When your vehicle breaks down, you must get it to run again. Having a non-functioning car makes life quite difficult. That said, you don’t need to shell out tons of money for fixing a car. You can handle many auto repairs by yourself.

Prior to letting a mechanic touch your vehicle, ensure that they are A.S.E certified. This certification means that the technician has passed a written test and has over 2 years of experience under his or her belt. This ensures that you have a capable person working on your car.

When choosing a mechanic, ask if they’ve worked on your model of car before. If the mechanic says they have, then they are likely aware of just what repairs need to performed in order to have your car operating well again.

To prevent your car from getting rusty, wash it consistently. All cars eventually get rusted, but the process can be delayed considerably by washing off any chemicals or salt immediately. A good wax can help you keep your paint job protected well.

There is no better way to find an auto mechanic than to get a referral. Talk to your friends and family and ask if they have any recommendations. You can learn a lot about the overall quality of a person’s work, the price, and the level of customer satisfaction. Avoid the mechanics who overcharged your friends or were not honest with them.

Whenever your car undergoes repairs, make sure you have the written record of what was done. If the car has other issues later, it can help the tech see its past records. If you do not have the records, you might end up paying more for the mechanic to poke around trying to find the source of the trouble.

Be wary of unscrupulous mechanics who make unnecessary repairs to your vehicle. A reputable mechanic will let you know when they see something else wrong with your vehicle and they’ll give you options as to how to proceed. Do not take your care twice to a mechanic who performed some unnecessary repairs.

Take all valuable items out of your vehicle before taking it in for repairs. Mechanics might have to empty the inside of your vehicle and they cannot be held responsible if an item is damaged or missing. Take everything out of the trunk as well.

If there are two tools all cars should have, it is a jack and lug-nut wrench. With that, you also need an extra tire. They are included with most new vehicles. You never want to be without them, as you could end up having to pay for an expensive tow. You do the job yourself with less time and expense.

Take off all of your keychain charms; just use your key. The ignition cannot hold the weight of a big key chain. If the key starts to stick, its time to replace the tumblers and say goodbye to your troll buddy!

Know when it is time to change your oil, an important car maintenance task. Oil changes are important so your car can run smoothly. Be sure to remember this, because making sure you get an oil change on time can help extend your vehicle’s life.

You do not have to have repairs done at the auto dealer. There are great technicians everywhere, whether you take your car to the shop ten minutes from your home or whether you go on in to your dealer. If you feel comfortable with someone, use them.

Check the tire pressure each time you fill up on gas. Examine the tires for anything that might be stuck in them. If anything is wrong with your tires, the problem needs to be addressed quickly. Driving on the highway with corrupt tires can be very dangerous.

Check that your mechanic has all of the needed certifications. The NIAE seal of approval is a good sign. This lets you know they have training ans will provide you with good work.

Oftentimes people will take their car in for repairs and when they pick it up, they are informed about additional problems. They do this to make you think you’re getting a deal. Let them know that you’ll think about it, and then look around for an even better deal.

If you discover a serious problem on your new car, be sure to contact the manufacturer. There could be a recall issue for that car or they’ll consider issuing one if you’re not the only one to complain about it. As a general rule, they will take care of the car repairs.

When you find a mechanic you like, stick with them for all of your auto repairs. Try not to jump around to different mechanics every time something is wrong. Different shops could end up telling you something totally unrelated to your problem is wrong. This means that your car repairs may end up costing you more.

Get yourself an AAA membership. The AAA is great if you need some help such as getting a tow truck to your location or to deal with repairs. You’ll often find that AAA has great discounts that reduce any out of pocket costs.

Taking your car to a dealer for repair can be somewhat more expensive, but sometimes that is your best choice. The people who work there are trained to work on your brand. They can find problems easily and are trained to fix problems that are common with your car. These mechanics regularly receive additional training.

As you can see, fixing your car does not have to require taking your car to the shop and paying an arm and a leg to the mechanic. The more you learn about maintaining your car, the more confident you become about doing other car maintenance tasks. Use the info you’ve learned from this article the next time your car starts giving you problems.