Car Modding 101: How to Modify Your Car for Better Performance

If you are interested in modding your vehicle, you aren’t alone. Every year in Vegas there is an annual tradeshow put on by the Specialty Equipment Market Association, or SEMA. 

Last year the four-day event drew 165,000 registrants and 70,000 buyers. This one show has a $315.5 million economic impact. 

Car modding is more than a passive hobby these days. To help those who are new to the modding game, we’ve created this guide. 

Get started in modding by doing these things to your vehicle. 

Have the Right Tools 

Before you get started working on your car, you need to make sure you have the right tools. Otherwise, your project will take significantly longer as you continually stop to buy tools. 

The further you get into modding, the more tools you will acquire. Then you’ll need a way to keep them all organized and in good condition. View this product as an excellent option for storage in your garage. 

You should also have the manual for your vehicle. This isn’t the owner’s manual that comes with your car. What you need is the service repair manual. 

This is the shop manual that goes in depth on how to take apart and put back together every individual part on the car. 

Superchargers and Turbochargers 

Install one or both of these to boost your engine power. Both superchargers and turbochargers will pressurize the air intake. This injects more air into the engine. 

More air going in means more fuel can also go in the combustion chamber. More air and fuel means more power is created. 

While a supercharger works on the front end of the engine, a turbocharger works on the backside. This difference means there is a delay in performance with the turbocharger. 

You can expect to get at least 50% more power by making these mods. 

Upgrade the Air Filter 

Cooler air is denser, so by dropping the temperature of the air going into the engine, more air can get packed in. This goes back to the previous mod; more air means more power can get produced. 

Right now, hot air from the engine bay is what goes into the engine. To cool this air down, replace the air filter with a cool air intake. 

A good quality one will pull air from the outside of the engine bay. This air is significantly cooler. 

While you are at it, make sure you use a high-quality air filter. Replace the stock paper one with one that uses cotton or mesh. These aftermarket filters will clean the air better and thereby reduce the number of contaminants going into the engine. 

Bonus: You save money with the better filter, simply wash, dry, and replace when it gets dirty. The cheaper ones you have to throw away and buy a replacement for. 

Reprogram the ECU 

Inside every vehicle is a computer that controls the functioning of the vehicle. This computer controls the amount of air and fuel going into the engine. It monitors the exhaust coming out for air quality. 

When your car leaves the production line, manufacturers program the ECU for optimum fuel mileage and emissions. Unfortunately, the limits manufacturers put on the ECU means that performance is often sacrificed. 

You can buy an aftermarket ECU and replace the entire unit. OR you can buy a kit to reprogram your ECU. This will erase everything on it and put a whole new program on the computer. 

A third option is to buy a kit that lets you adjust the current settings of your ECU. Be careful with this option; you need to understand how your engine works before you start making tweaks. 

Lose Some Weight 

Instead of trying to increase power, you can reduce the weight of your vehicle. This way you make the horsepower more effective by having less weight for the power to move. 

Work your way through the vehicle and replace the heaviest of parts. This could mean replacing the body panels with carbon fiber ones. You could replace the glass windows with lighter plastic ones. 

If you are serious about reducing weight, you could remove the extra seats. This is a big commitment though, and you won’t be able to use the car as a daily driver anymore. 

Don’t forget to look at the engine and transmission too. Replace heavy parts with lighter weight ones. 

Get a High Flow Exhaust 

Your exhaust and catalytic converter only allow air to flow at a certain amount. The problem with this is that it limits the engine’s production. If you increase the engine’s output, it will get backed up in the stock exhaust. 

Your catalytic converter cleans the exhaust coming out of the engine to make it more environmentally friendly. Replace the stock converter with a high flow one. This will move the air more quickly and reduce the back pressure on the engine. 

You should also replace the stock exhaust with one that has a wider diameter. This will also increase the flow of air. 

Don’t go nuts with this though. You need a certain amount of back pressure on the engine for ideal performance. 

Get Started with Car Modding

Start small when getting started with car modding. Do something easy like having a new air filter or exhaust installed. Then you can move on to more in-depth mods like superchargers and ECU reprogramming. 

