Auto Repair
Car repairs can be expensive, but are highly necessary if you wish to continue driving. Learn what to look for when shopping for auto repair mechanics and what maintenance you need to do to your car on a regular basis.
Mechanics have gotten a negative reputation in recent years. Because auto repair is a technical field that requires some level of expertise, some mechanics have chosen to charge far too high of prices for their services. They tack on repairs that are not needed to help increase the bill. While this has happened in many shops across the country, it is not the way most mechanics behave. You can find a good mechanic if you know what to look for.
Before you have any auto repairs done, make sure you trust your mechanic. If you have friends or family in your area, find out which mechanics they recommend. Referrals are the best way to find the quality mechanics in your town. Also, look for a mechanic that is certified. Certification indicates that the mechanic has the training to do the best job on your car.
A good mechanic will do nothing to you car without asking you first. If something is found to be wrong after the repairs have begun, a good mechanic will give you a call and find out if you want that other problem fixed. Good mechanics will also be upfront about the estimated prices, and if the price begins to go higher than the estimate, they will give you a call and let you know. If you cannot find a quality private auto repair shop in your area, consider taking your car to a dealership or a name-brand service center. You will likely pay more for these services, but since they have a company's name to protect, car repairs done by stores such as these are generally done well.
One way to ensure that you do not need the help of the mechanics in your area too often is through keeping up with the necessary maintenance on your vehicle. Many car repairs could have been avoided with oil changes and tire rotations. One of the regular maintenance items you can do to help avoid the need for auto repairs is a tire rotation. Rotating tires is changing their position on the vehicle. This helps the tires to wear down evenly and avoid potentially dangerous punctures that happen when the tread wears away in just one spot. If you rotate your tires frequently, the tires will last longer.
Each car has a different time frame when the tires should be rotated, and this time frame will be cited in the owner's manual. Most cars should have their tires rotated every 6,000 miles. You can do the tire rotation yourself fairly easily. It is time consuming, however, so many people prefer to have their mechanics do it. It is also important to have a professional balance the wheels after you have rotated the tires. Again, this step will increase the life of your tires.
Oil changes are another important maintenance step to help you avoid unnecessary auto repair expenses. An oil change involves draining the oil out of your car and replacing it with new, fresh oil. You will also want to replace the oil filter every time you do an oil change. Oil changes should be done every three months or 3,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Why are oil changes so important? Oil is the lubricant in your car. When you drive, the oil goes through a thermal breakdown process. When it breaks down, the oil no longer lubricates the engine well. This means that the different parts of your car’s engine are actually rubbing against one another. This results in costly car repairs down the road, because these parts will wear out much faster without proper lubrication.
Also, oil neutralizes the acids that are in your car. These acids can eat away at your car’s engine, also requiring costly auto repair. The additives that neutralize these dangerous acids do eventually wear out. A final reason to change your oil is because oil can get dirty. If the oil gets too much gunk in it, it will not lubricate well. Not only that, but the oil also will begin to leave behind some of this gunk, which can cause major problems in your engine.
Perhaps you have heard of tune ups as an important maintenance procedure to do for your car. Most motorists do not know what is involved with a tune up, nor do they know if they are necessary auto repair steps to keep a car in good working order. Tune ups are recommended every two years or 30,000 miles. They can be done in conjunction with a regularly scheduled oil change. All of the steps that go along with oil changes are also included in tune ups.
After replacing the oil and the oil filter, you will want to change the spark plugs. While changing the spark plugs, check the wires to make sure they do not need replacement. If your car has a distributor cap and rotor, replace these. If you have an older car that was build before 1980, you will want to change the points and the condenser and adjust the ignition timing if needed.
Next, replace or adjust all of the valves in your car, unless they are hydraulic. Inspect your engine for any visible oil. If you see oil, replace the valve cover gasket. Replace any worn belts. Check all of the fluids under the hood, and top them off if needed. Replace your air filter. During any tune ups you perform, you will want to have the car’s battery serviced. Finally, replace the PCV valve. The steps involved in most tune ups can be completed without the help of a mechanic, provided you know a little about what you find under the hood of your car.
