Have you been dealing with a lot of car problems lately?
Do the repair costs seem to keep adding up?
While regular car repair is an essential part of owning a car, it can be expensive. You may believe that getting your car fixed always has to cost an arm and a leg, but the truth is that cheap car repair is possible. However, you’ll need to know a few tricks and tips to ensure you can get your vehicle fixed while on a budget.
Luckily, we’re here to help. Below we’ll give you our top tips on how to save some serious cash on car repairs.
1. Choose the Right Mechanic
The first thing you can do to save money on car repair is to make sure you’re consulting a trusted technical professional or car garage for the job. Rates can vary quite a bit and you may be paying more than you have to if you make a poor choice.
Shop around and compare your different garage options and make sure their prices are reasonable. You may even want to do some negotiating.
Dealership garages are often overly expensive, so it’s often better to go to an independent garage instead. It’s ideal to have your car problems diagnosed by at least 2 or 3 different mechanics before choosing one to use. That way, you can get an idea of what you should be paying and who may be inflating their prices a bit.
As a side note, once you do find a mechanic that offers honest, reasonable prices and does the job right you’ll probably want to be loyal to them.
2. Buy a Code Reader
To repair your car cheaply, one of the best things that you can do is to buy an OBDII code reader. Cars that are made after 1996 can all be checked for engine problems simply by plugging in a device that interacts with your vehicle’s computer.
While standalone OBDII readers are the classic choice, these days there are also readers that can connect to your smartphone as well. Using these, you can diagnose your engine and find out everything about its condition and about how it’s running. You’ll also be able to check for error codes which you can then look up online.
Having one of these code readers will allow you to check the health of your car at any time. You’ll know about a problem as soon as it arises, rather than when you’re already broken down on the side of the road.
3. Go DIY
While diagnosing car problems on your own can be helpful, you may want to take things a step further and repair the car on your own as well.
Getting a repair at a car shop can be expensive because you’ll not only be paying for the parts that your car needs but you’ll also be paying for the labor itself. When you do the work on your own you’ll be able to cut out a big portion of the costs since you won’t have to pay for labor.
Not everyone is inclined to working on a car, but chances are that there are at least some things you can do on your own. For simple issues, a Youtube video and a willingness to get your hands dirty may be all you need to get your car back to normal again.
4. Educate Yourself
The more you know about cars in general and about basic car maintenance and repair the better chance you’ll have of saving money. You’ll able to have a better idea of how to proceed whenever you experience a car problem.
Whether you choose to do a DIY repair or you want to find the right mechanic, knowing more about cars can help you make better decisions. You’ll be able to tell if a mechanic is trying to charge you more than they should be.
In addition to having general knowledge about cars, also it’s a great idea to educate yourself after you experience a specific car problem as well. Nearly every car issue is discussed online often and so if you experience a problem you can usually find the solution by using search engines and reading up about it on the web.
5. Maintain Your Vehicle
While it’s possible to get your car repaired on a budget, it’s even better if you prevent problems from occurring in the first place. Preventive maintenance and regular upkeep of your car is essential and can help you avoid problems later on down the road.
Make sure that you start anticipating your vehicle’s needs. Know when it’s time to install some Performance Brake Pads, to change your tires, or to get your engine checked out.
Taking your car in for a checkup or using a code reader to check for problems regularly can be very beneficial. You should also check fluid levels regularly as well.
By maintaining your car giving it attention on a regular basis you’ll reduce the risk of a bigger, more costly problem occurring later on.
6. Use Warranties
While many car owners don’t realize this, many auto part warranties are available to help with the repair of your car. Specific car parts often have limited or lifetime warranties that you can make use of should something go wrong with your vehicle.
When you purchase a vehicle or parts you’ll usually get documents with the purchase that tell you about the warranty that it comes with.
When you do get one of these warranties with the parts you buy for your car, make sure that you do everything you can to keep track of them. Make sure to keep your warranties organized and keep a list of what you have a warranty for.
Using These Tips to Get Cheap Car Repair
While car troubles may be stressing you out and you may have limited money to spend, there are options for getting cheap car repair. By using the tips listed above you’ll be able to get affordable car repair when you need it and will be able to get back on the road again before you know it.
Want to learn about how to buy a vehicle on a budget? Click here to read our tips for saving money when buying a car.