After buying your favorite call from Roseville Auto Mall, learning to do your own car maintenance certainly can save you money. However, if you do not know what you are doing, or if you do not take the proper steps, it can actually cost you more in the long run. Each car is different so the steps and the procedures are unique to your specific make and model of automobile.
With the economic concerns and
financial difficulties facing families today, it makes sense to try and find
any way that you can cut unnecessary expenses where you can and save money
doing certain things for yourself. Car maintenance can be one area that can
seem to be a way to save money by doing some of the more routine procedures and
scheduled maintenance yourself. More and more people are becoming their own
auto mechanic when it comes to their automobile’s service. Unless you are
trained or have experience with automotive repairs and maintenance, this could
spell trouble for you in the future and result in an increased risk of a
problem or breakdown.
While it does save money in the
short term, doing routine maintenance yourself and missing important steps,
using the wrong part, performing the steps in the wrong order or not following
the manufacturer’s recommended guidelines can lead to expensive repairs in the
future. A car that is in need of repair that can make it to the shop on its own
power costs less than half of the repair cost, on average, of that of a car
that has to be towed to the repair shop.
Now, this is not to frighten
anyone away from opening the hood of their car or taking out an air pressure
gauge and doing basic, simple upkeep and routine checks on the condition of
their car. Since the average years of car, ownership is now approaching double
digits, it is critical that routine maintenance and key service intervals such
as tire rotations, proper tire inflation, oil changes, tune-ups fluid level
checks and top-offs, etc. are followed. More involved maintenance such as
transmission and cooling system flushing and refill, timing chains, seals,
belts and hose replacements are just as important and should be a top priority
to ensure safe and reliable operation.
Drivers who do their own work
need to make sure that they are honest with themselves and are completely
confident in their ability to perform the task at hand. This applies to not
only the skills to perform the work but also in having the proper tools in
which to perform each service. If there is doubt or a question in your mind,
leave it to the professionals. You will find it much better to pay an expert to
maintain the vehicle for you than to pay the same person to fix a problem
caused by a mistake or oversight.
Why should I spend money on regular car maintenance?
Spending a few dollars on your
vehicle seems like a hard thing to do, especially with the current economy. For
some people regular repairs may be viewed as just another dollar off the
pocket, yet the sad reality is, that’s just part of owning a vehicle. Would you
rather not maintain your car today and then suffer the consequences of poor car
performance and higher fuel consumption while on the road? As a responsible car
owner, you should put your vehicle’s condition in top priority, so you can
enjoy the use of your property for a very long time. As has been said in the
practice of medicine, many times over, prevention is better than the cure.
Just, in this case, regular car maintenance is better than a total overhaul.
How many times should I have my car checked?
There’s really no strict bible on
car repairs that can tell you how many times in a month or a year you should
have your car checked for defects or when exactly should you go for
maintenance. The best option for you is to allow a budget for car repairs, and
depending on your car usage, you can schedule maintenance every 20,000 miles.
However, if you use your car every day and for long travels, you can schedule
checkups for at least once a month.
Also make sure that the car
maintenance and repair is done by a reputable repair company or those
recommended by the car dealers, where you purchased your car. Some car
companies or dealers have a roster of car servicing stations across different
regions or states. By getting the list and recommendations of your car dealers
or the car company itself, you can be assured of more reliable access to
quality car care.
What if I don’t have the budget for monthly car checkups?
Before you continue reading this
part, you should ask yourself whether your car is still under warranty. If it
is, you should not tinker with it, unless you want to waive your warranty and
pay for parts or repairs with cash from your own pocket. For those who are well
past the warranty or own 2nd-hand vehicles, a DIY approach would perfectly fit
the bill.
If your budget is very tight at
the moment, there’s another great way to ensure that your car still gets the
tender loving care it deserves – from you. As a responsible car owner, you can
take the initiative to learn the critical areas of your vehicle that need a
regular tune-up. By reading DIY books or guides on car maintenance you can gain
enough knowledge to do minor tune-ups on your car. With the right tools and
knowledge, you can even do major repairs on your vehicle. In the long run, this
is going to save you a fortune. Plus, you can just schedule visits to car
servicing stations whenever it is really necessary that a
professionally-trained mechanic should look at your vehicle.
These are the basic things that you need to know while going ahead with the best car maintenance companies. You can try out getpitstop.com for the best of the car servicings offered by them.