Car Care Guide 2018

CARCARE GUIDE

SteeringSafely

Safety tipsfor driving on wintry roads

GPS101

GPS tricks of the trade to make driving safer

CuttingCosts

Simple solutions to reduce your auto insurance costs

ASPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO

TipsfromthePros

Prevention is the best plan for keeping your vehicle starting in cold weather.

Each fall have your vehicle winterized. Be surethe following arechecked:

•Battery tested

•Radiator and hoses inspected

•Antifreeze levels checked

•Have your oil changed to proper oil weight for winter

•Battery cables and boots examined If your car has a distributor cap, have it inspected

•Spark plugs examined

•Thermostat checked

These checks will ensureyou’rewinter ready.Bill’sMuffler and Brake Center has five bays to get you in and out quicker.Please stop in to have your vehicle winterized.

Bill Bohmert

Bill’sMuffler and Brake Center •Duluth

Fresh oil helps your car start better during cold conditions. Youprepare your house for harsh conditions, so why not stop into Auto Ace for awinter checkup?

Pete Popoe

Auto Ace Express Lube •Duluth

Wash your car weekly during winter months to remove salt and other harsh chemicals from your paint finish to help prevent rust damage from occurring.

Payton Sullivan

Miller Mall/London Road Car Wash

Duluth

Make sure your tires and batteryare in good condition, and check your engine coolant/antifreeze for winter driving.

Kari Toyota Service Center• Superior

Beforewinter,it’salways agood idea to make sureyour vehicle is in good running condition. All fluids should be full and be sure to use an antifreeze that is rated for 40 degrees below zero. Also, with the upcoming, more difficult driving conditions, don’tforget to check your tires and brakes.

Dave Anton, owner DJ Automotive •Superior

Maintain performance with an oil and filter change.Dirty oil or acontaminated oil filter increases engine wear, causes poor performance and, in extreme cases, can cause engine failure. Protect your vehicle. Have theoil and filter changed according to your owner’smanual maintenance schedule.

Don Graves

Cloquet Ford Chrysler Center •Cloquet

The biggest thing for winter is to check your tires. Stop by for awinter check and we will measureyour tires. We offer multiple brands and snow tires for your vehicles. Stop by for a complimentary alignment check and tirepressureadjustments.

CoryMiddleton •Kolar Toyota •Duluth

Check tires, antifreeze and exhaust beforewinter.

PatMoon Moon’sAuto

•Superior

As winter approaches, it is easy to forget about giving your car the tender loving care it needs to stay healthy. With the start of heavy snow, icy roads and cold weather,now is the time to prepareyour car for the winter, especially if you haven’ttaken your car to the shop for awhile. Atune-up will help keep your car running longer and may save your money by detecting potential problems early.Stop in to have your vehicle winter inspected: coolant, wipers, air pressure, tread depth and all fluids checked! Also, don’tforget our tiresale: Buy 3- Get 1for One Dollar!

John Benoit Duluth Dodge •Duluth

For the winter months, your vehicle is going to need protection against ice and salt. We recommend agood quality wax and lubricant. All door hinges, latches and interior door bottoms should be treated. Make suretolube around inner wheel wells to help guardagainst corrosion. Proctor Collision Center offers corrosion inspection and advice on how to correct the problem.

Marty and Nick Proctor Collision Center •Proctor

How to digout your carafter astorm

The arrival of cooler, shorter days is often a precursor to winter storms dominated by snowfall. Asnow-covered landscape can make for an appealing image. But heavy snowfall also makes for extra work, especially for drivers who must dig their vehicles out of the snow after each storm.

Some people live in suburban areas where they can park their cars in driveways or garages, while others live in cities and have to park on the street, where snow plows can do awonderful job of burying vehicles underneath mounds of snow. Rescuing acar or truckfrom apile of snow can be tricky and time-consuming, but there is a process that can make the job easier.

