.com!

Next, take your used car trade in out of the picture.  You are always better off selling it on your own.  Especially with craigslist being free and having far better results than your local newspaper classifieds you have no excuse not to try and sell your vehicle on your own. Just by selling your vehicle on your own you’ll put another, on average, $3000 in your pocket.  Is it worth it to sell your vehicle to get that extra $3000?  Well the average American family makes $42,000 a year.  If you take out both state and federal taxes because it’s not your money, and let’s assume just a 30% total tax rate (your tax rate might be hire and upwards of 35% but weare just going to use 30% here for simplicity sake), you are left with $29,400 a year.  Now the average family spends one third of their income on their housing so that leaves $19,404 a year.  The average family spends around $5000 a year on food and another $2500 on gas.  That leaves $11,904 a year.  $3000 is a little over 1/4th of the average family’s real budget!  And unless you’re in the group of people that makes well over what the average family makes then you definitely should give some serious consideration to selling your vehicle rather than trading it in!

So if you do a little homework on the Internet you can literally save yourself an easy $5,000-$10,000 on your next car purchase.  All it takes is a little bit of time on the Internet and it isn’t hard to find the invoice prices, the true cost of the extended warranties and all the other items the car dealer’s staff is going to try and sell you on.  Plus you’ll save money by having your financing already in hand and knowing what your credit score is so the car dealers finance manager can’t play games with you to make it sound like your credit is worse than it really is – and yes they really do do this every time!  It’s exactly what they’re told to do and taught to do in their classes that they have to attend a become a finance manager in the first place, plus their compensation plan requires them to do this.  

So take some time, go on the Internet and Google keywords and search terms like invoice price and true cost of extended warranty.  Stop paying for the car dealers expensive country clubs, million-dollar mansions, Ferraris and Bentleys and their private jets.  Keep your money in your own pocket you work hard for it and you and your family deserve to keep as much of it as you can!

Buy the best in headlight cleaner kits and experience greater night time driving safety and vision now!

If you’re like me, and you live in the South, then you probably have already started using you air-conditioner in your car or truck as soon as a month ago when the weather started getting warmer.  Well, ask yourself this – “does your air blow really cold or as cold as you think it should?”  If it doesn’t, and according to automotive trade magazines upwards of 90% of vehicles on the road in America today have A/C systems that are not fully charged, then you need to have it recharged.

Now you can easily go take your vehicle to your local car dealer, Pep Boy’s or similar car repair and service station and pay through the nose to have your air conditioner recharged.  Usually most of these high price repair shops and car dealers do not fix parts anymore, they replace instead as it makes for quicker repairs and higher profitability.  This does not mean it’s good for you, that actually means it is wasteful and bad.  Most of the time AC systems run low due to a small leak. These leaks can easily be repaired but the shops instead rely on replacement parts which Canada costing you hundreds or even thousands of dollars unnecessarily.

You can also opt to recharge your system yourself.  This is the cheapest and easiest method.  Nowadays they have cans of refrigerant at local auto parts supply stores and even Wal-Mart and Target that come with full directions and include everything you need including the gauge to tell you the pressure currently in the system and when it’s fully charged.  Depending on how low your system is you may need more than one can.  At an average price of $10 per can that’s really not bad.

Cloudy headlights looking ugly and making it hard to see when driving at night? Restore your headlight lenses to new again and save big!

Now you’ll see that all current and recent model cars the new refrigerant R134A.  the old R12 or freon is no longer used and if you do have a vehicle that requires that you’re going to have to go and get a conversion kit to convert it to R134A.  these conversion kits aren’t too expensive and range in price of around $30-$40.  Next you need to look for word hook up on your vehicle.  Every car would truck comes with two a/c ports a high pressure and low pressure port.  On most of these vehicles that are made for sale in the United States these ports will have different sized hookups or adapters.

So when you you hookup up your can to recharge the a/c system you really can’t mess this one up as it will only fit the low pressure port.  Then follow the directions that come with the recharging kit. Which will tell you generally to start her car, turn the air conditioner onto high or maximum.  Be sure to watch the gauge to see if your system is charging.  Be sure and turn off the valve when it gets to the mark where it states fully charged.  Remove the AC recharge kit and test your A/C system to make sure it works and blows cold.

