Category: Maintenance

The perfect car has just come into your life and it is at the price you wanted. The only problem is that the current owner does not have the title. You don’t want to walk away from the sale because you know that there could be many legitimate reasons why the owner doesn’t have the title. Maybe it was a gift from a parent or grandparent and they never bothered to transfer the title or it could have been lost or damaged. However, a car title declares who the legal owner of the vehicle is and, even if you pay for the car, the person who holds the title can claim ownership. You will also need the title to register the car in your name. There are ways for you to purchase the vehicle without repercussions affecting you later.

Do Some Research

The first thing you want to do is to be sure the car is not stolen, salvaged or a flood vehicle. You can research the car on websites like Carfax or AutoCheck by entering the VIN into their website. There, you can learn receive an odometer report, information on any accidents the car has been involved in as well as any insurance claims filed. If anything looks suspicious, ask the seller to explain. If it turns out there is an issue with the vehicle, walk away from the sale. In some states, you can get some information from your state DMV office. If you want to confirm that the car has not been stolen, you can run the VIN through the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Bill of Sale

No matter what the status of the title may be, you will need a bill of sale to take to your motor vehicle department. The bill of sale will need to include:

• Anything included or excluded from the sale, such as after-market parts or features
• Full address of both buyer and seller along with phone numbers
• Mileage
• Sale Price
• Terms of Sale (“as is” “where is” “seller to supply title” etc.)
• VIN

When you pay for the vehicle, use a check, certified check or money order so that you have a record of the payment. You can also set up an escrow account that holds the funds until the seller provides the title.

DMV Title Request

Each state has a process for obtaining a copy of the title. Most of the time, the seller simply fills out a form, pays a fee and provides proof of identity for a new title to be issued. Although some states can issue the new title immediately, some may take a few days. It may also be possible to complete the form online. However, if the car has never been registered or transferred to the seller, it may be more difficult. You may be able to contact your local DMV to learn the name of the previous owner in order to ask them for the title.

Surety Title Bond

Some states will allow you to obtain a Surety Bond which is a financial security instrument and declaration that guarantees that the car is yours. You will want to be sure there is no lien on the car. This information can be found at your local DMV. The Surety Bond can be completed by a local bond company. You will need to have the vehicle valued which will be used to calculate the amount of the bond. The bond is usually between one and two times the value of the car. You won’t pay that amount for the bond but will pay a percentage of the bond amount.

If you need to have a vehicle inspected before you purchase it, schedule an appointment with Elmer’s Auto Body today. You can fill out the easy form online or give us a call.

There are many reasons you may want to tint the windows in your vehicle. You may want enhanced privacy or to lower the interior temperature in your car. Tinting provides protection from sun glare which may also include ultraviolet rays. A car with tinted windows is also aesthetically pleasing from the outside for many people. Although most cars come with some level of tint from the factory, there are some that have no tinting. If you want to add tint to your windows, it can be done after-market, but there are limits to how much you can tint them.

Measuring Window Tint

When determining the tint of a window, the level is measured by a percentage of visible light transmission (VLT). The higher the percentage, the more light can come into the car through the windows. This means that a window tint with a very low percentage would appear much darker.

Window Tint Legal Limits

Each state has their own regulations on how much tint can be on a vehicle window. In most states, the driver and passenger window in the front cannot have a VLT of 50 percent or higher. The rear and back windows usually cannot be tinted more than 35 percent. This means that the tint on the front windows must be less than the tint on the back, even though the difference between the percentages is fairly minor.

Why Are There Window Tint Limits?

There are several reasons why states have laws regarding window tinting. If your window is tinted too dark, you may not be able to see clearly in the dark and are more likely to be involved in a crash. Window tint that is too dark is dangerous for pedestrians as well as you may not see them in time to avoid them. Law enforcement needs to be able to see the occupants of a vehicle should they pull them over for a traffic stop. If they cannot see inside the vehicle, it could put the officer in danger. If a law enforcement officer believes your window tint is too dark, they are permitted to pull you over. Police officers have a tool that will allow them to measure the tint and, if it is too dark, you could be fined. You will also be required to either remove the tint or replace it with a film that is within the proper limits.

If you have tinted windows that have been determined to be too dark or you are interested in having yours tinted, contact Elmer’s Auto Body today to learn more. You can schedule an appointment by calling or filling out the easy online form.

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.

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.

Don’t blow a gasket! This is a term everyone is familiar with in the English-speaking world, extending its meaning and ramifications well beyond auto culture by a large factor. But, what exactly does it mean to blow a gasket?

What exactly is a gasket, and what does it do?

The precise purpose and nature of these components, for all their importance and criticality, eludes most people who lack a deeper knowledge of automotive sciences. This is understandable, but this information is probably something everyone who drives a vehicle should actually know.

That in mind, we’re going to take a look at what gaskets are, what they do, and why blowing a head gasket is such a catastrophic issue calling for an immediate resolution. We’ll also look at the obvious symptoms of failed gaskets.

What Are Head Gaskets

Head Gaskets themselves are a ring of belted steel, copper or other durable but flexible metal, coated in rubber or a silica compound of some sort. They’re intended to provide a persistent seal as well provide some padding for higher-impact parts of your vehicle. They can break down due to a number of reasons.

The main thing that kills gaskets is simple, wear and tear. While they have some bounce-back from impact, over time, the silica/rubber coating loses this elasticity and can even wear off. Another common gasket killer is build-up of “crud”.

What Do Head Gaskets Do?

Head gaskets provide critical seals to contain fluids such as oil, coolant, and fuel, as well as to contain the combustion of fuel. They also provide extra padding for cylinders in some engines.

Symptoms of Blown Head Gaskets

If one or more of your head gaskets fails, there are some very detectable symptoms, none of which are good.

• White Exhaust – Exhaust is usually mostly transparent. If there is very visible white smoke exiting the exhaust pipe, it means water and coolant are getting into the ignition chambers. Steam and burning glycol have a very thick, white appearance.
• Overheating – If your engine is consistently overheating, this means you’re losing coolant, which is another substance head gaskets help to contain.
• Visible Coolant Leaks – Coolant can escape beneath the exhaust manifold, and is very visible if it does so.
• Rapidly Diminishing Coolant – Coolant may not visibly leak, due to being evaporated or possibly pooling somewhere. If the coolant is diminishing at an alarming rate, its gasket may be blown.
• Poor Running Engine – If your engine’s performance has suffered a severe drop, this is very likely the primary cause as fuel efficiency has reduced due to the primary cylinder head gaskets being blown.

Prevention not Response

The best way to ensure that these and other gasket-related symptoms do not occur is to avoid overheating your engine. Ensure it’s vented properly and not strained beyond its proper rating by overpowered fuel etc. Heat is the biggest gasket killer, as pointed out previously.

To learn more about the various gaskets and their important functions, fill out the contact form below to stay in the know!