What would be the best kind of friend? One that doesn’t say mean things to you but will tell you if something is wrong. One that shares information and communicates. How about if that friend was cute and petite as well? Well, we would probably hate her if she truly was our friend, but the CarMD is all of the above and we love it! The CarMD tool is designed to check the health of all 1996 and newer cars, light trucks, SUVs, and minivans sold in the United States.

It will tell you the likely reason your check engine light is on and will even let you know if you are likely to pass the smog test! The folks at CarMD headquarters were nice enough to give us one of their tools to try on our vehicles. And of course we were eager to give it a spin!

It's nice to know the manufacturers can be accommodating when special needs require us to modify our vehicles for additional mobility. In an effort to make its vehicles more accessible to buyers with disabilities, BMW Group has announced that it will remove the reimbursement ceiling for disabled buyers of BMW and Mini vehicles who wish to make one-time vehicle modifications to facilitate or ease their use of the vehicle.  (Previously, BMW Group limited the amount it reimbursed buyers.)

"We are committed to meeting the unique needs of our customers," said Tom Purves, chairman and CEO of BMW (US) Holding Corp.  Effective February 13, 2007, BMW will reimburse buyers of new and certified pre-owned BMW and MINI vehicles for one-time driver modifications, provided that certain requirements are met.

by Joel Osserman, Owner Select Euro Cars, an Ask Patty certified dealer
For more information on Select EuroCars, visit their Female Friendly website or call them at   800-817-9422

The sparkling mechanical beauty that you purchased six or seven years ago is paid for, but rust spots and less reliability have replaced the sparkle. It’s costing more and more to keep your old car running and ultimately it will need to be replaced. Eventually you’ll be faced with two options: a new or used car. In today’s market, with the popularity of leasing, many dealers are offering lease turn-ins that can be had for a fraction of the price of a new car and will provide years of reliable transportation. It’s probably best to buy a vehicle that you can use for a long period of time. We all know that cars depreciate, but acquiring a reliable vehicle that you can depend on helps to offset the negative aspect of depreciation.

Where Do I Start?
Today, you have access to a greater number of resources than ever before for performing your research. The Internet now plays a key role in auto shopping, and you can learn a lot about makes, models and prices in a short amount of time. Even the popular online auction site eBay has its own car sales section. Many Internet sites list thousands of cars and can direct you to a dealer in your area.

While "driving" around the blogoshpere, we found this article on iVillage, by Laurie Yarnell of "Embedded in the 'Burbs". She contemplates life without being able to dial, eat, drink coffee, fuss with her pup, and drive.

She says, "Here in New York and elsewhere, we’ve (reluctantly) gotten used to hands-free cell phone chatting and conversations routinely interrupted by frantic instructions to “oh (insert four-letter word of your choosing here), hold on, there’s a police car.” But these newest restrictions could really put a cramp on the whole multi-tasking car culture as we suburban household CEOs (alternately known as Captains of the Carpools) know it. 

Ask Patty is back for another week around the auto world! Oscars are lighting up the scene and little girls are crying out "give us some Hot Wheels!" Thank you to all of our submitters this week as always! Click those seat belts!

Car seat safety clinics are part of educational programs and campaigns of various groups around the country. According to a study conducted by Safe Kids Worldwide, the results proved that such events do help out a lot in letting people know just how important it is to have child car safety seats installed properly in vehicles. Check out some of the statistics and helpful facts on the Auto Parts Info blog.

Are you a bit scared to tell your kids about “stranger danger”? Don’t want to freak them out right? Wander Wear blog says “Often parents will tell me that they are concerned about scaring their children by talking to them about predators, getting lost and other related topics.  I support their concerns as a mom but I also know that these are important topics to talk about with your kids.” She provides some excellent tips on talking with your child. Check out her other posts as well!

Okay, we found the CUTEST site EVER today! Check out the Chevron Cars blog! They even have a brand new game at the ChevronCars.com website. It's a fun little Flash game. It seems like a simple game, but the more you play, the more you'll want to play. The game is called Pearl Hunt, and basically you have to go underwater and hunt for pearls, then get them through a maze into your underwater treasure chest. Of course there are obstacles and little tricks along the way! 

Bridgestone Firestone North America has a practical suggestion for keeping up with your tire tread. Ever heard of the Lincoln Penny Test?

The Lincoln penny test has become a tried-and-true method of determining when it's time to get new tires. The procedure is as simple as placing a penny in the tread and using Abe Lincoln's noggin as your guide.

Here's the three-step "penny test:"

    1. Take a penny and pinch Abe's body between your thumb and forefinger.
    2. Put Lincoln's head into one of the grooves on the tread. (Think: nosedive...Abe should be upside down) Select a point on your tire where tread appears the lowest.
    3. If any part of Abe Lincoln's head is obscured by the tread, you're driving with the legal and safe amount of tread. If you can see above his head, where it says "In God We Trust," you're ready for a new tire.

With all the Oscar buzz going around, we thought we would get in on the act. Last night, we saw a triumph for the environment, when Al Gore won an Academy Award for “An Inconvenient Truth,” his movie about global warming (look, if you haven’t seen it you should. The Polar Bears are dying people, and it’s sad.) Well, we saw this report via Reuters about other “green” actors. And no, we don’t mean with envy…

Whether it's forsaking a gas guzzling limo in favor of driving a hybrid car to the Oscars, or fitting their homes with solar panels, many celebrities embraced green causes long before they became fashionable.

Just as a famous face can sell a perfume, stars of stage and screen can sell a cause and scores of them are doing more than merely putting their money where their mouth is. "Whether it's fashion or cultural trends, the entertainment industry has the ability to communicate to a global audience ideas that set forth actions and create change," said Debbie Levin, president of the Environmental Media Association which promotes green issues through the entertainment industry.

Are you interested in becoming an expert woman for Ask Patty? We would love to have you! Ask Patty is growing and we need more great women in the automotive industry to represent us and be a part of our Ask Patty Expert Advisory Panel.

We are looking for women who have experiences in all kinds of fields, including automotive marketing, aftermarket and accessories, body work, sales and service staff, new and used car dealership experience, and technicians. If you have worked in a dealership or for a manufacturer, we want you too! Do you have experience in finance, credit unions and automotive loans, or do you build cars or work on cars for a living?

Send us an email!

Ask Patty is getting bigger than we ever expected and we want to add even more qualified women to our expert group!  If you think you could be a perfect match for us, send an email to Breanne Boyle: Breanne@askpatty.com.

Hope to hear from all of you wonderful ladies out there!

So you've done all the research and you know what type of car you want or maybe even the exact model, but you haven't tried it out. Don't you dare pluck down that cash before you take a test drive! Ask Patty has put together some tips for you to take with you to the car lot.  Jot down these questions or print them out and make sure you skim through them before driving off into the sunset. Make sure to check out our Find Your Dream Car page!

Before you go on that test drive, check how well made the vehicle is. Are the gaps even between the hood and the fenders? Is the paint smooth? Under the hood, is the wiring neatly bundled and are the metal edges smooth?

Initial Sit test:
Is the car easy to get into and out of?

Make sure to sit in the back seat. Will there be enough room for your passenger’s legs, bags, etc?  Is their room for a child car seat if you need one?

Does the driver's seat support your thighs and the small of your back? It is very important to note this because it might not bother you on a 10 minute test drive, but the first long drive or traffic-filled commute will tell you if the support here is lacking, so check now!

Can you comfortably reach all the controls?