Automotive Blog

When purchasing these products, it is strongly recommended to seek professional help prior to taking any action. Similar to what we do when we are not experts or unsure of some things that need accurate decisions, seeking help from professionals is always on the brighter side. Professionals can provide you with concrete ideas on the necessity and best alternative for an auto part you are trying to purchase. They sometimes would (continue reading…)

There are simple car enthusiasts who get the latest in car accessories and gadgets, while there are those car enthusiasts who simply can’t get enough of automotive restoration jobs for classic cars.

Dilapidated automobiles get a new lease in life when they get restored to their original condition. Shiny exteriors, plush interiors and a little tweaking of the engine and mechanicals to make the car at par with the performan (continue reading…)

Tim Duke of Duke Automotive

Our dealership Duke Automotive is owned by Tim Duke, a third generation Duke family dealer here in Augusta. Tim is married to his college sweetheart Lisa and they have 2 children- Tyler a senior at (continue reading…)

Automobile insurance is a community-mandated issue and every driver must attest financial duty in order for them to register their auto for their public use. Though the community might administer the bottom limits of accountability drivers need to insure, they repeat on telling drivers what to do about the actual expenses provable. There are specific issues to recognize when choosing an automobile insurance policy.

Review your automobile financing settlement. In case your automobile is not paid cash and you took out loan or a leasing, examine your automobile financial contracts. Other financing companies specify the maximum deductible you can have on your car policy to keep in agreement with your car financing. You also need to consider your available budget. A provable is not consider a onetime expense, a driver who is unfortunate to be involve in many car incidents, it required to spend his or her own cash for every amount of particular claim. Always select a provable that you can manage to pay for each separate claim. (continue reading…)

I get asked this question quite often, but in some case not often enough. Seems some people have a “problem” with a $300 a month new car payment, but they are perfectly comfortable with paying the same if not more on monthly auto repair bills and accept the inconveniences that come with them. I don’t know what “drives” people to a high mileage goal? I hear customers comment “This car has to go another 20,000 miles” or brag about how many miles they are determined to put on their vehicles. “I am going to drive this vehicle 180,000 miles whether it likes it or not”. Now if this is a challenge for you, by all means take it, but I can think of many other challenges less costly. Granted, some cars will last a long time and do so with relatively low maintenance cost, but this is not the norm.

How does one know when to throw in the shop rag and get a new car? Well, I don’t have a crystal ball bearing, but I can provide some helpful guidelines to assist you in your evaluation process or your car or when buying a used car.

First: Perform an evaluation of your vehicle yourself using our used car check out list from our Website. The used car check out is self explaining and easy to use. If you have a concern or a potential problem you might uncover with an item on the list, have your auto mechanic inspect it during the next step. A great e-book about buying a used car and how to inspect the vehicle yourself is Inspect Before you buy! (continue reading…)

I get at least one customer a week who brings their car to my shop and says, “I’m going on an out-of-state road trip with the family; would you please look my car over and make sure it is road-worthy”? My reply is, “Sure, we can do that, when are you leaving?” You would be surprised at how often I hear, “Tomorrow.”

Now I know that during the planning stages of an out-of-town road trip, some things could possibly be overlooked till the last minute, but you would think at least one thing would have come to mind: reliable transportation! Breaking down on a road trip with a carload of college buddies and a cooler of beer used to be fun, but for most of the normal driving public, breaking down on the side of the road can be a nightmare. So, if you are planning a road trip, place a good deal of emphasis on preparing your vehicle. Allowing your mechanic ample time to inspect and repair your vehicle properly should be your number one priority.

Some ideas for vehicle road-worthiness would be:

1. Take your car to your regular mechanic’s shop two weeks prior to your trip. Hopefully you have a regular mechanic that you know and trust. This should NOT be a quick-lube type place, but a full service repair shop or new car dealership. I personally would not want to test the workmanship of a new mechanic on a road trip with my family. Two weeks prior? Definitely. Give your mechanic time to make necessary repairs, and some room for adjustments. If your mechanic finds problems and repairs parts on your vehicle, you will want a week or so “break in period” to test the fix(s) before you hit the road. In most cases, if anything goes wrong after major repairs, it will be in the first 100-200 miles. Give yourself enough time to feel confident that the repairs made will not be an issue as soon as you get outside your city limits. (continue reading…)

Get some car care myths exposed. Learn what’s true among all those false ideas you have about taking care of your car.