If you’re system was really low you might need more than one recharge kit or can.  If it leaks out within the next day or two no you have a bad leak which will need to be repaired.  They do make recharge kids that do have sealants included in them.  You should refrain from using these unless you have to as they will block the condenser and other parts of the AC system and cause them to eventually fail.  So only use them as a last resort if you have to.  It Is better to repair a leak than to patch one with a sealant kit.

Buy the best in headlight restoration from MDWholesale.com!

More great articles and posts from MDWholesale.com that you will want to read:

1. Fuel economy 101 and saving big at the pump!

2. All about HID headlights!

3. Car interior restoration

4. DIY windshield repair and Craigslist!

5. All about headlight repair and restoration!

6. How to save big on auto parts!

7. Headlight restoration and improving the look and safety of your car or truck!

8. Car detailing made simple!

From time to time we all end up in the predicament of selling a car.  Now sometimes many of us skip this predicament by just taking the vehicle to the car dealers and trading it in.  The problem here is you’re getting ripped off whether you see it or not.  The car dealer and his used car manager will never pay you above rough, wholesale value for your vehicle.  So you’re always better off selling it on your own.  But rather than using the usual classified ads in your local newspaper and spending a ton of money on a tiny little ad, you can use CraigsList absolutely free (its even better then using online auction sites like Ebay!)

Not only is Craigs List free, but also provides unlimited words and the opportunity to use as many pictures as you would like to fully convey the condition and worth of your vehicle to prospective buyers.  This is a great help as your local classified ads won’t let you list 20 or so words with no picture for an exorbitant price.  Most of time nowadays when you list the car under local newspaper classifieds the majority of the calls that you will receive are from wholesalers who are literally trying to steal the car out from under you.  

For instance, if your car is worth $5000 and is in really good shape, these scumbag wholesalers will show up at your house at 7 AM and try and flash $500 cash in your face.  And they will basically nag you to death to try and get your car for that low of a price.  Who needs that?  The good thing about craigslist is that most of wholesalers are a little slow at learning how to use the Internet so most have not discovered Craigslist as of yet.  So the calls you will get off craigslist tend to be real buyers and they tend to be very targeted buyers at that. 

Do you have cloudy, worn or ugly headlight lenses on your vehicle?  Not only is this condition unsightly, but it is also extremely dangerous and the leading cause of fatal night time driving accidents!

This is because of all of the wording you are allowed to put for free in your ad on Craigslist plus all the pictures you can place there.  This leaves no question as to the condition of the vehicle, its features, colors, etc…  Now, obviously, if you don’t take advantage of the unlimited words and pictures on Craigs List and make your ad look like the local newspaper classifieds with small ads  then that is your own fault and you will have poor results at best from that listing or ad.

To see what works best is easy.  Just log on to Craigslist for your local town by going to Craigslist.com and selecting your state and city.  Then just cruise through the posts and listings for people selling or looking to buy cars or trucks in your local area.  Look at the difference between this you’ll classifieds.  Obviously you can see far more information and great pictures on craigslist so you undoubtedly know exactly what you’re looking at.  This is why your buyers will be so targeted they will know exactly what the vehicle is your listing,  the condition of the vehicle and basically everything you know about it so they can take a look at it and buy it. 

How to detect if a car has been in an accident!

Generally, the people that come calling from craigslist are serious buyers and not the tire kickers and wholesalers you will find your local newspaper classifieds.  I have actually seen this firsthand as I used to own my own car dealership and the results from using Craigslist versus the local newspaper classifieds here in Charlotte (which would be the Charlotte Observer) are not even close.  Craigslist provided far superior results, sales and profits.  We had hundreds of more people come in and buy the cars through Craigslist then we ever did from the Charlotte Observer classifieds.

So, rather than getting ripped off by trading in your next vehicle, and rather than using expensive classifieds, use Craigslist to sell your vehicle regardless of whether it’s a car, truck or even motorcycle for a higher price and much faster.  With craigslist you will have a far higher number of serious buyers which is what you want because one of these buyers will most likely end up buying your vehicle.  No one wants to waste time with tire kickers, joyriders, wholesalers, etc…

Buy the best in headlight restoration from MDWholesale.com!

