Auto Repair Service - 30k, 60k, 90k, Automobile Dealership Rip-Offs

I had a friend call me recently because he bought his 2007 Nissan in for a 90k auto service (90,000 mile service). Most of these services are the largest scams I have ever been apart of (yeah sorry). As a flat rate mechanic I absolutely loved them (back in the day). My friend paid through the nose for crap, he knew it after wards, and at least reduced the BS up-sells.

Thirty thousand mile services are a glorified oil change with a tire rotation. I used to get paid 3 or 4 hours to do a 30k service (Done in 1 hr tops). Oh, you sure inspect a lot of stuff, stuff that does not need inspecting. The original 30k's, before we had 100,000 mile fluids and spark plugs, you actually had to do some work.

Here's the deal! You go in for an oil change every 3000 miles, and a oil change and tire rotation every 6000 miles or so. If you need repair work, like brakes or front end work, they will notice. They crawl all over your car looking for an up-sell, you do not have to pay them for these routine inspections, that's all these services are, routine inspections. Most shops give you free 16 point inspections for free with an oil change.

I recommend getting your oil changed and tire rotations by "certified mechanics", not jiffy this, or sooner that. Whether in a dealership or private auto repair facility they have "guys" , they give this easy work to. Do not let sub par mechanics work on your car. The labor rate does not change depending on who's working on your car, so ask for a certified mechanic (your already paying for him).

Online Bill Pay and How It Works

Online bill pay is fast becoming a popular means of payment among people who want to practice good debt management skills, and save on both time and money in the process.

What exactly is online bill pay?

Generally, it is a payment method that lets an individual carry out payment instructions to creditors electronically through a computer program. This can actually get rid of errors, making it easier to manage debt. In addition, it is faster than mailing checks.

Online bill payment methods come in two basic categories: those being offered via a bank, and those offered via a service provider- like a credit card or phone company.

In general, online bill pay is designed to be fast and simple to use. Majority of major banking institutions, as well as businesses, provide this service without any charge. Individuals can choose to manually enter their payments every month, or arrange for an automatic withdrawal from their account. Automatic withdrawal allows them to set up their payments before their due date without worrying about giving manual instructions to make a monthly payment. The creditor will transfer funds straight from the bank, and enter these funds into their account with no action needed whatever.

Advantages of Choosing Online Bill Pay

The following information will help you consider the different advantages of using online bill pay:

Hassle-free

Individuals can save on time when using the online bill pay platform. Instead of writing out checks, wetting stamps and filing lots of papers, they can set up an online account to get rid of all these steps. It will also be easier and faster to manage their debt.

When they need to go over past bills, they do not have to waste time in looking for them - because all of their account information can be seen in one centralized location.

Cost Efficient

They can save on the stamping costs, which can add up. The average household gets 15 bills every month, which could amount to $ 70 a year in just postage costs.

They can avoid late payment fees that are incurred every time a payment is received after the due date. Missed payments could lead to the following:

• Increase in interest rates;
• Late payment charges and over limit fees.

When the payment is past due, their account could probably go to collection status.

Convenient

What is a more convenient solution to managing debt? Individuals could create their own automatic online bill account, so they can set up recurring payments that are to be regularly withdrawn from their account. This decreases the chance of late / lost payments, saving time in the process.

When they find out that one of their bills is due for payment on the next day, the best way to make sure that their payment will be posted on time is through online bill pay.

Simple Ways to Restore Your Wiper Blades

We all know that driving is being needlessly forced into being an ever increasing expense item.

Not only are cars becoming ever more expensive to purchase but the days of simply paying to use the roads and keeping yourself insured against accidents are now well gone.

Totally our own fault i'm afraid because governments have a system to introduce 'sneaky revenue raisers' slowly and strategically in order to avoid undue rejection, so their sneaky tricks have managed to slide in pay to register, pay to license, pay to stop, pay to run, pay to park, pay to go to work, pay by engine size and type, pay to buy parts and fuel and now the latest:- pay to use toll roads without refund of any existing road taxes.

It's amazing how many sneaky charges can be slipped in between the voters lives in order to feather the political or financial nests of our elected dictators.

