Your car can consume a lot of time and money if you do not take good care of it. In addition to knowing some basic facts about your car, there are other things that can help you out. Continue reading if you want to save time and money.

Be sure that you have an A.S.E. certified mechanic before they are allowed to work on your vehicle. This certification confirms the the mechanic has a lot of experience working on cars. This ensures that you have a capable person working on your car.

Buy a good battery charger to keep in the car. Dead batteries happen a lot, and you can provide assistance to others if you keep a charger on hand. Take a few minutes to learn how to use it properly before you get in a situation where you need to use it.

Talk with your technician to determine if they have worked on your car before. If they have, they probably know what it takes to make the needed repairs.

OEM parts should be asked for. Those are the original parts from the manufacturer. Generic parts may cost less, but you cannot really tell if they are the best quality. Although you save money in the short term with generic parts, its not really a deal if they have to be replaced again in a few years.

Leave nothing in your car when you take it to the shop. Mechanics might have to empty the inside of your vehicle and they cannot be held responsible if an item is damaged or missing. Remove all items from the trunk too.

Quality Tools

Assemble an auto repair kit and put it inside of your trunk. Make sure you have something to change a tire. Make sure you have a wrench that can loosen the lug nuts on your tires. You need both types of screw drivers, a ratchet set, torque wrench, and socket wrenches. Always purchase quality tools. Get high quality tools that will be able to withstand the test of time.

If the repairs your car needs are major, get several quotes before hiring a mechanic. Most shops are on the up and up, but some will charge you for things that aren’t necessary. Look around for reputable shops that specialize in your car’s make. These shops are the best ones to use.

Pay attention to your wiper blades. If you notice your wiper blades leaving streaks on your windshield, or they chatter, then it is time to obtain new blades. You should replace them yearly, but you may need to do it twice a year if you are located in a rainy area.

Do not use all kinds of extra key chains with your keys. Your car’s ignition is simply not designed to hold all that weight, even if it may not seem that heavy to you. The last thing that you want is your key to stick, so try to reduce weight immediately.

Before you go somewhere to take care of your automobile problems, learn what you can about car-part classifications. There are new parts, refurbished parts, and salvaged parts. Parts that are new are recently created to fit manufacturer specifications. Parts that are re-manufactured or rebuilt have been restored to perform like new. “Salvage” refers to used parts that aren’t altered.

As previously stated, learning about basic auto repair may benefit you later. You can fix problems on your own or choose the right mechanic. Keep these tips in mind; you may even be able to do minor repairs on your own.