Having your own car gives you a sense of freedom. You are free to move about the country as you please. Owning a car can also be a burden, too. Your vehicle can leave you stranded at the most inopportune time by breaking down. The advice included here will help you handle that situation if it arises.

One of the most important qualifications to look for in a mechanic is the ASE certification. This indicates passage of written testing and experience of no less than two years. That means only the best will work on your car.

Test out your car before paying for its repairs. A lot of people don’t try to drive their car first and they figure out the hard way that it wasn’t repaired later on.

If you’re headlights don’t appear to be as bright as they once did, you may want to check their cleanliness. Sometimes there is a residue that covers them from the streets and that can make them dirty so they cannot put out enough light. Be sure to clean them with a strong glass solvent in order to get the best light possible.

Inspect your vehicle to figure out what is wrong before taking it to an auto shop. If you know what the problem is, you can save money and also easily identify any repair shop that is trying to scam you. It’s an unfortunate fact that there are dishonest mechanics who will tell you your car has issues when it doesn’t.

Make sure that you always keep a spare tire and jack in your vehicle. Most new cars come with them. You will have to spend a lot to get your car towed if you cannot change the tire right away. It’s cheaper and easier to do it by yourself.

Try looking for someone who fixes cars on their own property. You can usually find lower prices if you go through mechanics that are not affiliated with a franchise. This can help the home mechanic out and save you a lot of money over the charges of bigger repair shops.

Look to your friends for their opinions on reputable car mechanics. Personal recommendations are usually honest and forthright. That said, check up on who they refer as well. At least look for reviews online.

It can be very dangerous to fix your own car. Make sure there is somebody nearby to assist if things go wrong. Invest in high quality tools that won’t break on you. In particular, only use the best equipment for changing tires. The jack must hold the vehicle securely and safely. Do you really want to get under your car with a poorly made or faulty jack? This is why it is wise for you to use quality hydraulic floor jacks and jack stands.

Before you drop off your car at a repair shop, take pictures of what the car looks like beforehand. This way if you suspect something has been removed without your approval, you have photographic proof. You need to be able to document the original damages done to your vehicle in case your mechanic fails to fix them or makes things worse.

If you are having car trouble, that doesn’t mean you need to spent a ton of money in order to get it fixed. You can often take care of the problems by yourself. By using the tips from this article, you should know when to leave the repairs to the professionals and when to tackle them on your own.