Only do one mod at a time, that way you know where to look if you run into any issues in performance after the mod. 

Did the ECM in your vehicle go haywire? Then you need this repair guide. 

The post Car Modding 101: How to Modify Your Car for Better Performance appeared first on Car Repair Information From MasterTechMark.

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How to Choose the Best Floor Jack to Work on Your Car

You go to the store to buy a hydraulic jack. However, it’s too expensive. Instead, you buy a scissor lift for your truck.

At heart, you know you should invest in the hydraulic option. To change your two front tires, you lift up one end of your car using the jack.

You think everything is level, but the jack gives way. You stare in horror as your car rests on the hard pavement with a missing tire. 

This catastrophe could happen to anyone, especially with a sub-standard jacking system. The scary part is that you could have been under the car if you needed to change your oil.

That’s why you need the best floor jack to avoid accidents. To go with the safest option, choose a hydraulic floor jack. Scissor jacks are less stable. They also cannot support as much weight as the hydraulic variety. 

Here you can learn how to find the best jack for your vehicle. Keep reading if you want to find the safest jack possible.

What Type of Jack Do You Need?

Hydraulics are easier to use than scissor jacks. For instance, a scissor jack might take a few minutes to lift a vehicle. But the hydraulic alternative can do the same in seconds. Moreover, a hydraulic floor jack has wheels that allow flexible mobility. 

Further, hydraulic jacks have a wider base than scissor jacks. If you’re dealing with heavy equipment, a 5 ton floor jack is the best solution. The 5-ton variety can lift:

• Fleet trucks
• Buses 
• Commercial vehicles 
• Farm equipment

To replace brakes, for example, you can apply the 5-ton jack to uphold any heavy-duty vehicle with ease. 

With that, one disadvantage of hydraulics is that they are bulkier than scissor lifts. Certain hydraulic jacks weigh over 50 pounds.

Also, hydraulic jacks contain hydraulic fluid that’s prone to leaking. The hydraulic products also require frequent maintenance in comparison to scissor jacks. 

Narrowing Down the Best Floor Jack

There are two types of hydraulic car jacks: bottle jacks and floor jacks. The prime difference is that the floor jack is horizontal. Floor jacks comprise a base where the user motions a lever to lift the arm.

A bottle jack comes in the shape of a bottle and has a bolt at the top that props up the vehicle. These jacks are also compact enough to fit in a trunk. 

The best floor jack will depend on the type of car you have. 

• Example: Use a floor jack if your car has a low clearance level. 

Additionally, you should use a floor jack if you’re looking for a quicker jack overall. 

However, bottle jacks have smaller lifters that insert into tight spaces and crevices. Bottle lifters are also an excellent choice for vehicles with higher ground clearance. 

And the Winner is…

The floor jack is the best alternative to scissor and bottle jacks. The wide base provides enough balance to prevent accidents. With that, bottle and scissor jacks are cheaper and versatile. 

You need the best floor jack to do any kind of work under your vehicle. To learn more about changing your oil and other car duties, visit our site today to learn more. 

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Auto Dealer Marketing For Social Media: How To and Why

A lot of brick and mortar businesses think that they don’t have to worry about search engine optimization or social media, especially when they sell a product that someone can’t just order online. 

Car dealerships fall into this category. It makes sense, too, because the connection between search engine rankings and auto dealerships wasn’t very intuitive until recently. Unfortunately, your auto dealer marketing has to change if you want to keep up.

Think about it, what do you do before you make any large purchase? Unless you’re unlike most people, you probably do a Google search to see what’s available in your area. We’ll explain why that’s important.

Why Your Auto Dealer Marketing Needs to Change

When you pull up those search results, which pages do you really look at? Do you scroll to the bottom of the page and start there? Do you go back a few search pages and see what’s available on page 5?

Nope, you look at the first two or three results and probably click one of them. Most people do, and that’s why it’s so important to be one of those top results. 

Even if a person has seen the sign to your dealership a million times, they’re going to check out the area online and see what they could potentially buy. In order to be in those top coveted search engine results, you’re going to have to employ some SEO.

