AAMI  $644.00 with $550 Eccess add another $50 for Windscreen
Note AAMI other a discount if you apply online

YOUI  $660.00 with $600 Eccess add another $50 for windscreen
Note this was based with car parked at home during the week, and garaged
Special note I applied online about 3 months ago but no reply, so I called this time..

Budget Direct $381.00 with the condition no one under 40 will drive the vehicle
With an Eccess of $500.00

RACV  $787.00 agreed value of $15500 or $685 if the market value is $14100
With an Eccess of $550.00 I didn’t bother asking about the windscreen as you can see the “RACV WAS THE HIGHEST QUOTE”.

Well someone has to pay for the TV commercials, and the buildings not to mention executives fees, directives fees, must I go on……………..
Let me add, have you ever had to deal with making a claim, I have an its not so amicable. I was forced to elevate my claim to court, is was only at this level the RACV decided to resolve the issue, out of court. I encourage you to do the same.

“Who ever the company”

.SUNCORP $570.00 with $500 Eccess  as with most you may choose your own repairer but AAMI need to check who you choose just to make sure they have had no negative dealings in the past.

When it comes to insurance it really pays to shop around but the most preferred option is to avoid an accident as much as possible with the winter  coming up, and those rainy days, so do your self a favour check your tyres to prevent an accident.
Also check that both rear stop and tail lights are operating.

Written by Darren Gow-Brown, WWW.Virtualmechanic.com.au, in the interests of motor vehicle safety.

I can remember my first love, sorry I mean my first car at 18 years old, but I started a lot earlier at 13 years old but lets go to my first 12 months of driving.

At 18 years old I purchased a VW beetle, a red beetle running on 3 out of 4 cylinders this car had a nice smell to it, I was an apprentice motor mechanic at the time and I saw this little beauty just got traded in at the dealership where I was working.

I ask the owner of the ford dealership Mr Perter Durkin if I could buy this car and he was always a kind person and must of saw the excitement in my eye, I remember him saying in front of the service manager why would you be interested in this old bucket its runs on 3 cylinders, I said I can fix that, then Tom Geralt my boss said well its not that simple it’s a VW and what makes you so sure you can fix this problem, I remember it was a gamble, as the VW beetle did suffer from an over heating problem that can result in engine damage, but cocky little apprentice only saw the positive in this bug and took the risk. I purchased the car for $500 I remember it was a good buy at the time and Mr Durkin gave me some degree of favor, with the price.
So I got the little beauty into our workshop and adjust all the valves and then started up the engine, it run as smooth as a fine tuned engine should run. Of course Tom my service manager had to make a comment well young feller this time you were lucky.

This VW had McPherson strut front suspension this made the vehicle poor braking in the wet so anyone that drove a VW with McPherson strut suspension knew to be very careful in the wet or an accident was almost a given.

Getting back to original question about your vehicle and if it makes you feel safe because I would say many accidents occur when the car becomes unpredictable in the wet, because some drivers may not understand the concept of hydroplaning or cohesion, this bring me to my next point before you start to fall asleep.

Have you ever taken your vehicle to a defensive driving schools and therefore understood the limitations of driving in the wet or darting in and out of lanes at dangerous high speeds, don’t misunderstand me here I’m saying take a defensive course to learn how to speed quite the opposite the driving course will give you and understanding of limitations, and I haven’t even started on the tyres and the roadworthiness of the vehicle.

When you are driving your vehicle whether brand new or second hand there is a law of physics in play and as well as road surface conditions are playing a big part when or if you may find the need to brake suddenly.

So how can you understand the behavior of your motor vehicle in the wet
It’s a very quick test; we need to find a street without houses perhaps a new estate.

Travel at 20 Kms per hour in the wet and hit the brakes to understand the behavior of your car, the vehicle pulls up in a straight line this is good if it pulls to one side then we have a problem and will need to see our service centre to ascertain the cause of pulling to one side. If the vehicle will pull up straight then you may try at 40 if you feel comfortable.

At least this will give you some idea of what may occur when braking in the wet.
This has been written in the interests of driver safety
Written by Darren Gow-Brown, the Virtualmechanic.com.au

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
An LP gas tank may be checked with warm, soapy water for leaks as well as dents.  It is important that the tank is positioned correctly to allow the gauge to maintain an accurate measure of the liquid gas inside the tank.  Tanks must be secure and the gas tap must be easy to turn on and off. 

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?
If a gas tank requires replacement it’s best to purchase a new tank or a reconditioned tank as this will show a certified ticket to ensure it is a safe tank to use.

