A basic understanding of auto repair services is really a necessity for anybody who owns (or even just drives) a car. There are many people who don’t have such information. The following article will provide you with many excellent pieces of advice for keeping your car in peak condition.
Battery Charger
Always have a good battery charger in your car. This is a common cause of breakdowns, and carrying a charger helps other drivers as well as yourself. It is important to not only have the battery charger but to know how it works as well in case you are alone.
Make sure that you have car records on file. It’s a good idea to place them in the vehicle you drive just in case you’re in need of repairs while you’re out and about. The people repairing your automobile are going to need to look over these records. They can help them diagnose the issue a lot quicker.
Test Drive
Before paying your mechanic for any work done, make sure to take it for a short test drive first, to make sure everything is working as it should. A lot of people forget to test drive their vehicle and pay for repairs that did not really fix their problem.
If your headlights seem dim, they might just be dirty. Dirt from driving can build up on your headlights and block some light. Use glass cleaner to wash any dirt away from them.
Keep a spare tire and a jack with you all the time. Most of the new cars of today have them in the trunk. You don’t need to be stuck somewhere you don’t know and need to pay a lot for towing. It is simpler and cheaper to handle it on your own.
Assemble repair tools and keep them in your car, so you are prepared at all times. For instance, if anything dealing with tire changes came with the car, have this in your car. If you don’t have a jack and lug wrench, get one. Also, you need Phillips and flat-head screwdrivers, a ratchet set, and various types of wrenches. Cheap tools are not worth your money. You want tools that are reliable and up to the task at hand.
Inquire about labor rates and overall cost before handing your keys to the mechanic. Some shops have these costs in conspicuous places, so you need to carefully read and ask any questions you have if something doesn’t make sense. You have a right to know how much a repair will cost and what it will consist of. Some service shops have estimated times for repair, establish by the manufacturers. While some things are considered minor repairs, the job may actually take all day.
Remind Yourself
Make sure that you remind yourself of how often your oil needs to be changed. You have to change it regularly to keep your car running smoothly. If you do not have your oil changed on a regular basis, you are risking serious damage to your engine. Try to remind yourself every 3,000 miles.
You should not purchase a part from someone who claims the part will last you a lifetime. A lot of the time they just say this so that they’re able to make more off of you. One example of this is transmission fluid. This fluid does last longer, but you still should change it approximately every 80,000 miles.
Not many people read their car’s manual. Go over this manual and mark the important pages that deal with information on maintaining your vehicle. This manual provides you with lots of useful information on maintaining and making small repairs to your vehicle on your own.
Always contact the manufacturer if you’re experiencing safety-related problems with a new car. Manufacturers issue recalls for some vehicles that have recurring issues and you can get your manufacturer to consider recalling the vehicle if other people run into the same problem. With a new car, the problem will generally be covered by the warranty, and the dealer will fix it.
Keep a file with all your important repair receipts in your vehicle. Divide them by repair, preventative care and maintenance or a chronology system. You just want to make sure you have a full maintenance record for the car so that you can ensure proper repairs and full satisfaction should a dispute arise. It is always a good idea to keep good records.
Make sure you ask a mechanic plenty of questions. Don’t just concern yourself with the price; rather, ask about everything that has to do with the repairs. Is there an estimate available for the amount of time that will be involved? What kind of work are they doing for you? How much is the cost of the parts? Ask away. You have a right to know. This shows you know a little and would like to know more, and it helps you deal with future issues.
If you’re putting your car in a storage area, place it on a jack stand and fill the tank so that you don’t end up paying for unnecessary repairs. Take off the parking brake and only store it in a dry location.
Ask for a quote that has an itemized list of how much parts and labor will run you. Breaking the repairs down facilitates easy comparison between more than one repair service. Most of the time there is little difference in the charge for parts, so it becomes simple to compare the cost of labor.
Learn about the different aspects of your car and all of the parts involved. Car repairs are inevitable, but that doesn’t mean you must be at the mercy of your local mechanic. The more you know about cars, the better prepared you are when repairs are needed. There is no reason why you should go for broke paying someone to change your oil or fix a flat tire.
If you own a car, it is your job to keep it in good working order. Unfortunately, some people do not know how to find affordable auto repair or make their own repairs. Read the above information as needed, and you will be ready for whatever comes your way.
