If you lack fundamental auto repair knowledge, your car may begin to drain your wallet. Besides familiarizing yourself with the particular model that you own, there are other tricks you can learn. Read on to save yourself time and money in the future.

Ask all the questions you have at the shop. Ask what caused your problem in the first place to avoid the issue happening in the future. Preventing issues with your vehicle is an excellent way to save money.

If you are considering working with a new auto repair shop, ask the mechanic if they are experienced in working with your specific vehicle. If they have, you should feel better about their ability to solve your problem.

Be sure to wash your car often so as to prevent rust. Every car is going to rust in the future, but this can be delayed if you just get all of the chemicals and salt off your car when you can. A good wax can help you keep your paint job protected well.

Make sure that you specifically request OEM parts. These parts are the same original parts designed by the manufacturer. Generic are cheaper, but also less reliable. What may seem like a deal now can cost twice as much as buying OEM in the first place.

Make a DIY kit to store in the trunk to help you in times of need. You’re going to need to have some tire changing tools in this kit at the very least. If the necessary lug wrench and jack are missing, replace them. In addition, include a few different screwdrivers and wrenches. Don’t get cheap tools. Get good, reliable tools that are not easy to break.

It’s wise to get car issues checked out, even when you think they’re minor. A seemingly small problem may grow into a major one if don’t pay attention to it.

You don’t want to diagnose complex auto issues on your own. You are not the expert, and you must remember this. What seems like something small may actually be quite complicated, particularly in modern cars. You can tell them your opinion, but leave the diagnosing of problems to the experts. Give your mechanic plenty of details on the issues you are encountering but do not diagnose the issue yourself.

Warranties serve an important purpose when your car is repaired, especially when you buy expensive parts. Therefore, when a mechanic orders parts for your vehicle, you should ask him or her about their warranties. Ask about the lentgh of time of the warranty and for a contract in writing to review it.

Watch out for the type of shop that will take off your good tires and put old ones on. This is a quick way for them to make a profit and take advantage of you. Take a piece of chalk and mark the tires prior to dropping off your vehicle. When you pick up the vehicle, make sure that the chalk is still present, otherwise you have been scammed.

Don’t let a mechanic tell you that flushing your engine is routine maintenance. It’s a costly process which is unnecessary unless you’re abusing your car.

Transmission Fluid

There are no auto parts that will work forever, so don’t believe any claims to the contrary. This is often just a scheme for the business to take as much money as possible from vulnerable consumers. As an example, some vehicles come with transmission fluid marked as “lifetime”. It is not something that will be changed often, but the transmission fluid is not guaranteed for a “lifetime.” In reality, you should change it around once every 80,000 miles.

Many people take their cars to get repaired and return to a car with additional issues. They do this to make you think you are getting a bargain. Tell them you have to think about it before accepting the deal.

Original Equipment Manufacturer is a label you will find on parts issues or approved by manufacturers. Remember this when you need a part replaced on your car. Your mechanic will consider you as a knowledgeable customer if you ask for OEM parts. This tells the mechanic that you know what you’re talking about and don’t want used parts.

When you get a diagnosis of your vehicle’s problem, think about what you want to do before you commit to any repairs. You can check with other mechanics, or do some research on the Internet to get a better idea of how much it should cost. If you can get a cheaper price, simply pay the mechanic for the work they’ve done and go somewhere else.

Have a plastic accordion file to put all auto repair receipts inside. Sort your receipts by type or date. No matter which way you choose, having complete car records can help the mechanic when you need more repairs and help you if you aren’t satisfied with a repair. This information should be very valuable to you.

When your mechanic hems and haws over a written estimate, don’t use him. If they don’t do the work properly, you’ll struggle to recover damages and you will lack proof of whatever work they were contracted to do.

If you have to store your car, you can prevent damage by putting your vehicle on jack stands, then filling the tank. Don’t use your parking brake and be sure that it’s dry wherever you decide to store your car.

When you have a repair done, ask for the old parts back. You will be able to determine if a repair actually took place. In certain cases, (like most work on your car’s exhaust) getting the old parts back isn’t actually a necessity. It is not hard to see if a brand new exhaust system was put in place.

As you can see, learning more about the topic of auto repair can provide you with lots of benefits down the road. Besides teaching your skills to others and fixing your car problems yourself, it is also a great way to save money. Keep in mind the advice from this article in order to perform minor repairs on your own.