Another way to avoid unnecessary auto repair on your vehicle is to check your car’s fluids frequently. You can quickly check the transmission fluid and oil when you are filling up your car with gas. You will want to check fluids in a warm engine.
The first fluid you should check is the coolant overflow. This is a plastic reservoir that is somewhere near the radiator. If there is not enough coolant, add antifreeze or water, depending on the season. Next, check the windshield washer fluid. This is a clear bottle filled with blue fluid, usually near the windshield of the car. Again, if this is low, top it off.
Transmission fluid is the next thing to check. Check the transmission fluid with the car’s engine running. Find the transmission fluid dipstick, pull it out, wipe it off, replace it, and pull it out again. Now you can check the level on the dipstick. If it is low, top it off and consider calling your mechanic. Transmissions are extremely expensive to fix, so avoiding a problem before it develops is important. Also, the fluid in transmissions should be pink, not dark at all. If it is dark, call your mechanic.
Checking oil should be done when the engine is off. Use the same process used to check transmission fluid. If you notice anything out of the ordinary in your oil, call your mechanic. Repeat these processes with your brake and steering fluids. Car repairs can be easily avoided by keeping your fluids filled.
Transmissions are one of the most expensive things on a car to fix, yet cars do not run without working transmissions. Part of the reason that transmissions are so hard to fix is that they have to be completely removed from the car, which in many engines is quite difficult. Transmissions control the gears and shifting on a car. If your car starts making loud noises when shifting gears, this is an indication that there may be a problem with the car’s transmission. It is time to call the mechanic. First, however, make sure that there is not a problem with the car’s transmission fluid. Auto repair involving transmissions are often the result of not having enough transmission fluid in the car. If the fluid appears fine, call the mechanic. You will want to get the transmission looked at long before it causes problems for you while driving. Transmissions can be quite dangerous if they break while a car is in motion.
Many people come to their mechanics requesting auto repair services because they hear a strange sound in their car. It is good to be aware of your car’s normal sound, because a new sound is often an indication of problems. If you are noticing an unfamiliar sound in your car, pay attention to when you hear it. Do you hear the sound when the brakes are depressed? Do you hear the sound when the car is accelerating? Does it appear to be connected to the radio in any way? Sometimes by listening carefully to the sound, you can pinpoint which of the car’s systems is making the sound. Having this information pinned down before heading to the mechanic will help you get the right car repairs done.
When you hear these strange sounds, try not to ignore them. This could end up costing you more money in the long run. While auto repairs are expensive, they only get more expensive if you ignore a problem. Instead, have the car looked at before it develops into a major repair. Often there are less expensive repairs that can be done at the beginning of a problem.
Your car’s brakes are some of the most important systems that the car has. If your brakes are not functioning properly, your car may not stop when you need it to. One of the first indications that auto repair is required on the brakes is a squeaking sound coming from the brakes. Squeaky brakes are usually caused when the brake pads start wearing down. A warning system is built into these brake pads that cause them to squeak when they begin to wear down. The best way to fix this and increase the life of your brakes is to replace the brake pads.
If you notice that your car is not stopping as is used to, or that you have to put a lot of pressure on the brake pedal to get the car to stop, take your car to the mechanic. This could indicate that your brakes are about to fail. Driving a car with brakes that are not working properly is incredibly dangerous. Good mechanics can quickly look at the brakes to tell you if the car needs repair or not.
One other item that indicates there may be a problem with your car that needs to be addressed by an auto repair professional is the service engine light. This light is on the dashboard of your car, and if it is lit then there is something working incorrectly in the car. There is no need for panic if the service engine light comes on, because these problems are generally minor.
The “service engine soon” light will come on when the car’s computer senses that something it controls is not working correctly. You must have a mechanic’s help to determine what is wrong with the car to cause the light to come on. Your mechanic has a tool that can be plugged into the car’s computer to show what is wrong. This tool will display a code that indicates what system is malfunctioning. Sometimes there is no need to fix the problem, and other times the mechanic will need to look at the car to find out what part is defective. Whether or not your car will need repairs after the service engine light comes on depends on what is wrong with the car. As with all other auto repair related issues, getting a problem checked out before it develops into a major repair is a far better situation than waiting to see what happens.