General

Tips On How To Reduce Car Maintenance Costs

Having a car is a necessity. It gives you the freedom to come and go as you please without being dependent on a friend or neighbor or relying on public transportation.
However, with this freedom comes the expense of maintaining your car which can eat into your monthly budget.

Thankfully, there are ways you can reduce your car maintenance costs.
Opt for Regular Gasoline
If you go to a gas station, you have the choice of filling your car with premium gasoline or standard gasoline. Most people think that premium gasoline is better for their vehicle.
However, standard gasoline is as good and has the necessary additives to prevent damage to the filters.
So why spend money on premium gas when you can get the same benefits from using regular gasoline for your car?
Spare Parts
If you are taking your car to a garage for repairs, ask them to give you a list with the name and model number of the parts that need replacement.
Take the list and go to a car parts supplier and buy the parts yourself. You will find that this method of replacing spare parts is much cheaper than letting the garage do the replacement.
They will add a mark up to the price of the spare parts and you will have to bear the consequences.
Car Insurance
One of the major costs of owning a car is paying the monthly premiums to the car insurance company.
It is time you reduce your car insurance costs by getting quotes from different insurance providers.
You will find that insurance companies charge different amounts because they take many different factors into consideration to come up with the monthly premium.
So even if you have an existing policy, it may be a good idea to check around.
If you get a better offer for a lower price, you will benefit from changing your vehicle insurance provider.
Regular Maintenance
If you want to save maintenance costs, you will have to take your vehicle in for regular maintenance and get the proper checks done.
This will prevent engine problems from taking place.
However, you should also know what checks and replacements should be done as a part of regular car maintenance and this means sitting down and reading your car’s owner manual.
Otherwise, you may end up in a garage that does unnecessary maintenance and slap you with an invoice of hundreds of dollars which you could have been saved if you had prior knowledge.
Things like oil change and filter cleaning are part and parcel of regular maintenance and save you engine problems in the future.
DIY Maintenance
If you still want to save money on car maintenance, you should a few things that will ensure that you do not have to shell out money at a garage.
Some of the things you can learn and do yourself include:
• Cleaning the engine
• Topping up brake fluid
• Installing new spark plugs
• Changing engine oil
The Internet is a good resource to learn how to do these things yourself.
There are many sites that have video-based instructions that show you step-by-step how to do your car maintenance yourself and save money in the bargain.
Alternatively, you can attend a workshop and learn the ins and outs of DIY car maintenance.