Maintenance-Car bibles

dad

If the 370 is noisy!


B-Quiet sound deadening material - Installs - 2003 Nissan 350Z

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

dad

Wheel Locks

Home - McGard: Innovative Security Products

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

dad

If you don't have a subscription, Nissan Sport magazine.



Nissan Sport: The magazine for Nissan, Datsun, Infiniti enthusiasts

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

dad

Car Shopping on the Offensive: 8 Aggressive Buying TacticsBeat the hard sell and turn the tables on the dealer.

Our reviews, road tests, and Buying Guide will help you choose a single vehicle from the 430 or so on sale today, but how do you negotiate the often contentious dealer experience? It can be an intimidating and unpleasant process, and while most dealers are honest, salespeople are in the business to close deals quickly and get you to pay top dollar. Most engage in tried-and-true psychological tactics designed to get them the best possible deal. So how do you make sure you’re doing the same for yourself? We’ve debunked the eight most common hard-sell tactics. More important, we tell you how to turn around each of them and use them to your advantage. Should you find yourself getting pressured, these replies will regain control of the situation.



What the Dealer Says:

"You have to make the deal today."

What You Should Say:

"Sorry, this offer expires tonight."

In this scenario the dealer quotes a price, but to apply pressure to the buyer the deal is only good for that day. This gives the buyer little chance to research the price or find a competing offer from another dealership. Fortunately, the buyer can regain control by coming up with his or her own price and adding, “My offer is only good for tonight.” A dealer desperate to make a sale will have little recourse, and should they not agree to the price the buyer is free to walk away. Just be sure to do your research before you go to the dealer so your offer is actually low enough.



What the Dealer Says:

"I have to check with my manager."

What You Should Say:

"I have to check with my spouse."

A salesperson often will tell you that he has to confer with a sales manager to see if the price he comes up with is agreeable. Thus, the manager becomes the bad guy and the salesperson comes off as being in the buyer’s corner. Don’t be fooled and don’t be afraid to use the same tactic. If you need time to think about it and you don’t want to come off as the bad guy, tell the salesperson you have to confer with your spouse. It helps to paint the spouse as the disagreeable sort. Don’t have a spouse? Try accountant, therapist, astrologist, cult leader, food taster, or any other authority figure whose opinion you supposedly value. Have the other person play the role of the bad guy who’s holding up the deal. It’s not uncommon for salespeople to belittle a customer for letting the “little lady” or “chauvinist husband” tell them what to do, so be prepared to set your ego aside and admit you’re only one member of the team making the decision.



What the Dealer Says:

"I have to put food on my table."

What You Should Say:

"I have to keep food on my table."

To play on the buyer’s compassion, the salesperson might tell you that he has to put food on his table. Apparently, the deal is so in favor of the buyer that the salesperson will starve if the deal gets any better. Remember, you’re the one unloading the cash, not the salesperson. Tell them, “I have to keep food on my table.”



What the Dealer Says:

"We’re already losing money on this deal."

What You Should Say:

"I’m already losing a hell of a lot of money on this deal."

To convince the buyer of the excellent deal that is being made, the salesperson might tell the buyer that the dealer is losing money on the deal. This is another tactic designed to appeal to one’s sympathy. Consider that the buyer is the one who is losing, or at least giving up, thousands of dollars. Be sure to remind the salesperson that you are the one losing the money.



What the Dealer Says:

"I’ve got another offer, this is in high demand."

What You Should Say:

"I could go down the street and get the same car."

Car salespeople will always try to convince the buyer that the car they are considering is in such high demand that they’d better move quickly or risk losing the car. “Other interested buyers” and “production shortages” are ruses designed to make the buyer believe that buying immediately is necessary. Mass-produced cars are, as the name implies, built in huge numbers. Even if what the dealer tells you is true, another just like the one you want will be built and available soon. And there are almost always other dealers that will have the same car or something close.



What the Dealer Says:

"This is the only one like it, take it or leave it."

