Recent Hawaii Shipping News

The short answer is: It depends on several variables which all change pretty frequently. It also depends on your specific needs and vehicle specifications as well.

We have provided some general prices from major cities below. However, we did use a specific car and shipping date. Odds are we didn’t choose the exact shipping details that you would.

So, if you really want to know the most accurate possible price estimate, get a free quote today.
 

What affects the cost of Hawaiian car shipping?

The cost of shipping your car to or from Hawaii is affected by several different factors. These variables change in scope frequently throughout the year which is why prices fluctuate as they do. For example, shipping one month might cost a hundred dollars more than shipping during the previous month even if you are shipping the same exact vehicle the same exact distance as you were the month before. That is because things like seasonality, fuel prices, and carrier availability will directly impact price.

These are the primary factors that affect the cost of car shipping to Hawaii:

• Season – The time of year that you ship your vehicle will directly affect price. If you ship during a busy season, your price will be higher such as during the summer. If you ship during a season like winter when there is more inclement weather then your shipment will likely cost less but will take longer to ship.
• Distance – Exactly how far you are shipping your car will help dictate your final cost as well. Simply put, the further you are shipping your car, the more it will cost.
• Fuel Prices – The price of gas will play a role in the cost of transporting your car. If gas prices are higher as they tend to be during the summer or during some sort of large fluctuation in the world oil market, then your cost to ship will likely be a little bit higher as a result.
• Shipping time – This is different from season. What we mean here is how soon after you book your shipment you need your car picked up for shipping. It is obviously a lot more difficult for car shipping companies to find a carrier last minute than it is to schedule a shipment a month or more in advance. In order to get a carrier to take a shipment booked with little notice, they require a higher payment. If you book your shipment as far in advanced as possible, it will help you save on the cost of shipping.
• Shipping method – If you ship a car from Hawaii with any extra options such as top-load or enclosed carrier, your cost will be higher depending on which options you chose.
• Type of car – The make and model of your car also play a part in your final cost. Larger cars weigh more and require more work to load and unload. They also cause the car carrier truck to burn fuel more rapidly in transit because of their additional weight. The bigger the vehicle the higher the cost.
• What port you are shipping to or from in Hawaii – There are several ports where you can ship your car to or from in Hawaii. They are:
  • Honolulu
  • Hilo
  • Kahului
  • Nawiliwili

Be sure you choose the right port in Hawaii to ship to if you are shipping your car there. There are almost no interisland ferries left in Hawaii. So, if you ship it to an island where you won’t be spending the majority of your time, you will likely need to get your car shipped, again, to the right island. You can read more about picking your car up at the port in Hawaii here.

The cost of shipping your car to Hawaii

Shipping your car to Hawaii will depend on the factors mentioned above but it will also depend on if you ship door-to-port or just port-to-port. Most people tend to opt to pay a bit more for the convince of door-to-port shipping. If you choose port-to-port, it will cost less because you are foregoing the entire ground transport. However, you will need to drive your car to the port yourself and that can be costly itself.

Methodology: These prices were generated using the Hawaii Car Transport Instant Quote Calculator in March 2024, scheduling four weeks ahead (for shipment in April 2024), with no upgraded shipping options, with the destination being the port at Honolulu and a 2018 Toyota Corolla as the vehicle shipping for each quote.

**Please keep in mind that these prices are always subject to change based on the many variables that were mentioned above.**

The cost of shipping a vehicle to Hawaii:

• From New York – $2,775
• From Los Angeles – $1,565
• From Denver – $2,255
• From Boston – $2,885
• From Chicago – $2,625
• From Dallas – $2,385
• From Miami – $2,655

The cost of shipping your car from Hawaii

Just as with shipping your car to Hawaii, the cost of shipping your car from Hawaii will be affected by the combination of factors mentioned earlier along with whether or not you choose to pick up your car at the port or have it delivered to your door.

Methodology: These prices were generated using the Hawaii Car Transport Instant Quote Calculator in March 2024, scheduling four weeks ahead (for shipment in April 2024), with no upgraded shipping options, with the origin drop-off location being the port at Honolulu and a 2018 Toyota Corolla as the vehicle shipping for each quote.

**Please remember that these prices could change without notice based on all of the variables that were mentioned in this post.**

The cost of shipping a vehicle from Hawaii:

• To New York – $2,635
• To Los Angeles – $1,115
• To Denver – $2,215
• To Boston – $2,695
• To Chicago – $2,425
• To Dallas – $2,295
• To Miami – $2,595

Be sure you still get a free quote

These prices are for a specific time and car. At best, they give you a very general idea of the overall cost of shipping a car to Hawaii. This is why auto transport companies will give you a free online quote. This way, all of your specific vehicle and shipment details will be factored into your quote price.

For example, if you are shipping a 2011 Dodge Durango from Raleigh, North Carolina, on an enclosed carrier an estimate for a 2024 Toyota Corolla shipping from Miami, Florida with no extras likely wouldn’t end up with too similar of a price. Thus, getting a free quote is the best way to get the most accurate price estimate for shipping to or from Hawaii.

Getting quotes from each vehicle shipping company is also a great way to quickly and easily comparison shop as well. Each company will likely have a similar yet slightly different price as well as delivery date. This way you can figure out which price and delivery date combination works best for you and choose that company.
 

