How to sell a car with a loan?

Most people don’t know how to sell a car with a loan. You can’t criticize them. We avail car loan schemes because of the benefits they offer – staggered monthly payments, improved credit history, saving money for other essential things, and the chance to drive a brand new car off the lot.

Not because we have any plans to sell the car before repaying the money we owe on its loan. So what happens if such a scenario arises? The good news is that you can sell a car with a loan. Here are several factors that will determine the course of action you’d take to achieve that goal.

Before You Sell Car with a Loan

Here’s what you need to do:

Determine the payoff amount

The amount you still owe on the car loan is its payoff amount. It includes the amount outstanding on loan, any prepayment penalties in the loan scheme you subscribed to, and other unpaid fees.

The best way to determine the payoff amount is to get in touch with the lender. You’ll need to repay all of it for the lender to transfer the car’s title to your name.

Get other details needed to sell

Ask your lender about the paperwork and information they think you’d need to sell the car after clearing its outstanding loan. Then get in touch with your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles.

Check with the DMV about the paperwork and other details they’d require to sign off on the car’s sale. You can either visit the DMV in person or contact them through their various online channels.

Determine your car’s actual worth

You can check out your car’s actual worth by entering its details on vehicle valuation sites. There are many of them, including Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds among others that you can consult.

These websites will require you to enter your car’s make, model, overall condition, mileage, and other key information to present you with your vehicle’s computer-generated value.

Determine your equity on the car loan

Subtract your vehicle’s payoff amount from its total value. If you end up with a positive value, it means you have ‘positive equity’ and could make money on selling the car.

However, if the result is negative, you’re ‘upside down on the car loan’. That means you’d have to give the lender all the money you’d generate from the car’s sale and pay the remainder from your pocket. 

How to sell a car with a loan?

Here’s how you can sell a car with an outstanding loan:

a) Private sale with positive equity

Such a scenario is favorable for the car owner as it allows them to make some money on the car’s sale. They’d do that by paying the total amount they owe to the lender, after which the lender will pay the difference, if any, to the car owner. Let’s understand this point with an example.

Assume for a moment that you still owe $5,000 to the lender. Provided you succeed in selling the car for $7,000, you’d be able to pocket $2,000 from the car’s sale. You won’t have to pay anything more to the lender to sign the title and give it to the buyer.

Once the buyer has the title, they will take it (alongside the necessary paperwork required by your state’s DMV) to the DMV’s office and have the car’s title transferred to their name.

b) Private sale with negative equity

Such a scenario is favorable for the lender. It allows them to pocket not only the car’s sale price but also the remainder. The buyer will pay the sale amount whereas you’d be the one paying the difference. That is to say that you’d end up paying from your pocket to get rid of the car.

For instance, if the car’s sale price is $5,000 but you still owe $6,000 to the lender, you’d have to pay the remaining $1,000 to the lender. After that, the lender will sign the title and give it to the buyer who will then be able to get the car registered under their name at the DMV’s office.

c) Trade it in with a dealer

The best thing you could do is to clear the loan and sell the car on your own. The second best thing, if you cannot afford to pay off the whole loan, is to trade in the automobile with a dealer. That’s because dealers will handle all the paperwork for you and complete the deal quickly.

Having said that, there are a few downsides if you decide to go this route. The first is that dealers never pay as much for a vehicle as private buyers. If you’re carrying negative equity, they will build its cost into the new car loan. It means you’d just be transferring debt from one car to another.

FAQs and Answers

Q: What to do if the bank wants a loan payoff before you sell your car?

A: Some banks might require you to clear the car loan before you can sell it. There are two possible options you can exercise to get out of this tricky situation – the first of which is refinancing your loan at a lower interest rate. Those of you with good credit can entertain this option.

The second option is to get a personal loan and use it to pay off your car loan. But they have much higher interest rates and allow the lender to repossess your car if you cannot make payments.

Q: Can you negotiate a car payoff balance?

A: You can – and must try to – negotiate a car payoff balance with your lender. The success of the operation won’t only save your money, but it would also free up your budget to spend on other essential things. Check out this guide to learn more about how to negotiate your car payoff balance.

