“Chicago — Choosing the best body shop to repair your car is never an easy decision. Now, some customers complain that some insurance companies are steering them to body shops that might not be best for their cars. Larry Yellen has this investigation.”
In many instances the answer to that question is, “Yes”.
Take a look at the story that aired on Chicago’s Fox News Station on February 26, 2008. The insurance industry spokesperson states that a consumer always has the right to choose the body shop and that the insurance companies have essentially “vetted” the body shops for the quality of their work. What she doesn’t say is the insurance company will hound you to death as a consumer to take your vehicle to a “preferred” shop for repair, and will try to achieve that by having the claim representative say things like, “we can’t guarantee the repairs”; “it will take two weeks for an adjuster to even look at your car”; or “that shop charges too much and you will have to pay out-of-pocket for repairs.” What the industry representative doesn’t tell us is that we have the right to choose any body shop we want, AND have the insurer pay for the repairs, AND not be pressured by the insurer about which shop we chose.
What she also doesn’t say is that insurers don’t actually go out and look at the repair work each shop performs, nor ensure they have the proper equipment, training, education, and materials to safely and properly fix each vehicle. Instead, insurers simply rely on the statements in the “direct repair program” document the insurer forces collision shops to sign that says the shops “warrant” to the insurer they have the necessary equipment, personnel, experience, etc. to properly repair vehicles. Many DRP shop owners with whom I’ve discussed the various insurer networks have frankly told me they never read the document before they signed it. They just knew if they didn’t sign the document and join the insurer’s network, they should close the doors to their businesses now. In other words, they don’t even know or care what they agreed to — as long as they have work and can keep their businesses open. As a result, many of these shops owners would have agreed to have Big Foot or pink elephants doing the repairs if that’s what they had to say to get on the insurer’s program.
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Here’s something I didn’t realise. The UK’s Institute of Advanced Motorists Limited is advocating reverse parking. The following are the benefits of reverse parking rather than entering your parking bay head-first:
Data shows it takes about 90 seconds for an average 5-year old car’s engine to warm up and reach its thermal efficiency. According to IAM, reversing out of a parking bay while the engine is cold takes up between 20-25 times more fuel than when it is warm. Apparently driving away forwards will help you save fuel. Could be related to the usually lower gear ratio of the reverse gear compared to the first gear.
The UK’s Highway Code actually encourages reverse parking. This is because reversing into a parking bay which remains static (just an empty piece of road/cement, nothing will suddenly fill it up) is safer than reversing out into a road/lane which may have constant traffic where you cannot see easily. Driving out forwards into the road makes it easier for you to look out for incoming traffic.
Reversing close to a wall may make it more difficult for thieves to break into your boot as there will not be enough space for them to work.
With the amount of crime these days, it is easier to get out of the parking bay as fast as possible driving forward as it is easier for you to see where you are going in case you have to leave as fast as you can for security reasons.
ZDNet reports that a biodiesel conversion specialist, Jonathan Goodwin, has retrofitted a Hummer to run on ethanol, hydrogen, biodiesel or natural gas. The car gets the equivalent to 40 miles per gallon. Goodwin's company is an alternative energy start-up, SAE Energy. The company is filling an unlikely niche in the clean tech market: making muscle cars green. He's already converted about 60 H2 Hummers from gas to diesel and about 100 H1 hummers, including a Hummer that can burn the whole menu of clean fuels.
A gas-to-diesel conversion boosts a Hummer's mileage from about 10 miles a gallon to between 22 and 24 miles a gallon. Additionally, the horsepower jumps from about 325 in the regular Hummer to 650, giving the car more power.
Toyota has added an “active noise control” system to the Toyota Crown Hybrid which works similiar to the way noise canceling headphones work.
Toyota says during slow city drives of between 20 to 40km/h where engine RPM is between 1,000 to 3,000rpm, muffled noise of between 50 to 150Hz can typically be transmitted to the car, impairing the car’s interior comfort.
Three microphones in the car’s interior picks up this noise and sends it to the active noise control system. The system then generates an antiphase sound signal from a set of speakers to counter the noise. Three speakers are used located on the left front door, right front door and one rear woofer. Distance between the mics that pickup the noise and the head of a passenger as well as the shape of the car’s interior has to be taken into account. Toyota says this can reduce noise levels by between 5 to 8dB.