Begin by clearing out the tail pipe of the car. This is a vital first step because failure to do so can back harmful carbon monoxide gas and other fumes into the car. Take the time to clear out the rear of the car, including the taillights, so you will have improved visibility.

When the exhaust pipe is clear, turn on the car. Some people prefer to put the defroster on right away. Others wait until the vehicle warms up before doing so. Having awarmcar will melt some of the accumulated ice and snow and make it easier for you to clear the car.

The right tools make faster work of the task at hand. Ashovel is anecessity, and atelescoping snow broom/ ice scraper can be helpful. This allows you to safely push the snow off the roof of the car. Driving with snow and ice on the roof and hood is not only adanger to yourself and other motorists it could result in afine. Work from the top of the vehicle down. Otherwise, you will end up negating all of your work by throwing fresh snow on the areas you already cleared.

By now the defrosters should have kicked in sufficiently enough to make it simple to clear snow from the windshield and rear window. Use some deicing windshield fluid to dislodge wiper blades if they have frozen to the windshield. Some drivers leave their wiper blades standing on end and away from the windshield prior to abig storm to prevent them from freezing to the windshield. Consider this trick if you’re especially worried about the blades freezing to the glass. Use your shovel tocarefully remove as much snow as possible from around the tires. Be careful not to puncture the tire with ametal shovel. Try to create a tire path in the direction you plan to move the vehicle.

So if you will be backing out of the driveway, clearthe waybehind the car. If traction is aproblem, use abit of rock salt or cat litter behind the tires to give them more grip. Slipping acar mat under the tires also can provide much-needed traction.

Exercise caution if you are digging out acar on a busy roadway. Make yourself visible to other motorists and use traffic cones, if you have them, to keep drivers away from your vehicle. Do not shovel the snow in the path of oncoming vehicles.

Shoveling out after asnowstorm is ataskfew people enjoy. However, it is anecessity of the season and one that can be done safely and efficiently.

How to staysafe on wintryroads

Many people will remember the winter of 2013-14 for allthe wrong reasons. Record low temperatures andheavy snowfall were the story that year.Withwinternow on the horizon once again, manymotorists are looking for ways to ensure their daily commutes or holiday tripstovisit family and friends are as safe as possible.

When wintry conditions, including snowfall, compromise driving conditions, it’s best for motorists to stay home. But avoiding roadways altogetherisnot always an option,somotorists who simply must venture out onto the roadways this winter can employ the following strategies to ensure they safely arrive at their destinations. Consider winter tires. Many drivers are unsure if they need winter tires.All-season tires may suffice for those drivers who live in regions where heavy snowfall is uncommon. But winter tires are designed to perform when the temperatures are especiallycoldand in driving conditions featuring ice, slush and snow. Drivers in the Northland should considerinstalling winter tires just to be on the safe side.Some drivers mistakenly believe that vehicle features such as anti-lock braking systems and traction control make their tires more capable of handling wintry roads. But such features do not provide more traction. ABS and traction control only prevent drivers from overbraking or overpowering thetraction of theirtires. Only better tires will improve traction.

Drive slowly. Many drivers mistakenly believe they only need to drive slowwhensnowisfalling. But winter weather can make roadways unsafe even in areas that have not witnesseda single snowflake fall from the sky. Wet winter roadscan quickly turn into icy winter roads, and no ABS system or traction control device can prevent a car that’s travelingtoo fast from skidding out. Poor visibility is another reason to drive slowly in

winter. Peripheral vision is oftencompromised when driving in winter, as dirt, salt or sand builduponwindshields and side windows and mirrors can make it hard for motorists to fully view their surroundings. Even if your visionis notcompromised, afellow motorist’s mightbe. So ease up on the gas pedal in winter so you have more time to react to potentially adverse conditions.