What You Should Say:

"I am the only person who would ever buy this ridiculously unusual car."

Hard-core car enthusiasts often find themselves considering cars that ordinary buyers don’t even know exist. Consequently, the automaker doesn’t make a lot of these cars because the market for them is so thin. But they are out there. Somewhere a Cadillac dealer has a CTS with a six-speed manual transmission and it’s more than likely that the salesperson is telling the buyer, “This is the only one like it, take it or leave it.” The seller should respond in kind with, “I am the only person who would ever buy this ridiculously unusual car.”



What the Dealer Does:

Last-minute price increase or hidden fees

What You Should Do:

Last-minute offer decrease

If the dealer knows that you’re seriously interested and a price has been agreed upon, occasionally the dealer will surprise the buyer with a last-minute price increase or previously undisclosed fees and, of course, a plausible-sounding excuse for the increase. Don’t give in to this tactic. Try countering with a last-minute offer decrease.



What the Dealer Says:

"I’m throwing in all this for free."

What You Should Say:

"I don’t even want all this stuff."

A salesperson will often attempt to justify an inflated price by including valueless items like pinstriping, undercoating, fabric or paint protectant, or pre-sale inspections. Sometimes even optional equipment may be part of the deal and appear to be free. If you don’t want the extra options, just let the dealer know. Tell the dealer, “These non-factory items, if anything, make this car worth less to me.”

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

dad

How to Get That New-Car Test Drive
Basically, you gotta make the salesman comfortable. Here are 15 tips for success.

The first thing you should know is that test-drive rules are unique to each dealership. We visited a Volvo store where a salesman said, "If I believe you're a serious customer, I'll let you take a car home for a night with unlimited miles." Then we visited a Honda dealership where the general manager said, "Our test drives are restricted to less than five miles, with the salesman driving half that distance."

What's more, few dealerships maintain a fleet of demonstrators. "Too expensive," explains a Subaru salesman. "I sell Outbacks, Legacy sedans and wagons, Impreza sedans and wagons, WRX sedans and wagons, and we have three engines and a bunch of trim levels. I'd need 20 demonstrators to represent those variations." We talked to a Ford dealer who kept "a few" Explorer demonstrators, and we found a Toyota dealer who maintained a handful of Corolla and Camry demonstrators. But that was about it. When you take a test drive nowadays, it will usually be in a new car.

"That's one reason why salesmen are so eager for you to test the exact car you're thinking of buying, right down to the color," explains Ford sales manager John McLellan of Varsity Ford in Ann Arbor. "We're hoping you're putting miles on the car you'll own—miles we won't have to explain to someone else." At his dealership, in fact, new cars with as few as 35 test miles get parked until they're sold. But at a BMW dealership three blocks distant, the limit was more like 300. "If you buy a car with 300 test miles," said the general manager there, "tell the salesman you want the warranty extended by that number of miles—he can do it."

In any event, here are the best methods—according to the salesmen—for wangling a long, meaningful solo test drive:

Tip No. 1: Do not lie to the salesman. Not about anything. First off, the salesman will know. He's heard every lie ever invented by man or beast, maybe 200 times a week. Also, it's completely unnecessary—it affects the eventual price of your car not one whit. But there's a far more important reason not to lie. Once he catches a customer fibbing to him, the average salesman feels justified in lying right back.

"People lie about the dumbest stuff," says Mercedes salesman (and former C/D "Brevet Motor Pool Officer") Michael Brueger. "They'll boast about all the Benzes they've owned, like a 1984 supercharged Gullwing so-and-so with 25-inch dubs or something equally crazy. I always think to myself, Why the hell did we just go through that little piece of fantasy? Where did it get us? It's like lying to your plumber about which toilet is leaking." A lot of customers lie to salesmen from the git-go because they think it'll somehow demonstrate their take-no-prisoners attitude when it comes to negotiating the car's price. "Tell me," asks Brueger, "exactly how does that work?"