More great articles and posts from MDWholesale.com that you will want to read:

1.  Drunk driving and your driving safety.

2.  All about road hazard warranties and what you need to know!

3.  HID headlight bulb basics – what you need to know to get started with HID!

4.  Removing paint scratches from your car.

5.  Road safety tips to keep you safe on the road!

6.  The DIY guide to replacing worn headlight bulbs.

7.  Safe defensive driving!

8.  DIY window tinting – save big and do it yourself!

Don’t you hate it when that check engine or service light comes on your car?  Most people think that means it’s time to take the car to car dealer and that means it’s going to result in an expensive repair.  This is not usually the case.  Nine times out of 10 the reason why your service light or check engine light comes on is for routine maintenance that could be as simple as an oil change.  And you don’t need to go to your car dealer to have an oil change.  You can go anywhere you want or even do-it-yourself.

Car manufacturers, however, have put these missed the little programs in your car’s computer nowadays were it automatically pops up a check engine or service engine warning on your car whenever they think that you should go and get a routine oil change or service.  This is because it drives more people back to the car dealer which results in more expensive repairs and many times more unnecessary repairs that results in more money to the car dealer and to the manufacture of the parts. 

Restore cloudy headlights to new again with New Lite – the absolute best name in headlight restoration!

Well, you can nowadays easily purchase and OBD-II (also referred to as OBD2) scanner that you can easily hook up yourself to your car and figure out exactly what is going wrong with it or if it’s just an old change or something like that that needs to be done or updated.  Many oil change places will not update or clear out your computer so that it knows that you had to roll changed at all.  This can then easily result in an erroneous code popping up on your dashboard.

Once you have purchased any OBDII code scanner (the much all fall the same directions or instructions) you basically turn off the car and apply the parking brake.  Then you connect your OBD2 scanner to the cars data Link connector which is usually under the dash.  Turn on the OBD-II scanner and turn the ignition key to the on position.  Then you press the read button on the code scanner.  The OBD-II scanner will then retrieve all data from the vehicles computer.

Did you know that for only $15 you can make your ugly, cloudy and dirty headlight lenses look like new again?

Now, you can select the trouble codes on the screen of your scanner to see what is really wrong with your vehicle.  Some scanners are more advanced and will actually tell you what the trouble codes are and others will just give you the codes and you have a separate book where you will look up these codes to find out what is wrong with your vehicle.  If you’ve just had your oil changed and they were unable to reset or erase the trouble code that’s popping up the service light or check engine light on your car you can actually easily erase this with most OBD2 scanners.

All OBD2 code scanners come with a user manual build a more in depth than this and you can actually track the performance and output of your engine and vehicle.  You can get your VIN number and other pertinant data right from the code scanner.  So now you know how to erase erroneous codes so they don’t annoy you on your dashboard.  And you aren’t limited to just the car dealer for service.  At $50-$100 OBD two scanners are definitely well worth having.

More great articles and posts from MDWholesale.com that you will want to read:

1.  Headlights and their importance to your night time driving safety.

2.  All about road hazard warranties and what you need to know!

3.  What is headlight cleaner?

4.  Removing paint scratches from your car.

5.  Headlight cleaning and restoration – save big and do it yourself (DIY) !

6.  The DIY guide to replacing worn headlight bulbs.

7.  GM service bulletin on headlight oxidation.

8.  How to save big on car and truck parts

Have you noticed how some vehicles seem much brighter with their lights on at night than others?  Some really light up the road in front of themselves whereas others seem more dim.  Yes, it is possible that this could be due to cloudy headlight lenses which is a rampant problem today, but we will talk about that later.  Right now we are going to stick to the problem of headlight bulb brightness and how new upgraded headlight bulbs can make a big difference.

There are improved or what you would call premium headlight bulbs that can be purchased relatively cheap (about twice the price of regular replacement headlight bulbs) and have basically 50% or greater illumination when driving at night than the regular headlight bulb’s.  This may not sound like a lot but actually it is and can be difference between safe driving and unsafe driving.  It can literally be the difference between having a fatal accident and being able to stop in time.

Got cloudy, ugly and worn headlights? Restore them to new again with a headlight restoration kit from MDWholesale.com!

See, if there is a deer or a person or some other hazard outside of the illuminated area of your headlights you can’t really react to that very well when you can’t see it or barely can see it.  By using premium and brighter headlight bulbs you undoubtedly will extend the illuminated area and greatly increase your field of vision when driving at night.  So whereas before you saw something with maybe only 100 feet left before you would hit it.  You might now have 150 feet which might give you enough time to safely come to a stop before running into the hazard.