TEMPORARY REPAIR AND LONG TERM REPLACEMENT
If the gas tank appears to be leaking, turn the gas tap off and take it to a qualified gas installer for a check up.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
Petrol solenoids are only as good as their connections.  Petrol solenoids are usually mounted to a heater hose or are just freely connected to the fuel line making it very important for the earth and the positive to have enough slack to move with the solenoids.  So when you rev it, the engine moves and so will the solenoid.  A common problem is the connections become loose or the terminals are just crimped and not soldered then it is just time before the petrol solenoid will not operate.

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?
If you know how to solder terminals, this is the cheapest way.  Otherwise visit your local mechanic or auto electrician.  The cost is around $30.00 to solder a few joints.

TEMPORARY REPAIR AND LONG TERM REPLACEMENT
If it seems to be impossible to get the power to energise the petrol solenoid and you just want to drive to your local repairer then carefully connect a fuse wire from the battery to the petrol solenoid to drive it on gas.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
Heavy fuel consumption is one indication that the gas system requires adjustment.  Most gas vehicles can be running too rich.  Another indication is a lack of power.  These two problems are difficult to rectify but if your engine idles rough check that all the rubber ducting is in order and well secured.  A sign for running rich or running rough is a dirty air cleaner.  Be sure that it is not blocked or built up with dirt.  After checking all these components, the last thing to do is adjusting the idle, but remember where you started as this may make no difference so if it doesn’t return the adjustment, screw to the original position

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?
A good Dyno tune may cost around $95.00 and a good Dyno tune should improve your vehicle’s performance and economy.

TEMPORARY REPAIR AND LONG TERM REPLACEMENT
There is only one temporary adjustment and that is the idle.  Other than that, the adjustments will affect the vehicle’s performance and the emissions entering the atmosphere.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
Welsh plugs can leak at normal operating temperature.  When this happens, stop the engine and get the vehicle towed to the garage.

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?
Nearly all welsh plugs are expensive to repair as they are hard to get to.  The welsh plugs themselves cost only a few dollars each but the labour is the expense.  Welsh plugs are either made of brass or steel, cup or dish.  It is best to consult your motor reconditioner to work out which is the best one to fit.

TEMPORARY REPAIR AND LONG TERM REPLACEMENT
If a single welsh plug is found to be leaking it may be a consideration to get all the welsh plugs replaced at the same time.  It really depends on how long you intend to keep the vehicle.  Once any welsh plug is replaced, always change the water and add corrosive inhibitor on a regular basis, eg every 12 months or 10,000-20,000Kms.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
The water recovery bottle is part of the cooling system.  For this reason caution should be taken when checking the levels as the bottle, if warm, is under pressure.  The best way to completely check the cooling system level is when the engine is cold.  Radiator and water recovery bottle are best to be checked at the same time.  If you need to top up the water level when the engine is warm or hot use caution, as hot water will cause severe burns.  When opening the radiator cap use gloves or a rag or a radiator protector opener.  When filling the radiator or water recovery bottle, leave the engine running as you fill the radiator.  This will prevent the cooling system from any damage to the head.

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?
Replacing the water recovery bottle is around $30.00.  But try to work out why the bottle needs replacing as it may be a repeat situation which may be caused by a cooling system fault.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
The colour of the water tells a very good story about the condition of the cooling system.  Brown water is the worst, clear water is not good; green water is best and it needs to be changed every 12 months to keep the colour at its best.

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?
If your vehicle is pre 1990 then a good corrosive inhibitor, eg Castrol, may be okay.  If it is after 1990 then contact your dealer as the seals and welsh plugs require specific inhibitors to protect these components.  These additives may be expensive.

TEMPORARY REPAIR AND LONG TERM REPLACEMENT
If your vehicle has brown water, disconnect the heater hose and remove the radiator cap and secure a garden hose in the heater hose and turn on a moderate pressure.  This is the best way to reverse flush the cooling system.  Please note: this should only be done when the engine is cold.  It may require several applications until the water runs clear.  It is a good idea to turn the heater tap as this will also flush the heater core, in case it might be partially blocked.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
A viscose fan should cut in and out, if monitored over 1/2 hr of the engine idling.  Use extreme caution with the viscose fan or any fan blade when checking.  The best way to check the fan is to idle the engine for about 1500 revs per minute to 2000 and you will notice when revving the engine while hot, more of a fan noise will be apparent.  Then when the cooling system cools down the viscose fan is not consuming any energy from the fan belt or water pump pulley.  A viscose fan may also cause the engine to overheat at moderate to high speed.

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?
Viscose fans may be expensive to repair depending on the make and model.  It’s always a good idea to replace a viscose fan with the original type.  They could cost around $150.00.  Getting one from the wreckers is not recommended as most of these fans are faulty.

TEMPORARY REPAIR AND LONG TERM REPLACEMENT
If you are stranded and the fan is locking up, cooling the radiator, then you can try overhauling the viscose fan and putting a bolt in to prevent it from free wheeling just to get you around.  But it does affect your fuel economy.