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

dad

Tip No. 2:

Before he'll give you a car to test, a salesman will, at a minimum, demand to see your driver's license, and he may also want to know your home phone number and where you work. If you're defensive about any of this, he's unlikely to let you test a car alone. Freely divulge everything, and also offer the insurance slip on the car you just drove onto the lot. That document gives the salesmen a few more clues about who you are, and it at least demonstrates you're legally able to title a new car in your own name in that state. A Porsche salesman we talked to insists that his test-driving customers sign a loaner agreement before taking a car. Do it.

And here's another reason not to lie to a salesman. Dealerships increasingly use a Wilson Technologies scanner to run your license, just like the cops. If you have a history of vehicular mayhem, or if you've been convicted of fraud, or if your license is restricted in any way, the salesman will know—in about 10 seconds.

Tip No. 3: The surest way to get a long, meaningful solo test drive is to make the salesman comfortable. Assure him that (a) you're not a thief, (b) you're not out for a joy ride, and (c) you're actually in the market for the car you're asking to drive.

"If a guy wants to test, say, a V-6 Camry, every salesman will ask, 'Okay, so what other cars have you looked at?'" says Toyota salesman Glenn Gottfried. "And if that customer doesn't immediately say, 'Well, I'm also thinking about an Accord, a Sonata, a Stratus'—you know, if he can't name a few competing models in the class—then he's not serious or he's got some secret agenda. Which makes me nervous. And if I'm nervous, he's not taking a car off my lot. A guy who bares his soul is the guy who gets all the favors. He's the guy who comes in, shakes my hand, isn't defensive or combative, and says, 'I've driven these four cars, I want to purchase one in the next 10 days, I like the Accord and the Sonata the most—had a Taurus that I hated—but I'd prefer to buy a Camry if it had a better ride, a nicer stereo, and didn't cost me $750 extra. Can you make that happen?' That guy is a buyer. That guy gets any test drive he wants. I can't use any of that information against him—all I can do is put him in a car most likely to satisfy him. So, why don't we all try to get to that point as fast as possible?"

Tip No. 4: If you go to a dealership that imposes strict prohibitions regarding test drives—no deviations from prescribed routes, for instance, or mandatory ride-along salesmen—then go ahead and take the test drive anyway and drive like a perfect angel. When you return to the dealership, sip a Coke for 10 minutes, then go back to the salesman and say, "I really, really like that car. Would you mind if I drive it once more, this time alone?"

"Once I've ridden with a guy and know he's not a maniac and I have a feel for his motives, I'll always grant the second [solo] drive," says Gottfried. "Always. And then if he's gone for 30 or 45 minutes, I won't sweat it." Six other veteran salesmen, including one at a Porsche store, told us the same. Four others promised this: If a customer comes back a day or two later and says, "Since I last saw you, I've driven X, Y, and Z, but now I can't remember what your car drove like," the dealership won't hesitate to hand him the keys. "We call those 'be-backs,'" explains BMW new-car dealer Joe Gilmour. "Salesmen love be-backs. He's the guy I'll let take a car home for a night. We call that the 'puppy-dog close.' You take a cute puppy home, you fall in love with it."

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

dad

Tip No. 5:

Show up looking like you're serious—wearing slacks and a nice shirt or blouse—and show up in the car you plan to trade or in the nicest car you own. "There's this weird urban myth," says Brueger, "that if you look like a homeless person, I'll go easier on you when it comes time to negotiate. How does that make sense? For one thing, if you look like you can't afford a new car, I'm gonna require a lot more information before I toss you the keys. I'll still give you a test drive, it's just gonna take longer to get there. And I like having the collateral of seeing a nice, late-model car parked in front of the showroom while you're out testing my car. Whether you know it or not, every salesman has a kind of five-minute secret interrogation he conducts to qualify a guy for a drive. Me, the first thing I notice is his shoes and wristwatch. The second thing I notice is the address on his license. Veteran salesmen know almost every street in town, and they know the size of the houses on those streets. So don't pull the 'I'm just a poor slob' routine."