Conclusion

You are now are of how to sell a car with a loan. The three options we presented above – private sale with positive equity, private sale with negative equity, and trading it in your car with a dealer – are so diverse that you can easily select one meeting your requirements. 

However, before you pick up any option from the three, make sure you complete the steps mentioned before laying out those options. Doing so would save you and the car’s buyer from any frustration and make the sale go seamless.

The post How to sell a car with a loan? appeared first on Smart Motorist.

source https://www.smartmotorist.com/how-to-sell-a-car-with-a-loan

Who can be in the car with a Permit Driver?

Who can be in the car with a permit driver? State rules dictate the answer to this question. Maine requires all permit drivers to be accompanied by a driver who is 20 years of age and has held a valid license for two years whenever they’re operating their Car. That isn’t the case in Tennessee.

The Volunteer State requires all permit drivers to be accompanied by a licensed driver 21 years or older when they’re driving a car. Its rules also prevent the person with the restricted license from driving between 10 pm and 6 am. All the car’s passengers, as well as the driver, must wear a seat belt too.

What is a driver permit?

Also known as a learner’s license or learner’s permit, a driver’s permit is a restricted license for a person who is still learning the ropes of driving. That person has been permitted by the relevant authorities to drive but has not yet met the requirements to get a driver’s license.

Most US states issue driver’s license only after a person has a driver permit for quite some time. The length of that time is dictated by state rules and therefore ranges between a few months and several years. Any person willing to get a driving permit must pass a written test as well as a driving test.

Who can be in the car with a Permit Driver?

Different states have set up different rules to dictate the answer to this question:

Parent, Guardian or Licensed Adult

Multiple states require the permit driver to be accompanied by a parent, guardian or licensed adult whenever they’re operating a vehicle. Examples include California, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, and Michigan, among others. That’s where the similarity between their rules stop.

While California prohibits the permit driver from driving anyone under the age of 20, Idaho sets no such restrictions. It even allows driving one non-family member under the age of 17. Louisiana tightens the restrictions by requiring the presence of a licensed person at all times.

You might have observed by now that all these rules vary state-by-state. That observation is correct. Which is why we recommend that you browse your state’s department of motor vehicle’s website to become doubly sure about who can be in the car with a permit driver.

Family members

Almost all states allow over-21 family members to be in the car when there is a permit driver on the steering wheel. Some of them require at least one of the family members to be a driver license holder. Such states include Florida and Idaho.

Other states give you the freedom to transport as many as three family members. Though they limit the potential danger to the loved ones of the permit driver by dictating that they can only drive when it’s daytime, thereby minimizing the chances of an accident.

As far as we know, there’s only one state that allows minors to accompany the permit driver. Hawaii sets up this rule by checks it by stating that only one passenger under-18 can be in the vehicle. And that too when there’s a licensed driver in the car.

Note: Check out this state-by-state guide to know who can be in the car with a permit driver.

What are the restrictions for permit drivers?

Following are the restrictions whose violation may result in the suspension of driver permit:

• Phone Use: Almost all US states are unanimous in their assertion that permit drivers may not use the phone while driving. Ignoring this rule may incur the driver a fine or could even see them losing their license. However, you can still carry out emergency calls.
• Passenger Restrictions: States’ department of motor vehicles (DMVs) determine how many passengers can be in the car when the permit driver is on the wheel. Almost all of them mandate the presence of a passenger on the front seat.
• Driving curfew: Some states require the permit driver to park their vehicle between 11 PM and 5 AM. Others allow exceptions if the permit driver has a medical emergency or has a signed statement from their school or work.
• Seat belts: Here is one restriction most permit drivers aren’t aware of. They might not know that it isn’t only the driver and the passenger in the front seat, but also everyone in the car, who have to wear the seat belt at all times.
• Logging in practice hours: Only two persons can log the mandatory hours of driving practice of the permit driver. One of them is your parent or guardian and the other is the permit supervisor appointed by the two persons mentioned above.

FAQs and Answers

Q: Can a permit driver drive alone?

A: Here’s one rule that is the same in almost all US states. It unequivocally states that permit drivers, barring an emergency, cannot drive alone. Violating this rule might result in the suspension of your driver’s permit and block your way to getting a driver’s license.