How long will shipping my car to Hawaii take?

Shipping your car to Hawaii will take several weeks. Consider, that if you were shipping your car across the country from New York to Los Angeles, it would likely take a little less than two weeks. Then imagine, adding the time it takes to ship to Hawaii on top of that. Then, it would be easy to see why many vehicle shipments to Hawaii end up taking between two and three weeks depending on where you are shipping from.

We want you to be prepared to be without your car for the right amount of time. This way you can plan ahead and make whatever additional arrangements you need to.

Methodology: These transit times were generated using the Hawaii Car Transport Instant Quote Calculator in March 2024, scheduling four weeks ahead (for shipment in April 2024), with no upgraded shipping options, with the destination being the port at Honolulu and a 2018 Toyota Corolla as the vehicle shipping for each quote.

How long it takes to ship a car to Hawaii:

• From New York – 3-4 weeks
• From Los Angeles – 2 weeks
• From Denver – 3 weeks
• From Boston – 3-4 weeks
• From Chicago – 3 weeks
• From Dallas – 3 weeks
• From Miami – 3-4 weeks

Methodology: These transit times were generated using the Hawaii Car Transport Instant Quote Calculator in March 2024, scheduling four weeks ahead (for shipment in April 2024), with no upgraded shipping options, with the origin drop-off location being the port at Honolulu and a 2018 Toyota Corolla as the vehicle shipping for each quote.

How long it takes to ship a car from Hawaii:

• To New York – 2-3 weeks
• To Los Angeles – (delivered to LA port only) 10 days
• To Denver – 2 weeks
• To Boston – 3 weeks
• To Chicago – 2 weeks
• To Dallas – 2 weeks
• To Miami – 2-3 weeks

Steps to save on your Hawaiian car shipment

Here are some suggestions to help you minimize the cost of your Hawaiian car shipment. Remember, these are not money saving guarantees but suggestions that could help you save some money in the end.

1. Ship your car during the less busy seasons – It is normally less expensive to ship your car in the fall and winter. However, the transit time could be increased due to inclement weather delays during the winter. Your best bet might be to ship during the fall.
2. Schedule your pick-up at least a month in advanced – If you schedule your auto shipment as far in advanced as possible, you will maximize the chances that you can get a slightly lower price. Carriers tend to charge a bit more when they are given little notice about a shipment.
3. Ship with standard open-air transport – Ship your car using a standard open-air carrier without choosing top-load or expedited shipping. Any upgrade options that you choose will cost additional fees.
4. Don’t bother shipping anything in your car – Some car carriers out there will allow you to ship some personal items in your car for an additional fee. You should just forget this option for now. Plus, if any of those items gets lost or damaged, your car shipping coverage will not cover their cost as previously mentioned.

Tips for shipping your car to and from Hawaii

When you are shipping your car to or from Hawaii for the first time, you should be aware of a few things before you book your shipment so that the experience of transporting your vehicle can go as smoothly as possible.

Here are a few tips for shipping your car to or from Hawaii:

• Have your fuel tank a quarter filled – It is against fire regulations for a ship to transport vehicles with more than a quarter tank of gas. Your car will not be able to be shipped to Hawaii if your car has more than a quarter tank. However, you do need that much gas in order for the carrier to be able to drive the car onto and off of the ship as well as onto and off of the truck if you chose residential pick-up.
• Don’t leave any personal items in the car – Any coverage associated with your shipment will never cover any personal items lost or damaged during shipping. So, be sure that you take any personal items such as jewelry, CDs, glasses etc out of your car before you ship it to or from Hawaii.
• Get your car cleaned – Before your car is picked up or as soon as you drop it off at the port, your car will be inspected for any pre-existing damage. Make sure that the car is clean so that this process does not end up taking a ridiculous amount of time.
• Make sure the car works correctly – What this means is that if there is anything that isn’t in working order, get it fixed before your shipment. If it is something such as a car alarm that is overly sensitive, disconnect it or give the driver that picks up your car specific instructions on how to disable it.

Conclusion

As you can see, it is hard to accurately predict what pricing might be for shipping a car to Hawaii in general. It is much easier to visit a particular auto transport company’s website and get a free quote. When you do that, all of your specific shipment details are factored into the price estimation. However, keep in mind that even quotes can be off by a few dollars themselves.

The best way to save on your shipment is to plan as far in advanced as possible. This will likely also help decrease the total amount of transit time during your shipment slightly.

Get quotes from each company that you might be considering using. Use them to compare both price and transit time. Then make the best choice for your individual auto transport needs.

Jump to Section:
The most commonly given traffic and parking tickets
The best ways to avoid getting tickets in Hawaii
Conclusion
 

The most commonly given traffic and parking tickets

There are certain traffic tickets that the police give out much more easily than others. This might be because their ability to give leniency is limited for a particular offense, because it is an aggressive offense that almost always poses a danger to drivers around them or for another reason. Regardless, it will be very beneficial to ensure that you do not do something that results in you being pulled over for one of these offenses because your chances of getting a ticket are as high as they can get.

