Picture courtesy of  StoneAire.com

By Dennis Bandy

With the economy in the shape that it is in today, it’s important to find ways to save money. Should you buy a new gas miser for twenty or thirty thousand dollars, to save $10 a week in gas? That would be fuzzy math! A lot of us realize that with the economic slow down our best bet is to reduce debt and drive what we already have as long as we can. This article is for people that are looking to save money on their car repairs but don’t want to necessarily do the repairs themselves.

This may sound too simple but, find an auto repair shop before your car is broken down! When your car is on the side of the road, that’s no time to be selective about who you’re going to have your car towed to. I recommend anyone to schedule an oil change to see if you like a shop. By getting your oil change done you can get to know the place to see if it seems trustworthy and professional. Look for ASE certifications or dealer training certifications while you’re there. Ask about their other services and what their warranty is on parts and labor. See if they try to hard sell you on anything. Also talk to other customers to find out how their car repairs are going and if they are regular customers.

Save money by having repairs done as soon as something breaks. Putting off repairs may result in more damage being done to related items, requiring more labor and parts. Here’s a tip. 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 repair shop to check your car for overheating, then it will be their diagnosis and you have more bargaining power in the event that the repair didn’t remedy the problem.

You are much more likely to have a good diagnosis and repair if you provide as much information as possible to the repair shop. Don’t choose a shop on price alone, you may end up with low quality parts and possibly a less experienced auto technician doing the repairs. Everyone is in a hurry these days, but when you get your car worked on allow plenty of time for the repair work to be done. Anyone that works too fast is prone to make mistakes. Ask to see the old parts, you may not know exactly what a failed part should look like, but this helps to insure the parts were really replaced.

Practical Tips any Driver Can Use 

  1. Most auto shops that change engine oil will check the four tires on the ground for wear and tire pressures. Keeping tires aired up saves fuel (less rolling resistance) and excessive tire wear. Remember to ask them to check the spare, the last thing you want is a spare tire with no air when you have a flat!
  2. Listen for any new sounds coming from your car, it may be trying to tell you something. As stated before, repairs that are done at the first sign of a problem can save money. And it may also prevent you from being stranded.
  3. Carry a cell phone. Have a tow service’s phone number saved in your phone’s memory. Have a repair shop in mind so there’s less stress at the time of a break down.
  4. Check your exterior lights regularly. Use a store front window as your car’s personal mirror! The reflection in a large window allows you to check all of your lights easily without getting out of the car or asking someone else for help.
  5. If the starter turns over slowly, this could be an early sign that the battery is failing, have it checked as soon as possible.
  6. This one isn’t repair related but it can save you money. Shop for car insurance every so often, prices can change. Consider dropping full coverage once your car is worth less than $3,000. Have an emergency fund to help self insure the additional risk. This is an easy way to save money without sacrifice.

With a little common sense, you’ll save a ton of money on car repair and related expenses, best of all you won’t even get your hands dirty.