Anyway, we are now left where we have to keep looking out for every little economy just to keep ourselves on the road at all. And if they don't get us through the cars they will catch us through public transport. Frankly it's becoming an out of hand rort at taxpayer expense.

Anyway, a lot of our funds sure pass to this cash vacuum through our purchases of necessary safety parts such as replacement brake pads, new windshield wiper blades, tires, oils and so forth. Maybe even mandatory vehicle testing is just another annual revenue raiser, although it does provide some important safety checks too?

Anyhow, the key here is to stay as safe as possible on the roads yet spend as little as you can doing so isn't it?

In which case it sure is great to see there is yet another way to hang onto a little of the old hard-earned and in doing so even help the ecology along with a ton less pollution.

Where this can be done is through a fairly simple yet totally annoying item called wiper blades, which of course nearly every method of transport has to use.

The problem with windscreen wipers is that they are fairly delicate mechanisms that wear out easily yet can be a bugger to change over due to the weathering they get, based on where they actually are positioned outside of the vehicle. They get it all.

They are also only made from a reasonably soft rubber or silicon compound due to a requirement to be just soft enough not to scratch your windscreen but stiff enough to scrape away the road grime and filth that both wet and dry weather brings onto the screen.

Wiper blades work on a system of dragging up the screen, then flipping and dragging back down again. They operate this way so that the square shoulder that they have on the blade edge can tilt and act almost with a scissor-like action to scrape the filth, grit and water away.

Unfortunately it is this very efficient action itself that causes the wiper blade edge to wear out fairly rapidly, which is where two things have to happen.

Firstly you generally would have to hunt down and purchase a new set of blades and then secondly, struggle away, often at the least convenient moment and while hacking up your fingers manage to get the old blades off and the new one on....But not stay clean too eh?

What I like most about that sentence is that it sounds oh so easy and straight-forward doesn't it? And that is the trap. I'm actually a professional engineer and yet I'll admit, I once managed to cut myself on these and I have destroyed a set trying to change them too.

So, disregarding all this pain and stress, if you appreciate the mechanics of what a wiper blade actually does and how it does it, then the entire problem can go away for you...Almost permanently.

In order to give the public the least headache and the greatest satisfaction then, just a little serious consideration provided the development of a new tool that can simply renovate and restore most windshield wiper blades to near new. Of course this flows onwards to save the extended agony of finding and fitting the darned things, plus the absolute waste that has been impacting the ecology (most blades don't need throwing away when they are). So, regardless that wiper blades are only rising in price and now often packaged to force you to buy new wiper arms and shoes with the rubber blades, this robbery can be avoided. This is called 'fabricated attrition' and it is often just an unethical revenue raiser for a certain business model.

How Our Fiat Currency is Destroying Our Economy and What You Can Do

Money is anything that is accepted as a means of exchange. It can be a commodity, a receipt, a fiat (by order or decree), or fractional money. Throughout history we have seen monetary systems start as commodity money and move to receipts. In the US we used gold. But when the gold got too cumbersome to use, we deposited it in a bank and carried a receipt instead. That receipt could have been used as money because the holder could claim the gold in the bank that backed it. Banks got an idea. Since the receipts were rarely redeemed, they started issuing multiple receipts on the same gold deposits, allowing them to make loans with money they did not really have. This is fractional money. The problem was that when too many people decided to claim their gold, there was not enough to cover the claims. So the system caused instability in the economy because of the lack of confidence that the money was actually backed by gold deposits. So the solution was to have the government decree that the receipts were to be accepted as money backed by the government (fiat currency). The government would hold gold reserves to back their claim. Today, our currency is no longer backed by gold reserves.

In the book, The Plea for the Constitution, George Bancroft in 1886 (republished by Spence Judd Publishers in 1982), George wrote that the founders of our country had the evils and painful results of fiat money in mind when they wrote the Constitution. They wanted to keep the government from creating a fiat monetary system. This is because they knew that this system propagated fraud in their previous experience. They believed that forcing the people to accept a fiat currency should have considered a crime of treason punishable by death. Thomas Paine wrote about this in his "Dissertations on Government" on February 18, 1786. Our founders were clear where they stood on this, though Federal Reserve Bank materials today will lead you to believe otherwise. Despite this resolve, lawmakers today have found clever ways to justify the monetary system we now have. The 10th Amendment states "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Although the first draft included "The legislation of the United States will have the power to borrow money and emit bills of credit." It was hotly debated and voted down by a large majority, so it was removed. The fact that they took this action clearly left the power of issuing currency to the citizens of the United States. Alexander Hamilton comes to this same conclusion in his writing, "Works" Part II.

