How to Save Money on Car Maintenance
Posted on Jan 17, 2013
There are a number of ways to save money on car maintenance. Things like brake pads – learn more – and transmission repair and maintenance can be done by the average person with just a little bit of studying and an investment in the right tools which if done correctly can save you a ton of money based on the average transmission rebuild cost by a professional mechanic. You can also save money on car repairs by avoiding the more costly repairs. This is done by keeping up with preventative maintenance in order to avoid bigger problems. A bad spark plug can lead to catalytic converter problems, old oil can clog an engine and improper cooling can cause the pistons to melt and your engine to seize. All of these items make your maintenance bill go through the roof and are easy to avoid by taking car of your car. You should also consider building a relationship with a local area mechanic you can trust.
Preventative Maintenance
Taking your car in for its regular oil change is the first step in keeping it running smoothly. At this time the mechanic should check the tire pressure, the gaskets, the air filters and the spark plugs. This gives you a baseline for how your car is running. Oil change coupons offer you a savings on this standard repair and can save you money time and time again by making each a cheap oil change. You should also check your new car financing contract as sometimes it includes preventative maintenance requirements or benefits. That said, be sure you fully understand how 0% financing on new cars works as it is typically only a good deal for those with a high credit score and those that can put plenty of money down on the car.
Windshield replacement and repair is another place where you can save money (further reading: where to get a windshield replaced?) Repairing a chip can keep you from having to pay for the whole windshield replacement. Wheel alignments are also important for keeping your car running correctly. Out of balance tires not only ruins your gas mileage but can put undo stress on your axles according to WheelAlignmentCostData.com. This can cause uneven wear on the tires as well, another expensive replacement cost that can be easily avoided.
Doing Some Work Yourself
As with anything else, doing the work yourself can save you money in exchange for your time. Changing your oil, replacing your brake pads, replacing filters and even auto window tinting (read more: how much is window tinting?) can keep you from having to pay a mechanic to do these things. Your car paint job can even be touched up by you which will save you the money reported by www.carpaintjobcost.net. This type work might not seem like much but it adds up over time, particularly if you are working on more than one car.
Taking a class is a good way to learn more about your automobile and might even give you access to tools you don’t readily have at home. This is often how people start out down the car hobby road. It can be very fun to work on a vehicle, especially if your day job is in an office. There is something cathartic about working on an engine and figuring out problems on your own in a very hands-on way. All of this works as therapy for you and saves you time at the mechanic’s shop. You don’t have to turn in your car and you don’t have to pay for a rental. It can be a real win-win situation.
Building a Relationship with a Mechanic
You should also work on building a relationship with a mechanic. Mechanics like to know they have won over your business. If they can count on you to bring them cars, they can afford to charge you less when you are a regular customer. They need to have a steady flow of work to pay the bills and keeping regular customers happy helps ensure this. It also means they have a vested interest in keeping you happy.
Mechanics often get work through recommendations. They want you to like them and they want you to tell your friends about them. The more people you tell about their services, the more valued a customer you will become. Some mechanics offer particular discounts, will give free estimates or even run diagnostics without having you pay. All of this adds up over time and saves you money each and every year. Such savings can then be extended to other vehicles and you can even get the advice of your mechanic as to what new car you may want to buy next or even check out a great used car.
Saving money on car maintenance is a great way to lower your household bills. Often there are times where it seems that you don’t have enough time to keep up with all the small items, but that can cost you in the long run. Making sure to keep up with preventative maintenance will help you save money and will keep your car working on a regular basis. The smallest things can make a difference and keeping good records of your car’s service will help you stay on top of all the required maintenance. Don’t ignore scheduled service calls, stay on top of the recommendations of the manufacturer and get things tested immediately if they start to go wrong. All of these simple steps will keep your repair bills low while keep your car in perfect working order.