If you own a car, you realize how frustrating car trouble can be. If you learn a little about fixing cars, you can save quite a bit of money and reduce your stress. Use the tips from this article when repairing your vehicle. You will find it useful when your car next encounters a problem.

Get a reliable battery charger and be sure it is always in your car. A dead battery is more common than you think and you will be able to help other broken down drivers if you have a battery charger with you. Make sure you know how to connect the charger to your battery.

You absolutely need a good emergency kit inside your vehicle. This kit should include specific tools for charging your battery, changing your tire, etc. Bring a blanket and flashlights too, in case you are stranded.

Ensure you regularly inspect your radiator. Let the car run a couple minutes, shut your engine and open up your hood. Never open the radiator cap if the engine is running. Look to see what the fluid level is (use a dipstick), and remember that coolant needs to have a bit of water added prior to entering your radiator.

Tag the important pages in your vehicle manual. When you’re trying to get something repaired on your vehicle, you’ll be able to get more assistance if they’re able to read information quickly about your car. After reading the manual, you might just find that you have an easy fix on your hands.

Check out reviews about body shops online. This lets you know how other customers have felt. You can use online reviews to find an auto repair shop that you are comfortable giving your business to.

Take the mechanic for a drive before getting your car repaired. If you don’t, you may still experience the same problem with the car once you get it home.

You should not leave anything inside your car if you need to take it to a repair shop. The mechanic might need to move these things so they can do the job, and they won’t assume responsibility if anything comes up missing. Remove all items from your trunk too.

Repairs like burned out taillights or headlights can be fixed on your own. It is simple to do on some cars and can save you a lot of money. Ask a friend if they can show you how it should be done.

Think about locating a person that fixes vehicles and owns a garage. Mechanics who work from home are often able to charge less because they don’t have the overhead that shops do. You can save tons of money and provide an independent worker by providing them with business.

When you take your car in for repair, verify their hourly rate and total cost of repair before you hand over your keys. Not all shops will be upfront about their prices, so ask anyone available for this information. You need to know how you’re billed for the repairs. 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.

Automobile problems are extremely frustrating and annoying. They can become expensive. If you learn a bit about auto repair, you can save money and have a properly running car all times.