Your car can become one of your most expensive and time consuming investments if you are not sure how to take care of it. In addition to knowing some basic facts about your car, there are other things that can help you out. Read this article so you can save money and time!
Never underestimate how important it is to carrying an emergency kit inside your vehicle. You need tools to change a flat tire, charge a battery, and you must have spare gas. You may also want to add some batteries, a flashlight and a few blankets in the event that you break down at night.
Check the fluids in your car regularly. Check the oil level with the dipstick you can find under your hood. The dipstick should have a mark on it to indicate the ideal oil level. Add a quart of oil if you need to and check the level again after letting your car run for a few minutes.
Make sure you often check the radiator. Run your car, turn it off then pop the hood. Don't open your radiator cap if your car is on. Use a dipstick to check the fluid levels, and always add the correct amount of water to your coolant before adding it to your tank.
Don't neglect your regular maintenance. These scheduled visits are not there just to get more money from you. They are designed to make sure maintenance is done on specific components before you end up stranded on the side of the road. While you might be able to skip one or two and be okay, the damage will shorten the life of your car.
If you're performing your own repairs underneath a car and have it raised in the air, ensure that the lifting device you use is secure. Never lift a car that is not on level ground or on a firm surface. Always use jackstands in the proper position and never solely rely on a jack to keep a car raised off the ground.
Avoid costly car repairs by sticking to the maintenance schedule of your car's manufacturer. By doing regular maintenance on your car when necessary, you will avoid having to fix things due to maintenance neglect. Not sticking to the maintenance schedule will result in unnecessary repairs which could have been avoided.
If you have something major that needs to be done by someone at a shop, you have to be sure you get more than just a single price. The shop you've gone to may be trying to rip you off. Search for an auto repair shop that specializes in repairing the make of vehicle you have. You'll get a better repair on your car because these shops will know exactly what your car needs.
Don't have a bunch of keychains on your keyring, or make sure you can remove your key when you need it. Your car's ignition is simply not designed to hold all that weight, even if it may not seem that heavy to you. If your key sticks, install new tumblers and use a lighter key chain.
Look to the Better Business Bureau and local consumer advocate groups for more information on the auto repair shop you are considering. You'll want to search everywhere for potential knowledge on this service center before you plop down the big bucks on a costly repair. Often these organizations will have a lot of great intelligence for you to consider.
Keep full copies of all of your auto repair work orders and every receipt as well. You'll want to have this proof available if any workmanship issues crop up. Plus, when you are selling the car, you'll tend to get more value for it when you are able to show exactly what has been repaired and how.
If you need to have your car fixed, but you don't have a lot of cash on hand, think about asking a local vocational school if they have an auto repair class. You will pay much less for your repairs and will help students who are under the watchful eye of their qualified instructor.
Pick up a book on simple auto repairs. You may find that some smaller repairs you can do at home, especially if you are mechanically inclined. Though, don't go crazy! If it's an advanced issue, get your car to a legitimate repair shop as soon as you can. Don't make the problem worse with a shoddy repair job.
Find out how often you should perform a tune up on your vehicle. You should find this information in your owner's manual. You have probably heard that you need to tune up your vehicle every 100,000 miles but this really depends on the make an model of the vehicle you have.
Always get your timing belt repaired at the proper time, according to your tune-up schedule. A timing belt going out can cause major engine damage, leading to much bigger repairs. Those repairs can run into the thousands of dollars, so don't ignore that timing belt - you may be sorry if you do!
Ask your mechanic if he is willing to use re-manufactured or salvaged parts. Using these parts can save you hundreds of dollars and is good for the environment as well. If he is unwilling to use them you may want to find someone else to work on your vehicle, as there really is no reason not to.
If you pull up to a gas station while their tankers are still there, pull-out and come back another day. The initial day while tankers are still filling the tanks at the gas station, the pressure will stir up the dirt and debris at the bottom of the underground tank.
As mentioned earlier, learning some basic repairs for your car has many long-term benefits. Besides teaching others and relying on yourself when you're having car issues, you can save tons of cash. Keep in mind the advice from this article in order to perform minor repairs on your own.
Orignal From: Auto Repair Tips To Get More Life From Your Vehicle
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