Thursday, July 2, 2009

Californians save Money with Junk Yards

All over the great state of California, there junk yards that are undergoing a transformation. Instead of piles of rusting junk, these junk yards are becoming auto recyclers. In fact, this change has been occurring for the past decade, long before it was chic to recycle, auto recyclers were the original recyclers.

This change has resulted in a positive change in more ways than just the obvious. Auto recyclers are able to save consumers hundreds of dollars on used parts needed to repair vehicles. While the concept is not a new one, the way California auto recyclers are doing it is.

Everyday all across the state, hundreds of cars are involved in accidents that render the car useless as an operable vehicle. What happens to these cars once an insurance company totals them out is the one of the answers to the consumers need for inexpensive used parts. Once the insurance company totals the vehicle and pays the claim to the owner, they then need to recover a portion of the loss. This usually occurs by selling the salvaged car at auction to an auto recycler who then dismantles the car, recovers the useable parts and sells them to consumers looking for parts to repair their vehicles. The parts are much cheaper than the dealership sells them new and the used parts have thousands of miles left on them. Because auto recyclers only pay a small amount for the salvage vehicle, usually no more than one or two thousand dollars depending on the year and make of the car, they are able to recover their initial investment quickly because there are generally many quality useable parts left on the vehicle. This savings is then passed on to the consumers here in California.

Money is not the only thing saved by recycling used parts either. Because there are many, hazardous chemicals in these vehicles, auto recyclers play a valuable role in recovering these chemicals before they can reach the environment. By working with both state and federal environmental agencies, these auto recyclers are employing the latest technologies in order to ensure that Freon, motor oils, and other hazardous waste are safely recovered and disposed in order to preserve the state of California's fragile ecosystems. Because mercury was used in hood and trunk lights up until the year 2000, removal of these are imperative to ensure that mercury stays away from watersheds and fish. Mercury that enters the food chain is extremely harmful when consumed by humans. Young children and pregnant women are at highest risk for mercury poisoning. California auto recyclers have banded together to do all they can to keep this toxic metal out of the environment.

By patronizing auto recyclers in California, consumers can be assured that they are not only save money by purchasing quality used parts, they are also doing their part to ensure that our environment is protected. California auto recyclers tare the new generation of junk yards and represent an industry dedicated to the safe removal and disposal of hazardous wastes left from inoperable motor vehicles.

AIG and Mercury Car Insurance - A Quick Review

In many US states, it's mandatory to get auto insurance. And just in case you need any further motivation to get one, then do consider the following statistics: on the average, someone gets hurt in a car mishap every 11 seconds, an automobile crash happens every five seconds, and a life-threatening injury takes place every 12 minutes.

So apart from the fact that you're obliged to get car insurance, it really does provide the peace of mind you need while on the road. After all, even though you may consider yourself a great and safe driver, you cannot vouch for all the others driving on the same street as you.

To help you in your search for a good car insurance provider, we've taken a quick look at AIG and Mercury insurance to see how they fare against other carriers.

A Look at AIG and Mercury Car Insurance

Two big firms in the auto insurance business are AIG and Mercury. AIG Auto Insurance holds one of the biggest member policyholder numbers, and is an American International Group member. Mercury Car Insurance Company has insurance available for families, businesses and individuals. It writes auto insurance mainly in the California region but Mercury also offers car insurance coverage in other states.

AIG auto insurance focuses on owners with high-value vehicles. The firm's pricing strategy benefits people owning many pricey vehicles and searching for special protection. AIG provides the following coverage.

* Deductibles Waived. Deductible are relinquished in situations of total loss.

* Extra-vehicle discount. Markdowns for any other vehicles you insure with the same provider.

* Unlimited Capacity, including physical damage to regular-use autos, specialty vehicles and collector cars.

* Agreed value. Autos are insured for specific agreed-upon amounts between the AIG Private Client Group and the owner. In case of partial loss, there is no deduction provided for parts depreciation.

Other features of AIG coverage include multi-policy, multi-vehicle and mature driver discounts, transportation replacement, OEM parts, vehicle lock, coverage for rented vehicles, loan/lease gap coverage, and accidental airbag deployment.

Mercury auto insurance, on the other hand, has 24-hour claims services. The company has a list of pre-approved repair shops providing quality customer service. With Mercury, people can pay their car insurance premiums either online or at a nearby office.

Aside from personal auto insurance, commercial insurance is also available at Mercury. This is for firms and people using their autos for business. Mercury car insurance also has 'umbrella coverage' to protect people in case an occasion comes up and their auto insurance does not cover or excludes them from filing claims.

Good car policies do not mean they have to be super expensive. And now that you know that both AIG and Mercury extend various discounts and savings, you only need to ask which ones are applicable to you.

California Auto Recyclers Rebuild Their Image

No longer just junk yards where cars end up rusting away, junk yards in California are going through a renewal of sorts. The image that used dog these places is changing. Today they prefer to be called auto recyclers and the name fits. When a vehicle becomes inoperable for whatever reason, auto recyclers take these nonfunctional vehicles and recycle 100% of the vehicle. In fact, over 95% of vehicles that become inoperable are now processed for recycling and California auto recyclers are the crucial players in this operation.

Auto dismantlers in the state of California have a growing awareness that the part they play in the recycling process works in both financially sound and environmentally friendly ways. They deal with dismantling and recycling many types of vehicles that range from passenger cars and trucks to large industrial vehicles. All of these vehicles contain hazardous wastes materials that must be recovered and disposed of properly. By working closely with local and federal environmental agencies to ensure that the safest methods are employed, auto recyclers are providing a valuable community service.

The process of recycling automobiles involves several crucial steps. When an automobile is no longer functional, auto recyclers purchase these vehicles from individuals and insurance companies. The vehicle then arrives at the salvage yard. However, before any other thing takes place a salvage title must be applied for. Once this has been received, the process can begin. As mentioned earlier, one of the most important steps in this process involves the many fluids and materials contained in the automobile that must be kept out of the environment. Batteries are removed, motor oils and transmissions fluids are drained and any switches and lights that may contain mercury are recovered first. Once these steps have been taken, the automobile is given a gross inspection to determined what parts may be reclaimed for resale. Depending on the damage a vehicle has received, there are potentially hundreds of parts that still have many miles and years of use left. These parts are then removed and inventoried into a direct access computer database. What is left is generally a metal skeleton, which is then sent on to be either crushed or shredded and sold as scrap metal. Since 1997, enough steel has been recovered from salvage automobiles to make over 13 million new vehicles.

With the latest technology in place and auto recyclers working together to ensure that non-functional motor vehicles are handled in a responsible fashion, one can clearly see that what used to be considered eyesores are now valuable to the communities in which they are located. Auto recyclers work for communities in financial ways as well. By providing quality used parts, these salvage yards assist consumers in saving money. Automobile repairs are costly but necessary and one viable way to save money in that regard is to utilize used parts when repairs are necessary. By making their inventories available online and at a substantially cheaper rate, California auto recyclers benefit the citizens here in many ways.