How To Save Money On Your Auto Repairs
Car ownership can be very expensive. Between the cost of insurance, putting fuel in it and then the maintenance and repairs, it can take a big chunk of your monthly budget. Getting from Point A to Point B shouldn’t be so expensive.
The good news is that there is a lot of wasted money owning a car that can be recovered by taking some simple measures. Even though you won’t get your costs down to zero, you can do some serious cutting down on the expense. Mainly through reducing the costs of repairs.
In this article, I will go over what it takes to reduce your car repair expenses so it doesn’t cost as much to own your car.
Get an extended warranty
Those that have a new car are likely already covered by the factory warranty. This is the time when repairs are the most unlikely to occur, though. When you have a car that is over five years old, the problems can start happening.
Get an extended warranty before your factory one runs out and you can get a few more years of savings if your car needs repairs. Older cars will need to have an extended warranty that you can shop around for. Read up on some of them to find the best fit as your needs will vary depending on the age of the car.
Check out some CARCHEX warranty reviews, for example, to get an idea of what you can get for an older car to save on repairs.
Change your driving habits
The way that you drive your car is costing you money in repairs and maintenance without you even realizing. For instance, if you are somebody who speeds and then brakes hard, the discs are getting worn down faster. This causes you to have to have your brakes replaced more frequently and it costs a lot of money.
You should also not put your car into reverse when you haven’t fully stopped the car. You are doing some serious damage to your transmission which is very costly to fix or replace.
How you fuel your car is also damaging it if you don’t keep enough gas in it, or you frequently run low. The pump needs to be kept cool for it to have a normal lifespan. When the gas level is low it will heat up and fail faster.
Do regular maintenance
Do yourself a favor and read your owner’s manual. Then make a spreadsheet of all the repairs and maintenance that needs to be done according to the mileage. Things like timing belts need to be replaced so they break and damage your motor.
When you have a schedule for the maintenance, then repairs will be less frequent as you are keeping the car in good working order. Have the oil and filters changed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations as well as tune ups and fluid changes.
It’s better to spend money at the mechanic for routine maintenance than to have an emergency repair that costs a lot more.
