With increasing gas prices, we are all looking for ways to save money. Buy a Hybrid for around`$30,000 to save $10 a week in gas? I don't think so. A lot of us realize that with the economic slow down our best bet is to reduce debt and drive what we already have a little longer. This article is for people that are looking to save money on their car repairs but don't want to do the repairs themselves.
Find a repair shop before your car is in desperate need of repair. The easiest and less stressful way to try a shop's services out is to schedule an oil change. By scheduling your car for this service, you can get to know the place, see if it seems trustworthy, organized and professional. Look for ASE certifications or dealer training certifications while there on your visit. Ask about their other services and what their warranty is on parts and labor.
Save money by having repairs done as soon as there is a problem. Delaying repairs can often result in more damage being done to related parts, requiring more labor and material. Have the car checked, just because your car overheated, don't assume that it needs a water pump. If you ask for a water pump, that is what you'll get and your car may still overheat. If you ask the service writer to have your car checked for overheating, then it will be their diagnosis and you have a leg to stand on if the repair didn't remedy the problem.
You are much more likely to have a good experience if you communicate well with the shop. Don't always elect go with the lowest price, you may end up with inferior parts and possibly a less experienced auto technician performing the repairs. Everyone is in a rush these days, but when you get your car worked on allow ample time for the repair so the work is not rushed. Anyone that works too fast is prone to make mistakes. Ask to see the old parts, you may not know what you are looking at, but this helps to insure the parts were replaced and that they did in fact fail. With a little common sense, you'll save a ton of money on car repair and you won't even get your hands dirty.
Dennis is an ASE Master Auto Technician that has hands on experience with automotive tools for over 23 years. He founded http://www.denlorstools.com/ in 2005 that offers namebrand auto tools, shop supplies and shop equipment at great prices.
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1 comment:
Hi there,
Since you have this great blog dedicated to saving people money on auto maintenance, I thought you also might be interested in checking out DriverSide, a Web site that offers an innovative approach to auto ownership. The Web site has a repair cost calculator that provides results tailored to each consumer’s automobile (based on area service centers), peer reviews of mechanics and forums for discussing individual car maintenance problems. It also has a parts/accessories listing that shows compatible items for your car across multiple online marketplaces. Finally, DriverSide has many useful features found nowhere else such as a total cost of ownership calculator, recall alerts, and manufacturer-recommended service schedules.
All of these resources allow consumers to make better-informed choices when it comes to car maintenance. This also addresses a pressing need among consumers – in a DriverSide-commissioned survey by Kelton Research, almost half of U.S. consumers (46%)are not very or not at all confident that their mechanic is charging them a fair price.
Let me know if you are interested in more information or have any questions about DriverSide. Thanks!
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