Don’t drive tooclosely to other motorists. In addition to driving slowly,motorists also should leave extra room between their vehicles and the vehicles in front of them. In such conditions, for every 10 miles per hour drive aminimum of four car lengths behind the motorist in front of you. So if you are driving 50 miles perhour, besure to leave 20 car lengths between you and the car ahead of you. This gives youample time to react and builds in some extra response timeshould your visibility be compromised.

Maintain your vehicle. Avehicle shouldbe maintained regardless of the season, butit’s especially important that your vehicle perform at its peak in winter. Avehicle’s battery and windshield wipers are awinter driver’s best friend, but only if they are operatingatoptimal capacity. Being stranded on aroadside in winter is more dangerous than in anyother time of year. That’s because driver visibility is more compromised in winter, and it can be hard for motorists to see or avoid vehiclesonthe side of the road.Maintain proper fluid levels and make sure yourbattery is charged and the gas tankis full before making any winter trips. Wintry conditions often make driving especially hazardous. But drivers who adopt certain habits when driving in winter can greatly reduce their risk of accidents.

Winter storms often make for unsafe driving conditions, and motorists must alter their habits when making winter trips.

Many motorists notice that their vehicles seem to get less miles per gallon in cold weather than in warm weather. That’s not atrick of the brain, as studies have shown that cars do, in fact, have poorer fuel in economy in cold weather.

According to the United States Department of Energy, fuel economy tests have indicated that, when taking short trips in acity, aconventional gasoline car’s gas mileage is about 12 percent lower at 20 Fthanitwould be at 77 F. The disparity is even greater in hybrid vehicles, which can see their fuel economy decline by roughly 34 percent when driven at 20 F. Before drivers can understand how to improve their winter fuel economy, it’s beneficial to learn why cold weather has such an adverse effect on acar’s fuel economy.

Ahostoffactors combine to reduce fuel economy in the winter. When temperatures dip, engine oil and other drive-line fluids also get colder, and this increases engine and transmission friction. That forces the vehicle to work harder and use more fuel. An engine also takes longer to reach its most fuelefficient temperature when the weather outside is cold. This won’t have too great an impact on fuel efficiency when taking long trips, but the shorter the trip the less economical the vehicle’s use of fuel will be, as ashorter trip means the vehicle is spending alarger percentage of the overall drive at alessfuelefficient temperature.

Another reason fuel economy suffers in the winter is the necessities and certain creature comforts drivers need when driving in the cold weather. Windshield

defrosters and vehicle heating systems use asubstantial amount of power, and that usage forces the vehicle to expend more energy and use more fuel. And while many drivers consider heated seats one of the greatest automotive inventions known to man, those seats also use up alot of power that negatively impacts fuel economy. But factors outside the vehicle also impact its fuel economy in the winter. For example, colder temperatures decrease tire pressure, and that increases roll resistance, which means the car must work harder and use more fuel to getdownthe street than it would if it were riding on fully inflated tires in the summertime. Cold air also is more dense than warm air, and that increases aerodynamic drag on the vehicle, which

then needs to use more fuel to counter the increased drag.

So what can be done to improve fuel economy in the winter? Fortunately, drivers can take several steps to do just that.

Park the vehicle in agarage. Leaving your car in the driveway in the winter means you might have to dig the vehicle out come winter snowstorms. But that’s not the only inconvenience of parking your vehicle outside in the winter, as doing so can adversely affect its fuel economy. When possible, park the car in the garage, as this increases the initial temperature of the engine, engine oil, drive-line fluids, and the vehicle’s cabin. This can shorten the time it takes for the engine to reach its most fuelefficient temperature while decreasing

the engine and transmission friction that negatively impacts fuel efficiency. Disregard conventional wisdom. Conventional wisdom has long suggested that idling avehicle for several minutes will warm up the engine more quickly than simply driving. But many vehicle manufacturers now recommend that drivers idle their vehicles for no more than 30 seconds, noting that idling the car unnecessarily wastes fuel and that driving the vehicle is the fastest way to warm up its engine. If you must warm up the vehicle, stick to the now widely accepted guideline that recommends idling for no more than half aminute. Another nugget of conventional wisdom motorists may want to ignore concerns the motor oil they use in the winter. Many vehicle manufacturers now recommend aspecific type of oil to use when driving in cold weather, so follow that advice instead of adhering