Although there are similiaries between the Crown Hybrid and the Lexus GS450h’s hybrid drive system, the active noise control is not necessary in the Lexus GS as the engine RPM in the GS is higher at the same speeds. This is because the Crown Hybrid’s ratios are tuned for better mileage.
Company Audi has renewed tests of new super car R8 after in April of this year directly on the Nurburgrings track has burnt down by first prototype Audi R8 V10.
The manufacturer has equipped a new prototype with the advanced fire-prevention system, that it is no wonder as to restore car in cost over an euro half-million is problematic enough. The system becomes more active pressing of two red buttons which are established outside near to a vanity mirror from the driver’s party. (more…)
Conducerea PSD a votat pentru ridicarea imunit??ii demnitarilor Permanent Na?ional al Partidului Social Democrat a aprobat, mar?i, n unanimitate, nceperea demersurilor pentru adoptarea proiectului de lege de modificare a Constitu?iei care s? duc? la eliminarea imunit??ii demnitarilor n sensul depolitiz?rii justi?iei, a anun?at pre?edintele PSD, Mircea Geoan?. Conducerea PSD a votat, totodat?, pentru urgentarea adopt?rii n Senat a modific?rilor la Legea CSM care [...]
Troca de Familia Conversando com Mateus, meu filho de seis anos sobre familia, ele me perguntou se ele poderia trocar de familia caso quisesse. Eu disse que nao, pois a familia era algo que nao se trocava. Imediatamente ele me fez outra pergunta. Mas meu av trocou de familia ? Olhei pra ele e fiquei sem palavras por um momento. Realmente meu pai foi quem escolheu se divorciar de minha mae, quando entrou na crise da meia idade. Agente pensa que crianca nao esta ligado no que esta se passando em volta?
Dee Publisher is an Moises o well researched history of the evolutions Publisher is an Moises o well researched history of the evolutions Posted on August 21st, 2008 in Moises o by firdaus E quando chegar no G, brigaremos para n o sair mais. You Don?t Have to Be Rich to Depression. Bob Wickman BOB Hertz equipment rental corporation for cripes sake The man is years old. Atl tico ser julgado no STJD. Y se podr a decir que Davis aprendi de esa derrota.
A Blogging Gem I like people who unselfishly share what they know. They are usually secure and confident about themselves and no doubt has a heart for sharing or helping. I am blessed to have met people like that in my life. But even in the World Wide Web, you can find these gems. One of them is the guy behind Blog Oh Blog. Aside from sharing beautiful and highly usable Wordpress templates, he shares a lot of stuff about site traffic, SEO and even making money out of blogging. I have used many of his templa
Norwegian minister joins Arctic skinny dipping club A Norwegian government minister has joined an exclusive Arctic swimming club by going swimming naked in icy waters off a remote Norwegian island. 20080821-004.
Rosie O?Donnell got me rolling in laughter and tears! Former talk show superstar Rosie O?Donnell, who has parted ways with Barbara Walters ? show ?The View?has a blog?Rosie.com. The questions is?.Since Rosie has taken her own route?.will she go broke without a day job? The true answer is?.absolutely NOT! Rosie?s blog ranks under 30k on Alexa, which means she is getting hoards of free search engine traffic. Additionally, she is rocking ?Ads by Google? on her blog, ?Gay ad network? , Blog her ads, ads, ADS, and MORE ADS?.lol I feel if Ros Source
Topless women with cycle get free Queen admission Women who turn up to a Queen tribute concert in Norway topless and with a bicycle can get free admission in a bizarre marketing move. 20080821-003.
MAINE VACATION 08 VACATION 08 August 20, 2008 By: Shawburgh Category: Uncategorized To everyone that doesn?t know, the Big O and I have started our summer vacation. On the day we left, Francis got a little confused about who was actually going on vacation. After helping us pack the car, Francis decided it was his turn to be packed. We got to Massachusetts on Monday night and stayed the night at my sister?s. Tuesday we relaxed with my niece and on Wednesday we went to the Marshfield State Fair, whe
Company Audi has renewed tests of new super car R8 after in April of this year directly on the Nurburgrings track has burnt down by first prototype Audi R8 V10.
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