Although manufacturers have continued to provide basic automotive security features, additional measures are needed as thieves continue to adapt to devices on the market.

For first time buyers unfamiliar with the options, the decisions related to purchasing an automotive security system can be daunting. However, there are a core set of features that should be considered which will help consumers select an effective system with less frustration.

• An automotive security system should provide a first line of defense that warns would be intruders that a particular vehicle is protected. Some type of visual reminder such as a flashing light on the dash or stickers that indicate security are simple deterrents.

• A second line of defense is audible alerts; sirens and alarms that sound when a breach is attempted. This security feature brings unwanted attention to the break in and slows the thief down in attempts to eliminate the sound. These should be sufficiently sensitive and should detect any breach. They should trigger when windows are broken, doors are opened, the hood is raised, and so forth. Motion detectors and infrared sensing are common. A good siren will continue to operate even when power from the battery is cut off in attempt to eliminate the warning. Some of the best automotive security systems will also notify the owner when a breach occurs so that they can check on the vehicle or notify law enforcement.

• Another feature of an effective automotive security system is an immobilizer or kill switch to shut off the ignition/starter or perhaps the fuel pump. Certainly, such features make driving off with the car extremely difficult. Some systems will even lock the hood when activated to prevent access to the engine and other mechanical components. At this point it is also important to consider that a device that is located so that it is difficult for thieves to find and disable can be critical as well as this can additionally delay the thief.

• As thieves have continued to adapt to newer automotive security systems, higher tech methods are employed to gain access to vehicles. Code rolling is an excellent feature that prevents thieves from picking up the codes used to gain entry to the car by using a type of code grabbing device. Code rolling changes the codes used by a driver’s keyless entry device each time it is used.

• Another option to consider is a tracking system. As far as automotive security systems are concerned these are not a deterrent but a retrieval system. This type of security system allows a vehicle to be tracked and recovered if it is stolen. Some systems are activated only once law enforcement is notified but ideally the system would activate immediately once the car is taken. Some of these systems will notify the owner by e-mail, pager, or phone when the car is moved.

• A final consideration when purchasing an automotive security system is how effective it will be in avoiding annoying false alarms. Some systems can have the sensitivity adjusted to keep false alarms to a minimum while others are able to identify malfunctioning sensors and shut them down until repaired. Newer automotive security systems also offer dual zone sensing which produce only a small chirping alarm for minor occurrences, such as a bump on the side of the car versus a full blown alarm for more intrusive occurrences.

Certainly cars are a significant investment that is attractive to amateur as well as professional car thieves but consumers can tilt the odds significantly in their favor with the addition of an up-to-date automotive security system.

The auto component segment is equally robust, supplying the entire range of parts required by the domestic automobile industry and currently employs about 250,000 people. Although small by global standards, this segment is growing rapidly as a result of its low costs and rising quality. Sales turnover of parts is estimated to have reached US$8.7 B in 2004/05, 29% higher than the previous year. Noticeably, auto component manufacturers supply to two kinds of buyers – original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and the replacement market. Over 300 small and medium companies directly service the OEMs assembling vehicles in India. Downstream, close to 5,000 other micro firms are working for these Tier 1 suppliers, as well as for the replacement market

The sector can be segmented into 2. One is the automobile segment. The other is the auto parts segment. The key manufacturing areas for these 2 segments are well spread across the country.

The growth of India’s automotive sector is driven by the key forces below:

Import

Automotive related imports are largely in auto parts, accounting for a lion’s share of 85%. These imports will feed the manufacturing plants, producing vehicles for domestic market as well as export market.

As the demand from the domestic market increases with rising affluence, production will increase in tandem, hence requiring more imports of parts, especially those of higher precision which still cannot be done in India. Global players in India still need to import fairly large amount of auto parts for their automobile assembly as quality and technological standards of auto parts sourced from within India may not meet their high standards. The expected Increase in exports of India-made vehicles will also contribute to import growth of auto parts.

