Avoiding Excessive Car Repair Costs | Consumer Media Network

Murphy?s Law demands that just after the bills are paid and the fridge is filled, the obnoxious yellow ?check-engine? light appears on your dashboard. Generally, this indicates that the bank account associated with the driver is about to be lighter by several hundred dollars or more. A savvy consumer can avoid paying through the nose for an expensive car repair though, reducing the impact of an unexpected car repair on the wallet.

Maintenance

By far, the vast majority of money saved on car repairs takes place before the repair is ever necessary through preventative maintenance.

?Changing your oil on a regular basis is the most effective way to avoid costly repairs in the future,? said Alex Conley, owner and operator of an automotive blog with more than 13 years of experience in automotive tuning and repair.

Conley also recommends changing your air filters (which cost less than $30 to replace), regularly checking the transmission fluid, and rotating your tires.

?The easiest DIY car repairs that can be completed with little prior experience are changing your air filter, replacing spark plugs, putting in a new battery, and installing windshield wipers,? said David Bakke, Editor of Money Crashers Personal Finance.

Though these maintenance chores are inexpensive and simple, Bakke indicated that a consumer can save an average of $10 to $20 per job by doing it themselves. As a word of warning, only attempt car repairs within your abilities ? a botched repair can cost significantly more than one taken straight to a mechanic.

Even if a consumer is not car-savvy enough to perform simple maintenance projects themselves, there are alternative means to save money on paying for the jobs to be done. All car owners should keep a manual on hand for their model and year of car to reference maintenance issues and parts. Edmunds.com provides a helpful resource for consumers to search for their car manual online.
By reviewing their manual, consumers can determine the exact parts necessary for specific maintenance repairs or projects and purchase them at cheaper prices than what a mechanic would charge (such as oil and filters). Many mechanics and shops will allow the car owner to supply the parts and then charge only the cost of labor for the project.

Car owners can save money by comparing prices and shopping around for the maintenance project as well; comparing prices on oil changes, fluid top-offs, and tire rotations can shave off $10-$20 on the service. Some shops bundle services together for one low price, such as Jiffy Lube?s Signature Service Oil Change, which combines an oil change with fluid top-offs and a thorough maintenance check. Researching the common mechanical issues with your car can also help prevent or prepare for inevitable repairs.

Mechanics

When it comes to mechanics, there are two important aspects to keep in mind that will save the consumer a significant amount of money: love your local mechanic and outsmart the competition. Staying loyal to a local mechanic means the assurance of a trusted technician and decent repair every time. Peace of mind is worth much more than a bad repair done twice. Of course, finding a trustworthy mechanic is not simple ? it requires extensive research, and in some cases, trial and error.

In the process of finding a good, local mechanic, the consumer has to outsmart the competition to avoid draining their wallet. When a car repair is necessary, the car owner should get a diagnostic, second opinion, and accurate estimate of repair cost, before ever taking their car to a mechanic. Websites like RepairPal.com and AutoMD.com are excellent resources that provide ways to find reputable shops nearby, diagnostic evaluations of the car?s issue, a car repair estimate evaluator, and DIY guides and video tutorials. If your car?s check-engine light comes on, drop by your local AutoZone for a free diagnostic evaluation. Using a plug-in electrical device, the attendant will print a list of codes and look them up for you. The codes are linked to possible issues with the car and provide you with an idea of what repair(s) to expect.

How much can a consumer save by applying these principles to a car repair? Here?s an example:

In the spring of 2012, my little ?98 Honda Civic?s check-engine light came on. I was quoted $400 for the fix, but I bought the parts myself for $30, replaced them in 15 minutes and voila ? mechanics outsmarted.

Through preventative maintenance, DIY repairs, or mechanic-strategy, a consumer can save up to several hundred dollars in car repairs and immeasurable stress by applying the concepts discussed here. To tweak the words of Sy Syms, ?an educated consumer is [a wealthy consumer].?

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Source: http://www.cmn.com/2012/11/avoiding-excessive-car-repair-costs/

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