What To Do If Your Car Is Stolen

As a vehicle owner, one of your biggest fears is having your vehicle stolen. Don’t feel bad! Your car is your home away from home, and something you depend on for so very much of your daily life. Fail to mention it’s a rather expensive loss should someone abscond with it. There’s a reason why vehicle security is such big business, and why grand larceny (formerly grand theft auto) is such a serious crime in our legal system.

But, no matter how secure your vehicle is, no matter how discerning you are in choosing where you park, it only takes one especially cunning, brave, maladjusted person to come along, find your car appealing, and take off with it. The better security, the smarter thieves tend to be as a result, after all.

So, the question is, what do you do if this happens? There are nearly 800,000 car thefts a year, and you never know when you might be one such statistic. Today, we’re going to go through this disaster step by step, and talk about what to expect at certain points. It’s not going to be fun, but if you, above all else, remain calm and follow procedure, one way or another, you’ll get this worked out.

Where Did You Park?

You’ve undoubtedly experienced this to a smaller extent before. You walk out of a mall or big box store during a busy evening, the parking lot is jam-packed. You’re sure you remember where you parked, but you’ll be darned if you can find your car. Panic wells up inside you, thinking “oh no, someone stole my car!”

This happens to everyone, and it happens often in a world where traffic is anything but diminishing. So, the first thing to do is make absolutely sure your vehicle is gone. This is a bit easier nowadays, with keyless remote entry allowing you to set off a chirping or honking sound with the push of a button.

If your vehicle doesn’t have this, then walk the lot. It’s exhausting and stressful, but necessary.

Time for the Police

So, it’s really gone? Ouch! Right now, your mind is racing, worst case scenarios causing your world to spin dizzyingly. Take a deep breath. The first thing you should do now is to inform the police. Report your vehicle stolen right away.

The longer it’s gone, the less chance there is of your vehicle being found, not unlike a missing persons case. If you’re in a highly urban or suburban area, police are statistically more likely to find your vehicle in short order.
If you’re in a rural area, well, don’t count on it. This is not the fault of law enforcement either, moving targets in expansive areas are logistically troublesome.

Technology to the Rescue

If your vehicle’s less than ten years old, there’s a really good chance it has tracking technology built into it. This is called a “low jack”, and if your vehicle has GPS or other modern, digital conveniences, you can usually get a location fix on the vehicle. If you can’t, then in many cases, the police can.

Of course, if you have an older vehicle, investing in this technology before the unfortunate can happen, might be a wise decision. There are services that specialize in this kind of surveillance, and it’s an affordable, solid peace of mind to have.

Dealing with Insurance

Now, you’ll need to inform your lender or insurer of your car’s theft. This is where things can get really scary and complicated. Does your insurance cover theft? You should find out now, before something happens, and if it doesn’t, you’ll want to adjust your policy so that it does. In the case your vehicle is never recovered, this is a windfall you’ll want to have.

Now, you just have to wait. Police are looking for your car, if you have tracking technology, specialists are doing everything in their power to triangulate its location, and there’s nothing you can do but stay in touch with these people and wait.

If you’re still making payments on the vehicle, you’ll want to continue making them. It’s a sad fact that lenders won’t accept “but my car’s currently stolen” as an acceptable reason to not continue payments. This goes for your insurance as well.

In the end, as long as your policy covers auto theft, you’ll eventually recoup and recover.

To learn more about handling car theft, fill out our contact form today.

What’s The Difference Between AWD and 4WD?

Four-wheel drive used to be something limited to “big” vehicles noted for hard work or off-road capabilities. There were things like SUVs, pick up trucks, RVs and utility vehicles. But, in the past twenty years or so, four-wheel drive has become a common feature offered on most modern vehicles. This is great and all, but it can be confusing because, in recent times, there seems to be a choice between four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive.

Aren’t these the same? After all, cars have four wheels, so if it has four-wheel drive, then isn’t it all wheel? Well, let’s take a look today and find out what the differences are, and which is best suited for what conditions. You may be surprised by what’s revealed here.

All-Wheel Drive

All-wheel drive lives up to its name in pretty much every way. It is, in fact, a system where all four wheels are attached to a drive train system to provide traction and power in various adverse conditions. But, there are actually two types of all-wheel drive, one where it’s continuous (full-time AWD) and one where it’s intermittent (part-time AWD). The latter is usually computer-controlled these days.

How It Works

AWD systems, both full and part-time, generally work automatically, with no user control. They use one or two drive trains and multiple compound clutches to smartly distribute power to one or both sets of wheels accordingly.

You generally won’t notice the transition, in the case of part-time AWD, as smart sensors shift modes to deal with less traction or other adverse conditions (steep inclines, severe temperatures).