We’ve got some expert tips on making your site look good for the search engines, hopefully getting you into the top of the search results in your area. It turns out that a lot of what you need to do in order to rank and see a boost in sales is work on your social media efforts.

1. Market on Social Media

While social media platforms aren’t measured as ranking factors for search engine algorithms, social media has an indirect effect on your rankings.

This effect can be split up into two categories: awareness and site traffic.

Awareness

Marketing your dealership on Facebook is going to yield some serious results.

Social media platforms allow you to place ads in front of very specific demographics. Because these platforms catalog personal information, that information can be used from an ad perspective to place the most relevant content in front of users. 

So, you have the potential to put your ad in front of people from your area of a specific age and gender. There are more particulars that you can get into if you’d like, but the point is that your advertisements will be put in front of only your target audience. 

As your ads and social media efforts start to take root, you’ll see a large following from your geographical location. When this happens, the content that you create will be seen and shared, spreading your brand awareness far and wide. 

Content is its own animal, though, and it plays directly into the next category.

Traffic

Social media can serve as a tool to funnel traffic to your actual web page. The key here is creating regular content that users actually want to engage with. 

You should be creating blog content for your web page and posting it every day, if not every other day. Posting to your social media allows your followers to see and engage with content, in addition to sharing it and showing their entire pool of friends what your brand has to offer. 

This works in favor of your search results because blog posts and articles that are shared to your social media platform direct users back to your actual site. We’ve all experienced this; you click an interesting article in the feed and are directed to the source page of that article. 

When users arrive, they’re likely to click around a little bit and engage with your site. If you’re lucky, they’ll move on to make purchases or subscribe to newsletters, etc. Once your users have engaged, it’s important to learn more about reaching out to them.

All of that activity is, in one way or another, charted by search engines. The algorithm values sites that people engage with, and posting regularly on social media gives users the chance to engage.

2. Keep Your Goals in Mind

SEO doesn’t come with a direct formula for all sites to follow. You can tailor your optimization efforts to achieve whatever your brand’s goal is. 

This means it can get very specific, and you have to do some thinking about what your goals are and how to achieve them. Generally speaking, though, brands find themselves wanting awareness, traffic, or sales.

If you’re looking for awareness, your efforts should be geared toward cultivating social signals (likes, comments, follows, shares) and generating a buzz that boosts your social media presence. The call to action of your content will generally be asking for a like or a share, or some other metric used to boost popularity. 

When trying to direct traffic back to your site, it’s useful to post carefully researched blog posts that cater to current user keyword searches. Additionally, you should post links to relevant resources or tools on your site. That way, people will become aware of your services in addition to following links to check them out. 

3. Cater to Your Customers

Different demographics conduct different keyword searches, use different language online, and enjoy different content. 

It’s important that you understand who your customers are and not just create bland content that might relate to anybody. Do research to see what your customers are doing online and find ways to fit into their interests. 

Typically, this is going to entail researching the demographics of your town. The 10-20 mile radius around your dealership is going to be the best place to start. 

Think You’ve Got It?

Auto dealer marketing can be tricky, but we’re confident that you can follow the tips above to make a real difference on your site. 

We’ve got more tips and tricks if you need them, though. Visit our site to keep up on everything from auto repairs to SEO tactics.

 

 

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Signs You Need New Tires

In 2016, all light vehicles—from passenger cars to light trucks—had an average lifespan of 11.6 years. That’s 3.2 years more than the lifespan of light vehicles in 1995!

What’s even more impressive is how cars now last longer even if Americans are driving more. According to the latest count, the average U.S. motorist now drives a yearly 13,476 miles.

That longer lifespan doesn’t apply to the entire vehicle though, especially the tires. Granted, you don’t need to replace the tires as often as you change air filters. But when it’s time to change your car’s tires, you need to replace them without delay.

Failure to do so puts you at risk of serious accidents that you could’ve otherwise prevented.

Now the question is, how do you tell if it’s time for tire replacement? These seven signs will tell you that you need new rubber!

1. Tread Depth That’s Less than 2/32 of an Inch

In the U.S., 42 states have a tread requirement of 2/32 inch, or 1.6 mm. In California and Idaho, that drops to 1/32 of an inch. Six other states don’t have any specific law on tread depth.

