Auto Maintenance versus Repair

Many people own cars. It is nice to be able to save a few dollars. One of the biggest problems with older and re-owned cars is repairs. There are a few ways to save money by doing regular maintenance to avoid costly repairs. What maintenance is most important?

Auto supply stores have complete books for maintenance and repair on a car. The standard pamphlet that comes with a car is a summary. While it is entertaining to think about replacing a radiator or remounting an engine, it is functionally not possible.

Pamphlets provide a lot of information about regular maintenance. However, the complete book about a make, model and year of a car provides better information.

In my experience, it is good to drain and replace fluids. Everyone knows to change the oil every three months. It is possible to wait five months and occasionally use an additive to lube pistons. The air filter is replaced every six months or if it looks dirty.

There are a few other essential fluids for your car. Transmission, radiator, brake and gasoline fluid are changed annually or biannually. Sometimes it is important to change radiator fluid as frequently as changing an air filter.

Most of these can be changed at home. It is similar to an oil change. Find the filter or bolt, loosen it and let fluid drain into an oil pan. Many come with a resealable lid so it is easy to take to an automotive shop for disposal. Each fluid has a different disposal method. Radiator fluid turns to water; however, it might have special handling instructions.

Gasoline is only fluid you have to go to an automotive repair store to replace. Gas lines have fuel injectors and may or may or have a gas line filter. Regardless of needing to replace the gas line filter or use a chemical gas line cleaner, it is safer to go to professionals.

The next phase of maintenance is finding out how often belts need to be replaced. The timing belt is the most important. It regulates timing between the engine and components in the engine compartment.

When my second car was starting to fall apart, I thought it would be good to replace the timing belt myself. I bought spark plugs and a new belt. The timing was off. I spent more money on repairs than saving money.

Now that I am older, I prefer a Mechanics. I only need to know when to take the car to them and what fits into my budget. Plan on spending about the same amount of money every month by choosing what maintenance happens each month. It is also possible to total annual costs of maintenance and divide by twelve to save money for maintenance.

There are other issues of checking brake pads before they grind against a tire. Some people like to push a car down to check the axial. It should be easy to drive in a straight line in an empty parking lot. Let go of the wheel. If the car swerves left or right, the alignment needs realigning.

People like the penny test. Place the edge of a penny into the crevice of a tire's tread. You need to tires if you can see Lincoln's head. Window wiper fluid needs to be filled occasionally. It is fairly obvious when windshield wipers are getting old. They do not wipe the rain off of a windshield. Using a soft towel to wipe off grime is the best solution. Abrasive paper towels might do more damage than good. If the wiper falls off, they are inexpensive to replace.

One of the best ideas for making sure a car looks great is car wax. There is a misunderstanding about drive-though car washes. They clean the car from dirt. They do not protect a car's exterior from scratches and rust.

It is easy to tell who does and does not wax their car. A car that has not been waxed has divots with rust. Any bump causes damage to the paint. A waxed car rarely looks scratched even though having similar abrasions like accidentally brushing a key near the lock. After following the direction on the liquid or paste wax, I like to use a sealant to make the wax last longer.

Cars are expensive to maintain. They are important when commuting to work or going to school. It is convenient to walk to the car and not have to wait for a bus. Buses are great for commuting when arranging a convenient plan to work, study and have a snack. There is a demand for exercise, so bicycle are a nice options and need far less maintenance. Cars make transportation easy and are definitely worth the cost when it is important.