Some premium bulbs are better than others and you need to read the actual package insert to determine what the actual manufacturers recommended illumination distance is and whether or not it will work on your vehicle.  Make sure before you go to the store to get your upgraded or premium headlight bulb’s for your vehicle that you first either read your owner’s manual or open your head and take up headlight bulbs to see what exact bulb part number you would need. This is important as there are many different types and sizes and attachments for these headlight bulbs and they’re definitely not one size or one style fits all cars or trucks.

The greatest car buying tip you never knew!

Also be careful and make sure you get one to work in your car.  You see, some, like the HID kits will actually need ballasts like on the new BMWs and Corvettes and these will not work in regular vehicles without the ballasts.  When you go to the store you will see regular priced headlight bulbs and the average about $10-$15 possibly even $20 for a pair.  The premiums will tend to be about $40 or so for a pair and they can have names like Bright White and others. 

Now when you’re thinking of upgrading or replacing your headlight bulbs be sure and take a look at your headlight lenses themselves.  If they are worn, cloudy, dirty or opaque and don’t let much light through then new premium headlight bulbs will not be the answer in this case.  They will help to some degree but what you really need is to restore and clean your headlight lenses to new again.  This will make the biggest difference is not very expensive and is easy to do. 

All about extended automotive warranties and how to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on them!

Whereas prior to this you would have to buy expensive replacement headlight lenses at your local car dealer and these average around $400-$500 per pair or more, now you can save a bunch and buy a highly effective headlight restoration kit for under $20.  MDWholesale is the best-selling and most effective headlight restoration kit on the market.  So if you want to see better while driving at night the best advice I can give is to upgrade to premium headlight bulbs and be sure in make sure your headlights are restored and clean to new condition.  This will help ensure you have the maximum possible illumination distance and definitely make you safer while driving at night.

More great articles and posts from MDWholesale.com that you will want to read:

1.  Headlights and their importance to your night time driving safety.

2.  The single greatest car buying tip you never knew!

3.  What is headlight cleaner?

4.  The real secret behind that new car shine!

5.  Headlight cleaning and restoration – save big and do it yourself (DIY) !

6.  How to protect your car from rust.

7.  GM service bulletin on headlight oxidation.

8.  What are cloudy, foggy headlights?

If you are like most families are just become an extension of your closets or basements and is mostly used for storage.  So your cars end up parked outside and exposed to the elements.  Regardless of what area in the country you live in the hot summer sun, rain, snow, pollen, industrial fallout and acid rain will all take a toll on your cars finish.  With the appropriate car cover you can limit or even eliminate the potential damage that can occur over time to your car or truck.

First, what you have to understand is that there different levels of car covers and obviously different prices that they come at.  For instance, a car cover that you go and buy at Wal-Mart for $15 will definitely not provide the same level of protection as a three or five layer cover that made to specifically fit your vehicle and that costs $80.  With car covers, as with many other items, you really do get what you pay for – to an extent.

Got cloudy headlights?  Get them fixed today from the number 1 name in headlight restoration!

You also have to know where to buy and what a good deal is.  The best place to start is by researching it and looking on the Internet to see what’s out there.  You’ll see various names of companies that make or resell various car covers.  They will offer levels they just offer sun protection and others that offer more complete protection.  Some are waterproof many are not.  Some are basically just UV protection.  That’s not to mean that that’s bad anything is better than nothing. 

Which is better, car polish or car wax for your car’s finish?

You may not need the highest levels of protection especially if your car is not always parked outside, but you may want to move up from the lowest level to something with live more protection when waterproofing or thicker coverage.  Also you will find it cheaper car covers do not last as long and will rip, tear or start to break down faster than some of the others.  It is also a good idea to get a car cover with more secure or tie downs or similar.  This will keep it from blowing away on a windy day or from some cheapskate removing it from your car and stealing it – yes this does happen where people actually do steal car covers.  Usually it’s with the more expensive ones that run upwards of $100 or so.

Save big money, be safer and restore your headlights to new again today with a headlight restoration kit from MDWholesale.com!

My advice is to look on the Internet and auction sites like eBay, look at your local Wal-Mart store and see what they have to offer (usually Wal-Mart tends to have more of the car covers on the lower end of the spectrum), and look at your local auto parts stores like AutoZone.  Shop the price around once you’ve settled on a particular level of protection, style or manufacture of these car covers.  By shopping around you can best ensure that you are getting the best price possible and the maximum coverage you want for your vehicle.