But even if you live in a state where there’s no law, you should still follow the 2/32-inch rule. After all, it’s your safety on the line, as bald tires have reduced grip and traction. The more worn out your tires are, the higher risks you have of slipping on wet or icy roads.

Speaking of icy roads, it’s best to swap to winter tires, as these are safer for winter driving.

Going back to tread depth, you can use a Lincoln penny to check how much tread you have left. Insert the coin, head-down, into your tire’s tread.

If you can’t see the head, you still have enough tread left. But if you see the whole head, you need a tire change ASAP.

2. Aging Tires

Even if your tires still have enough tread, make sure you check their manufacturing date too. Some automakers, like Ford and Toyota, recommend tire replacement after six years. That’s whether you use your car every day or only during the weekends.

Most car service manuals have specifics on the recommended age for changing tires. If yours doesn’t, check your tires for the name of the manufacturer. Some tire manufacturers, such as Bridgestone, recommend a tire change after 10 years.

3. Uneven Wear

Excessive wearing on any area of the tire raises your odds of getting flats. This also causes tire instability, leading to poor handling, cornering, and braking. So, check your tires for areas that appear balder or more worn that the rest.

If you notice any of these symptoms, take those as signs to change your tires.

4. Incorrect Tire Pressure

Uneven tire wear can also signal incorrect tire pressure (either overinflation or underinflation).

If you’re unsure of the recommended tire pressure, check the inside of your driver’s door. There should be a sticker there detailing tire pressure recommendations. If there’s none, you’re sure to find it in your owner’s manual.

But what causes overinflation or underinflation in the first place? Tire punctures and leaking valve stems can cause a drop in your tire’s air pressure. Parking or storing your car outside in either hot or cold weather is another reason.

In high temperatures, the air inside the tires expands, leading to overinflation. In low temperatures, the air inside your tires contract, resulting in underinflation.

That said, it’s best to always go for indoor parking, especially in places with extreme weather. If you don’t have your own garage, there are parking management services you can take advantage of. You may want to check out Kenzie’s for more info on indoor parking.

But if improper tire pressure has become a constant issue, it may be time for you to switch tires.

5. Bulging or Bubbles in the Tire’s Sidewalls

Bulging or bubbling in tire sidewalls often signal internal tire damage. This can be a crack in the internal frame, which driving with underinflated tires can cause. Driving over huge potholes can also cause such damages.

Either way, a cracked internal frame allows air pressure to reach the tire’s outer layers. This air leak then causes the sidewalls to bulge out or bubble up.

If your tires exhibit these symptoms, a new tire change is in order ASAP. Keep driving on such tires, and you can experience a sudden, deadly blowout on the highway.

6. Tiny Cracks All Over the Tires

If you’ve noticed tiny cracks on your tires, those are what you call dry rot and they’re often a sign you need new tires. These appear when the rubber is already breaking down and falling apart. When this happens, the rubber can become too loose and already separate from the tire’s steel belt.

So, the next time you give your ride a thorough washing, check the tires for these cracks. If you see a lot of them, bring your car to the mechanic for a new set of tires.

7. More Frequent Trips to the Gas Station

This may come as a shocker, but the state of your tires can actually affect your mileage. In fact, underinflated tires on standard 20 mpg vehicles can consume up to 2% more fuel.

If your tires have abnormal wearing, that increases their rolling resistance too. As a result, your car needs to consume more fuel to make up for the energy lost due to that resistance. So, that’s even more money that goes to filling up your tank earlier than necessary

Get Replacements as Soon as It’s Time to Change Your Car’s Tires

Every year, 2.35 million Americans get injured or disabled because of road crashes. Many of these were preventable, such as making sure they had properly-inflated tires.

That said, if you notice any of the above-mentioned signs, then it’s time to change your car’s tires. And don’t delay getting them replaced! Remember, it’s not only your safety and life on the line, but also the well-being of millions of other road users.

Looking for even more car maintenance hacks that’ll make your ride last more than 200,000 miles? Then be sure to use our ultimate vehicle maintenance checklist!