The most frequently given out traffic tickets in the United States are:

• Speeding – Speeding is the most common traffic ticket given out in the US. About forty million drivers receive speeding tickets each year in the US. These tickets are easy for the police to give out because you really stand out from the rest of traffic. However, it is also an easy ticket to give out because their radar records the speed that they catch you going these days. Thus, there is basically no room for argument either during the traffic stop or in court.
• Illegal turn/maneuver – Making an illegal maneuver such as a U-turn where it is forbidden by law and the accompanying signage is another way to stand out in the worst way to the police. These are also very clear-cut cases with very little room for interpretation.
• Tailgating – “Following too closely” behind another car, otherwise known as tailgating, can quickly land you with a ticket. Often, police sit on the side of the road with their car facing perpendicular to traffic. Thus, they will be able to very clearly see if you are driving too closely behind another car.
• Reckless driving – Reckless driving is often the combination of several of the violations listed above and/or other traffic violations. Speeding in and out of different lanes without signaling and simultaneously tailgating other cars is a prime example of reckless driving. A police officer will be able to spot you doing this a literal mile or more away.

There are also parking tickets that are given out more frequently than others in the United States.

• No parking – This seems beyond obvious as the top spot. However, the majority of these tickets being issued is due to people parking in areas on the street where and when street cleaning is taking place. Others might have just missed a sign.
• No standing – This ticket is issued when someone keeps their car running in a “No standing” zone. Most times this is done by someone who is “just running in somewhere for a second.” Understand that even if you put your hazards on, this is a very easy ticket to get.
• No meter receipt on display/expired meter – Most of these tickets are given because people forget to display their meter receipt on their dashboard or they do so in a way where the parking enforcement officer cannot read it. On more rare occasions, these tickets are given out because someone flat out did not feed a meter.

The best ways to avoid getting tickets in Hawaii

The obvious way to avoid getting traffic or parking tickets in Hawaii will be to drive defensively and with caution at all times as well as to be extremely mindful of your surroundings and nearby signs/street markings when you park. However, there are a few other things that you will be able to do in order to minimize your chances of getting a ticket.

You can choose to drive a car that stands out much less. For example, driving a darker colored car such as black or dark blue will help you stand out to police less than if you drove a white or yellow car. White cars are the most ticketed vehicles on the road. However, white cars are also the most numerous cars on the road. So, it could just be correlation and not causation. You can also pay closer attention to where the police could be parked. So, if you were driving on a road that has a large building on the side that you cannot see past, you should always assume that there could be a police officer steaked out there trying to catch people speeding or committing other traffic infractions.

You can also use an app like Waze as you drive (as long as you do so hands free) to see where police might be located up ahead. The information on Waze regarding traffic and police presence is crowd-sourced and updated instantly as other drivers around you report something, so you can trust the information. Fortunately, Hawaii does not currently use any automated traffic enforcement such as speed or red-light cameras, thus you will not need to worry about that.
 

Conclusion

Even though Hawaii is not known for draconian traffic enforcement, getting a ticket there can be as easy as it is anywhere else. The easiest way to avoid getting a ticket will always be to obey all traffic laws and to drive defensively. If you do not, you can easily be pulled over for things like speeding, illegal maneuvering and reckless driving. You can also easily get a parking ticket in Hawaii if you do not pay close attention to street markings and nearby signs when you initially park .

Jump to section:
Parking in the wrong place
Unpaid tickets or debt
What happens after my car gets towed in Hawaii?
Conclusion
 

Parking in the wrong place

Paying attention when you park somewhere can be the difference between parking without issue or having your car towed. A simple look around for signs, street markings and things like driveways and fire hydrants can save you the huge inconvenience and costly headache of having your vehicle towed.

There are several different situations in which you can have your vehicle towed away for parking in the wrong place in Hawaii. Parking in the following areas can result in the towing of your car:

• Blocking a driveway or a fire hydrant – If someone cannot access their private driveway because your car is parked in a way that is completely or even partially blocking it, you can easily be towed. You can also be towed if you are parked in a way that restricts access of a fire department to a fire hydrant.
• No parking zones – No parking zones will include bus stops, handicapped spots and fire lanes.
• Private lots – If you park in a private parking lot, the owner has the right to call the police to have your car towed.
• Illegally parked – This includes situations such as if you park on the street during street cleaning or if you double park.

Unpaid tickets or debt

Your vehicle can also be towed if you have several unpaid parking tickets. Parking enforcement often drives around scanning license plates of parked cars in busy city areas. If your license plate alerts parking enforcement that you have enough unpaid tickets, your car could be towed and will not be released until you go and pay those tickets off and then you will need to go to the tow yard and pay their fees.

If you financed your car and you fell behind on your car payments your car can be repossessed. This will happen by your car being towed. Without any warning a tow truck driver will arrive when you least expect it and will quickly hook-up your car and then tow it away. They can tow it from any public place and they can also tow it from your own driveway if it is not behind a gate and is easily accessible.
 

What happens after my car gets towed in Hawaii?

If your car has been towed, what will come next will depend entirely on the specific circumstance of your vehicle’s towing. If your car was towed because you were parked somewhere such as blocking a driveway or in a private parking lot, you will likely just need to figure out where your car has been towed to, then go there and pay the fees for the hook-up and storage of your car.