Tip No. 6: Do not have someone drop you off at a dealership and expect a test drive. Do not walk to a dealership and expect a test drive. Do not arrive with a spouse who doesn't want to ride along on the test drive—all three are tactics used by thieves who drive away cars forever.

Do not tell a salesman you want to take a test drive "to kill a little time before a movie." Do not tell a salesman, "This car isn't for me—I'm just testing it for someone else." Do not expect a test drive if you've had a beer at lunch and the salesman can smell it. If you're male, do not expect a test drive if you take along a male buddy. "Men try to impress each other," notes Brueger. "I once let two guys test a 7-series. They made it about two blocks before they rolled the thing in front of a nice restaurant."

Tip No. 7: If you go to the dealership with a spouse, decide beforehand who's going to test the car and who's going to conduct financial negotiations. It makes the salesman more comfortable—and saves time—if the driver and the negotiator are the same person.

Tip No. 8: If you're granted a drive and the salesman rides along, tell him what you're going to do before you do it. Say to him, "I'm gonna accelerate a little briskly from this light. Is that okay?" Tell him, "There's no one behind me, can I try a panic stop from 15 mph?"

Says BMW's Gilmour, "My rule of thumb is, as long as you warn me first, and as long as nothing you do attracts attention from other motorists, I'm cool with it."

"The real secret is to work up to speed," says Brueger. "Start out like you're my grandma and show me you're competent and careful. Then, by the end of the test, I'll let you do some pretty wild stuff."

"I was on a drive with a guy on a freeway," recalls Toyota's Gottfried, "and he deliberately missed two exits that I asked him politely to take. It scared me to death. I thought he was gonna kill me, then take the car. That's not uncommon, you know."

"One big thing for me," adds Gilmour, "is the difference between testing a car and abusing it. Speed doesn't bother me, but abuse does. Drive the car like it belongs to your wife. The second time you smoke the tires away from a light, I'm gonna say, 'Jeez, whoever buys this car, you just cost him 200 miles.'"

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

dad

Tip No. 9:

Don't hesitate to ask a salesman to be quiet while you drive. "In fact, I prefer a guy who concentrates on what the car is doing and what traffic is doing," says Gilmour. "When a driver gets chatty and happy, then we're just cruising. That's a joy ride. Man, I hate joy rides."

Tip No. 10: If you're granted a test drive, do not turn on the car's radio or fiddle with its nav system. Mess around with the electronics while you're parked in the lot, not while racking up miles.

Never take your hands off the wheel "to see how she tracks."

If you're male and are overly "friendly" with a saleswoman, she'll ask a salesman to ride along as protection, and that guy will make a point of ensuring your test drive is as brief as humanly possible.

"And if you answer your cell phone during a test," adds Brueger, "then I know you're bullshitting me. I'm offended when a guy asks me to prove the worth of my products and then takes that opportunity to chat with the guy fixing his lawn mower."

Tip No. 11: If you're having trouble getting a decent test drive, offer to fill out a "buyer's order," the document that includes all your particulars and the sticker price of the car. This document isn't legally binding, and you don't have to complete the last line, which states the car's negotiated price. But if a salesman is waffling about whether you deserve a solo test drive, he can take a completed buyer's order to his boss. That has the effect of proving you're serious, and if you wrap up the car on the drive, it also shifts some of the blame onto the general manager. Again, the goal is the same—make the salesman comfortable, and you'll get what you want.

Tip No. 12: After a brief test, be genuinely honest (but not arrogant) about any complaints or reservations you have, because it may earn you a second, longer drive. "Last week a guy said to me, 'I'm worried that these tires are so quick to squeal, and I'm not entirely comfortable with the driving position,'" recalls Ford salesman Mark Davis. "And I told him, 'That's because these are M+S-rated tires. But I have this same car, except with 17-inch Bridgestone Potenzas and electrically adjustable pedals—how 'bout you try that one?'"