Q: What happens if you get pulled over with a driver permit?

A: Provided you have a senior or a licensed driver in the passenger seat, you might get away with speeding or parking ticket. However, suppose the traffic cop finds you traveling alone with a driver permit as well as violating the rules. In that case, they may suspend your driver permit.

Conclusion

State rules dictate who can be in the car with a permit driver. You’d therefore do well to consult with your local authorities – or browse your state’s department of motor vehicle’s website – before driving anyone with just a license permit on you. Here’s why we’re saying that.

Provided you don’t follow the rules and drive around persons that you drivers with a permit aren’t authorized to, at best you may end up getting away with a slap on the wrist. At worst, you may lose not only your driver’s permit but also the chance to one day get a full-fledged driver’s license.

The post Who can be in the car with a Permit Driver? appeared first on Smart Motorist.

source https://www.smartmotorist.com/who-can-be-in-the-car-with-a-permit-driver

How much does it cost to register a Car in NY

How much does it cost to register a car in NY? It depends on whether you’re the vehicle’s first or second owner. First owners are required by law to fork out MTCD and vehicle plate fee, apart from other charges, at the time of registration. That isn’t the case for second owners who can go without paying both.

There is similar confusion regarding the payment of sales tax. The NY Department of Motor Vehicles states that people who have already paid sales tax at the time of purchase of the vehicle – or those whose cars are exempt, need not pay it at the time of registration. Others aren’t as lucky.

Typical fees when registering a car in NY

You must pay the following fees at the time of registering your car:

Registration fee

New York charges car owners a specific amount to register their vehicles under their name. The registration fees begin at $26 for a car that weighs under 1,650 lbs. Vehicle owners whose car weighs more than 1,650lbs are required to pay $1.5 for every additional 100lbs.

Unlike some states that charge an additional fee for electric vehicles, NY charges a flat registration fee, whether you intend to register an electric vehicle or one that runs on fossil fuels. However, it does require residents of some counties to pay a supplemental fee at the time of registration.

Vehicle plate fee

You’re given three options when applying for car registration in New York. The first of them let you apply for a new registration as well as vehicle plates. The second option is that of applying for the transferring of registration and plates from another car.

The third option, meanwhile, lets you apply for transferring vehicle registration but with new number plates. Depending on the option you’re going to select, you’ll have to pay a different vehicle plate fee you can calculate by going to this page.

County use tax

Several counties in the NY state, including New York City, have enacted local laws or ordinances to collect vehicle use taxes. These laws have authorized NY DMV to collect the vehicle use tax from the residents of the county on behalf of their locality.

Here’s how much vehicle use tax you may have to pay:

• For counties inside NY City: Residents of the Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), Queens, Richmond (Staten Island), and New York (Manhattan) are required to pay $30 every two years in the form of car use tax.
• For counties outside NY City: Their residents are required to pay only $10 every two years in lieu of car use tax, as long as their car’s weight doesn’t exceed 3,500lbs– in which case the vehicle use tax will be double.

Sales tax

Upon registering your vehicle in New York, you must either pay its sales tax at the DMV office or give receipts showing it was already paid. There is a third option for those of you who can prove that their vehicle is exempt from sales tax at the time of registration.

The state of New York charges a 4% sales tax for registering a new vehicle. Remember that this estimate doesn’t include any city or county sales taxes that may also apply. Such taxes could be as steep as 4.75%, thereby forcing you to pay 8.75% in lieu of sales tax.

Title certificate fee

Most of you might already know what the title certificate is all about. It is a legal document that contains the name of the car’s owner. Those of you who’re buying a brand new vehicle will get the title certificate from either the dealership or the DMV. Others will get it from the car’s first owner.

The title certificate also includes the name of ‘lienholders’. These are persons who lent the money using which the car owner bought the vehicle. The NY DMV states that most motor vehicles of the model year 1973 and after must be titled, and it charges $50 for a title certificate fee.

MCTD fee

The New York Department of Motor Vehicles mandate residents of several counties to pay an additional Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District (MCTD) fee. The counties include Bronx, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam, Orange, Nassau, Rockland, and Dutchess.

