Auto Repair: What You Can Do To Avoid A Breakdown

Vehicles are expensive, and so is major auto repair. This is simply the way of the world. Unfortunately, having a vehicle is a necessity in most parts of the country if you plan to be a productive member of society. Of course, there are things you can do to cut down on the costs of major car work—namely, you can avoid having the need for it altogether. Eventually, even the most well taken care of vehicle will break down. But you don't need to accelerate that process by treating your vehicle like junk. If you take care of it and follow some general rules for maintenance, you can keep your car working well for a long time.

Oil Changes

One of the most obvious—and important—things you can do for your car is to get regular oil changes. It is enormously expensive to fix an engine that has seized up, and that is exactly the kind of auto repair you'll be looking at if you don't follow your manufacturer's recommendations on oil changes. Every 3,000 miles is a good rule of thumb that will never steer you wrong, but you may not even need it that often. Check out your owner's manual and see what it has to say on the subject. Stick to those recommendations and you should be good to go.

Transmission Flushes

Most experts advise getting a transmission flush approximately every 30,000 miles. It doesn't cost a lot of money and it can keep your transmission working cleanly and properly. One of the most expensive forms of auto repair is a transmission replacement, which can cost anywhere from two to four thousand dollars. This isn't the kind of money most people have on hand to throw away. Even if you do, why would you want to? When there are simple maintenance tricks you can use to save yourself some money, you should take advantage of them.

Early Detection

One of the main reasons why drivers run into expensive auto repair bills is failing to bring their cars in when they notice a problem. People tend to keep running a car until it simply won't run anymore, and this is a big mistake. When you notice a gauge light come on or a weird sound coming from the engine, take your vehicle in to get it checked out. Often these problems are small and can be handled for a relatively small amount of money. If you let them go on indefinitely, though, the cost could quickly soar.