Tip No. 13: If it's a rare or particularly expensive car you want to test, visit the dealership first to "qualify" and expect to return later to drive. "Obviously, testing a Cobalt is no problem," explains Chevrolet sales manager Eric Gilliam, "but testing a Corvette Z06 or a Cadillac CTS-V is. Even huge dealerships may have only one in stock, and it may be sitting in the showroom. I don't mind getting it out for you, but I can't do it at the drop of a hat."

Tip No. 14: To derive the most productive test, select a dealership out in the sticks. Traffic is less dense there, and the showroom is more likely to be near twisty country roads that will allow a more revealing test. Just as important, pick a dealership in an affluent suburb, where crime rates are low. The salesmen who come into the least contact with crooks are the salesmen most likely to trust you for solo test drives.

Tip No. 15: "It's okay to treat me like a jerk, but only if I treat you like a jerk first," says Ford salesman Davis. "Otherwise, leave your ego and prejudices about car salesmen at home. If we immediately get into mortal combat, why should I be keen on giving you a lenient test drive? Plus, the real kicker is this: If you do buy the car, the price you finally pay will be the same as if we treated each other like long-lost buds. I mean, what's the point? Save yourself the Rolaids.

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

AK370Z

Very nice! If you read those good info along with this sticky New Car Buying 101. Please Read Before Buying Your Nissan 370Z , I assure you will get possibly one of the best deals and feel good walking out of the dealership.

__________________
The370Z Signature Pictures ll Want to rock our forum decals on your car? Then click here! ll How to Embed YouTube Videos In a Post
STOP! (Hammertime) ll Become a Premium Member Click HERE ll F.A.Q.
Are You a Nissan Dealer? Click Here to Become A "Supporting Dealer" and Start Listing Your 370Zs In Our Inventory Section
My Monterey Blue Z ll My Exhaust --> My Intake --> G3
Nissan's Official Response Regarding Oil Temp Issue: CLICK HERE
Need a Set of Cheap Winter wheels /Tires? Then Visit The Banner Link Below and Place Your Order. You'll Help Keep The370Z Alive.

dad

Extended warranties: A high-priced gamble

Survey of 8,000 new-car buyers shows they are usually a poor deal



Most people don't buy a new car without hearing the dealership finance manager warn about "how foolish it would be" not to protect your investment from unexpected repairs as you put on the miles. What comes next is a persistent sales pitch for a solution to your new fears: an extended warranty. "You could save the amount of the plan cost with just one covered repair!" says a brochure for Ford's Extended Service Plan.

But extended warranties sell costly "peace of mind" for repair nightmares that probably won't occur, according to a survey of more than 8,000 readers in December 2007 by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. We have long advised that extended warranties are a poor deal for almost every product. Now we have the first data showing that this advice applies to most new cars as well.

The survey included buyers of extended warranties for cars in the 2001 and 2002 model years. That allowed sufficient time for the factory warranties to expire, as well as several years of extended coverage. The chart on Costly contracts lists results for makes for which we have sufficient data; note that models within a make may vary. Some owners in the survey might have had coverage remaining, but our analysis shows that the need for serious repairs is uncommon.

The main reason is that automobiles today are more reliable than ever. "The odds are that what's covered won't fail," says Terry Wynter, who owns Terry Wynter Auto Service Center in Fort Myers, Fla., and is helping to write an extended-warranty guide for the Automotive Service Association (ASA). The sellers of extended warranties know what parts tend to break within the coverage time and mileage, so buyers are betting against the house.

In fact, that's a lesson many people already know. About 75 percent of all respondents in our initial screening did not buy extended warranties, with more than two-thirds saying they didn't think it was a good value for their money.

The best course of action for most consumers is to buy a car that gets top reliability scores in our Vehicle Ratings , and you probably won't need an extended warranty. But if your heart is set on a car with a below-average reliability record, it's more of a toss-up. You can decide for yourself how much "peace of mind" is worth. For example, the highest usage claims were for Mercedes-Benz, for which we have no recommended models due to below-average reliability. But only 38 percent of those owners said they saved money with the extended warranty; the average loss was $100.

