50 Expert Auto Women Give Car Tips and Advice on AskPatty.com

AskPatty.com is dedicated to serving automotive the needs of women. Our advisory panel of 50 expert automotive women cover every aspect of the auto industry and can answer  All your car or truck questions 24 hours -  7 days a week !

Visit our FAQ section and search the latest questions and answers, search the Q and A  and learn more about each of our expert women here:

The Ask Patty panel of  50 automotive expert women hold leadership roles in the automotive industry as woman owners of new and used car dealerships, hold various roles at car dealerships as technicians, mechanics, finance managers car sales and service managers. There are also car DYI experts , NASCAR and car racing experts,  tire experts, car after-market accessories experts, custom car experts, car safety and car care experts and much much more. They cover the entire gamut for you on car tips and advice and are here to help you 24/7 with your automotive related questions.

We offer women advice and so much more and encourage women to listen to our expert advice  Womanar podcasts and send for a FREE Car Care Guide from the Car Care Council, www.carcare.org. as consumers interviewed agreed that they would trust information from a credible third party like the Car Care Council. The 56-page guide covers nine major service occasions and 12 component groups of the vehicle, plus service interval recommendations, a maintenance log and much more.

You can also sign up FREE for an Ask Patty MyCarPage to get organized about car care and set up automatic email service appointment reminders based on the manufactures suggested service intervals on your exact make, model and year vehicle. Ask Patty's MyCarPage helps women with many more helpful features like where to buy gas at the best price to help you save money on fuel costs.

Interested in an automotive career?  Jody DeVere, president of Ask Patty is also the president of the Women's Automotive Association International and serves on the board of the Car Care Council Women's Board, she encourages women to seek careers in the automotive as there is a high demand to hire women in all aspects of the automotive industry, especially at car dealerships in car sales and service.  The Women's Automotive Association International has scholarships available to women as well as the Car Care Council Women's Board to help women who need education and training. Ask the us how you can start your career or find a job in the automotive industry today via email at info@askpatty.com.

AskPatty.com is dedicated to serving automotive the needs of women. Our advisory panel of 50 expert automotive women cover every aspect of the auto industry and can answer  All your car or truck questions 24 hours -  7 days a week !

Visit our FAQ section and search the latest questions and answers, search the Q and A  and learn more about each of our expert women here:

The Ask Patty panel of  50 automotive expert women hold leadership roles in the automotive industry as woman owners of new and used car dealerships, hold various roles at car dealerships as technicians, mechanics, finance managers car sales and service managers. There are also car DYI experts , NASCAR and car racing experts,  tire experts, car after-market accessories experts, custom car experts, car safety and car care experts and much much more. They cover the entire gamut for you on car tips and advice and are here to help you 24/7 with your automotive related questions.

Top 10 Family Automotive Tips

By Susan Jones, Car Care Council Women’s Board member

The Women’s Board of the Car Care Council encourages women to improve their “car smarts” and pass along this information to the rest of their family. Female drivers already are on the right tract, according to the Women’s Board, who said that three out of four women think that following the recommended maintenance schedule for their car is either “important” or “extremely important.”

There’s no one like a parent to teach the next generation how to treat a car with special care. A good example from Mom or Dad can impress upon youngsters that keeping a car safe and dependable rests almost entirely on the driver and her preventive maintenance habits.

Here are the Women’s Board’s top 10 tips to help young motorists take care of their second biggest investment:

1. Drive sensibly. Don’t abuse the car.

2. Feed it the right stuff, like quality gas and oil.

3. Give it regularly scheduled maintenance.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Hybrid Cars... But Were Afraid To Ask, Part One

One of our young readers sent us the following questions about hybrid vehicles, saying "I am 13 years old and I had a few questions for you about my hybrid car project:
1. What is the top selling hybrid car?
2. Why are hybrid cars better than normal cars?
3. What are the benefits of a Hybrid car?
4. How does a hybrid car work?
5. What is the average cost of a hybrid car/sedan?
6. About how much would you spend on gas in a month using a hybrid car?
7. What city sells the most hybrid cars?
8. How long does a battery in a hybrid car last? "

While I was researching her term paper, it occurred to me that she shouldn't be the only person to benefit from this research, so here is what we learned.

Where Can I Blab About My Car? CarBlabber on AskPatty.com!