to past practices that may not have been as fuel efficient. Monitor tire pressure. As noted, colder temperatures decrease tire pressure, so drivers should monitor their tire pressure regularly throughout winter to keep their vehicle safe and to ensure they are not wasting fuel. Remove the roof rack. Summer adventurists who love tying their mountain bike or kayak to their vehicles’ roof rack before heading off to explore parts unknown should remove those roof racks when the temperatures dip. Roof racks increase wind resistance and decrease fuel economy, so remove them during the offseasons.

Fuel economy will almost certainly decrease when the mercury drops. But drivers can employ anumber of strategies to make their vehicles more fuel efficient in cold weather.

Visibility starts with your windshield

or salty roads can attest, such substances can quickly gather on windshields, where they crust up and impede visibility A windshield cleaning system that is not working effectively is a recipe for an accident.

Winter prep checklist

Fall is a time to prepare homes, vehicles and even our psyches for the arrival of winter. To get your car cold-weather ready, take the following precautions now.

Maintain a clean windshield to ensure your visibility is not compromised while driving.

Visibility is an essential component of automotive safety. According to the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, inability to clearly see the road, other motorists and potential obstacles is a leading contributor to automotive accidents and injury

Approximately half of all fatalities due to motor vehicle crashes occur at night, even though the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that traffic volume is substantially less at night. Lack of visibility, which may result from a dirty windshield or inclement weather, can render pavement markings nearly invisible or throw off drivers’ senses of direction.

Poor visibility can be hazardous, and drivers must take steps to ensure they have maximum visibility at all times, whether it’s day or night or if the weather is poor or fair.

One of the best ways to ensure maximum visibility is to keep your windshield clean. Not all windshield washer fluids and wipers are created equally. For example, some washer fluids are ineffective in freezing temperatures. Frozen washer fluid can cause a complete blockage of the system and greatly impair visibility.

As anyone who has driven on snowy and/

Always read the product label before purchasing washer fluid. Summer blends are only effective when temperatures remain above 32 F. When the mercury dips below freezing, these fluids freeze up. Winter formulas should contain an antifreeze solution that will lower the freezing point of the liquid. Many such fluids employ methanol to not only prevent freezing but also to melt frost and light accumulations of ice.

Drivers also may be able to supplement their washer fluids with common items to increase durability during extreme cold snaps Mix 99 percent isopropyl rubbing alcohol into the washer fluid to prevent it from freezing. Otherwise, the washer fluid brand may have specific instructions for mixing for use in areas where the temperature regularly dips below freezing In addition to maintaining an obstructionfree washer fluid system, drivers can reduce accidents from poor visibility by heeding these tips from The National Weather Service:

•Clear your windshield and mirrors before getting on the road.

•Drive slow to maintain a safe stopping distance.

•Be aware that, when driving in conditions where visibility is impaired, drivers tend to follow the tail lights of the vehicles in front of them. Keep your headlights on to improve your own visibility and help others see your car.

•Don’t slow down so much that you become a hazard to other drivers.

•If necessary, pull off the road and wait for conditions to improve. When pulling off, park as far off the road as possible, then turn off your headlights and put on your hazard lights.

• Tire pressure can drop in cold weather. When tires are underinflated, you lose fuel efficiency, so monitor and maintain tire pressure throughout the winter.

• Those who live in particularly cold climates should switch from all-season to winter tires. Much as you wear winter boots to provide more traction and protection than sneakers, so should you equip your vehicle with tires that will stand up to winter terrain.

• Check on the status of your battery and its starting power. Cold weather an put more strain on a car battery A battery that is already weak may not turn over when you need it most.