In order to figure out where your car has been towed to in Hawaii you should:

1. Check the area that your car was towed from for signs. Often a private lot will have at least one sign posted with a phone number and address for the towing company.
2. If there are no signs, you should call the Hawaii Police Department. They will be able to confirm that your car was towed as well as where you can go to retrieve it.
3. Alternatively, you can check online to see if your car was towed on a site like findmytow.com, however, it usually takes several hours or even days for your towed vehicle’s information to populate on one of these sites, so we do not recommend using this method.

If your car was towed due to unpaid parking tickets, you will need to pay the tickets before you can visit the tow yard, and then you will need to go to the tow yard, pay their fees and then get your car back. To pay parking tickets in Hawaii you can:

• Pay at any Hawaiian district court – You can go to any Hawaiian district court and pay the applicable fines with a check, money order or credit/debit card.
• Pay by mail – Your fine should include an address which is where you will need to mail your payment. You can pay by check or money order if you are paying your Hawaiian traffic fines by mail.
• Pay over the phone – You can also pay over the phone by calling (800) 679-5949. Paying the fines via this method will require you have your license plate number, citation number and a Mastercard or Visa credit card only.
• Pay online – The easiest option will be to pay online which you can do within 21 days of getting the ticket. You can pay a parking ticket in Hawaii by visitinghttps://etraffic.ehawaii.gov/etraffic/home. You must have the citation number and a Visa, Mastercard or American Express credit card only in order to use this method.

Finally, if your car was towed because of a repossession, you will only be able to get your car back if you pay the entire loan that you took out in order to finance the car, not just the missed payments. You will likely only have about ten days to do this as well.
 

Conclusion

If you do not want to have your vehicle towed in Hawaii there are a few simple things that you must avoid doing. This includes parking somewhere illegally, parking in a private lot or driveway, failing to pay parking tickets, and not paying your car payments. If your car does get towed, it will likely cost you a few hundred dollars but thankfully it will not be too complicated tracking your car down and getting it back. You should avoid doing anything that could get your car towed in Hawaii because of both the cost and inconvenience.

Jump to section:
Proper technique
Safety
Conclusion
 

Proper technique

Pumping gas correctly is second nature for those of us that have done it over and over for years. However, there are still those of us out there who have limited experience for a variety of reasons including just beginning to drive, someone else uses the car and usually pumps the gas or you had previously only driven fully electric vehicles. Regardless of the reason, you should ensure that you are using the correct technique at the gas pump in order not to waste time or to avoid putting yourself in harm’s way.
 

Put your car in the right position

 
The first thing that you need to do when you pull into the gas station is to pull your car into the correct position next to the pump in order to make pumping the gas as easy and quick as possible. This begins with knowing which side your gas tank is on. It will not always be on your driver or passenger side; it will simply depend on the specific type of vehicle that you are driving. So, if your gas tank is on the right side of your car make sure you pull the right side of your car next to the gas pump and vice versa if your gas tank is on the left side of your car.

You also want to ensure that you pull your car even with the position of the gas nozzle. The gas nozzle that dispenses regular gas (which the vast majority of you will use) will always be on the left-hand side of the pump, the right-hand side of the pump will have another nozzle which will dispense all other grades of gasoline including premium, super and diesel. Make sure that your gas tank aligns or is close to aligning with the gas nozzle that you will be using. If you do not pull forward enough or pull too far forward, there may not be enough slack in the nozzle’s gas line for you to safely reach the nozzle to your gas tank.
 

Pay and open your gas tank

 
Once you have pulled up and into the correct position near the gas pump, you will exit your car. The first thing that you will do after getting out of your car is to pay for your gas. If you are paying with a credit or debit card, you can easily pay at the pump. If you are paying with cash, you will need to walk into the main-store part of the gas station and pay the attendant. At this point, you will have to open your gas tank.

Again, what you will need to do in order to accomplish this will depend heavily on the specific type of car that you are driving. In many cases, there will be a latch or button in the cabin of your vehicle on the driver side often located near the floor. It will have either the word “gas” on it or a gas pump logo. When you find this pull it and your gas tank will open. At this point you will still need to unscrew your gas cap which should be self-explanatory. If you have difficulty with any of this, be sure to consult your car’s owner’s manual.
 

Choose the grade of gas and pump

 
As soon as you pay you will need to then select the grade of fuel that your car requires. These days, you will typically do this yourself at the pump regardless of your payment method. You will simply just select regular, premium, super or diesel based upon your car’s engine needs. Once you do that, it will take a moment for the gas pump to process your selection and then you will be ready to pump your gas.

In order to correctly pump your gas, you will need to remove the corresponding fuel nozzle from its holder on the pump. You will then place the nozzle into your gas tank and depress the handle attached to the nozzle. You can either keep your hand in this position, or you can choose to flip up the tab which is located on almost all fuel pumps. If you flip this tab up, it will hold the handle in the pushed-in position that will continue to dispense gasoline without the use of your hand.
 