Pros and Cons of AWD

The most convenient aspect of AWD is the fact that it handles itself. As a driver, you don’t have to respond to conditions and enable/disable it. It’s electronically-controlled, usually with pretty intelligent systems to govern it. It works rather well in multiple conditions, and if you’re not a serious off-roader, then you might find this to be the least hassle-inducing choice to make.

However, those serious about off-roading or who deal with a constant bevy of rough road conditions, the control granted by 4WD is often considered more desirable due to the ability to pace and adjust traction based on intelligent intuition as an experienced driver.

Four-Wheel Drive

Four-wheel drive (4WD) is an older technology and was once a huge selling point of select vehicles in an age when a single axis bore all the torque in most designs. Today, there are two types of 4WD just as there are with AWD – full-time and part-time.

How It Works

While automatic 4WD with smart switching is an available feature in select vehicles, traditionally, 4WD is activated or deactivated by the user, with compound clutches to distribute torque between one or both axels depending.

With full-time 4WD, it can’t actually be turned off, but the user usually has the ability to control torque distribution between the axels. Conversely, part-time 4WD, which may not allow this precise distribution, can be activated or deactivated by the driver at will.

Pros and Cons

As we said earlier, off-road enthusiasts and professional drivers who handle a lot of consistent adverse road and weather conditions tend to prefer the level of control and agency provided by 4WD systems as opposed to AWD. They do handle rough, difficult conditions, on average, more effectively, especially if you can adjust torque precisely, and know what you’re doing with that.

However, unlike AWD, which is very fuel efficient, 4WD can result in some perceptible “gas guzzling”, meaning that if fuel efficiency matters highly, it may not be the option to go with.

Which Handles Snow Best?

For the average driver, the biggest adversary on the road is going to be snow. Yeah, it’s not that magical once you’re not a kid anymore. If you’re someone driving professionally, you’ll definitely prefer 4WD in snowy conditions, due to the control you get, which you need with heavier utilitarian vehicles.

For the average user, part-time AWD with smart switching handles snow easily, without distracting you so you can focus on keeping control of your vehicle. Snowy, icy roads are stressful, especially because you can’t control the other drives on the road.

Which Do You Need?

This all boils down to where you live and what you do with your car. Are you a professional driver who encounters rough terrain and harsh weather regularly? Are you an off-road enthusiast? Then you probably want 4WD with its adjustable torque and control.

Are you an average civilian driver who just needs that extra torque and power in hilly terrain and occasional nasty weather? Then full or part-time AWD is probably going to suffice, and save you fuel efficiency frustrations to boot.

To learn more about the technical science behind AWD and 4WD, and learn more key facts about their performance and applications, fill out our contact form below.

What You Need To Know About Electric Vehicle Tax Credits

Electric cars. They’ve been an artifact of “future life” since the 1950s, and there have been conspiracy theories for decades claiming that effective, powerful electric cars have been suppressed by the oil companies. Is that true? Who knows. What matters is that they’re here now, and they’re catching on. This is a good thing. Fossil fuels are expensive, dirty to extract, and even dirtier to burn.

In a surprising change of tune, there have been incentives lately to provide tax credits for electric cars, but like any tax credit or regulation, it’s confusing and overwrought. Are you unsure if your plug-in electric vehicle qualifies for these tax credits? Are you uncertain how much of a credit this earns you?

You are far from the only one. Let’s take a look at a simple guide to electric car tax credit in simple, certain terms and demystify this nonsense, shall we?

So How Much Credit Do I Get?

That’s a big question, isn’t it? They’re always so vague with “up to a certain amount” as the listing for tax credits, just as they do for savings and deals. The government is a business, and they know all the ins and outs of vague but effective marketing and wording to incentivize we unwilling customers.

But, truth be told, “up to” does have a significance as an upper bound limit, but also as criteria to qualify. Generally, the flat rate is up to $7,500 but, that’s only the case if your taxes add up to this amount or more. If there isn’t sufficient tax cost to deduct, you can bet the government’s not going to give away funds.

It gets more complicated depending on how you obtained your vehicle. If you bought it flat out, then this arrangement is between you and the federal government, which minimizes the complication and variables present.
However, if you’re leasing your vehicle, the lease provider/dealership is the middle man, and you can expect your tax credit to be reduced. They too have their fingers in the pie. Finally, your battery capacity also affects the quality of this credit, with a higher battery capacity (requiring fewer recharges) netting you a significantly higher percentage in tax credit.

The Fine Print

So, surprise, surprise, there are various bits of fine print and legal provisos that have an effect on this as well. It’s not entirely devastating, but being aware of these going in will help prevent surprised.