• Replace worn wiper blades and upgrade to a windshield fluid that is rated for subzero temperatures. Each of these items will improve visibility when winter precipitation is making its presence felt.

• Schedule an oil change at the beginning of winter. Dirty oil can hinder cold-weather starts and, if coupled with low coolant levels, can make it difficult for the engine to turn over.

• Keep jumper cables, a battery booster pack and warning cones in your vehicle. These can come to the rescue if your battery dies and you’re stranded on the side of the road.

• While you’re stocking the trunk or cargo bed, include a shovel, sand or cat litter, a flashlight, an ice scraper, water, and a blanket. These are good emergency items to have in the event your car breaks down in the winter. You can dig your tires out of your tires out of a snow drift with the shovel and apply litter to increase traction. The blanket will come in handy if you have to sit in a cold car for a while awaiting roadside service.

• Consider taking a winter driving course. Icy, snowy conditions completely change the defensive tactics needed to navigate the roads. A prepared driver is one who is more likely to avoid accidents and make it home safely

Navigate vehiclessafely withGPS

Upon their arrival on the automotive marketplace, global positioning systems, or GPS, quickly became aphenomenon. Even today, years after that introduction, GPS devices are still relied on by millions of people to help them navigate the country’s roadways. Many others rely on the GPS of their mobile phones, employing such capabilities in concert with digital maps while driving. Although they can help aperson with directions or make it easier to find the nearest fuel station or rest stop, GPS systems are not foolproof. Plus, when used improperly, they may increase the risk for accidents by drawing drivers’ attention away from the road.

According to Corvallis Micromorphologic, Inc., GPS work with agroup of satellites that communicate with GPS devices to pinpoint acar’s location. They can do so up to 164 to 328 feet of your location. Afterwards, your position on the planet is overlaid with adigital map and navigation information stored within the GPS receiver. The GPS can then provide directions and suggest routes based on certain parameters.

GPS has virtually eliminated the need for paper maps to get from point Atopoint B. Many people argue that GPS has made it safer to drive because drivers and passengers no longer need to fiddle with maps should they get lost. What’s more, GPS devices decrease the chances of getting lost and becoming distracted by surroundings when looking to get back on course. For those unfamiliar with the roadways or surroundings, navigation systems can alert drivers to which lane to be in and upcoming turns or obstacles.

However, GPS devices

Trusting in them too completely can lead to adverse consequences. The following are safe ways to use navigating devices.

Pre-program the device. Don’t program the GPS while moving. Enter the destination prior to departing. For those drivers who need to make changes or more fully examine the directions, pull over to asafearea to do so.

Select ahands-freedevice. When buying adevice, select aGPS navigation system that is hands-free. This can be aunit that mounts on the windshield or is built into acar’s dashboard. Avoid holding amobile phone to look down at amap.Drivers who do so can take their eyes off the road long enough to cause an accident.

Learn the terminology. Each GPS unit is different and may have different lingo for particular instructions. Very often adevicemay instruct drivers to “keep left” when it simply means to stay straight on course. This can confuse motorists who may think they need to get into aleft lane. Take the GPS for a trial run in afamiliararea to learn its particular quirks. Avoid distractions. The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety found GPS use can, in certain instances, increase distractions while driving. NETS

when GPS users muted their devices instead of listening to voice commands, they spent more time looking at the screen than at the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates driver distraction plays a role in up to 30 percent of car crashes in the United States each year. GPS systems can be yet another distraction. Avoid staring at the screen by looking ahead at the directions mapped out by the device to have an idea of what’s coming next. This should be done before embarking. Drivers should limit looking at the GPS screen to passing glances, just as they would any component of the car. Have apassenger assist as the navigator.

Use common sense. Not all directions are accurate and they may change based on road conditions or new traffic patterns. Drivers should not follow GPS directions at the cost of ignoring common sense and road signage. Also, the rules of the road should always take precedence over what the GPS is telling the driver to do.