Safety

Safety is always going to be a very important part of pumping gas. This should not come as any surprise since gasoline is so flammable and potentially dangerous. The most important things that you will have to be sure to do when you are pumping gas are to:

• Turn your car’s engine off – Your car’s engine needs to be shut off completely when you are pumping gas because it poses a fire hazard by remaining running.
• Do not smoke – It goes without saying but a cigarette or an ash or ember from a cigarette can ignite gasoline quite easily. Never smoke while you are pumping gas or even immediately after you pumped gas until you have washed your hands.
• Ground yourself and your clothing from static electricity – You will also need to ground your body and your clothing from static electricity when you are pumping gas. A static charge is unfortunately extremely easy to generate after you have been sitting in your vehicle and has ignited gasoline in the past. This can lead to an extremely dangerous situation or even an explosion. You can ground yourself by touching any metal such as your vehicle’s door with your bare hand.

However, you also need to be aware of potential scams and thievery at the gas pump. The first thing to look out for is a credit card skimmer if you are paying at the pump. A credit card skimmer is a device that will steal your credit card’s information and provide it to people who will use it to make purchases with that information. Credit card skimmers are made to look exactly the same as the gas pump’s credit card payment terminal. So, you will not be able to tell by just looking. What you can do is firmly grasp the part of the terminal where you insert your card and see if you can move it at all. If you cannot then you can proceed, if you can then move to another pump or pay cash.

Thieves have also been known to recently switch the nozzle of the gas pump from one side to the other in order to steal the gas that you are pumping on your side. This is hard for people to detect because they will see the gas pumping on the screen of the pump as they attempt to pump it, but little do they know the person on the other side of the pump is actually receiving the gas that they paid for. In order to check for this, take a look up when you are at the gas pump, you will see the fuel line connection. Ensure that the fuel line connection closest to you is connected to the nozzle that you will be using.
 

Conclusion

Pumping gas is something that becomes second nature once you have done it a few times and have the hang of it. You just have to ensure that you put your car in the correct position at the pump, you know which side of your car that your gas tank is on, how to open your gas tank & cap, how to pump gas and how to spot a potential scam. You also must also always practice safety at the gas pump. This includes shutting off your engine, not smoking and grounding yourself from electricity.

Jump to section:
Safety
Why head-out parking sometimes is not allowed
Conclusion
 

 

Safety

Often, you will be able to decide in Hawaii whether you want to back into a parking space or if you want to pull straight in. When you pull straight in, otherwise known as “head-in parking,” the advantages are that you will be able to quickly pull right in and it will be very easy to park accurately. The main drawback is that whenever you will have to pull out, you will have to do so more slowly and carefully due to the limited range of vision that you will have. Because of this you will also be much more susceptible to getting into an accident.

That is why it is much safer to back into a parking space whenever it is legal/permitted. When you back into the spot it will be easy for other oncoming vehicles to see you because you will already have your entire vehicle right in the clear line of vision directly in front of them. However, when you are pulling out, other drivers will not initially see your car if there is a car parked next to you. Even once you start pulling out, they may only be able to see a very small portion of your car. Thus, they will have less time with which to react which makes pulling out of your space much more dangerous than initially pulling in.

So, when you are pulling out, it will provide a huge advantage for you to be able to have a maximum amount of visibility. It is also much easier to react when you are in drive versus when you are in reverse. Maximizing your safety when you pull out of a parking space is important because one in every five car accidents occur in a parking lot according to CBS News. So, no matter how you park, pulling out of a space can be dangerous but pulling head-out of a spot is the safest option.
 

Why head out parking is sometimes not allowed

Occasionally, you will see signs in a parking lot that say “Head-in parking only.” In most of these cases the spaces in the lot are angled and the traffic that will be driving behind you will only be allowed to drive one-way. This combination will increase your field of vision when you back out of your space, and it will simultaneously allow the vehicles driving behind you a much better chance at seeing you back out. Regardless of there being angled spaces and/or one way traffic, if there are signs that forbid head-out parking, do not disregard them and do so anyway as you could end up with a ticket or possibly even being towed depending on the situation.

Your field of vision would still be better if you were allowed to park head-out in these situations. However, if you were to park head-out in angled spaces, it will become extremely difficult to pull out without contacting or coming very close to coming into contact with one of the cars parked next to you. The other issue would be the process of backing into an angled space. It would take much more time overall which would lead to more overall congestion in that parking lot. It would also require that you essentially have your car pointed the wrong way on a one-way street for at least a few moments which is a safety issue. Finally, you would need much more space in order to successfully back into an angled parking spot which you typically would not have.
 

Conclusion

Whenever you can, you should back into a parking space rather than pulling head-in. Doing so will allow you to pull out with a full field of vision as well as being able to pull out forward rather than in reverse which really helps your ability to react to a would-be passing car. Unfortunately, some parking lots do not allow head-out parking, which is usually because the spaces are angled, and the path of driving is one-way only which would make both backing into a space as well as pulling head-out both unsafe and difficult.

Jump to section:
Patching your tire yourself
Bringing your car to a tire repair shop
Conclusion
 

Patching your tire yourself

If you have noticed that one of your tires has been consistently losing pressure but only does slowly and has not gone completely flat, then you likely have a leak in that tire. As long as it is a minor leak without major damage having occurred to the tire, you should be able to get it patched which will resolve the leak and future loss of pressure. What you will need to decide is if you want to try to do it yourself or if you feel it would be easier just to spend some extra money and have a tire shop or mechanic do it.