Is your car sexy? What does your car mean to you? Do you love or hate your car? Is your car a fashion statement or a pile of junk? Ask Patty has just launched our new beta version social network for women to blog about their cars. That’s right. We want you to tell us all about your car and any car you’ve ever owned. You can tell us all the good, bad, and the ugly – we want to hear it all on CarBlabber.

And we are launching our CarBlabber Beta version of this ultra special, incredibly fun social network during the BlogHer conference in Chicago for all you lovely and talented blogging women. Register now to become a member of this unique social network about YOUR cars.

So what can you do at CarBlabber?
    *Create a personal car profile
    *Write car reviews of any car you’ve ever owned or driven or heck, even seen!
    * Connect with other women who love or hate the same cars as you
    *Read reviews of cars written by women JUST like you before you buy your next car
    *Join car clubs online and find other car friends!
    *Create your own social network by founding a car club of your very own
    *Rate your cars and comment on others reviews

Basically it’s about sharing and connecting in ways you can’t do anywhere else. Learn from other women like you what turns them on and turns them off about their cars. And share your own story.

Oh, and did we forget to mention that we will be giving away some goodies to some of you women who create profiles and reviews? Hmmm, well stay tuned to see what rewards you just might earn (check out the picture to the left). And trust us, they’re GOOD.

Go to: www.askpatty.com/carblabber and register now! 
(It’s 100% free) … go on, do it now…we you know you want to blab about your car!

Top Five Toys for Family Road Trips

School’s out for summer. Thank god it's not out forever. As kids rejoice, parents wonder how they will keep their children busy and entertained during the upcoming months - not to mention the looong car road trips. And with the July 4th holiday coming up, we thought we'd share with you some recommended toys from Toys "R" Us, who have put together a great list of summer items for your kiddies! Items on this list are available at Toys “R” Us stores nationwide.

Brain Age™ from Nintendo® - $19.99
Kids can flex those mental muscles with Brain Age, an entertaining video game that trains their brain in minutes.  Inspired by the research of prominent neuroscientist Dr. Ryuta Kawashima, Brain Age boosts brain power with quick mental exercises such as solving simple math problems, drawing pictures, reading classical literature aloud, and even playing Sudoku, the popular number puzzle game.  Ages 6 and up.  No batteries required.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows from Scholastic - $19.99
Muggles prepare!  As young Harry Potter enters his seventh year in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, fans will get to read about their favorite characters for the final time in this magical series.  Is Snape good or evil?  Where is the final horcrux?  Will “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named” prevail?  Who will live and who will die?  These mysteries and others may be revealed as the last chapters in Harry Potter’s story come to a close.  Ages 10 and up. No batteries required.  Available at Toys “R” Us stores nationwide on July 21.

(more after the jump)

How to Renew your Vehicle Registration

I recently realized I misplaced my vehicle's registration renewal forms. The entire envelope with all the pertinent details just evaporated into thin air.

I feel a bit like a dodo here. As an automotive journalist, it's not a very responsible thing to be driving around with expired tags. Here at AskPatty.com, we've got all kinds of female friendly tips regarding buying and selling new and used cars, but no expert advice on what to do when you've lost your vehicle registration renewal form.

So, as a woman fluent in today's high-tech Web 2.0 world, I turned to the internet to figure out how to pay my car registration. Google is a great friend: I entered "california motor vehicles register online" and the first link of the results page took me to www.dmv.ca.gov/, where the information revealed after just one more click on "vehicle registration renewal" under the Online Services header made it look easy as pie.

10 Tips For New Drivers

by Amy Mattinat
You have learned how to drive a car, you have passed your Driver's Education course, and passed your State Motor Vehicle Test. You finally have your drivers license. Now you can legally drive a car on the road, by yourself. You have passed a rite of passage and you're one big step closer to being independent and doing what you want to do, whenever you want to do it!

But, and this is a big but, this whole new world of independence and freedom comes at a high cost. The cost is responsibility. Your most important responsibility is not to not harm yourself or anyone else while you drive the "big moving automobile" down the road. Accidents happen fast and are not a do-over. You need to constantly balance this new found freedom with caution and risk-based decisions.