GPS devices have made getting around easier. Using them in asafemannercan reduce distractions and help drivers reach their destinations.

The benefits to car loan preapproval Things to consider before buying an extended warranty

When purchasing a new vehicle, many people choose to finance their purchases. Much like buying a house, financing a vehicle requires buyers to produce a down payment and then make monthly payments on the vehicle until the balance of the loan has been repaid in full. Financing is a must for many consumers, who otherwise could not afford to purchase a new or reliable preowned vehicle. And just like prospective homeowners can benefit from being preapproved for loans before they begin searching for a new home, auto buyers also benefit in various ways from getting preapproved for a car loan before they begin their search for their next set of wheels.

Preapproval smooths out the negotiation process. Few people enjoy haggling with car salesmen over the price of a new or preowned vehicle, and that process is even more difficult when buyers aren’t entirely sure of how much money they have to spend. When financing your vehicle with a preapproved loan, however, the process of negotiation can go much more smoothly, as you and the salesman know you only have a predetermined amount of money to spend. Ask the price to get the car off the lot, and then you can negotiate from there if you feel it necessary.

Preapproval cuts back on time spent at the dealership. A car dealership’s finance and insurance office is where buyers sit once they have told the salesman they want to buy the car and

finance their purchase. Those who have not been preapproved often must sit through a sales pitch in this office or sit patiently as the salesman goes back and forth with the finance manager as you negotiate the final cost of the vehicle. However, when you have been preapproved for a loan, no such back and forth needs to take place, and you can cite your preapproval as a reason you don’t want to commit to the extra add-ons that many dealers attempt to sell their buyers.

Preapproval means the car is yours when you take it off the lot. Dealers are sometimes too quick to put keys in a buyer’s hand, and buyers with poor credit sometimes are allowed to drive a car off the lot only to find out days later that the lender rejected their application, at which time they must return the vehicle or return to the dealership to apply for a new loan, which will almost certainly come with a higher interest rate. Preapproval allows buyers to avoid this frustrating and sometimes embarrassing process.

Preapproval reduces the risk that you will overspend. Many a new or preowned car buyer has fallen in love with a vehicle and spent more than they should have to make the car their own. Preapproval greatly reduces the chances of this happening, as you know before you begin your search that your lender will only approve a loan for so much money. This can help buyers stick to a budget and avoid buying a car they can’t afford.

Bumper-to-bumper factory warranties can protect motorists should their vehicles experience any problems in the initial years after the car was purchased. Such warranties typically expire after three years or roughly 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. Once that warranty has expired, vehicle owners must then finance the cost of any problems that arise on their own.

But many drivers purchase extended warranties to provide further protection once their bumper-to-bumper manufacturer warranties have expired. Much like the initial warranty, an extended warranty can help drivers withstand the costs of repairs, and many drivers purchase such warranties before they even drive their new car off the lot, as the cost of an extended warranty purchased after the initial warranty has expired is typically a lot more than it would have been had it been purchased at the same time as the vehicle. But while an extended warranty is, in theory, a great idea, such extra protection is not necessarily for everyone, and there are some things car buyers should consider before buying an extended warranty.

Length of ownership: If you are a driver who typically buys a new car every few years or once the odometer hits the 40,000 mile marker, then an extended warranty likely is not worth the investment. Unless you plan to put lots of miles on the car during the three years you intend to own it, then you won’t need the extended warranty because you are less likely to own it by the time that warranty goes into effect. In addition, since many manufacturer warranties are in effect until the car exceeds 36,000 miles, it’s probably worth the risk to avoid buying the extended warranty just so you’re covered for the few thousand miles the car will no longer be under the manufacturer warranty

Backer: Who is backing the extended warranty is another factor car buyers must consider before adding the extra protection. A manufacturerbacked extended warranty is typically your safest bet, as you can take the vehicle into any of that manufacturer’s dealerships across the country and have your warranty honored. A third-party

warranty may insist the vehicle is taken into the dealership where you purchased the car, a big negative for anyone who might be moving while they own the vehicle and an ever bigger cause for concern if you are not a fan of the maintenance staff where you purchased the vehicle.