MTCD fee varies on the length of time your driver’s license will be in effect. Car owners whose driver license will remain valid for less than 8-years will pay $1 in MCTD fee every six months. Those who hold an 8-year license fee have to pay $16 at once at the time of registration of their vehicle.

How much does it cost to register a car in NY?

Depending on the weight of your vehicle, whether you’re its first or second owner and other factors mentioned above, registering a car in NY might set you back at least $45.50 in NY. The figure is reliable, but you’d still do well to check with NY DMV to know the exact amount.

Conclusion

The fact that you have made it this far means you already know how much it costs to register a car in NY. Various factors contribute to the amount quoted above, including registration fee, vehicle plate fee, county use tax, sales tax, title certificate fee, and MCTD fee.

All these factors are so diverse that it’s difficult to give you an exact quote of any car’s registration fee in New York. That is why we recommend that you check out the state’s Department of Motor Vehicle’s website to estimate for yourself how much does it cost to register a car in NY.

Provided you do that, you won’t have to make any last-minute arrangements for arranging more money than you carried with yourself to the DMV office. That will save you a lot of time which you can exploit to drive your car.

The post How much does it cost to register a Car in NY appeared first on Smart Motorist.

source https://www.smartmotorist.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-register-a-car-in-ny

7 Ways to Get Rid of a Car

Not many people know how to get rid of a car they own. You can’t criticize them for their lack of knowledge on this subject. We own cars because we like what they offer – independence, convenience, pleasure trips and long drives. Not because we want to discard them one day.

Yet that is precisely what you may have to do for a myriad of reasons. Your old car might turn into a piece of junk and won’t drive anymore. A shiny new vehicle may attract your attention, but you can’t make space for it unless you dispose of its predecessor that is already in your garage.  

How to get rid of a car?

Following are the ways you can discard your car:

Cars that are in good condition

Here’s how you can get rid of a drivable car:

1. Sell it to a dealership

Here is one of the fastest ways to get rid of a car. You can drive it to your local dealership, have their mechanics assess the condition of your vehicle, and come up with an estimate they think is a fair price for it. Their offer may not be as high as you expect but you can always negotiate for more.

Those of you who find this option attractive – and have a vehicle that is in a condition in which you can sell it – might want to go to a dealer that sells the same model. Consult multiple dealers to receive different quotes before selling your vehicle to the highest bidder.

2. Trade it in

What is it that you intend to do with the money you’re going to receive for your vehicle? Do you have plans of spending it somewhere else? Or do you intend to add it to the money you already have and purchase a new or second-hand car? In which case you’d be better off trading in your used car.

Three factors will determine the trade-in value of your car. They include the condition of your used vehicle, the intensity of repairs it will require and whether the dealer already has cars similar to yours in their dealership. Consult multiple dealers before trading-in your vehicle.

3. Sell it to an online platform

Vroom and Carvana are two of multiple online platforms that purchase 2^nd hand vehicles. They require you to enter your car’s make, model, and year on their platform, ask questions about its trims and mileage and send an expert for physical inspection.

These platforms will then give you what they think is a fair price for your vehicle. Those of you who are happy with the offered price can then chose to be paid on the spot. Others who think the offer doesn’t meet their expectations always have the option to take their vehicle to another platform.

4. Donate it

You can always donate your car to a non-profit organization regardless of whether it’s in an excellent or imperfect condition. Many of them accept car donations as they can then sell the car on their own to finance the important work they’re doing for the community.

Donating your car won’t only help those in need. It will also allow you to save money because the IRS rules allow you to claim tax credits on donations. The tax deduction you’ll get will be equal to the price your car goes for at an auction. Though you may want to ask a tax professional for specifics.

Cars that are in worse condition

Here’s how you can get rid of a car that won’t drive around anymore:

5. Recycle it

Is your old vehicle a clunker? One way you can get rid of it is to take it to a scrapyard. It will sit there for years and years waiting for the forces of nature to degrade its components. Or you can go an environmentally-friendly way and recycle it. Here’s why we prefer the second option.

Recycling of useless vehicles doesn’t only benefits the environment. It is also beneficial for the financial health of their owners. That’s because there are programs out there, like Green Vehicle Disposal, that won’t only recycle your car for you but will also pay you for the same. Isn’t that great!

