The cost of car repairs can be a major and expensive issue. Having knowledge ensures your car is repaired properly. Use the tips here to help you either fix the issue yourself, or to find an experienced mechanic who will not take you to the cleaners.

Be sure your mechanic has an A.S.E. certification prior to letting them fix your car. Mechanics can obtain the ASE certification by taking a test and having more than two years of experience. This ensures that you have a capable person working on your car.

Ask questions to the mechanics who inspect your vehicle. Make sure that you are specific with your questions when you pose them. You can save a lot of money when you know how to prevent problems.

Read as much of your auto manual as you can, marking anything that is important. When you do have to deal with a mechanic, you can show him the copy of the manual, which can help him. The manual may give you information to help you easily fix a problem.

Make sure that you have car records on file. A good place to keep these records in the glove box, so you can produce them on demand when talking to a mechanic. Professional mechanics will ask to review the records. Good documentation can help diagnose problems a lot faster.

Take the mechanic for a drive before getting your car repaired. A lot of people forget to test drive their vehicle and pay for repairs that did not really fix their problem.

You should have a do-it-yourself repair kit in your car at all times. For instance, if anything dealing with tire changes came with the car, have this in your car. A car jack and a lug wrench are essential tools to have. You should also have good quality Phillips head and flat head screwdrivers, socket wrenches and a ratchet set, a torque wrench and an adjustable wrench. Don’t buy inexpensive tools. Get sturdy, quality tools that will not break on you.

If you’re having major service performed by an auto repair shop, always get more than one estimate for the job being done. While a lot of shops are trustworthy, there are some that will charge you for unneeded repairs. Take your time and find a shop you feel you can trust. Also, look for someone who has experience with your type of car. These repair shops are better equipped to understand and repair any problem your car has.

Find out about all costs before hiring a mechanic. Fees can be hidden and need to be detailed. You must be able to tell how the repairs are being billed to you. A lot of places will give you an estimate of how long this will take that they were given by various manufacturers. You may find that a repair that is deemed minor may take all day.

Car trouble can be very difficult to deal with. But, if you have some basic understanding of auto repair, you do not have to worry. Take the advice here, print out this page if necessary, and you’ll be better equipped to handle any mechanical issues that come up.