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DIY Car Conversion: How to Convert Your Car to Hydrogen

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are the future of automotive transportation. Toyota has already released its 2019 Mirai, which runs on nothing but hydrogen fuel. The future is now, and hydrogen is leading the way for the automotive industry.

Learn how your car can run on nothing but water with a hydrogen fuel cell DIY car conversion. Find out how this technology works and why your car prefers hydrogen fuel.

DIY Car Hydrogen Hybrid Conversion: Can Cars Run on Water?

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, and it is two-thirds of the most abundant element on earth–water. It is no surprise that hydrogen fuel technology is gaining recognition as the greenest fuel of them all.

In fact, your car can run on hydrogen better than it does with gas.

Why Should You Do a Hydrogen DIY Car Conversion?

The first question you need answering is why to convert your car to run on hydrogen? Because, it is better for your car, better for the environment, and saves you a lot of money on gasoline or diesel fuel.

Hydrogen cars use distilled water and an electrolyte to separate the hydrogen atoms from the oxygen. The pure hydrogen is combustible for your car’s engine, just the same as gasoline. But, unlike gasoline, hydrogen fuel omits nothing but water vapor out of your tailpipe.

Hydrogen fuel cells clean out your engine of the gunk and sediment that builds up from refined petroleum combustion. This results in a longer life for your cars engine and better performance.    

Is Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology New?

The history of hydrogen fuel cell technology stretches back to the early 20th century. In 1939, the first hydrogen fuel cell generator was invented by Francis Thomas Bacon. The generator produced 5kW of power.

During America’s space race with Russia to the moon, NASA integrated the Gemini and Apollo spacecraft with hydrogen fuel cells in order to power the ships onboard computer. The hydrogen fuel cells on NASA’s spacecraft also functioned to create fresh drinkable water onboard.

In the late 1960s, the industrial manufacturing industry began to test the waters, by implementing hydrogen fuel cells to power warehouse forklifts. Most recently, in 2002 the German Navy made a hydrogen fuel cell conversion for powering their U31 submarine.

It’s been a long road, but, today we finally see hydrogen fuel cell technology being commercialized.

What is a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV)?

An FCV is a car which is powered by hydrogen gas. Since cars typically run on liquid gasoline or diesel fuel, FCV’s produce an entirely different system of propulsion. The means of operation for your engine, however, are very similar.

Hydrogen gas stored in high-pressure tanks. Gasoline is also stored in a tank, however, it does not need pressurization. When pressurized hydrogen passes through the fuel intake of your car, it combusts just like gasoline or diesel. So–with a few modifications–your car can run on hydrogen better than it runs on gasoline.

How Does a Fuel Cell Car Work?

A hydrogen fuel cell can provide power to a car in two ways. It can, either: Feed directly into the fuel line, or; Power an electric motor. The former, however, is a much more volatile method.

Since the engine of your car can run on hydrogen just as well as gasoline, you can feed the hydrogen gas directly into the fuel intake line. This means that you have an onboard fuel cell that is creating and storing pressurized hydrogen, which the engine draws on as needed.

The problem is the safety concerns with having a combustible fuel source inside the cabin. After all, the Hindenburg was hydrogen-powered as well, and that didn’t end well.

The far more commercially viable method for running a car on hydrogen is fully electric. Commercial hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), like the Toyota Mirai, do not create hydrogen onboard. Instead, you fill the fuel tank with hydrogen in the same manner as you would at a gas station.

The hydrogen gas goes past a fuel cell, where it converts into energy powering the cars electric motor. At that point, the power of the car comes wholly from the motor–which is charged by the hydrogen fuel.

This method of powering cars with hydrogen does not require the fuel to combust at all. In fact, it is the opposite. The fuel cell works to chemically fuse hydrogen and water, creating the electricity used by the motor.

The key difference between electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles is the means of energy storage and consumption. A fully-electric vehicle charges an onboard battery, before deleting it and recharging, again. Fuel cell vehicles run steadily, by recharging the battery continuously via the hydrogen fuel cell.  

When the chemical process is complete, the only byproduct is water vapor. Theoretically, you can shop now for a trailer large enough for a hydrogen fuel cell that will power an entire house–with zero harmful emissions.  