  • Battery packs must rate at least 4 kWh to qualify.
  • Vehicles being purchased for resale do not qualify.
  • The vehicle must be used in the USA.
  • Only qualified manufacturers qualify.
  • If you’re leasing, the lender/dealer can intervene and cap your credit.
  • The IRS has a strict set of criteria and qualified manufacturers that may or may not include your model or some component in it.
  • The IRS is an evil organization, and they can reject your claim on a whim.

Do These Run Out?

Oh yes, they certainly do. This tax credit is an incentive to put more electric vehicles on the road, in an effort to gradually phase out internal combustion over the course of this century. As more of these vehicles are purchased, these credits will diminish in scope, and eventually become unavailable entirely.

Can These Be Passed On?

This has a simple answer, unlike most of this. No, they cannot be passed on. If you gift an EV, or resell it, the tax credit is null and void, and the owner will almost certainly be unable to place a new claim.

What of Hybrids and Clean-Diesel?

These once had tax credits of their own, but due to their massive presence on the roads now, and their falling prey to obsolescence to true EVs, these tax credits have long expired.

State or Federal?

This depends on what state you live in, whether or not there is an additional state tax credit alongside the federal case. In the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, there are state-level tax credits provided for select vehicles. However, in some other states, this is not the case. You can make your own conclusions as to the relation of majority political alignment per state, with which ones most incentivize these clean technologies.
Some programs out there do provide interactive maps to show where these overlaps exist.

Fuel Cell Cars?

Sorry, no. Unless you bought your vehicle before January 1, 2017, you are not eligible for tax credits on hydrogen cell vehicles.

To learn more about these tax credits, and see some specific examples of credit returns for specific prices and vehicles, fill out our contact form below.

Key Technology Has Increased The Cost Of Losing Your Keys

Don’t lie. You’ve lost car keys before. We all have, at some point in our lives as drivers, lost our keys. It’s rarely due to carelessness. Drop them in the snow or down a grate? Fumble for your phone in a hurry to have them fall out of your pocket? Kids run off with them not realizing the ramifications? Yeah, this kind of thing just happens sometimes.

In the past, it was an expense, sure, but as technologies have evolved to make your car keys more convenient and secure, the cost of key replacements has skyrocketed significantly. It’s an inevitability. A saw-cut piece of metal’s only going to cost you parts and labor to have a new one cut. But newer technologies like keyless remote systems, transponders, smart keys and the like? That’s some hefty technology, and very involved to replace.

Let’s do a run down on what your new set of keys is going to run you, depending on what you’ve got.

Basics

So, you think you’ve got a basic set of keys? You can tell if the shank (the long metal part that goes into locks) will have simple grooves that are easy for a skilled locksmith to copy. These are affordable running you around $3.00 for a locksmith to make you a set.

If you have a fob (or remote/transmitter), that’s going to cost you a good bit more. These can run between $50-$90 depending on model, complexity and signal security measures. There do exist other options though, for aftermarket fob offerings that can significantly reduce the cost.

You can find out the specifications of your fob by going online and looking up your make and model of vehicle (provided you didn’t install a secondary system after market to begin with).

Transponder Keys

Transponder keys came along in the mid-90s, but became a standard after the turn of the century. These contain a simple chip that, once plugged, unlocks the ignition. Without the transponder, the ignition simply won’t work. This is an added measure to prevent fraudulent copies of keys from letting people make off with the vehicle.

These can be very pricey or very cheap, depending. Going to a dealership can run you prices like $160, while locksmiths capable of creating these transponder keys, will charge you something closer to $20-$30.

A search online can teach you tricks with an existing key, to program a copied key from a blacksmith, with a little online research.

Laser-Cut Keys

These are the modern take on a classic key, with a winding, less toothy shank. These are going to be more expensive, due to the equipment needed to cut them being very pricy. Not all locksmiths have this equipment, and it’s going to run you between $150-$250 to have one of these replaced.

Switchblade Keys

Switchblade keys fold into the fob, making them a single unit. These are increasingly common, and they can cost you a little as $80, but more often between $200-$300 due to their form factor and the second generation remote technology in them.

Smart Keys

Smart keys are a whole different ballgame, more like a USB encryption key/thumb drive, that allows push-button ignition. This was novel a few years ago, and is most common in things like Mercedes-Benz and other higher-end cars.

They’re becoming more common though, and are likely going to be the standard within 10 years or so. The problem with these is, they’re painfully expensive, costing up to $400 to replace, and it can be hard to find a locksmith that can, opting for a dealership’s extortion to solve the problem. Oh my.

Is It Worth It?

Is all of this expensive, hard-to-replace technology worth it? Well, ultimately, yes. Since the invention of these newer technologies, the rate of car thefts and break ins have significantly decreased by major statistics. Security is worth it, just be more careful with your keys, knowing how costly they can be to replace!

To learn more about car key types, and the advantages of these technologies, fill out our contact form below.