And remember a good quality car cover will add years of life to your car’s paint and your car’s interior as it will keep the interior temperature of your car or truck on average 20° or more below what it would be without the same .  This will help maintain the resale value of your vehicle and make it last and look better for much longer.  A car cover should be thought of this in terms of investment or similar for your vehicle as it is definitely worth more than you’ll pay for it.  Bottom line – if you leave your car outside a car cover will save you serious money in the long run.

The best in headlight restoration and cleaner products for your vehicle!

More great articles and posts from MDWholesale.com that you will want to read:

1.  Expensive car wheels and rims and why they are the most stolen auto parts!

2.  Why rear facing child safety seats are safest!

3.  Car loans and insurance for people with poor credit!

4.  The proper test drive and ensuring you get a cream puff!

5.  The real story on Government seized auto auctions!

6.  Headlight cleaning and restoration and what you need to know!

7.  Great car care tips you need to know!

8.  Deep chip and scratch repair

All cars, except for the rare solely electric car, have 1 or 2 drive belts (note – we are not talking about timing belts here, only drive belts).  But did you know that the drive belts are one of the most overlooked and under cared for parts of the car?  We assume that they will always work.  But many of us forget that they have a useful life and it is not wise to go beyond that.  Else you could be found on the road side of the road with an overheating car or even a seized up engine.

That’s how important the drive belt is.  But what if it’s just whistling and making annoying noises?  Can this be fixed without replacing the belt?  Well, if you’ve been to an automotive parts store lately and you were to look in the house where the oil and other engine lubricants and treatments are you would probably find something called belt dressing.  They’ll dressing as a spray that you can apply directly to the drive belts and will quiet some or all of the whistling noise that they make.  

Restore cloudy, yellow headlight lenses to new and save big money over replacements at mdwholesale.com!

Now it is important to read the directions on the bottle and make sure you do not overspray this belt dressing as that can actually cause the belts to slip and come off the pulleys.  Now if this does happen it can be fixed, but it can be difficult and its definitely not something you want to have happen in your driveway or in a parking lot .  The reason is is that most pulleys have a tensioning system and it’s not exactly easy to go and undo the tension on it to reapply the belt.  Usually this requires two wrenches and also a diagram on how the belt is to be applied back on. 

This may sound simple, but if you take the belt off and don’t remember exactly how it was on there.  This could lead to a very frustrating situation.  So be careful when spraying belt dressing to quiet the whistling of your drive belts.  Also, you may be covering up a problem that could be serious.  Usually whistling drive belts are caused by a belt that is becoming worn, frayed or hard.  This means it is time for placement of the drive belt or belts if your car has more than one. 

Does your vehicle have cloudy and ugly headlight lenses? Restore them to new, be safer and save big money!

Once the drive belts start to get old, frayed or hardened over time it is important that you replace them as soon as possible.  The drive belts run the water pump, your alternator, a/c and more.  So if your drive belt breaks your car will overheat quickly and this could lead to a seized up engine and damaged parts that will be very expensive to fix.  Just like with brakes squealing, squealing or whistling drive belts were an indication that either the belts need to be replaced or something is wrong with the alignment of the pulleys or a bearing in a pulleys may be going bad.

Using your car as a billboard to drive traffic to your website!

So if you want a quiet your car or truck’s drive belts you can use belt dressing, but keep in mind it’s just a cover up and will not treat the real problem which most likely is a frayed or hardened and aged drive belt that needs replacement.  So be sure and have an expert mechanic take a look at your vehicle and determine if this is the case and get it replaced and fixed so you can avoid being stranded in the side of the road and left with very expensive repairs.

The best in headlight restoration and cleaner products for your vehicle!

More great articles and posts from MDWholesale.com that you will want to read:

1.  What to do if you are involved in a car accident – stuff you need to know!

2.  Car theft – How to greatly reduce your risk of becoming a victim!

3.  Headlight glare – How to reduce it and drive safely at night!

4.  The real secret behind that new car shine!

5.  Car cloning – what it is and how to avoid being taken by this latest scam!

6.  Headlight restoration and what it can do for your car or truck!

7.  Car wax – how to protect your car and make it look great!

8.  What is headlight cleaner and how does it work for cleaning dirty and oxidized headlights?