(ARA) – Knowledge may be power, but that’s only the case if you put what you know into good use. Sure, it’s a common phrase that can be used in many different situations, but when applying it to car care, weeding through the myths can result in financial savings and longer vehicle life.

Myth: My car’s motor oil should be changed every 3,000 miles

It is recommended that vehicle owners follow their manufacturer’s maintenance intervals while it is still under warranty. However, if your car is no longer under warranty, try using synthetic oil that can extend your oil change intervals. The number of miles you can allow between your oil changes will depend on the way you drive and the oxidations stability of the motor oil.

Oxidation stability can be measured by the American Society for Testing and Materials’ (ASTM) rigorous Thin Film Oxidation Uptake Test (TFOUT). This test is so demanding that it lasts 1,300 minutes. Conventional motor oils typically last less than 300 minutes and Synthetic motor oils typically last less than 500 minutes. One high performance synthetic motor oil, Royal Purple, has been shown to outlast the duration of the test. Royal Purple motor oils are recommended to extend oil change intervals as much as 12,000 miles under normal driving conditions, and have also been shown to improve fuel economy. (continue reading…)

There are many factors that come into consideration when insurers evaluate motorists and assign them to a risk class. Unfortunately, there are drivers who are considered to have elevated risks to insure for various reasons, some of which may be out of the control of the consumer. To the misfortune of these riskier motorists, carriers feel that they must protect themselves from the increased likelihood of future potential losses and do so by charging these individuals an inflated premium in hopes to compensate and equalize pay out costs incurred by insuring these consumers.

Every motorist is different and while some may fall into the “preferred” or “standard” market there are those that will be considered riskier to cover for a number of reasons. While it may seem a bit unfair, younger motorists are often charged a hefty amount when obtaining coverage; this is due to the fact that not only do these youths lack experience behind the wheel and a driving record to show that are a responsible motorist, but they are statistically shown to be more involved in traffic accidents than more mature drivers.

Individuals who have a number of traffic violations and accidents may also be considered riskier to insure because carriers believe that if an individual has a tendency to commit violations or be involved in collisions, the trend may continue. If an individual has been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs they will almost automatically find themselves in need of high risk auto insurance and possibly an SR 22. Although, a driver has certain associated risks with insuring them they should not settle for unreasonable premiums and take the time to find an affordable policy.

Car Insurance Tips for High Risk Drivers

Although many motorists with blemishes on their record are usually charged higher rates than those who may have a clean record, the price of auto insurance does not have to be unreasonable. Contrary to what many believe, there are many companies who specialize and even target high risk drivers while there are those who may only be willing to accept “standard” motorists or will charge riskier drivers a very high rate. The best way for a risky driver to locate a company willing to offer affordable policies is to begin comparing the rates of cheap auto insurance and as many insurers as possible; this can be done by contacting various brokers and agents or shopping online. Comparing rates may take a little bit of time, but may also be well worth it if coverage that can be afforded is found.

Once an individual has become considered a higher risk they may be subjected to increased rates, but it does not have to last forever. There are many things that motorists can do to get themselves from under that rock and get the cost of coverage lowered. Most importantly is to practice safe driving; operating an automobile while intoxicated is something that can easily be avoided by making a good judgment call. Under no circumstance should a motorist operate under the influence and by doing so it may only cost them hard earned money in the long run. In addition, those with multiple tickets and accidents will have them disregarded by insurers after a certain number of years (usually between 3 and 5). By obeying traffic laws, these motorists can see their rates decrease over time.

Unfortunately, there are some motorists who may not be able to find coverage on the regular market, but the good news is that many states offer plans to these drivers to help get them insured and avoid driving without coverage.