How to Save on your Repairs
“It goes without saying,
that proper maintenance on your car is going to prevent repairs in the
future. If something feels weird or isn’t working right, you should
bring your car to the mechanic as soon as possible, an inexpensive
repair or replacement can become very pricy if you let a problem
linger.”
1. Once a week, clean out any unnecessary
weight from your vehicle. No, we're not talking about your mother-in-law
or your brother who always needs a ride. Instead, look at things like
bowling balls and boxes of miscellaneous stuff you may carry around in
your rear passenger area or in your trunk.
2. Keep an eye on the
overall tuning of your vehicle. Once you notice that the tuning no
longer seems up to par, get a tune-up, which you can usually do yourself
for less than $100, including new spark plugs and wires, an air
cleaner, and a few other items.
3. Think ahead to your week's
schedule to see what trips can be consolidated. You would be amazed at
how just a few less small trips each week can trim the money you're
investing at the gas pump - which contributes to fuel companies' world
record profits.
4. Along the same lines, consider what car trips
simply are not necessary. Even with gas prices high, many people go out for unnecessary
joy rides or travel much farther than required to buy their groceries or
general merchandise items. It's not that you can go some distance from
home, but choose your occasions wisely.
5. Can you car pool one
or two days a week for work or for your kids' out-of-school activities?
Again, you can save an appreciable amount off weekly gas prices.
6.
Watch the inflation in your tires. Poor inflation can really sap gas consumption as well as
make your vehicle less safe to operate. A tire gauge can cost only a few
dollars and an air compressor to add air to your tires can cost less
than three or four car gas tank fill-ups.
7. Don't let your
vehicle sit idling. Idling can really tap your gas tank and contributes
to air pollution.
Questions to ask your
repair shop
“For most car owners, the repair shop can be an
intimidating place. After all, how are you supposed to speak the same
language as the mechanic who knows the innards of your car so well?”
“The good news is that it’s not your responsibility to talk
their language. You know you have a good mechanic, if they can explain
the problem, and solution in layman’s terms.”
“After
talking to the mechanic, you don’t have a good idea of what is going to
be done to your car, or even worse, if the shop doesn’t allow you to
speak to the mechanic, then you may not want to give that repair shop
your business.”
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Can I Do This
Myself?
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It depends on
where you rank on the Car Talk do-it-yourself scale:
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There are two kinds of
screwdrivers?
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I've successfully hung pictures around the house.
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I've changed my own
oil.
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I've
fixed things on my car that involve removing more than five bolts.
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I've built a
working nuclear reactor out of wood.
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Buying a used car
Obviously, if you have a
mechanic you trust and admire, it may be well worth your time to ask to
have this mechanic check out the vehicle before you buy it. Yet this may
not always be possible; garages often have appointments booked solid
and it can be difficult to pull a mechanic from his job to have him or
her inspect your purchase at a dealer or in someone's driveway. Few
sellers are willing to wait for three weeks or more to give you time to
get their car checked out and you may lose any deposit you place if you
wait so long another buyer steps in.
Sometimes, you will have to
step up to the plate and do the best job you can to assess the used
vehicle to determine if it's worth the price asked and if it's suitable
for the kind of transportation needs you have. While you may not be a
professional mechanic, there are a number of aspects of vehicle quality
you can assess on your own even without expert knowledge.
First,
before you even go to check out a used car advertised for sale, do your
homework. Let's say you call about an ad for a mint condition 2000 Toyota Camry and make an appointment to see it the
next day. If you happen to know someone who owns a Camry, call that
person to pick his or her brain about any problems experienced with that
make and model of car. Next, call your regular mechanic and ask the
same question. Jot down notes to take with you the next day. You can
extend your research by going online and using a Web search engine to
try to find out more information about that type of vehicle. Ask to see
the vehicle on as level a surface as possible. This is important,
because you can spot a problem with suspension that may leave one or
more quarters of the vehicle riding lower to the road than others. You
can also sometimes spot frame damage to indicate the vehicle has been in
at least one serious collision.
Also ask to see the vehicle
manual and the car's maintenance record. While you're at it, ask who
does the servicing on the vehicle; you may want to give that garage or
mechanic a call to see if you can determine how well it's been cared for
in the past. Of course, not everyone is going to give you a full
service history but you may get enough clues about problems to make you
look for a different used car.
You should also:
- inspect
the vehicle for signs of rust or damage
- look underneath the vehicle
as well as at the obvious body
- pay close attention when you start
the vehicle; look for dashboard warning lights that remain on and ask about them
- check
the exhaust as you start the car
- take a test drive that involves
turning, shifting gears, braking multiple times, a steep ascent to see
how well the car handles, and a dirt road or other challenging road
surface
- listen for brake noise, engine knocking, pinging, or
anything else that seems not quite right
- try all the lights to be sure they work
- have the engine
running at least once when you check beneath the hood
- under the
hood, look at the overall condition of the engine (a clean engine is
more than just aesthetically pleasing; it may also indicate good vehicle
care) as well as for loose or broken hoses, belts, and fixtures
Don't
forget to:
- look beneath cushions and mats to be sure they aren't
positioned to hide something
- check operation of windows, doors, and
other devices
- ask about operating costs, including average mileage
and oil consumption
Also, never feel pushed to make a deal. If
someone is really trying to force you to agree to buy immediately,
before you can get the car professionally inspected or give it a
thorough inspection yourself, there may be a reason.
If
the boots crack or tear open, then the grease that the boots hold in
will leak out. The CV joint will then be exposed to dirt, moisture and
road kill. Without the boot covering — and the grease it holds in — the
joint will fail. Replacing the CV joint can cost hundreds of dollars,
whereas replacing a boot costs a fraction of that amount.
http://cars.cartalk.com/content/diy/
Tired of spending your hard earned money on mechanics who
screw up two things for every problem they fix? Think you could break
them yourself for less? Well, you've come to the right place.
In
our humble opinion, servicing and repairing your car yourself provides
at least three good benefits:
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1. It gives you an excuse
to avoid other household chores.
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B. It's an opportunity
to buy lots of really cool tools.
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III. You might actually fix your car — and save money in the
process.