6. Contact a Junk Removal Service

Don’t care much about the environment? You can always exercise the option of contacting a nearby junk removal service. Most companies will reimburse you for your used up vehicle. They can afford to pay you because they’d get their cash back by selling the car’s parts and scrap metal.

Some people, in the hope of getting more cash, decide against calling the junk removal service. They think that they’d be able to make more money if they do all the leg-work themselves. But they forget the convenience junk removal services offer by doing all your dirty work for you.

7. Sell its parts

Car experts tell us that two types of vehicles repay you well when you decide to sell their parts. The first are those that have a strong enthusiast following. The second type of vehicles whose parts sell well are those whose original parts are challenging to find.

Parting out any car isn’t easy, though. It requires you to have the necessary tools as well as knowledge. You must also have space where you could store the parts which you’re going to take apart from the vehicle. That’s why we recommend that only pros go through this route.

Conclusion

Still unsure about how to get rid of a car? If you intend to discard a drivable vehicle, you have four options including selling it to a dealership, trading it in for a new car, selling it to an online platform that purchases vehicles or donating it to a not-for-profit organization.

However, if your car has become a clunker after years of use, you may have no option but to either sell it to a recycling company or contact a junk removal service. Those of you who have technical experience, as well as some free time on their hands, can sell its parts to earn more.

The post 7 Ways to Get Rid of a Car appeared first on Smart Motorist.

source https://www.smartmotorist.com/how-to-get-rid-of-a-car

6 Easy Steps to Drift a Car (Manual & Automatic)

Most motorists don’t know how to drift a car. You can’t blame them. Drifting requires the driver to deliberately over-steer and lose their tires’ traction while tactfully keeping their vehicle under control. That’s a feat only the most skillful drivers can achieve.

But despite the cacophony of screeched tires and smell of burnt rubber, drifting is extremely fun. The rush of adrenaline it sends through the body of the person sitting behind the wheel makes hours of practice that one has to put in to master this sport worth it.

Before You Start Drifting

Here’s what you need to do:

Select the car

Although you can use any car to implement a drift, experts recommend choosing one that has good drifting attributes (with 4-wheel or rear-wheel drive), or one you’re comfortable with and whose mechanics complement drifting. Here’s what that means.

The best cars for drifting are those with a low center of gravity. Their closer position to the ground allows them to rotate around their axis at higher speeds easily. It also gives them more agility around the turn and makes it easy for the driver to pull the drift off.

Select the drifting technique

There are two techniques using which you can initiate a drift:

• Clutch-based

Here’s how this technique works. It requires the driver to press the clutch and shift to second gear as the turn is approaching. The driver then has to rev the engine up to 4.5RPM before releasing the clutch to inject the engine with a huge surge of power.

That initiates what the pros refer to as ‘power dump’ – in which the wheels’ fast spinning motion causes them to lose their traction and the car’s rear end to swing into a turn. The driver will then pull up the emergency brake to lock the back wheels, thereby initiating a clutch-based drift.

• Brake-based

This technique’s first few steps are the same as that of the clutch-based technique. The differences begin after the driver has entered into a turn and pulled back the emergency brakes, causing the rear wheels to move up and lose their contact with the surface.

Instead of leaving the car there, the driver then has to use a combination of shifting and braking. This will allow them to extend the duration of the drift without locking up the rear wheels. That’s the reason why brake-based drifts last longer than their clutch-based counterparts.

Select a practice area

In contrast to what they show in Hollywood, drifting should never be done on busy roads. It should be practiced and performed as far away from pedestrians, near buildings, poles, or roadside walls as possible. The best practice areas for drifting are those that are deserted.

Go online and search the internet for racetracks in your neighborhood. Contact their owners to book a time where you’ll have the track only to yourself. Otherwise, look for an empty parking lot and polish your drifting skills around a barrel.

How to drift a car?

Follow these steps to drift a car:

Drifting a manual car

Here’s how you can drift a manual transmission car:

Step 1: Approach the turn at 30mph

Aim your car at the inside edge of the turn. Put it into second gear and press the accelerator to increase its speed up to 30mph and RPMs up to 3,000.