Can I Do My Own FCV DIY Car Conversion?

The biggest obstacle is knowing how to access and modify the settings in the onboard computer of your car. Specifically, any car with an onboard computer is pre-set to only accept gasoline fuel. It is only a question of switching the setting, from ‘Gasoline’ to ‘Continuous’ and your car will run like a champion.

By changing the fuel intake setting, your computer will continuously search for a viable fuel. Otherwise–even though the parts in your car want to run fine–the computer will not recognize hydrogen as viable. So, the engine will expend far more fuel than it needs to.

Final Thoughts

Your best chance is to find a mechanic who has experience working with cars onboard computers. Once the computer is set to continuous, the hydrogen fuel will work as good as gas. With a few hardware modifications–of course.

If you like this article about DIY car conversions, share it with friends on social media. And check out the blog for more information on alternative fuels!

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Buying a Car? 5 Tips for Finding the Best Car Dealerships

Buying a car can be fun, but for most, it’s a stressful process.

Aside from coming up with money for a new car, they also have to figure out where to shop.

Finding the best car dealerships is no simple feat. There’s a lot of businesses out there, and finding the right one for you can be difficult.

If you’re dreading the thought of having to find a dealership, don’t worry. Follow our list of 5 tips and you’ll find the car you want in no time.

1. Ask Friends 

Never underestimate the power of word of mouth referral when you’re searching for cars.

Don’t be afraid to reach out to your personal network to see if they have any recommendations about dealerships. They could know someone that can give you a good deal.

When you’re checking in with friends, don’t hesitate to listen to them about dealerships you shouldn’t go to. If they’ve had a bad experience, you could easily have on too.

2. Check Listings 

You may know that you want to buy a Chevy or a Toyota, but you shouldn’t go to the first manufacturer dealership you find. 

Some dealerships may not have as much in stock as others. That’s why it’s important to do your homework before you make any major purchasing decisions.

You can learn more about dealership offerings by giving them a call. Some websites may not be up to date, and you can get more information from a salesman.

3. Read Off-Site Reviews

Plenty of dealerships will have websites that are full of glowing reviews from customers. If you want to learn what people really think, trust Yelp and Google My Business instead of the website.

Dealerships can easily pick and choose what reviews they want to display. You’ll get less biased and more truthful reviews on other sites. 

Don’t just pay attention to whether or not people found the car they wanted. See what they have to say about the helpfulness of the staff. Take time to read reviews that focus on customer service. 

After you’ve visited the basic sites, take some time to look at the heavy hitters. JD Power can give you great reviews on dealerships and automakers. Also, be sure to check out the Better Business Bureau.

4. Get Quotes

It doesn’t matter if you think you’ve found the perfect dealership. Before you go with one, make sure to shop around and get quotes from other dealerships. 

When you’re getting quotes, don’t forget to be as specific as possible. Mention that you’re going for the luxury package, or that you’re only looking for cars with a certain amount of mileage.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask about other extra services you can get. Some dealerships offer discounts on maintenance and parts like tires. 

5. Go Beyond Your Town

Some people have trouble finding good dealerships because they’re looking too close to home.

Ideally, most people would like to find a dealership that’s close to home. But sometimes it’s worth literally going the extra mile to find a good deal.

Don’t limit yourself to just what’s in your town. Feel free to explore your county to see if there are any dealership gems. 

Going Beyond the Best Car Dealerships

Now that you know how to find the best car dealerships, it’s time to focus on how to get the best deal from them.

Oftentimes, the sticker price isn’t set in stone. When you know how to haggle, you can save a considerable amount of money on your car.

Read our post on negotiating tips so you can make sure that you get a deal you’ll brag about to your friends.

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Buying a Car? 5 Tips for Finding the Best Car Dealerships posted first on https://jacobslowpriceautoglass.blogspot.com

Repairing Your Ride: Who Pays for Car Accident Damage?

Car accidents on US roads cause more than 30,000 deaths every year. These deaths are the results of the more than 6 million crashes that occur annually. So, if you’re involved in such accidents, who pays for car accident damage?