If you are confident enough to patch your tire yourself, you can use the following process to fix any leaks in a tire that has lost pressure:

1. Fill the tire in question with air – You will not be able to identify the area of the tire that is the source of the escaping air if there is not enough air in the tire to begin with. Whenever you fill your tire do so to the suggested PSI that your vehicle’s owner’s manual suggests.
2. See if you can spot a nail or a tear – At this point do a quick visual inspection of your tire to see if you can spot both where the leak is coming from as well as what caused it. This isn’t always the case, but the most frequent cause of a leak in a tire is usually a nail or something similar that has punctured the tire and remains lodged in it.
3. Check for the sound or feel of rapidly escaping air – Whether or not you spotted something such as a nail stuck in your tire, you should put your ear to the tire to see if you can hear air rapidly rushing out of the tire. This is a tell-tale way of how to locate the source of your leak.
4. Remove the tire from your car and from its rim – Take the necessary steps to remove your tire from your vehicle and it’s rim. You will need to patch it from the inside so it must come off the rim.
   

5. Patch the tire – Once the tire is off of your car and the rim you can proceed to patch it. In order to do so, you will just need a reputable and well-reviewed tire plug kit which you can buy on a site like Amazon. Just follow the instructions that come with the kit.
6. Put the tire back on the rim and the car – Now you can put your tire back on the rim and then back on your vehicle. You are ready to hit the road once again.

Bringing your car to a tire repair shop

You might be adept enough to remove your tire from your car, but many people are not adept enough to remove it from the rim and then securely place it back on the rim. Maybe you just do not feel like going through the process of plugging your own tire. Either way, you will always have the option of taking your car to a tire repair shop. In fact, some mechanics can likely also patch a tire for you.

This will be more expensive but it will save you the effort of doing it yourself and the job will be professionally done so you can be sure the work will be quality. Although it will be quicker than doing yourself, getting your tire patched at a tire repair shop will still take some time during which you will be without your vehicle. Typically, it will take a tire repair shop about twenty minutes to an hour. Most tire patch jobs will on the shorter end of that range.

The cost of bringing your car to a tire repair store and getting a tire patched will vary based on a few things. The kind of tire that you are bringing in to get repaired, the type of patch the shop performs, and what they charge for their labor among other things. On average, a typical tire patch job will cost between $20 and $35.
 

Conclusion

Patching a leak in one or more of your car’s tires can be both time consuming and difficult if you choose to do it yourself. However, it is definitely not impossible to complete on your own. Although, when you consider the fact that going to a tire repair shop will likely save you over an hour with their speed and expertise and it will also only cost you about thirty dollars overall, it really might be your best bet. Either way, it is important to take care of a leak in any tire because a leak can quickly get worse and lead to both a flat as well as the need to completely replace your tire.

Jump to section:
Safe U-turns
Legal U-turns
Wrapping up
 

Safe U-turns

There are a few reasons that you could find yourself needing to make a U-turn in Hawaii. Maybe you missed a turn, maybe you were looking for a spot to park and just drove past an open space without seeing it in time to stop or maybe that is the only way for you to get to the other side of the street. The reason that you are making a U-turn does not matter. What does matter is that you make your U-turn both safely and legally.

As far as safety goes when you are making a U-turn, you should begin by making sure you signal your intent to do so with the right amount of “notice.” So, be sure that you turn your blinker on a hundred feet prior to the place you intend to stop to make the U-turn.

One of the reasons that a higher level of caution is needed when making a U-turn is that oncoming vehicles may only think you are making a typical turn. This can be problematic because a U-turn will put you in the path of traffic much longer than a typical turn will. Thus, other oncoming cars could maintain a speed that is unsafe when someone is making a U-turn in front of them but perfectly safe when someone is making a traditional turn. This is why it is so important that you give yourself more than enough time and space when you are making a U-turn.

In order to be sure that you have enough space to make a U-turn, you should be sure that you are doing so across at least two lanes of traffic and not just one lane. One lane with or without a shoulder will only leave you with enough room to make a two or three point turn. Making a two- or three-point turn is fine but you will need much more time in which to do so, and that is dangerous because oncoming traffic could be bearing down on you momentarily.

The proper way to ensure that you have enough time to safely make your U-turn will be to stay focused on the oncoming traffic in front of you, when you see that traffic has cleared and that there are no oncoming cars that will reach the area that you are making the U-turn within five seconds, then you can start your turn. When you are turning make sure that you stay focused on your surroundings so that if another car does approach more quickly than you had anticipated, you will be able to react.
 

Legal U-turns

The legality of a U-turn will depend mostly upon where you are making your U-turn. U-turns are legal in all turn lanes that are not accompanied by a “no u-turn sign” which will be a sign that has a black upside down U with a circle and a line through the middle that is usually red. You can also legally make a U-turn where there are dotted white lines rather than solid white lines in the middle of a road.

Illegal U-turns include when you start your U-turn from anywhere other than the left-most lane of traffic because doing it from anywhere else would require you turning across cars that were driving in the same direction as you which is extremely unsafe. It is also illegal to make a U-turn when drivers cannot see you turning from at least five hundred feet away which can include the area before or on a blind curve. Making a U-turn can also land you with a ticket when you cross a highway divider or double solid yellow line to do so.

