The Department of Transportation, and police departments in every state in America are really buckling down on the seat belt laws. They have good reason to do this, and wearing a seat belt is more than just a good idea.

Since the invention of the cup holder, and the seat belt, automobile manufacturers come up with new features for every new model of car, that will make our driving experience easier, more fun, more comfortable, and of course safer. Sometimes, the new accessory is something that we really don't want or need, such as that irritating voice that used to tell us that our door was ajar. However, knowing that your door could possibly fly open at 60 miles per hour on a busy highway is important, so when carmakers changed that voice to a subtle beep or a bell sound, the warning was appreciated.

Based upon research analysis completed by U.S. News editors, the number one spot in the list of affordable cars is held by the Honda Civic. The list is comprised of automobiles in the compact and subcompact categories for 2008.

Look carefully at the entire outside of the vehicle. -> Spots on the auto body, which are rusted through, or obviously patched.-> Once rust has eaten through the metal, it really cannot be repaired effectively. There are compounds that can be used to patch over the rusted places, but they do not last indefinitely. The metal is now weak because of the rust, and will not support the patch material for very long. So eventually, the compound will eventually just drop away. Sellers of used cars will sometimes try to hide the rust, and by the time the buyer finds out, it is too late.-> Off matching colors of paint, lumpy looking paint, or cracks in the paint.-> These types of issues indicate that the car has had bodywork done, which could mean that the car has been in an accident. Or, that it has not been taken care of properly. Either way, bodywork should raise other questions that the seller might not want you to ask about this used car.-> Cracks or chips in the windshield or windows.-> Again, this is something that might have resulted from an accident. There are legal issues involved if the crack hinders a driver's visibility in anyway.

The latest edition of our monthly maintenance "how to" series, is going to teach us how to check the hydraulic fluid in a vehicle with a stick shift, or in other words, a manual transmission. Cars that have a manual transmission use either a cable, which connects the transmission and the clutch, or a hydraulic system, for which you need a fluid to help keep it running efficiently, and smoothly.

Every new car comes with a maintenance guide, and the recommended rules to follow are created to help you keep your car in optimum health. And, since the new car models and makes can go more miles and longer times between tune-ups, it really saves you time and money at those routine tune-ups, if you stick to the maintenance guidelines the rest of the year.

Guess what?? These are the last two fluids left to check every month, to keep your vehicle sufficiently hydrated and all of its thirsts quenched. These two fluids, while not crucial to the life of your vehicle, make driving that vehicle more pleasant and comfortable. Also, these are the only two fluids that do get used up. If the levels get low, adding the proper fluids is something that needs to be done for the mechanical equipment to work. No washer fluid, no clean windshield. No air conditioning refrigerant, no air conditioning.

For most automatic vehicles, the manufacturers suggest that the transmission fluid be checked every 30,000 to 40,000 miles. However, unless there is a noticeable issue, such as trouble shifting, most drivers forget all about maintaining their automatic transmission fluid. What eventually happens, is that by the time that a mechanic performs your regular maintenance tune-up, the repairs that you need are serious and expensive.

In this second edition of automotive maintenance tips, we're going to be dealing again with fluids. Who would have imagined all the liquid that a car consumes, besides gasoline? Well, other than mechanics and people who find cars fascinating in anyway.

Its that time of year again, spring. Your vehicle is ready to be treated well after a long, hard winter and you will need to make sure that a full spring maintenance is done to keep your car or truck in perfect operating order. Lets take a look at some of the most important factors in the spring maintenance.