Export

Automotive related exports expanded rapidly in recent years. Automobile exports grew at a compound annual growth rate of 46% between 2001 and 2006. Export share of production increased from 3% in 2001 to 8% in 2006. The growth is boosted by these several factors such as India’s cost competitiveness in terms of labor and raw material; established manufacturing base; economies of scale due to domestic market; potential to harness global brand image of the parent company, as well as the global hub policy for small cars like Hyundai, Suzuki, etc

Most automotive exports go to developing countries in Asia, where inexpensive cars can find a market. Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria are important destinations for India’s automotive exports. More recently, as the quality and technology of India-made automobiles have improved and met stringent requirement of the international market, some cars have found buyers even in Western Europe.

Similarly for auto parts, exports have been growing at a compound annual growth rate of 25% over 2000-2005. Share of exports in total production increased to 18% in 2005 from 10% in 1997. Foreign carmakers in rich countries are increasingly turning to India for parts, as low costs, relatively good technology base and access to cheap raw material make India highly competitive in its auto parts exports.

The main export markets are the USA, Germany, Japan, Sweden, the UK and Italy. Asia, Africa and the Middle East together take up 44% of India’s auto part exports.

Regulatory/Government efforts

Government efforts and regulatory frameworks are also key driving forces to the automotive industry in India. Currently, 100% foreign direct investment in the automotive industry, with no mandatory minimum level of investment is allowed. No local tie up is necessary since the sector has already been fully de-licensed and deregulated. This provides a strong impetus for global auto players to set up shop in India. Further, excise duty and custom taxes have also been kept competitive in order to make participation in the automotive industry conducive

On top of these, an Automotive Mission Plan 2006-2016 is also being drafted to develop the domestic sector, as well as the export market. It aims to develop India into a premier automotive hub. Moving forward, India targets to become one of the top 5 automotive economies by 2025

International Agreements

Trade/economic co-operation agreements between India and the region or other international markets will boost India’s exports of both automobile and parts to the region/international markets. Going forward, the potential agreements are: TVS Group’s plan to invest in Indonesia to manufacture 2-wheeler; FTA between India and ASEAN (negotiation in progress) would also offer opportunities for direct trade and investment between India and ASEAN countries; FTA with countries like China, Korea, Japan, Chile, etc

Auto refinancing is one of the best ways to save your money. The concept is similar to home refinance. When refinancing auto loans, you pay off your current auto loan with a refinancing auto loan from a different lender that has a lower APR. Refinancing auto loans makes your monthly auto loan payments much less, and your interest rate drops, which can allow you to pay off the balance of your auto loan even quicker. With dropping interest rates auto refinancing has become a very popular trend.
You can speed up the process of auto loan refinance sanction by following various points. By paying a close attention to these points the chances of your rejection can be minimized.

The names used in auto refinance loan applications need to be the same names with exact spelling as the names on your current auto loan. This is important because that is how your current auto loan is identified and found. Keep your auto loan account number ready. If you give them a name with a different spelling and they are not able to find your current loan, you can get rejected.

You must refinance more than a fixed amount, which currently is $7500. If the amount is less than this it’s not worth the auto refinance company’s time.

It’s also important to have all the vehicle information accurate so that loan refinancing lender can price out the auto to make sure it meets Loan to Value ratio guidelines. Enter the year and model and enter the 17 digits VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), found on your dashboard or registration.
The auto refinance loan amount should not be higher than the value of the auto. Just like home refinancing, where the bank won’t lend you more than the value of the house. You might want to check your values first to make sure your auto has retained a reasonable amount of value relative to the amount you still owe on it.

Online refinancing of auto loans is quite easy. Follow these steps to refinance your auto loan:

Enquire from your current auto loan lender about your auto loan payoff amount.

Check online for the existing ARP according to your credit score. Apply online if prevailing APR offered is at least 1% less than your current auto loan APR. Be sure to enter your vehicle’s 17 digits VIN from your registration, and enter your name as it appears on your current auto loan.

You will get auto refinance loan approval in an hour; they email you instructions on how to payoff your current auto loan.

Inform your bank about the refinance lender as your new lien holder, and they should send the title to them, not you.

After this step you may have to pay your state a fee of $5 or more to transfer lien holders. But then this is worth it when your savings an ample amount of dollars.

Your loan can be refinanced in 2 days after you apply. .

Are you in the market for a new used car? If you are, have you ever thought about attending an auto auction? Each year, a relatively large number of individuals walk away with a quality used car from an auto auction and now you may want to think about doing the same.