Coverage: All extended warranties are not the same, and it’s important that you understand the differences between your options before purchasing a warranty. Many extended warranties are tiered, which means some will offer you the moon while less expensive options are far more limited in terms of what they do and do not cover. Carefully read the fine print of each extended warranty offered to you to be certain you are getting what you want for the price you want to pay.

Cost: When buying a car, you don’t need to buy an extended warranty from the same person who sold you the car. In fact, dealerships may compete for your extended warranty business. Ask the finance manager where you are buying the vehicle to quote you a price on their extended warranty offerings, and then take that price to the dealer’s competitors until you find a better deal. You may or may not find a better deal, and if you do you can always take that deal back to the dealer who sold you the car and ask that dealership to match the price. If they won’t, simply take the best offer you found from another dealer.

Personal history: Your personal history also can provide valuable insight into whether or not an extended warranty is right for you. If you are a driver who strictly adheres to manufacturer maintenance schedules and drives defensively, then you may not need an extended warranty since your car likely won’t be in need of significant repairs. But if vehicle maintenance is not high on your priority list or if you live in a place where traffic is often congested and your risk of accident is greater, then an extended warranty is likely a wise investment.

Extended warranties can provide peace of mind to motorists worried about the potentially costly expense of automotive repairs. But such extra protection is not always in a driver’s best interests.

There is seemingly no end in sight with regard to the rising costs of owning an automobile. From the cost of the car or truck itself to the high prices of fuel, drivers increasinglyare on the hunt for ways to curtail the costs of owning an automobile. One way to save some cash is to take advantageof auto insurance discounts youmay be eligiblefor.

Auto insurance company fulfillment is at record high. However, manydiscounts may still be available,even if driversor their agents may overlook them. Fierce competition among insurance providers continually addstothe bevy of new discounts manyare willing to offer to woo newcustomers

According to Bankrate.com,which looked at the discounts offered by auto insurance companies, many companies now offer new discounts to remain competitive. If youhaven’tshopped around forautoinsurancerecently or havenot revisited your current policy, you may be missing outonsubstantial savings.

Daytime running lights: Four outofthe 10 largest auto insurance companies now offer discountsifyour vehicle has daytime running lights.

Low mileage: Don’t take the car out often? Suchhabits may earnyou a reward. Around 80 percent of the major

insurancecompanies offer discountsfor low mileage. Theinsurance company may provide amileagetracking device that will reportbackthe actual miles driven to the company.

Grades: Check withyour insurance company if you haveastudent on the policy. Hisorher good grades may qualify you foradiscount.

Occupation: Your occupation also may entitleyou to adiscount on insurance. Insurance companies believe that people in certain occupations or those who spend alot of time on the road maybe lesslikelyto take risks. Find outifyour occupation qualifies.

Alumni associationsand clubs: Certain organizations have teamed with insuranceproviders to offer discounts to members. Therefore,ifyou areina fraternal group, acreditunion, an alumni association, or some otherorganization, you may eligible forcertaindiscounts.

Check with your insurance company for their affiliate groups, or contact the organization to whichyou belong for more information.

Multiple policies: Many insurance companies will offer adiscount if you group yourpoliciestogether into a bundle.Havinghomeowner insurance, auto insurance and life insurancethrough one company, for example,can earn you asubstantialdiscount.

Insurance companies have many other discounts availableifyou ask.For example, if your vehicle has an antitheft system or environmentally friendly components,you may be eligible fora discount. Customerloyalty, paperless billing, paying all yourbillatonce, being a current or former member of the military or if yourvehicle is anew modelyear also may makeyou eligiblefor discounts that can drastically reducethe cost of your policy.