Stick as close to the mentioned speed limit as possible. Driving too fast may cause you to lose control over the vehicle, whereas going too slow won’t allow you to initiate a drift at all.

Step 2: Aim toward the turn

Turn the car as you usually do when rounding a corner. Continue pressing the pedal at about 80% and steer toward the road’s direction as you enter the turn. As you do this, your car will initiate a drift.

Step 3: Keep the drift going

After a few seconds of initiating the drift, you may notice it starting to lose steam. This will happen because of the back wheels regaining their traction.

Prevent this from happening by pressing down the clutch and quickly releasing it. Repeat this a few times and you’ll be able to keep the drift going without slowing down your vehicle.

Final Step: Straighten out your car

Once you have rounded the bend, it’s time to turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction – away from the near side of the road. You’ll be doing this to correct its course.

In the meantime, don’t take your foot off the gas pedal. This will ensure that the car doesn’t spin out of control.

 

Drifting an automatic car

Here’s how you can drift an automatic transmission car:

Step 1: Approach the turn at 30mph

Most automatic car owners might think of this speed as too low, but it is more than enough to let you drift around the bend without losing control over the vehicle.

As you’re increasing the car’s speed, put it into 2^nd gear using the gear shift. Keep an eye on the tachymeter and ensure that the RPMs are at 3,000 when you reach the recommended speed.

 

Step 2: Flick the steering wheel

Provided you have enough room on the road, take the car to the road’s outer edge and then drift towards its inside edge. Here’s why we’re recommending this.

Drifting in from outside will give you plenty of space to round the curve by a slight turn of the wheels. Turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction as you reach the turn. 

 

Step 3: Use handbrake and clutch

Pull the handbrake and simultaneously press the clutch down hard. This will cause the rear wheels to lose their traction with the road, forcing the car to slide.

 

Step 4: Accelerate the car

As the car continues to slide, take your hand off the handbrake. Press down the accelerator hard and release the clutch at the same moment.

This action will supply extra power to the wheels, consequently letting you round the turn with ease.

 

Step 5: Maintain the speed

Keep the car going straight until you’re halfway through the turn, before turning the steering wheel in the direction you want to go – that is the inner edge of the turn.

What you’re doing here is trying to balance the car’s direction and balance simultaneously. It’s therefore crucial that you don’t take your foot off the accelerator while doing so.

 

Final Step: Straighten the car

Once you’re done drifting and it’s time to straighten the car, turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction. Don’t take your foot off the accelerator as it will end the drift too early.

Once you’re sure that the slide has ended, take your foot off the gas and drive away.

 

Conclusion

Whether you own a manual or an automatic transmission vehicle, our guide on how to drift a car has got you covered. Make sure that the road track you’re practicing on is deserted and without any obstructions. It will be best if it is wet or even damp. That is because slightly slippery roads make it easy for beginners to learn the ropes of drifting.

The post 6 Easy Steps to Drift a Car (Manual & Automatic) appeared first on Smart Motorist.

source https://www.smartmotorist.com/how-to-drift-a-car

Where Can I Use My Synchrony Car Care Card?

Want to hear a horror story in five words? Unexpected car expenses worth $400. Almost 40% of Americans can’t afford them without selling something or going into debt. These are people who’re living from paycheck to paycheck and cannot set aside money for unforeseen circumstances.

Their precarious financial situation doesn’t just blindside them from unexpected car expenses. More than 35% of Americans defer planned vehicle repairs too for want of money, consequently sending roadside breakdown numbers through the roof.

Little wonder, then, that you’re here searching for where can I use my Synchrony Car Care card:

What is the Symphony Car Care card?

The Symphony Car Care credit card prepares you for expected (and unexpected) car expenses. It is a dedicated payment solution that offers six-months financing on purchases of $199 or more. This means that you can buy now and pay later. That isn’t where the good news end.

Provided you always pay for your purchases on time, Symphony won’t require you to pay any interest on those purchases. It also gives you the option to request a credit line increase to finance bigger repair bills, and the fact that it’s a store card means your requests are more likely to get approved.

Where can I use my Synchrony Car Care card?

