Do You Feel At Home In Your Automobile??

From your driver seat settings to the position of the steering wheel and your favorite station on the radio, your car is your safe haven on the road. Being stranded is nowhere you’d want to be. A well-stocked emergency roadside kit could help you get back on the road quickly and safely. Car-Lotta reminds you of the basics you may want to keep with you in you four wheel friend. Consider including: Cell phone and car charger, with a list of emergency numbers Fire extinguisher Two roadside flares Quart of oil Small first aid kit Flashlight Multipurpose tool or pocket knife Tire pressure gauge Tire inflator Duct tape Rags Your car’s manual Pen and paper

Would You Buy A Car Online?

Purchasing a vehicle online has always been an option through places like Craigslist, eBay Motors, Facebook Marketplace and Carvana. There are some pros and cons to purchasing this way, and it’s good to be aware of them before you go that route. Buying a Car Online: Pros and Cons Pros: Larger (national) selection. It can be cheaper. More pricing transparency. It’s convenient. Cons: You can’t really test drive it. Maintenance costs required to maintain warranty. No record of reliability. Higher taxes. Car-Lotta reminds you to Buy Local- whenever possible. When you buy from a local business in your community – such as a car dealership – the impact of your purchase stays local by strengthening the local economy and creating jobs. When you buy from a local dealer, you also get a go-to local professional for any follow-up questions that arise about your new ride once you’re on the road.

Did You Sring Ahead?

It's that time of year again, were you running around the house on Saturday night setting clocks forward? Did you change the clock in your car as well? Did you know that research shows fatal car accidents in the United States spike by 6% during the workweek following the "spring forward" to daylight saving time, resulting in about 28 additional deaths each year. Many believe it's better for sleep, the body clock, and overall health to have more morning light and less evening light, as is the case under standard time. Under permanent daylight saving time, mornings would stay dark later in winter all over the country. Car-Lotta wants to know how you feel about Daylight Savings Time.

What Is That Strange Smell??

Once that new car smell wears off it can be a struggle to keep your car smelling fresh. It doesn’t help if you have pets or forget about that half-full cup of coffee. Those are smells you can easily identify, but what if you smell something weird? Some smells, and even some sounds, hint at a problem with your car. Here are some of the odd things you may hear or smell in your car and what you need to do to get things back to normal. A STRANGE CAR SMELL Must or mold If your call smell is musty or moldy, then you may have a problem with a water leak. It could be as simple as having accidentally left a window open in the rain or it could be something bigger. Run your hand across the floor mats to check for damp spots and if you find one, make an appointment to have it checked out. AAA can help you find a reputable auto repair shop that can figure out where the water is coming from and fix the problem to get rid of the musty smell. Burnt toast A car smell like burnt toast may make you hungry – and it could be a sign of burning insulation. This often happens if there’s an electrical short in your car. It’s a job for the pros so contact your local AAA Store or AAA Approved Auto Repair location to schedule an appointment. An experienced technician can figure out what is causing the smell and repair any electrical short before it causes more significant damage to your car. Rotten eggs Sometimes you smell this in your car, but more often it’s something you’ll notice outside your car. This noxious odor indicates you have a problem with your catalytic converter or possibly your emissions system. Schedule an appointment to have this repaired and the car smell will go away. Some states require emissions testing as a part of annual inspections. Letting this repair wait will cause a problem when it’s time for that inspection so don’t put it off.