In Hawaii, if you are pulled over for making an illegal U-turn, you will face a fine which is left to “the officer’s discretion.” This means that the officer who witnessed your illegal U-turn and cited you for it will determine how serious and dangerous the actual illegal turn was. A ticket like this can end up causing your insurance rates to increase because it is a moving violation. However, Hawaii no longer uses a point system with regards to traffic offenses. So, it is difficult to tell how much your insurance could increase for an infraction such as this. Finally, if you frequently have been cited for other moving violations within eighteen months of getting an “improper turn” ticket for making an illegal U-turn, your license could also be suspended.
 

Wrapping up

Making a U-turn is an easy and quick way for you to start heading in the opposite direction quickly when you are driving. Regardless of the reason for your U-turn, it is crucially important that you do so both safely and legally. If you do not and you try to hook your U-turn too quickly or from the middle lane of traffic you can easily be responsible for causing an accident. If you make an illegal U-turn you will face a fine that could be over a hundred dollars as well as a possibly increase in your insurance rates. If you had several previous and recent moving violations, you could also end up with a suspended license.

Jump to section:
Waiting for traffic to clear
Signaling
Conclusion
 

Waiting for traffic to clear

When you turn left on any road that is not a one-way road, you will be turning across oncoming traffic which can obviously be extremely dangerous if the proper care is not taken. Thus you should always pay close attention and wait for traffic to clear before attempting to make your left turn. The one exception will be if you are at a larger intersection and are in a turning lane that gets a green left arrow before the oncoming side of traffic gets a general green light. In that instance, you will be able to turn left without having to worry about oncoming traffic.

If there is no green left arrow signal or you have missed it, you will have to carefully check for oncoming traffic. At a stop light, you will not need to worry about traffic traveling in direction that you are trying to turn because if you have a green light, they will have a red light. You will just need to worry about traffic that is on the left side of the road that you are turning from.

So, if you are turning west from northbound traffic, you will only need to worry about southbound traffic. The good thing in this situation is that you will not have to turn your head and/or check any of your mirrors in this situation in order to complete the turn. Just stay focused on oncoming traffic and do not take any chances by trying to squeeze your turn in before closely approaching oncoming vehicles pass.
 

Signaling

Signaling when you are making a left turn is important because it alerts other drivers that you will soon be turning rather than continuing straight which can easily prevent an accident and it can also help you avoid getting pulled over and ticketed. Even in a situation where there is a designated turning lane present, you should be properly signaling as you approach that turning lane for a few hundred feet, not just after you enter it. If the driver’s behind you are not expecting you to start slowing down in order to enter a turning lane, they will not slow down themselves.

If you are turning left from a road without a designated turning lane, then you signaling your turn is even more critically important. You could end up sitting in an active lane of traffic waiting to turn. Thus, other driver’s must be warned of what you are doing so they can slow down to wait or change their lane to the right in order to continue around you.

Finally, if you do not signal when you turn left in Hawaii, you can be ticketed. The fine that you will need to pay will be well over a hundred dollars. If you have a history of moving violations, getting a ticket for failing to signal during a turn can have serious insurance coverage and/or cost ramifications.
 

Conclusion

Using your turn signal when you turn left in Hawaii is as easy as gently pushing a small lever conveniently located right near or on your steering column. Yet doing so puts you at much lower risk of being collided with from behind and can be the difference between paying a fine and having your insurance rates increase significantly. Always use your turn signals whether you are turning left, right or even changing lanes.

Jump to section:
Plan to book early and ship during a less busy time of year
Skip the extras
Conclusion
 

Plan to book early and ship during a less busy time of the year

Whether or not you are shipping a vehicle to or from Hawaii, it tends to be one of the pricier vehicle shipments within the United States. This is simply because one of the most important factors in the determination of a price for a particular car shipment is the distance. With vehicle shipments to or from Hawaii starting at a minimum of over two thousand miles due to its distance from the continental United States, you can see why it will cost a bit more.

So, you are likely wondering what you can do to save money when you are shipping a car to or from Hawaii. Thankfully, there are several simple things you can do or select during the booking of your shipment in order to keep the cost of your Hawaiian car shipment as low as possible.

How well you plan your car’s transportation can definitely play a big role in saving you money on the overall price. If you are in a position where you can choose anytime in the next year to schedule your Hawaiian car shipment, you should choose to ship during the fall or winter. Although these seasons do not make much of a difference for Hawaii itself, the time of year will have a big impact on the overall cost of your car shipment.

In the continental United States, auto transporters are much less busy in the fall, before the holiday season, and in the dead of winter. So, to be more exact, the end of January through all of February, along with the end of September through all of October will be the periods during the year that car shippers are doing their least amount of business. When a car shipping company, or any business for that matter, has very low demand for its services they tend to lower prices as much as possible in order to facilitate the biggest influx of new business. Thus, if you ship your car to or from Hawaii during the fall or the middle of the winter, you will likely save some money as opposed to if you shipped during the summer.