Well, the short answer is the party at fault will ante up for the damage. It can be an easy process is the party willing admits their mistake. But in some cases, it can be a challenging experience, particularly when dealing with the insurance company.

In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about accident damage and who pays for it.

Keep on reading to learn more!

When Another Driver Causes the Accident

If another driver caused the accident, they are responsible for meeting your car’s repair cost. Most drivers have car insurance plans that will cover such expenses. However, if the driver lacks insurance cover, you can have your car insurer pay the cost if you have collision coverage.

Then again, some drivers lack collision coverage. In this case, you’ll try to engage the driver to pay for your car damage repair. As expected, they might not have adequate disposable cash lying around to meet the cost. So, this is going to be a complicated process for you.

1. If the Driver Has Insurance

A covered driver will have something called property damage liability insurance. In this case, the policy covers every property damage that the driver is liable for, and your car can be described as property.

In the US, nearly every state has a law that requires drivers to have liability insurance plans. Each state has a minimum coverage requirement with the popular amount being $10,000.

Since the insurance is required by law, there are high chances that the driver at fault has insurance plan. So, in this case, if their insurance provider agrees that the driver was at fault, then they will pay for the repair expenses willingly.

2. If the Driver Lacks Insurance, But You Have It

If the driver at fault doesn’t have an insurance policy or their insurance rejects the claim, you’ll have to reach out to your own insurance company. As noted before, this will only work if you have collision coverage.

Collision coverage is also known as no-fault coverage. Basically, your insurance provider pays for the damage regardless of who was at fault. However, keep in mind that the company will not pay the deductible, which is a portion of the payment.

For example, let’s say you have collision coverage of $40,000 with a deductible $1,000 and your car damage repair amounts to $10,000. The insurer will pay $9,000, and you’ll pay the $1,000.

It’s impossible to get your deductible back if the driver at fault is unable to pay. Or, you can choose to sue them, but this again can be a complicated process.

3. If You Both Lack Insurance

This can be a complicated scenario when it comes to handling damage repairs. Well, it’s true that the driver at fault should pay for the damages, but you can force them if they don’t have the financial capacity to do so.

In such a case, you’re likely to end up paying the cost. You can also sue the driver hoping that they’ll get the money to pay you. If your state allows it, it’s possible to notify the Motor Vehicle Administration or the Department of Motor Vehicles to suspend the driver’s license.

You may want to seek legal help to help with paperwork. Be sure to find out more about the process that’s involved after car accidents and how lawyers can help.

4. Both of You Have Insurance

If you and the at-fault driver have insurance, you can reach out to either of the insurers to pay for the accident damage. However, it’s advised to have the at-fault driver’s insurer to meet the cost because you won’t pay the deductible.

Additionally, their insurance company will have to pay for your car rental costs while your car is being repaired. Alternatively, if you have rental reimbursement insurance, you can have your insurance provider to pay for the rental car.

Also, if the other driver doesn’t have enough coverage to pay for the damage, it’s wise to have your insurer.

When You Cause the Accident

The situation won’t be very different when you cause an accident. Your insurance company will only pay for the damage cost if you have collision coverage. Bear in mind you still have to pay the deductible.

If your insurance plan lacks collision coverage, you have no option but to pay the cost out of pocket.

Also, if the damage is not quite significant, just pay the cost out of pocket. Doing so will help to prevent your insurance premiums from going up. It will also be less costly than making a claim against your insurer.

In some cases, the repair cost can exceed the value of your car. Your insurer will declare your vehicle a total loss. They’ll pay you the Blue Book value of your car and take possess it.

Keep in mind that the amount is based on the current market value of your car. It has nothing to do with the amount you paid initially when buying the car.

Accident Damage – Final Thoughts

Getting involved in a car accident can be a very stressful experience. There can be injuries, which will undoubtedly increase the overall costs.

One issue you have to deal with is the repair your car accident damage. Basically, the party at fault is responsible for paying the costs. However, the process can be complicated if the driver or their insurance company reject the claim.

You may want to seek legal help to ensure the party pays the repair costs. If you’re at fault, you’ll have to pay the amount out of pocket or using your insurance coverage.

For more information on car damage repair, be sure to browse our blog for exciting posts.

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