There has been a ton of research done on new drivers. Unfortunately, the results aren't so good. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
•    New drivers are more likely to have an accident in the first two years of driving than any other time in their lives.
•    Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year olds. This accounts for 40% of all teen deaths.
•    Only about 20% of 16 to 19 year olds drive at night, but 50% of the fatal accidents occur during these hours.
•    43 percent of teen motor vehicle deaths occur between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
•    54 percent of teen motor vehicle deaths occur on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
•    About 36% of crashes that kill young people involve alcohol. 

You can choose to not be one of these statistics. With a responsible, mature attitude you can accept that it takes practice and experience to develop the skills you need to spot all the hazards that come with driving. The quicker you agree to accept this responsibility, the easier it will be for you and your parents.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Hybrid Cars... But Were Afraid To Ask, Part Two

One of our young readers sent us the following questions about hybrid vehicles, saying "I am 13 years old and I had a few questions for you about my hybrid car project:
1. What is the top selling hybrid car?
2. Why are hybrid cars better than normal cars?
3. What are the benefits of a Hybrid car?
4. How does a hybrid car work?
5. What is the average cost of a hybrid car/sedan?
6. About how much would you spend on gas in a month using a hybrid car?
7. What city sells the most hybrid cars?
8. How long does a battery in a hybrid car last? "

While I was researching her term paper, it occurred to me that she shouldn't be the only person to benefit from this research, so here is what we learned. (Natasha's list of questions was long, so we've broken it into two parts. For answers to questions 1 through 4, please click to read "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Hybrid Cars... But Were Afraid To Ask, Part One.")

Q: What is the average cost of a hybrid car/sedan?
Typically, hybrids can cost several thousand dollars more than their traditional counterparts. Pricing for the top-five best selling hybrid vehicles ranges between $20,000 to $40,000. The Prius, which costs just under $20,000 could be compared to the Yaris, which retails for as low as $11,000 and offers 34/39 mpg. At the higher end, the Lexus RX 400h retails around $38,000 and could be compared to the Lexus RX 330 which sells for about the same price, but only offers fuel economy of 18/24. In an apples-to-apples comparison, consider the Honda Civic, which retails from  $22,600 to  $24,350 as a hybrid offering 49/51 mpg and between $15,000 - $25,000 with a traditional internal combustion engine offering 30/40 mpg. The Ford Escape Hybrid retails between  $23,508 - $24,89 with 33/31 mpg, while its ICE counterpart retails between $19,320 and $26,380 with 20/29 mpg.

Consumer Reports  performed detailed financial analysis of a half-dozen hybrids last year and determined that only two of the six hybrids recovered their price premium in the first five years and 75,000 miles of ownership. So while these facts and figures show you might save some money on fuel, be advised you pay for it up front by buying a more-expensive vehicle.

10 Rules for New Drivers

by Jenny Trostel, Owner, Saab of Baltimore

In 19 months and 5 days, my son will begin driving.  I know this because he reminds me everyday.  Since I own an automotive dealership, he repeatedly asks me what kind of car he will get when he turns 16 years old.  As I cringe, I tell him whatever he can afford.  But I know that is not the truth.  I know that I will break down and give him a very safe car and I will make sure that he has a lot of driving experience before I let him drive alone.  As a parent I know that this is a rite of passing that every parent fears.  I believe that my son is a good kid but he will make mistakes when he begins driving. 

I grew up in the automotive business.  My father was a dealer.  When I learned to drive, he said that if you are going to drive a car you should know how to fix one.  Luckily I was mechanically inclined and had a good teacher.  I learned the basics about a car from an early age.  Since many schools have such a limited budget, the basics of automotive maintenance are no longer taught when a teenager takes drivers education.  Not everyone has the same skills as I do, but you can still understand the basics. 

As a parent, I know that I can set a good example by having good driving and car maintenance habits.  There are basic rules that every driver should understand, so I have come up with the following 10 rules for new drivers:

EOWA Recognizes Ford Australia As An Employer Of Choice For Women

Raise your hand if you live in Austrailia... anyone? Anyone? Ford Australia has been acknowledged as an Employer of Choice for Women by the Equal Opportunities for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA).

The citation recognizes the efforts undertaken by Ford to create a female-friendly workplace through the removal of obstacles to employment and advancement, and also tailor work-life balance solutions for individual employees where possible.

(As a woman who has spent more than 20 years in a carguy's world, I can say thanks on behalf of all those Aussie ladies.)