Whether or not you have the flexibility to choose which time of year during which to ship a vehicle to or from Hawaii, you should definitely consider booking your shipment with at least a month’s notice. If you can, book your shipment six or eight weeks in advance. This is because when you book a shipment early, there is no rush to find a carrier. It is also partially because when you book a shipment late, space is as limited as it can get without being completely sold out. Thus, price increases because the supplier (your auto transporter) knows someone will definitely be willing to pay almost any price for the last spot or two on the carrier. Hence, you should never wait until the last minute too book your shipment.
 

Skip the extras

As we mentioned, the specific decisions you make and options you choose regarding your Hawaiian car shipment will make a big difference in the final price of shipping a vehicle to one of the islands. There are several “upgraded” or additional options that you can choose to use when you are booking a shipment. We suggest avoiding any upgrades to your vehicle transportation if your primary concern is saving money.

Several common upgraded or additional car shipping services are:

• Enclosed auto transport – Enclosed car shipping is when your vehicle is shipped on a special car carrier that has walls and a roof which will protect it from outside elements while it ships on the ground. This will typically add at least a couple hundred dollars to the overall price of shipping a car.
• Top-loading – Top-loading is when you choose to have your car placed on the top deck of an auto carrier. This offers a bit of extra protection for your car from vehicles above it leaking any fluids on it which is extremely rare. This will usually add about an additional hundred dollars to the cost of your shipment.
• Shipping additional items within your vehicle – Some auto transport companies will allow their customers to ship additional items or luggage in their car for an additional fee. On top of costing extra, doing this will put you in a position where these other items will not be covered by insurance if they happen to get damaged in transit.

It will definitely keep your overall cost of shipping a car either to or from Hawaii low if you choose to forego all of these additional upgrades.
 

Conclusion

As far as car shipments that have an origin and destination both in the US, shipping a vehicle to Hawaii or away from Hawaii is about as far as it gets. Thus, you might want to try to save some money on that shipment if at all possible. If you simply ship during a less hectic period for your car shipper, give at least a month’s notice of your shipment, and avoid selecting any upgraded shipping options you will be able to keep your Hawaiian auto transport cost at a minimum.

Jump to section:
The purpose of tag lights
Replacing a tag light
Conclusion
 

 

The purpose of tag lights

“Tag lights”, as they are most commonly referred to, are the small lights near your rear license plate that allow other drivers and/or the police to read your plate at night and in other dark conditions. This is important because other driver’s may need to identify you in case you were involved in an accident, did something illegal or they otherwise need to identify your vehicle with specificity. The same essentially goes for the police but it also goes a step further. The police will additionally need to be able to quickly read your plate in dark conditions so they can call it in and run a check to see if you have warrants, if your car is currently stolen etc.

It is important to frequently check your tag lights to ensure that they are in proper working condition. If one or more of your tag lights is out and your license plate is not completely readable as a result, you can be pulled over by the police and given a ticket. Thankfully, this infraction is not a moving violation so it will not have any insurance or license suspension implications. However, you will still need to pay a fine.

In Hawaii, the cost of a “License Plate Must be Illuminated and Visible at 50 ft from Rear,” otherwise known as a tag light ticket, is $40 not including fees. The additional fees/surcharges could end up being in the $100 dollar range, so your total cost could easily be over $100 for having a tag light out in Hawaii.
 

Replacing a tag light

Fortunately, if you do get one of these tickets it is considered a correctable offense. So, you can get your tag light fixed and bring it to the station that issued the ticket so that they can confirm the repair has been made. If it has, the ticket can be reversed. Typically, you only are allowed twenty-four hours from the issuance of the ticket to correct the offense.

The big question is “How do I replace a tag light?” Well, the way to do this can vary, especially for older vehicles which might not even have tag lights. However, most cars made in the last twenty years have the tag lights in a very similar area.

You can replace your vehicle’s tag lights by taking the following steps:

1. First you will need to get a replacement tag light that corresponds to your particular vehicle. You can easily do this by going into your local AutoZone and giving them the make, model and year of your car. They will go grab you a replacement bulb or order one for you. You can also order one online, but AutoZone usually keeps them in stock which will be your quickest option.
2. Then you will need to remove the cover of the tag light that has burnt out. For almost all vehicles produced over the last two plus decades, these lights are located right where the latch for your trunk is located which is purposely right above your rear license plate. These covers will be screwed it, so make sure you have a screwdriver handy.
3. Next you will need to remove the burnt-out bulb in question. There will be specific instructions in your vehicle’s owner’s manual regarding the exact method to use to do so. Some bulbs will need to be unscrewed and others can be gently pulled out.
4. Pop or screw in your replacement bulb at this point.
5. Start your car’s engine in order to see if you have correctly replaced the tag light and that it is correctly illuminated.
6. Once you have determined that you successfully replaced your tag light, you will just need to put the cover for the tag light back on by screwing it back in.

Conclusion

Your tag lights essentially serve only one purpose, to allow other drivers and the police to easily be able to read your license plate at night. If you happen to be involved in an accident or do something illegal, your car needs to be easily identified from a distance. If one or more of your tag lights goes out, you can be pulled over and get a ticket. Fortunately, if you replace the light within a day, you can get the ticket reversed in most cases. Your best bet is to frequently check your tag lights and replace them as soon as they burn out.