If you were to write your congressman today and question them on this issue, they would respond with a letter that cites a Supreme Court case from 1884, Julliard vs. Greenman, where the decision cave the Federal government justification to create a fiat currency. Since the decision went unchallenged for so many years, it is considered settled law, despite the fact that it is in direct conflict with the intent of the Constitution. This decision effectively made new constitutional law. If you tried to challenge the constitutionality of this law in your own case today, your case would be dismissed as frivolous. George Bancroft declared this a flagrant violation of the constitution in his book. Bancroft is a reliable source because he personally knew Andrew Jackson, Polk, and every president since Monroe during his lifetime. He had discussions with James Madison, John Adams, and LaFayette. He was intimately acquainted with the original intent of the constitution. So it is clear that our government has subscribed to the fraudulent practices that our founders considered a crime of treason.

As a result, we have created an unstable economy that is sooner to exaggerated swings of boom and bust that are ever increasing as we become more deeply involved in the fraud. Occasionally, this system will no longer be able to be sustained by clever manipulations of the market. This places the citizens of the US in an uncomfortable position. Either we put a stop to it, or we prepare as individuals for the coming total collapse of our economy. The best way to do this is to be completely debt free, and to keep a large portion of your net worth in hard assets that are relatively stable in price and reserve buying power, even if those assets are not enough liquid now, and certainly not liquid in a collapse. Once the monetary system is reformed, those assets will return to previous liquidity and value.

Understanding Auto Repair Abbreviations

Like any specialized field, auto repair has its own unique set of abbreviations. Used by professionals, the abbreviations can seem to create a completely different language. This can be frustrating for car owners who may not understand what's being said and who find themselves too embarrassed to ask questions on their meaning.

While you should always ask any question that pops in your head especially when dealing with something as important as auto repair, you can ease the embarrassment by studying up on some of the more common auto repair abbreviations.

Now many car owners will encounter only specific abbreviations, usually ones dealing with parts. These abbreviations will probably be used when considering the replacement of damaged items of your car and may even show up on your bill.

OEM- Original Equipment Manufacturer. This simply means that the part is certified new by the manufacturer of the car. This is important for those owners wanting only new parts and that need an assurance of that fact.

QRP- Quality Replacement Part. When mechanisms use "QRP" it is used as a euphemism. What this really means is that the part is an aftermarket part.

A / M- Aftermarket. An A / M is a part not made by the manufacturer of your vehicle.

Now other abbreviations will be used when dealing with the actual maintenance of the vehicle. These abbreviations are second nature to many mechanisms who may use them absent mindedly even to customers.

A / F Ratio-Air / Fuel Ratio or Air to Fuel Ratio. A proper A / F Ratio is needed to properly start the car.

CAT-Catalytic Converter. Back in the 1970s the United States started strengthening EPA standards relating internal combustion engines. The CAT is used to turn toxic by products into something a little less toxic.

DFI- Digital Fuel Injector. Fuel Injectors replaced carburetors back in the 1980s. The DFI relations on high pressure to mix the fuel and air where carburetors used low pressure.

DTC- Diagnostic Trouble Code. As the name suggests, the DTC helps to identify any problems. The mechanic reads the DTC with the help of a scanner tool. The DTC consists of 5 digits.

FIPL- Fuel Injector Pump Lever. This piece of equipment insures the continued operation and performance of the fuel injector pump. The fuel injector pump is responsible for getting the fuel from the tank to the injectors. This is critical for the vehicles continued performance.

GPS- Global Positioning System. These systems are becoming more and more popular and are even featured in many of the newer model cars. There should be something wrong with the GPS then you need to make sure that the mechanic understands how to work on it.

hp- Horsepower. Horsepower is a measurement of power and is usually used to refer to trucks and some SUVs.

