As an owner of a car, I find myself becoming educated on the subject of automotive wiring. Since I am just about the last person who should be playing with anything that has electrical current running through it, I was hesitant to attempt to tackle the issue of automotive wiring.However my vehicle decided otherwise when it started to randomly select electrical systems that it wanted to me tamper with. When the electric seat belts started to slide back and forth without reason as I drove down the highway, I decided I better figure out how to tamper with the electric systems, considering the exuberant rate of automotive repair.I found myself with a decision to either, break down and spend $100 an hour for a so-called expert to look at it and try to repair it, or I could learn how the electrical system of my car worked. Considering my level of ignorance I probably was going to try to conquer the impossible. After all the only thing I knew about electrical systems is that AC/DC was a rock band and that dummies and wiring usually did not get along.However despite my reluctance, I set out to learn what I could about automotive wiring. I quickly learned that there is a huge supply of information available on the subject of automotive wiring. A quick search on Google provided me with an array of information. There are many different levels of sites offering information.Some sites provided a basic overview of the average electrical system of most cars. A company named Long Island Customs offered some great basic information. They stated that their information was simply for a basic understanding and not for a detailed explanation of particular models. However they actually provide some thorough information on basic systems such as AC and lighting. They also provide some great trouble shooting information.Another site for general information on electrical systems is TBud.com. This educational website offered general programs on electrical systems in their integrated publishing section.AllDetailDIY.com considers itself the leading source of professional diagnostic information. They offer full diagnostic flow charts of automotive electrical systems. Their charts offer both system and component perspectives.I found a great site for individual systems that covered all American made cars from 1985 to 2009.Wiringdiagram.com breaks it down by system, such as headlights, computer data lines and AC systems. Their individualized charts start at $5.99. They also offer information on 1960-1984 models starting at $6.99. They print the information into an Adobe PDF document and offer rushed service guaranteed to provide you with the diagrams for your particular car in less than 24 hours.Bulldog.com offers a basic explanation of electrical information in an MS Word document; however they do not supply charts or schematics.Two other sites that I found to offer great information were Freeauto.com and 12voltresource.com. Freeauto.com provides complete color diagnostics for most makes and models. What I found interesting(?) is freeauto will provide you these color automotive electrical charts and all the other information on their informative website for $11.99. They also assist you with basic electrical theory, electrical harnesses and test equipment.12voltresource.com offers a CD-ROM that contains wiring systems for every car from 1979 to 2009, for only $17.98. They also offer CD-ROMs and instant downloads for specific models of cars. They only charge $14.98 for this information.I also decided to look around to see if I could find manufacturers’ manuals that offer automotive electrical diagrams for particular makes and models. What I found was that Haynes Auto Repair Manuals offer a repair manual for just about every major make and model of car. These thorough repair manuals explain every system on particular models in an easy to understand format. I found that these manuals offer electrical charts for their models. I found Haynes manuals available at several sources including their own website for $24.95 and Barnes and Nobles for $22.95 with a membership. The best deal I found on these manuals was Books-A-Million, who offers most Haynes manuals for only $16.45.So whether you are like me and you don’t know the first thing about automotive electrical systems or even if you are educated in electrical systems you will find these sources to be of great help. If you still desire additional information you may want to contact your local car dealer or mechanic.
Hiring a Property Management Company – Pros and Cons
Owning rental property can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a lot of work. While many landlords have really amazing experiences, there are just as many who do not. By hiring a property management company, you can take the worries and time-consuming tasks that come with managing a rental property and pass them along to a professional. Before you make a move towards hiring a professional rental management company, take stock of your property and decide whether or not the costs will be worthwhile.The Pros of Hiring a Property Management CompanyThey Can Find Tenants for You
A professional management company can handle the marketing for you and your property, placing ads and screening calls from prospective tenants. When someone responds that fits the qualifications you have given the property management service, the company will call you!They Can Act as Your Liaison
Good customer relations are essential, and if you have a large business you may not have time to keep a relationship going with every new tenant. If you hire a rental management company, they can help step in and fill this role for you. Professional property management companies can also field complaints and requests for repairs or maintenance instead of leaving all of this up to you.They Can Handle the Finances
If dealing with the financial aspects of being a landlord doesn’t appeal to you, or you simply think it would be better to have someone else handle this part of your business, a property management company might be a great fit for you. Professional property managers collect rent, deposits, and any late charges that might occur. No more having to remind tenants of a late payment!They Know the Local Laws
Because there are specific laws that deal with rental properties, hiring a property management service can be your ticket to greater understanding of these laws for your own benefit. Having a professional in your corner can be enormously helpful and also help you avoid any potential legal blunders while managing your rental property.They Are Well Connected
Any professional rental manager worth mentioning is likely to have connections with other professionals and groups in your area. When you need to hire someone for a repair, upgrade, or replacement your manager will be able to recommend someone they know or have worked with before, helping you get the job done right the first time.The Cons of Hiring a Property Management CompanyThey Cost Money
Really the only con of using a professional rental management company is the cost. Many landlords will avoid signing on with such companies because they are worried that doing so will affect their profit margin a little more than they would like.There are many advantages to hiring a property management company; peace of mind and the knowledge that they will call you if something truly important occurs are all valuable things that a business owner can definitely appreciate!