Car Repair On A Budget: 5 Tips That Will Save You Money When Your Ride Breaks Down
Wednesday, July 30, 2014, 1:00 AM | Leave Comment
If you find a repair shop that you trust and treats you like a valued customer, you should stick with that repair shop. You should try to find a repair shop that deserves your business and can do the job the right way.
There are some ways that you can save money when your car breaks down.
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Shop Around and Get Estimates
You may find a reputable mechanic or garage to repair your vehicle. However, this does not mean that you cannot get a second opinion.
You should get written estimates. Make sure they are valid while you are shopping around.
When you take your car to a second mechanic, do not share the estimate of the first one. You can also check to see if the second mechanic has any specials going on.
In some cases, you can take the second mechanic’s estimate back to the first one and try to negotiate.
Sometimes, this may not turn out the way you would like it to. You can also save money by selecting a shop with lower labor or parts costs.
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Do Your Own Diagnostics with a Code Reader
There is a huge market for simple OBD-II scanners. These scanners can be used at home. They can be used with your smartphone as well.
Problems can be diagnosed. An OBD code is generally associated with a light that may go up on your dash or if your vehicle starts beeping.
These tools translate these codes and beeps. They are translated into real language so that you can understand what may be wrong with your vehicle.
Health checks can be done on your car with some of these tools. Others record information while you drive. They can help you figure out if there is an issue before it becomes serious.
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Do the Work Yourself
There are some repairs that you can really do yourself. Your abilities do not matter.
This includes checking your own fluids, replacing your own air filters and fuel, and changing your own oil as well.
This can also include more advanced repairs and maintenance like replacing your own rotors, brakes, and changing your own fluids.
You can save hundreds or thousands of dollars by doing your own work.
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Get Educated
You should also know when to dispute your bill. Before you hand over your credit card, take a look at your bill.
Make sure you are not being billed for duplicate parts, duplicate labor charges, or if the total was way higher than the original estimate.
You can also ask the mechanic to give your old parts back. This should be done before they begin to work.
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Saving Money by Using Salvage Parts
Salvage parts can help you save money on costly repairs. When you go to a salvage yard to find a part, it is similar to shopping at a retail store.
There are alternators, radiators, and other popular parts, that are displayed on shelves. They are neatly placed on the shelves.
There is also a computer database for inventory. You will only pay half the price when you buy a part from a salvage yard.
Mike’s Auto Towing is a company up in Canada that has used car parts and is a great example of just how many options there are around the country when looking for the right part for your car.
You can learn how to save money on car repair if you some research in advance. You can also learn how car repairs work.
Excellent places can be found where you can save money. You can begin to get more comfortable with the car repair process.
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