Nine ways to save money on car repairs

Fidelity Automotive Solutions Nine Ways to save money on car repairs
By: steve
 
Feb. 8, 2012 - PRLog -- I have a deep seated fear of taking my car to the mechanic. My understanding of cars is limited to what I learned in high school in small engine repair. You will be even less impressed with my educational credentials when I tell you that I attended public schools. The fear is a macho thing. I know very little about cars and my biggest fear is that the mechanic starts talking about fuel injectors, brake lines, struts, axles etc. and I do not understand him / her.

That being said, I have learned a few things over the years and have been fortunate enough to keep my car repair costs to a minimum. Here are a few things to keep your car repair bills down:

Preventive maintenance – The old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” holds very true when it comes to cars. I try to follow the scheduled maintenance plan as outlined in my car owner’s manual. Following this maintenance plan will add years of life to your vehicle and keep it out of the shop. However, there is no need to overdo preventive maintenance. For example, my owner’s manual tells me to change my oil every 5,000 miles. I stick to this plan and do not subscribe to having my oil changed every 3,000 miles that many repair shops tell me to follow. This alone saves about $40 / year.

Honest mechanics – The difference between an honest mechanic and a dishonest mechanic can save you hundreds of dollars each visit to the shop. Once you find a mechanic that you are comfortable with, hold on to them for dear life. If you do not have a mechanic that you work with regularly, ask your friends and family for references.

Clean car exterior regularly – Clean the exterior of your car regularly, especially the undercarriage. The build up of salt, dirt and debris on parts will corrode parts quicker and require more costly repairs. Also dirt and grit gets into joints and helps cause failures.

Dealership vs. local repair shop – Getting repair work done at the dealership is usually a bit pricier than going to a local repair shop. But, the beauty of going to the dealership is that you can be confident that the work will be done correctly. For all complex repair jobs, I take my car to the dealership. Years ago my wife took her car in to have the timing belt changed at a local repair shop. She had to take the car back three times before the repair was done properly (and I will argue the car never really ran the same after that “repair”). Time is money and who has time to deal with that?

Diagnose problems – If your car is not running properly, then diagnose the problem yourself before taking it to the mechanic. There are many websites available in which you can input the symptoms and they will help you assess the problem. These sites will also give you an estimate of the cost to repair the problem. This way, you can speak mechanic when you take the car into the shop and hold them accountable when they estimate the fee.

Tire pressure – Keeping tires properly inflated will add life to your tires and improve the gas mileage of your vehicle. Check your tire pressure regularly. One of the things I like about my car is that it has an automatic indicator to let me know if my tire pressure is low.

Do it yourself – I am neither mechanically inclined nor do I have the time to spend tinkering with my car. About the only task I perform on my car is to lubricate my car door hinges with WD-40 when they start to squeak. However, if you plan to do certain repairs yourself, get the factory repair manual to guide you through the process. This investment will pay for itself in one repair.

AAA – For the nominal annual fee, you can not beat AAA. The member benefits are too great to list here. Additionally, their group rate savings programs will more than offset the annual fee. I save ten percent on my auto insurance through the AAA group rate and always get AAA rates when booking a hotel (this saved me $60 / night on a recent stay).

Warranties – All car warranties are different. Every new car purchased will include a warranty from the manufacturer. Certain used cars also come with a warranties. Review the warranty when you are in need of any repairs and see if the costs are covered. Also, before the warranty expires, have the car inspected and have any qualifying repairs performed.
www.fidelityautomotivesolutions.com
fidelity automotive solutions
866-670-1963

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Fidelity Automotive Solutions is extended vehicle protection customized for you and your way of life. Our goal is to aid our nation’s drivers when faced with costly and disruptive vehicle repairs.
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Source:steve
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Tags:Auto Warranty, Car Warranty, Warranty, Fidelity Automotive Solutions, Fidelityautomotivesolutions.com, Carchex
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Location:United States
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