Following are the locations which accept this card nationwide:

1. Auto Parts Stores

More than 500,000 auto parts locations across the country accept this card. They include independent auto specialists, indie stores, and full-service chains. That is to say that you can walk in most auto part stores with the confidence that they’d accept this card.

Its (almost) universal coverage will provide you with two benefits. The first is that you won’t have to carry cash on you all the times you’re going to make a purchase from an auto parts store. It will also give you the peace of mind that no matter how costly the part is going to be, you’d be covered.

2. Auto Service Locations

Symphony Car Care cardholders know that this credit card is accepted at service locations nationwide. The reason why they’re so confident is that this card’s coverage – which covers almost 500,000 auto parts and service locations – is virtually universal.

That means that whether you’re going to overhaul your car’s engine after a major accident or looking to get parts like its battery, radiator, front axle, brake pads, and tires up to speed, you could easily count on the Symphony Car Care card to come handy.

3. Gas stations

Here’s what we like the most about this card. Unlike some other options that finance your car care needs, it doesn’t limit itself its utility to service and repair. Synchrony ups the ante by allowing you to go cashless on gas nations nationwide. Here’s how it does that.

Synchrony takes care of your gas refilling needs by striking partnerships with over 200,000 gas stations across the country. Some of the recognizable names on its list include Exxon, Speedway, Sunoco, QuikTrip, Mobil, BP, Shell, Chevron, and others.

Benefits of Synchrony Car Care card

Here are the major benefits of the Synchrony Car Care card:

$0 Annual Fee

Most other cards you see on the market come with a fixed annual interest rate that you have to pay on your purchases. The Synchrony Car Care is different

Those of its users who always pay for their purchases on time won’t be charged a penny in the annual interest rate. They’d just have to pay what’s stated on the product’s package.

Six months promotional financing

Do your car service and repair costs regularly exceed the $199 mark? Then you have one more reason to give the Symphony Car Care card a try.

It offers six months of promotional financing on purchases that exceed the $199 mark. In plain words, that means that you can buy now and pay later.

Wide nationwide coverage

More than 500,000 auto parts and service locations around the country accept this card. Almost 250,000 gas stations have jumped on the Symphony bandwagon as well.

That is why this card comes in handy for both routine maintenance like gas refilling and car washes, as well as large purchases and automotive repairs like engine tuning.

Drawbacks of Synchrony Car Care card

Here are some of the drawbacks of this Car Care card:

Sky-high APR

While the card does lure new customers with its 0% introductory rates and six-months financing on purchases above $199, its features include something unsavory.

Experts tell us that Symphony Car Care will charge you 29.99% in annual payment rate (APR) – which is defined as the annual rate charged for borrowing. 

Penalty on missing payment

The promotional financing offer tells us that we won’t have to pay a penny on purchases that we repay within time. But what if we didn’t?

In such an unfortunate scenario, the cardholder will have to pay not only the purchase cost, but they’ll also be required to pay all the interest they thought they were saving on.

Few benefits

One of the benefits listed on the card’s website is that it lets you apply for a credit line increase, thereby preparing you for an upcoming big expense.

This is a huge benefit but one that is offered by almost every credit card on the market. Synchrony, therefore, doesn’t do something novel by providing it.

Conclusion

Where can I use my Synchrony Car Care card? Those of you have made it to this far already have the answer to this question. There are more than 500,000 auto parts and service centers – as well as almost 250,000 gas stations – that accept this card.

These points range from your average indie stores to chains of multi-nationals. They are spread across the country and therefore make it easy for its holders to make the most of the Symphony Car Care card. What more can you ask for!

The post Where Can I Use My Synchrony Car Care Card? appeared first on Smart Motorist.

source https://www.smartmotorist.com/where-can-i-use-my-synchrony-car-care-card

5 Ways to Get a Dent Out of a Car

Are you a cautious driver who always drives well below the speed limit? Do you make the best use of mirrors when reversing and turning your car? Is your driving style branded avuncular by friends and family? Even then you must know how to get a dent out of a car.

An inattentive driver looking at their phone might slam against your vehicle from behind. A kid may bump against it with a shopping cart. Someone may open their vehicle’s door into yours in a constricted parking spot. All these are frustrating facts of auto-ownership life which may leave you with a dent.

