What Documents Are Important to Keep for my Vehicle?

There are several documents you are required to keep withyou when you drive in the United States. It is easy to forget about necessarypaperwork when driving – most of us are only concerned whether our CD Playerand navigation units are functioning to make sure we are entertained and comfortable. Howevernot having a piece of the necessary paperwork required for driving on publicroads can leave you with a huge headache.

 One of these is a driver’s license, which alsoserves as a valid form of identification. As it is your license to drive, and aform of identification, it is best to carry your driver’s license with you atall times. These are issued by your home state, and the requirements forobtaining one vary from state to state. To check the requirements where youlive, visit the Department of Motor Vehicles website for your home state.

You are also required to carry a liability insurance policyfor driving. The minimum requirements of these policies also vary from eachstate, but regardless, a card will be issued to you either physically orelectronically. There are many insurance companies switching to paperlesspolicies, and while this is more efficient and “eco-friendly,” it is importantto make sure you print a copy of your insurance card and keep it with you ifyou received it electronically.

You are also required to register your vehicle in the statein which you live. After filling out a registration form, and a check for thefees for registering your vehicle, you will receive a document and a sticker toapply on the top right corner of your license plate. Make sure to keep thedocument that comes with the sticker – this is your vehicle registrationpaperwork and should be kept, along with your insurance information, in theglove compartment of your vehicle.

Why are these documents important to keep with you? If youare ever pulled over by any law enforcement officer, you will be required tofurnish these documents as proof you are legally able to drive in the U.S. Ifyou are caught without these documents you will most likely be issued aseparate ticket for not having them on you, along with whatever violation youwere cited for in the first place. Additionally, if you are ever involved in anauto accident, you will be required to exchange the information on thesedocuments to the other party involved (if any), and depending on the severityof the accident, report it to the Department of Motor Vehicles. It is best toavoid any problems by making sure you have your paperwork in order at alltimes.
 

 Lastly, it is very important to keep the original documents thatprove your ownership of the vehicle – typically called a title. The title toyour vehicle is critical in proving that the vehicle belongs to you, and isrequired for registering the vehicle in your name for the first time. Neverkeep the title inside the vehicle – if the title is lost, getting another copycan be difficult. It is best to keep the title to your vehicle in a safe placeat home where you can find it if you need it.

Why Should a Visual Inspection be done on your vehicle

Car and trucks are just like people when it comes to health issues. Failure of an alternator or the starter can be seen months in advance just like the signs of a serious illness in a person. Many times the signs for a car can be seen by just taking a close look or listen.  

The tires are the first area to inspect if the tread wear is different on each tire or if the wear is strange on a single tire there may be more of an issue then the wheel itself. A strange wear pattern on a tire can indicate a bad alignment, bent control arm, bad bushing or something even worse. These issues can all be detected with a simple visual inspection which can save hundreds or thousands of dollars.

There are other areas that can be visually inspected such as the brakes or the engine itself. The brakes will show signs if there are going to be future issues, these signs can be as simple as grooving on the discs or leaking from the caliper or lines. Proper brake care is important since they are what slow the 3000lbs piece of metal that we all get around in.

When inspecting the motor it is a good idea to look at all the belts and check for extreme cracks or areas of the motor where there is oil leakage. If a belt were to snap in a motor not only will the car have to be towed to a repair shop but if it were to be the timing belt that was to snap it may destroy the motor. Leaking from gaskets in the motor is a sure sign that some attention needs to be paid to that area. Leaking of oil or coolant will eventually lead to failure if not addressed and can be very costly to the owner of the car.

There are many systems in a car and knowing what to check for can be the best preventive maintenance. Fixing an issue before it happens will always save money and time plus avoiding the headache that will inevitably follow any serious automotive breakdown.