The experience of our readers who bought extended warranties and a closer examination of how they work show why the odds are stacked against you.
----------------

How they work




1. NOT INSURANCE, NOT A WARRANTY

Many consumers think of extended warranties as insurance. That's not by accident. Marketing materials promise "peace of mind," or "fully insured," describe their business as "insurance-related," and point to their financial "strength and stability."

But extended warranties are not insurance in most states. They're not even warranties as defined by federal law. These arrangements are most accurately described as prepaid repair contracts, also known as extended service contracts. Here's how they work:

A car dealer usually sells a contract that is handled by independent auto warranty companies called administrators. The dealer just makes the sale, so the contract is between you and the administrator, which might be a carmaker's subsidiary or a separate company. The administrator pays the repair shop or reimburses you only for covered problems. Another company might insure your contract against default.

"Auto extended warranty companies are not subject to the same close regulation and oversight as insurers," says Jane Cline, the insurance commissioner of West Virginia, who spoke with us on behalf of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. That means that buyers of extended service contracts in states that don't consider them to be insurance don't enjoy the same regulatory safeguards that they get from, say, auto insurance, whose price must bear a reasonable relationship to cost.


2. HIGH SALES COMMISSIONS

Since extended service contract pricing is not regulated, dealers charge whatever the market will bear, and a 50 percent cut for sales commissions is not unusual. That means on a $1,500 to $2,300 contract, $750 to $1,150 can go to the administrator, minus that company's own costs and profits.

By contrast, only 17 percent of your annual premium for auto insurance goes to commissions and other selling expenses. On average, dealers collected $795 per new-car extended service contract last year, according to Superior Integrated Solutions, a dealer management consulting firm. Such sales contributed 14 percent to dealerships' bottom line, according to CNW Marketing Research, which covers the automobile industry.

Stephanie Marquis, a spokeswoman for the Washington State Insurance Commissioner's Office, says if there's a state-licensed insurance company or lesser-regulated risk-retention group behind the plan, "only $300 actually goes to the insurance company" in her state.

In other words, a very small portion of the price you pay for an extended service contract actually goes to repairs after intermediaries get their cut.


3. UNLIKELY CATASTROPHE

The standard sales pitch for extended service contracts includes invoking fears about the breakdown of big-ticket items. Promotional materials for the GM Protection Plan, for example, show an array of pricey internal parts under the skin of an SUV—$1,200 for an air-conditioning compressor, $2,600 to replace the transmission, $7,300 to switch out an engine.

Concern about future repairs is what mainly drove people to sign up for an extended service plan, but for the most part, their worst fears did not materialize. Plans were used by 58 percent of buyers, and the average repair savings were less than what they paid for the contract. Only about a third of all respondents who bought an extended warranty actually used their plan to cover a serious problem.

Another way to look at this is through the experiences of people who had vehicles four to six years old and who did not have extended warranty coverage.Analysis from our extensive reliability database showed that only about 4 percent of those cars had repair costs of more than $1,700 in a one-year period, and fewer than 1 percent had $3,700 in such costs.

A Ford official acknowledges that big-ticket repairs are rare during the life of its biggest-selling five-to-six-year Premium Care Extended Service Plan. "What you tend to see is a few small repairs as the vehicle gets older," says Mark Bardusch, Ford's ESP sales manager. "Major repairs are decreasing." But Bardusch says Ford's plans, for which consumers pay about 2 percent of the vehicle price per year of extended service, are a much better deal than those offered by the home-appliance industry, which usually charges a higher percentage of the product's price.


4. TRICKY COVERAGE TERMS

The contracts offer seemingly generous periods of coverage, up to eight years/120,000 miles. But you get less than meets the eye. If you buy a plan when you purchase your vehicle, as 82 percent of our respondents did, you pay to finance the deal up front, and the meter on the plan typically starts running that day.

But the core coverage doesn't kick in until after the original factory warranty is up. About 37 percent of respondents who didn't use their extended service contract to cover repair costs said they didn't collect because the problem was covered by the factory warranty.

