A George Bush voter won’t want a vehicle in the driveway with a Che Guevara bumper sticker. In turn, a Cromwell Roundhead vegetarian won’t appreciate the fact that the previous owner loved steaks.The most favorite bumper stickers fall under the categories of school, inspirational and fishing. If that bumper sticker is on a vehicle, it’s likely not to offend.

For example, a bumper sticker that tells the world “My Kid is on the Dean’s List” probably will pass the okay test. On the other hand, an 85-year-old woman will most likely hate it.

A bumper sticker that begs people “To Save the Dolphins” will likely not be favored by a man who likes a bit of dolphin in his tuna sandwich.

Bumper stickers that announce that the Martians, pod people or zombies are coming will only appeal to science fiction fans.

Likewise, stickers announcing that the driver loves poodles, Labradors or Shi-Tzus will make cat owners sad.

Hating anything will drive most vehicle buyers away. Drivers who hate peas, pork, police or people in general should keep those thoughts off the bumper. Those ideas are best expressed on the living room wall.

The only truly inoffensive bumper sticker is the smiley-face. Nobody hates Mr. Smiley-Face except people who pout. The solution here is not to sell the vehicle in cities filled with pouting people, which would include Lviv, Ukraine and Moose Factory, Ontario, Canada. Otherwise, the smiley-face sticker is one that can remain on the vehicle.

The ubiquitous stick-people populating millions of vehicles are also not particularly offensive unless, of course, the potential buyers hate kids, even those made of sticks. Off with the stick-people’s heads, vehicle sellers. Erase the stick-bodies, too. Don’t forget to obliterate the stick-pets.

A vehicle plastered with bumper stickers supporting a dozen causes is not sellable. It can only be sold to people who think exactly that way. The odds of finding such a person are a million to one.

If vehicle owners with dozens of stickers find buyers who think exactly as they do, they should consider marrying each other for a blissful wedded life free of disagreement or strife. Perhaps bumper stickers can serve a secondary purpose besides telling the world what a driver thinks.

Xenon headlights operate by creating an electric arc in a glass chamber filled with xenon gas. They not only produce a much brighter, clearer light than standard head lamps, but they have a tendency to produce a blue-tinted light. The 1991 BMW 7-series was the first in Europe to use HID lighting, and the technology made it to American shores by the 1993 model year. Afterward, it was just a matter of a few years before most luxury cars were fitted with xenon headlights.The prevalence of auto customization eventually led to more and more vehicles that were not originally equipped with high intensity discharge lighting being adapted to use xenon lights. This adaptation by the aftermarket was one of the things that led to the very vocal backlash against HID lighting, that it was “too bright” even when low beams were used, and high beams produced so much glare that oncoming drivers were essentially blinded.

Careful consideration should be taken when determining whether to install aftermarket xenon headlights in a car. The expense of the modification is one reason, but it’s also important to consider how often they’ll actually be used. For driving at night, along long, quiet roadways with plenty of wildlife to run into the road, then xenon headlights would be a significant safety system to add to a vehicle that provide brighter light, more definition of the objects that are in the road ahead. They also are used as daytime running lights, and as such are much more noticeable during the day, as well. On custom cars, high intensity Xenon head lights have an attractive blue tint to them.

Most drivers won’t have to have HID lighting on their cars to make them drivable at night, but they do provide the additional safety of being able to see further ahead than with typical lighting systems. This in itself is the single greatest reason to use xenon headlights.

Check The Exterior:
Checking the exterior of a car closely will tell a person many things about the car and its history. Cars with chips or dents may not have been properly cared for. Take a magnet and slide it along different areas of the car. If the magnet does not stick to all parts of the car that could indicate body work was not done correctly.Check The Interior Of The Car:
The interior of the car is able to pinpoint many problems. An airbag light that does not go off indicates that the airbag was deployed at some point. Excessive wear to pedals or seats will verify that the car may have a much higher mileage reading than the odometer states. Missing buttons or knobs will showcase that the vehicle was not properly maintained. A car that smells wet or of mildew may mean that it has suffered from water damage.

Check The History:
Obtain the vehicle identification number of the vehicle and check the history of the used car. A history report will show any repair work done and any accidents that the vehicle has been involved in. This report will provide a very detailed history of the vehicle and reveal if the vehicle has a salvage title. A salvage title means that the car has been considered a total loss by an insurance company.

Check The Engine Compartment:
Open the hood of the car and look for signs of leakage. There should be no excess oil or leaking fluids. Look to see if all the hoses are in good repair. Hoses that look worn or melted tend to indicate that the car has not been maintained properly or that the engine overheats.

Check With A Mechanic:
Any used car should be thoroughly checked by an independent mechanic. A mechanic will be able to inform the potential buyer of any issues within the vehicle. Have the mechanic check under the car for damage or leaks. A reputable seller will gladly allow the buyer to have a professional inspection performed.

Taking these steps when purchasing a used car will help prevent a buyer from purchasing a lemon. Any seller that balks at the potential buyer performing these steps is trying to hide something and the used car buyer should look elsewhere for a vehicle.