How I Became A World-Class Winter Driver… Sort Of

by Breanne Boyle
I’ve written about my experience driving on the Bridgestone Blizzak WS60 tire at the Bridgestone Winter Driving School a few weeks ago, but I wanted to touch on it once more and share some driving tips that Bridgestone passed on to me while I was there stuffing their Toyota Camry’s into Turn 11 on those tracks (actually, I only stuffed the car into the side when we were on non-Bridgestone tires… yeah, my car mates will remember… that was me with the cone stuck under by front suspension).

But that brings me to my point: Most people don’t know how to drive safely in winter-y conditions, especially when you live in Southern California like I do. But even as the snows now thaw and the rains drench the Southland (yes, it rains in sunny California), these tips can be applied to wet and slippery roads just as easily as they can be applied to snowy and icy roads. So read on!

Test Your Automotive I.Q.

Your turn to be an Automotive Expert by answering questions posed to the Ask Patty advisory panel of Automotive Expert women. Post your answers using the comment link on the bottom of this post. 

Question from Christiha: My ex-hus band left me with a car note 'I cannot afford. It is $564.00 per month.He was driving it for nine months and decided to give to me against my wishes and he gave to me with bad brakes and tires. He paid the payments on time, FYI. The car has to much negative equity in it and I can't sell it outright (cars.com). I don't know else to do but filr banktuptcy and not keeping that car. I am swamped an don't know what to do!

Question from Barbara: Time for a convertible. I want a 4 seater and liked the 2007 Solara conv until I saw the 2007 C70 Volvo, which is more than I want to pay. Have owned 3 Volvos in the past and now have a '98 Camry. The Volvo seems safer and not so bulky; but toyota has this reputation for reliability. What's the latest on the C70 reliability, and will the hydrolics in the hardtop have lots of problems. In other words, tell me its OK to go for the Volvo!! Thanks.
 

Your Turn to Give Some Expert Advice!

Want to join the fun and offer your expert advice to consumer women?

Here are some of the tougher questions from consumers for AskPatty this week - Bring your expert answers on!

Question from Sue: I own a 1997 Toyota Camry. It currently has 151,000 miles on it. It needs work, currently struts, power motor for driver window and blower for A/C-heat. Is it worth investing these costs, or should I just go and buy another used vehicle, say a 2006 toyota model? Appreciate any advice you can give me.

Question from Lore:  I live in floral Park and work in Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn. I often drive to Md and Ct. The ride to work is about 40 miles per day. I presently own a 2003 Camry with 71,000 miles. I am still paying for it. What suggestions do you have in terms of changing the car in order to avoid simultaneously making major repairs and paying a car note.

Question from Rock:  Who bought more cars last year men or women here in the us and how many total?

Question from Sue: I own a 1997 Toyota Camry. It currently has 151,000 miles on it. It needs work, currently struts, power motor for driver window and blower for A/C-heat. Is it worth investing these costs, or should I just go and buy another used vehicle, say a 2006 toyota model? Appreciate any advice you can give me.

Question from Demetria: My 99 Ford Expedition will not go in reverse, do you have any idea what the problem(s) could be?

Question from Lauen: I am really getting tired of always having to call someone to help me when something goes wrong with my truck. And when I want to learn what to do and how to fix things on my truck, no one shows me or lets me get involved so I decided that I want to learn how to deal with my truck on my own. The only problem is I really can not find any place that offers classes on the basics. I was wondering if there was any way you could tell me who to call or where to go for auto classes. I live in Howell Michigan so I really don't wnat to drive to far out of my way.

Question from Randy: I have a 02 CRV.I hear a popping sound, of course only sometimes( a couple of time daily). It appears to be coming somewhere in the front end. It usually happens at very slow speeds. It sounds like a pop coming from a build-up of tension?, similiar to spring building tension. My CRV has about 72000 miles. It is not a real loud noise, but it is very noticeable. Any suggestions? Thanks, R Colbert

Question from Lisa: Does it really make more sense for me to have my infant car seat placed behind the passenger seat in the 2006 toyota prius? They say the middle has a bump on the seat which would make the car seat unstable.

Question from Lee: Where do I find the fuel filter on a 1984 GMC 3500

Post your expert answers in the comments section at the bottom of this post!