Time for a Change in Auto Repair

Perhaps you grew up seeing your dad get the oil changed every 3,000 miles on the dot with his cars. Because you saw this, you figured it was pretty important. Auto repair is important as well as routine maintenance, but with the newer vehicles today things have changed, and getting an oil change every 3,000 miles is a waste of money and a waste of oil. Many mechanics will still tell you 3,000 miles, but this may be more out of habit then what they really believe. You might ask them how often your car should get a change. If you do not have a mechanic, you could use this as one of the criteria to find one because mechanics today should know that new cars do not need them as often and that it really depends on the type of driving you are doing.

It is important to have a regular mechanic that you can trust the routine oil changes to as well as the major problems. If you do not have an auto repair shop that you use, you might consider a few areas that will help you to find a good one. You will want a mechanic with a good reputation as well as professionalism.

If you ask around to family and friends in your area, you should be able to find an auto repair shop fairly quickly that has a good reputation. If you are still having a difficult time, you could use the internet and then look for reviews for the car shops you find. 

It is also important for an auto repair business to have professionalism. In the car business, this can mean having a clean restroom and waiting area. It can mean offering free towing and also a shuttle service for waiting customers. It is important that the manager or head mechanic is good with people and is able to help the customer understand what their car needs. Honesty is essential, and it is nice to hear a mechanic tell you that they would like to fix something, but there is nothing wrong. With this knowledge of oil changes not needing to be as frequent, you might ask the various mechanics at the shops their opinion on this. They should be able to explain to you that in newer cars it does depend on the type of driving you do. If you do in town stop and go driving you might need one more frequent than if you do more driving on highways. If they say it is every 3,000 miles for all cars, then either they have not done their research, or they are trying to make more money.

After considering these areas, you will hopefully find a mechanic that you feel will be good for you and your car. One consideration with delaying your oil changes with newer cars is that you are not getting as frequent checks on other areas of your vehicle like other fluid levels. You might consider this when you determine how often to get an oil change as well. Hopefully, this new knowledge will free you from old habits and help you use your head to know when it is time for routine maintenance.