Keeping a car in good condition can become a money drain if you don't have a great repair plan. Here are some tips on saving money while keeping your car in working order.
Know Your Maintenance Schedule
You can waste money by following a generally prescribed maintenance routine if your car needs slightly less care. At the same time, many of the more expensive repairs can be avoided if you stick to the right maintenance schedule and don't wait too long. Since every car has slightly different needs, it's important to read your owner's manual to find out how often to check or replace parts.
Get Quality Repairs
Another way to save money is to avoid repeated repairs. Make sure that your repair technicians are certified technicians. Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) provides some regulations on who gets certified, and technicians can become qualified in eight different repair areas. Make sure that your repair person is not only licensed, but also licensed in the category of repairs that they will be working on for your car.
Get Online Estimates
Before you choose a repair center, you may want to get several quotes from repair shops in your area. It's also becoming more popular to get quotes online. There are a few different websites that can tell you the price of a certain repair in your area, and you may be able to leverage these statistics if the pricing comes in a bit high at your chosen shop.
Bundle Your Repairs
If you can afford it, it can often be helpful to do several repairs at once. Your repair technician may have to remove several parts in order to get to the part they are working on, and if you have other repairs that need to be done in that area, you can avoid paying twice for the time it takes to access this area.
If you are unsure what other repairs need to be done on your car, it can be beneficial to get a full inspection before you begin repairs, so that you can try to group your repairs together by cost and area.
As you can see, there is no one-size-fits-all car repair plan, and there are many things that you can do to control the cost and quality of your car maintenance and repairs. Follow these steps to take excellent care of your car and prevent future problems. To learn more about proper maintenance and repairs, speak with an auto care expert like those at The Dyno Shop.
Share30 December 2015
When you live in the coldest parts of the United States, you need to learn how to adapt your car to the prevailing weather conditions. Winter tires will improve traction, and can significantly lower the risk of a dangerous accident. Unfortunately, a lot of drivers don’t really understand how to choose the right winter tires, but, with fifteen years as a skilled mechanic, I hope I can use this blog to give you all the information you need. Whatever car you choose to drive, I will help you winterize your vehicle effectively, and I will also tell you about some of the problems that unsuspecting drivers face in the depths of winter. I hope you find the content interesting and informative!