How to get a dent out of a car

Here’s how you can get a dent out of your car:

Remove small dents

Following are the methods using which you can remove small dents:

1. Use a drain plunger

Purchase a simple plunger from your local hardware store or online. Make sure the one you’re ordering doesn’t have a flange at the bottom. Then wash the body of your car. Pay special attention to the area in and around the dent. Clean it rigorously to free it from dirt and grease.

Once you’re done washing the car, lubricate the rim of the plunger with soapy water. This will help the plunger create suction when you attach it against the car body. Attach the plunger over the dent and push inwards to create a decent amount of suction.

Slowly pull the plunger out. You may notice that the area taken up by the dent has reduced. Re-attach the plunger over the dent and again pull it out. Continue with this practice – pushing the plunger against the dent, pulling it out – until the dent is entirely gone.

 

2. Press out dents from behind

This method requires you to remove the car’s body part with the dent and access the ding from behind. It therefore works best on those components that are easy-to-remove. Examples include both the front- and rear-side bumpers and door panels.

After identifying which car body parts you need to remove to access the dent from behind, place worn-out blankets on the ground. Jack up your car and get face-to-face with the exact spot behind the dent. You’d be able to see a lump on the exact spot behind the dent. Press it out.

Smaller dents can be popped back out by applying pressure with your thumb. The larger ones might require you to apply force with both your hands. You may need to apply pressure on multiple angles before you could pop out the ding.

 

3. Use dry ice

You’d need to apply the dry ice over the dent to remove it. That’s why this method works best on horizontal surfaces such as the trunk lid, roof or hood of the vehicle. As you’d have to hold the dry ice in place if the dent is on a vertical surface, such as the doors.

Dry ice is at extreme temperatures and you must wear heavy-duty gloves and safety glasses before handling it. The gloves should be large enough to cover as far up your arms as possible. Make sure you have worn the recommended safety gear before opening the dry ice package.

Place the dry ice on the dent using tongs. Let it sit there for half-a-minute (at most) before using the tongs to remove it. Allow the ding to get into contact with ambient air – as the warmth of the surrounding air will cause the shifting of the metal before forcing the dent to pop out.

 

4. Use a hairdryer

What is better than blowing away your troubles using a hairdryer? This method works best if the depressed spot is on a plastic or metal surface. All you have to do is plug-in the dryer, turn it on at medium heat setting and aim its nozzle at the dent.

Turn off the hairdryer after heating the dent for a few minutes. Assess the malleability of the metal before moving ahead. If it’s soft, skip whatever is said in the rest of this paragraph and move on to the next. Otherwise, reheat the dent with the hairdryer before examining it again.

Once the surface is malleable enough, use a can of compressed air to spray the dent. This will cause the plastic to contract and, hopefully, the removal of the dent. Finish things off by wiping down the liquid squirted by the compressor with a dry microfiber cloth.

 

Remove large dents

Following is the method using which you can remove large dents:

5. Use boiling water                                                                              

This method works best for large dents on plastic surfaces. Such surfaces are notoriously stiff and won’t get back in shape unless you throw boiling water on the dent. But the ding won’t pop out on its own after you’ve treated it to hot water.

You’d have to reach behind the plastic surface and apply pressure. The boiling water’s heat must have made the plastic flexible, thereby making it easy for you to put it back into place. It’s extremely likely that a large dent won’t completely go out at the first time of asking.

That is why you may have to repeat the process – apply boiling water over the dent, press it out from the inside – until the depressed area completely pops out. Don’t forget to wear gloves throughout this process as the plastic surface will be extremely hot.

Conclusion

Those of you who have reached this far know how to get a dent out of a car. Smaller size dents can quickly be taken care of using one of the four methods mentioned above. You can either use a drain plunger, dry ice, a hairdryer or your brute force to pop them back out.

Large dents aren’t quite easy to remove. You’d need to treat them with boiling water before applying force from inside to bring out the depressed spot. However, if the problem persists, it’s time to lighten your pockets by taking your car to a mechanic.

The post 5 Ways to Get a Dent Out of a Car appeared first on Smart Motorist.

source https://www.smartmotorist.com/how-to-get-a-dent-out-of-a-car