Now, there are certainly numerous other abbreviations beyond what is listed here which you will no doubt hear while having your car service It is always a good idea to learn at least a handful of abbreviations before heading to a mechanic. A little knowledge goes a long way, after all, and by displaying some know how you will be able to understand the lingo and jargon of the auto repair shop.

These Top 5 Romantic Birthday Gift Ideas for Your Girlfriend Are Truly the Best

It's great if one is romantic enough to make his girlfriend feel feel on top of the world, but when it's time to surprise her with a gift, the essence of love should be reflected from the gift too. It does not matter if it's her birthday, not Valentine's Day. Since love is the core essence of this relationship so it should not be missed out from the gift.

It needs not be an expensive birthday gift to be ideally romantic for your girlfriend. It needs to be the most thoughtful one to make her feel loved and cared. And, if the best romantic birthday gift ideas for your girlfriend is to be considered then there are a few options to brief:

Personalized Bottle Lamp:

From the widest range of personalized gifts, bottle lamps are trending a lot these days. It can be personalized with her best photographs and with some romantic quote or text too. No wonder, this gift will make her feel spellbound and madly loved.

Birthday Cake and Flower Combo:

How can cake be missed from birthday celebration of the sweetheart? To make her special day, a memorable one for her, the combo of birthday cake with beautiful flowers can do wonders in making her feel loved. After picking birthday flowers for her, this combo is definitely the best to make her feel special on the special day. Also, at online gift portals, such combos are available with nationwide and worldwide delivery services too.

Black and White Photo Canvas:

If she owns some very photogenic photographs, one of those can be converted to a magnificent Black and White Photo Canvas. No wonder, this very thoughtful gift will leave her spellbound on her special day. It will always be something that she will love to see on the wall of her room at home. Moreover, this thought gift will reflect the giver's thoughtfulness and feelings of love for her.

A Trendy Handbag Full of Roses and Heart Shaped Chocolates:

Another quite out-of-the-box romantic birthday gift idea for your girlfriend is this one. How can a girl say no to a new and stylish arm candy? In fact, she will love it a lot. However, to change a useful and trendy handbag into a romantic gift, the idea of ​​filling it with red roses and delicious heart-shaped chocolates will definitely prove to be a heart-winning idea.

Wrist Watch:

How can a wristwatch be a romantic gift for sweetheart? Well, the answer to this is 'putting a little extra effort for this.' Just get the classiest or the trendiest wristwatch for her and decorate the box with little paper heart shape cuttings. Also, you can put a red rose inside the box with the watch and a love note with a romantic quote. No wonder, this watch will always make her remember this wonderful time forever.

That comes to an end for heart-winning romantic gifts for your girlfriend which can make her feel very special and on top of the world too. There is so much to consider gifting and surprising her. Just buy birthday gifts with heart!

Architectural Rendering Symbols

Architectural rendering refers to the visualization of a proposed design. The architecture rendering of visualization presents the replica of the planned project for the approval of the person who wants it to be constructed. Once approved, the plan is then taken ahead for construction. Architectural renderings may include commercial or residential units consisting of complicated designs and lengthy animations. Architectural rendering symbols are used to simplify the designing procedure while drawing the blueprint of the project.

In earlier times, architects had to perform an extensive job of drawing and explaining their layouts in detail by mentioning every part of the designing structure. Architectural rendering technologies have now redefined the method and procedures of architectural rendering. The architects employ various "Auto-CAD", Automatic Computer Aided Designing symbols to make their job easier and faster. These symbols have now become an integral part of architectural rendering.

These symbols are divided into different segments in order to provide a clear understanding and classify the areas of their usage. Every portion of the project is thus projected by different symbols typical to that portion of the plan such as bedroom furniture and accessory symbols, bathroom accessory symbols, accessories for interior designing and outdoor planning, cars and even human figures. Apart from these symbols, there are specific architectural symbols used for indicating plans, structures, floor plans and framing plans of doors and windows as well.

The initial layout starts with the convention architecture symbols used for depicting the construction features such as plot and the site plan. The layout is then carried forward according to the specifications by using typical rendering symbols used for different metals, wood, glass and other materials that are required to finish the project. Symbols are also used for displaying the various classifications for earthly materials, concrete materials, glass varieties and stone surfaces. These symbols, thus, play an important role in shaping up the final replica of the proposed project.