The next time something on your car needs fixing, why not try and fix it yourself? People are always running straight to the mechanic shop, no matter if the problem is small or large. Use this article to learn how to repair your vehicle. This will allow you to save money, and give you a feeling of accomplishment.

Check for A.S.E. certification before you choose a mechanic. The basis of this certification is that your mechanic has over two years of experience and they have passed appropriate testing. You will then know that you are dealing with a trained professional.

Always ask lots of questions when your car is at the shop. Be sure the questions involve the problems you are having with your car and what you can do to prevent it from happening again. Preventing car problems is a great, money-saving skill to have.

You must wash your car to keep the rust away. Cars eventually rust, but you can put off the process by washing off chemicals or salt quickly. Using a wax will protect the paint job significantly.

You should always test drive your vehicle after getting some repairs done on it. This way you can avoid paying for repairs that were not finished correctly. A lot of people don’t try to drive their car first and they figure out the hard way that it wasn’t repaired later on.

Make sure you have both a spare tire and a jack in your trunk. Many cars will come with these straight off of the dealership’s floor. If you get stuck in an unknown area, these items are crucial to have. It’s far more convenient and less costly to take care of it yourself.

Make a DIY kit to store in the trunk to help you in times of need. The basic tools you will need include the tire changing equipment which should have come with your car. If the necessary lug wrench and jack are missing, replace them. A few good screwdrivers, wrenches and a socket wrench can also come in handy for any unexpected road-side issues. Never buy cheap tools. If you buy high quality tools, they will not break when you really need them.

Compare more than 3 estimates so that you can get the best deal on your repair. While you can usually trust an auto repair shop, you don’t want to be paying too much money for the repairs needed. Look around for reputable shops that specialize in your car’s make. Your car is more likely to be repaired properly at these shops.

Before you decide on an auto shop, ask your friends to talk about their car repair experiences. They have used mechanics before and can fill you in on their experiences. After they give you the recommendations, be sure to research them. At the minimum, take a look online to see what others are saying about the shop as well.

Look at flashing lights on your dashboard and learn what each one signifies. Paying attention to these warnings is always in your best interest. If you ignore them for a long time then you’ll just have an even worse problem later on.

Clean your car regularly, even in the winter. Although you may think there is no point to it, your car is more likely to get damaged in the winter. Sand and salt on the roads can cause rust and corrosion. To be sure that ice doesn’t build up, make sure the car gets dried after washing it.

Doing vehicle repairs yourself can also be rather risky. Should something happen, be sure someone else is around. Spend a little more on tools of high quality that will not fall apart. This definitely applies to tire changing equipment. The jack you buy needs to support your vehicle well. This is the reason why you should use a reliable hydraulic floor jack equipped with the right jack stands.

Bleed your brakes after you’ve worked on them and before you take your car out on the road. Once you have bled the brakes, pump up the fluid of your brakes. Check to make sure there are no leaks that can cause the fluid to escape. You are then ready to test drive your car on roads that don’t have a lot of traffic. Start slow to ensure nothing is wrong.

OEM is the Manufacturer’s Original Equipment. Remember this when you have car parts replaced. You will seem like you know what you are talking about if you tell a mechanic you only want OEM parts. This could very well prevent someone from outfitting your car with old parts.

Some things you can do yourself, including adding oil and other fluids. It’s a falsehood that only mechanics are qualified to perform routine maintenance. Find out how to perform a repair and get down to it.

After paying a mechanic to replace an old part on your vehicle with a new one, ask him to give you back the one that he removed. When the mechanic says no, it’s likely that he never actually replaced the part. Mechanics should be happy to provide you with the old part.

Keep a file with all your important repair receipts in your vehicle. Divide them by repair, preventative care and maintenance or a chronology system. This complete set of records will be very helpful for anyone working on your car. It also helps if you have a dispute with maintenance, you will have all your receipts in one place. This can come in handy later on.

Getting auto repairs done can seem like such a pain when you first start. But the basics of car repair are not that hard, and beyond that you just need a good idea of how to find a good mechanic. Keep this article’s advice in mind and see how well your car runs.