Although it is nice to know that many have had success with auto auctions in the past, you may be wondering whether attending an auto auction is worth your time. To determine whether or not one is, you may want to think about examining the pros and cons of buying a used car from an auto auction. A few auto auction pros and cons are briefly touched on below.

Perhaps, the biggest pro or plus side to buying a used car from an auto auction is the price. Auto auctions are well-known for their more than affordable prices. Depending on the auto auction that you attend, as well as the car that you choose to buy, you could walk away with a quality used car for as little as a thousands dollars! In all honesty, you never know what treasures or quality used cars you will find until you attend an auto auction. That is why it is advised that you at least attend a local auto auction, even if it is just to see what one is like.

Another one of the many pros or plus sides to buying a used car from an auto auction is the choices that you have. In terms of the used cars that you have to choose from, it is not uncommon for an auto auction to include as many as fifty used cars or more. Many of these used cars include different years, as well as different car makes and models. In keeping with the choices that you have, you also have a choice when it comes to choosing a used car auction to attend. If you live in or around a large city, such as Chicago, you may have more auto auctions to choose from. You could choose to attend an auto auction that gives you the opportunity to inspect each vehicle or you can choose one that does not have any admission fees.

Although there are a number of pros or plus sides to buying a used car from an auto auction, there are also a number of downsides as well. The good news, however, is that those downsides may not even apply to you. One of the downsides or cons to buying a used car from an auto auction is that not all auto auctions have an inspection session. An inspection session is when you are able closely examine or inspect all of the cars that will be auctioned off. You should never buy a used car without thoroughly examining it first. This downside to buying a used car from an auto auction may not even be an issue, as long as you choose to attend a used car auction that allows you to inspect all of their vehicles first and they are out there.

Another con or downside to buying a used car from an auto auction is the fact that you aren’t really given any guarantees. Perhaps, that is why it is so important that you are able to inspect a used car before bidding on it at an auto auction. When you pay for and receive your used car, it is then yours and you are responsible for it, including all updates and repairs that may need to be made. It is difficult, if not virtually impossible, to find an auto auction house or company that offers warranties on their used vehicles. Of course, buying a used car is a risk anyways, as most used car dealerships, as well as owners outright selling their vehicles do not offer warranties either.

If you live in or around the Chicago area, you may want to examine North Shore Auto Auction. Their online website can be found at www.publicautoauctionnst.com. With regularly scheduled auto auctions, as well as information on those auctions, including the used cars that will be auctioned, North Shore Auto Auctions is known for being one of the best auto auctions in the Chicago area.

I have written before that the most important thing to consider when applying for an auto loan is the current auto loan rates. These loan rates are responsible for determining how much you are going to end up paying for the car. So the most important thing you have to me in the look-out for is low car loan rates. In this article I’m going to talk to you about the current auto loan rates and give you some extra tips on the best places to look for low loan rates.

First off, you should know that there a 4 main different kinds of auto loan rates:

• 36 month car loan

• 48 month car loan

• 60 month car loan

• 72 month car loan

Each of them have different loan rates that fluctuate between 6.5% and 14%, sometimes climbing up to the 15% or 16%. The actual rate depends on you location and if you want a new auto loan or a used car loan, but the general rule of thumb is the lower number of months for the auto loan, the lower the car loan rate. Of course if you want a used car loan you should expect slightly higher loan rates than for new cars.

I’ve learned that depending on where you apply for your auto loan, you can expect to find lower or higher rates. I won’t talk about it in-depth but you can anticipate lower auto loan rates from credit unions and higher – but safer – rates from the auto dealers.

Auto Loan Rates Different Locations

If you are part of a credit union, you’ll be able to opt for larger auto loans with lower auto loan rates. You should check your union and compare the auto rates with your local bank to see which one is better. The other place, auto dealers, can offer you auto loans with a slightly higher loan rate but are much safer. When I say safer I’m saying that the whole loan process faster and approval rates are much higher.

But don’t worry if you’re not a member of a credit union or only find high auto loan rates with your auto dealers. There is another kind of auto loan you can apply for called a home equity auto loan. By placing your house as a collateral, you’ll be securing your auto loan no matter what. Always remember to research for the current auto loan rates until you have nowhere else to look for