For example, if your Honda comes with a common three-year/36,000-mile factory warranty, the Honda Care eight-year/120,000-mile extended service really only covers repairs for the last five years or 84,000 miles, whichever comes first. Factory warranties on some cars are getting better. General Motors and Chrysler recently increased their powertrain warranty. Hyundai for several years has had a long powertrain warranty.




5. LOTS OF FINE PRINT

Many brochures we reviewed tend to wax eloquently about "comprehensive" coverage for hundreds of parts and other benefits. Those sales tools usually don't say much about numerous exclusions and limitations. To learn that, you need to delve into the contract:

Wear and tear. More than 57 percent of survey respondents who bought a contract when they purchased their car did so to guard against problems that develop as cars get older. A number of extended service contract brochures we examined said or suggested that the plans cover "wear and tear," which can be a confusing term.

In general, it means a covered part will be replaced if it dies prematurely during its expected lifetime, suggesting that it is associated with some hidden defect or is simply the bad egg of its production lot. Extended warranties, however, typically don't cover parts and labor related to normal wear items, such as brake pads, rotors, shock absorbers, belts, hoses, etc. A potential sticking point is how "normal" and "premature" are interpreted.

Covered part not covered. Ford's ESP contract, like some other agreements, does not cover "repairs needed to a covered part caused by the failure of a non-covered part."

Remember that worst-case worry about replacing the engine? If your fan belt, a part not covered, broke and caused the engine to overheat, the engine repair might not be covered. "We would have to see why the fan belt failed," Bardusch says.

Reasonable cost. Contracts can be imprecise in their promise to pay "reasonable" labor rates and parts costs. After Robert Cleaves, 77, spent $4,000 for an extended service contract, Warrantech, of Bedford, Tex., wouldn't pay more than $1,435 of an $1,825 claim on his 2002 Mercedes-Benz, based on its definition of "reasonable" labor and parts rates. So Cleaves, a retired Los Angeles attorney, sued, prompting full payment. "If I had that $4,000 now, I'd be money ahead," says Cleaves, who now counsels against buying such contracts.

Sometimes "you're dealing with a claims adjuster whose function is to pay as little as possible," says Bill Moss, co-owner of Advantage Certified Auto Group in Manassas, Va., and another author of the ASA's extended-warranty guide.

Tear-down diagnosis. A repair shop may take apart an engine to determine the cause and cost of repair. "You will be responsible for these charges if the failure is not covered," says Warranty Direct's MajorCare contract.

No maintenance records. All extended plans require that you perform and pay for regular maintenance according to the owner's manual. But they can deny claims if you can't produce records of that maintenance.


6. BANKRUPTCY RISK

Even if you follow all the rules, you still might not be able to collect on your plan because the administrator went bust. Last year Ohio-based Ultimate Warranty left more than 137,000 customers holding the bag on an estimated $45 million in expected claims. Tim Meenan is executive director of the Service Contract Industry Council, a trade group that has been effective in pushing industry-standard regulations for service contracts in more than 25 states. He says: "There used to be a tremendous amount of insolvencies in this business. There still are, though we've reduced that number."

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

dad

Big, but lots of info.!

AA1Car Auto Repair Diagnosis Help

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

dad

Brick house security-alarms, night vision cameras


BrickHouse Security | Wireless Home Security Camera | GPS Tracking Child Locator

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

dad

Haynes Repair Manual 350Z and G35 (Yes I know their are PDF's, but some may want the book)

Amazon.com: Nissan 350Z & Infiniti G35, 2003-2008 (Haynes Repair Manual): Editors Haynes: Books

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

dad

Buy vs. Lease calculator:

Kiplinger.com

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

dad

Recommended by Nissan Sport Magazine:
Dr. ColorChip fool-proof auto touch up paint kit for chip repair on your car- BMW,Porsche,Ford,Honda,Mercedes,Lexus,Toyota...mos t color codes

__________________

We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.