By Dan Morton
What is one of the biggest expenses you will incur when owning a car? That would be maintaining and repairing your beloved four-wheeled chariot. Do you cringe at the thought of a $600 brake job? How about $450 for a "tune-up?" Even those $45 oil changes add up - you will easily have your oil changed at least twice in a years' driving. That's almost 100 bucks! And don't forget the added benefit of calling around to schedule the work, dropping the car off at the shop, arranging a ride when you are car-less and so on. How about the anxiety of worrying if you're getting taken to the cleaners by an unscrupulous mechanic?
Want to put some of that money back in your own pocket? Then fire your $75 per hour mechanic and get your hands a little dirty! Before you count all of the reasons that you can't do some of this on your own, consider that your gas bill has gone up by over 30% over the past year. Get some of that money back by considering the following.
*
Change the Oil.
Shop charge: $30 - $45, DIY: about $15. Look for coupons in the newspaper - sometimes I can buy oil for as little as $.49 per quart. Plus, most shops will try to sell you things that you don't need (like air filters and wiper blades) or try to sell you higher-priced items than required. Read your owners manual for type of oil and frequency of change (I change my oil around 3,000 to 4,000 miles). Savings: $90 - $120
*
Rotate the Tires.
Most tire stores (if you bought your tires there) will do this for free every 5,000 miles - you don't need to pay extra at another shop while your car is in for other repairs. Savings: $90
*
Replace Air Filters and Wiper Blades.
This is where the oil change places really make a killing - it's incredibly easy and quick to replace these items and they are priced much higher than a discount car-parts store. Again, read your owners manual for replacement frequency, but I'd change out both about once per year. Savings: $40
*
Replace the Brakes.
This job requires some ability, but is not impossible. Can you "borrow" a mechanically-inclined friend for an hour or two? There are tons of great books on the subject, and modern brakes are a snap. Drum brakes on a collector or hot rod are a little more complex, but, again, great books exist and the job is relatively easy. Savings: $400
*
Give Your Car A Tune-Up.
For a modern car, a tune-up is ridiculously simple and rare nowadays - essentially replacing the spark plugs. The easiest way to save money is to just say no when your mechanic tries the hard sell. Read the owners manual to find the frequency, and you may be pleasantly surprised. Most modern cars are designed to go up to 100,000 miles before the first tune-up. You don't need to tune-up your car any more often than is required - unless there is a definite mechanical problem. If your car is older and has a distributor, carburetor and/or points, then you need more frequent tune-ups. Again, get yourself a book and dig in!
Dan Morton is a car enthusiast, author and internet entrepreneur.
Visit his unconventional car site, http://www.RodnClassic.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_Morton
What is one of the biggest expenses you will incur when owning a car? That would be maintaining and repairing your beloved four-wheeled chariot. Do you cringe at the thought of a $600 brake job? How about $450 for a "tune-up?" Even those $45 oil changes add up - you will easily have your oil changed at least twice in a years' driving. That's almost 100 bucks! And don't forget the added benefit of calling around to schedule the work, dropping the car off at the shop, arranging a ride when you are car-less and so on. How about the anxiety of worrying if you're getting taken to the cleaners by an unscrupulous mechanic?
Want to put some of that money back in your own pocket? Then fire your $75 per hour mechanic and get your hands a little dirty! Before you count all of the reasons that you can't do some of this on your own, consider that your gas bill has gone up by over 30% over the past year. Get some of that money back by considering the following.
*
Change the Oil.
Shop charge: $30 - $45, DIY: about $15. Look for coupons in the newspaper - sometimes I can buy oil for as little as $.49 per quart. Plus, most shops will try to sell you things that you don't need (like air filters and wiper blades) or try to sell you higher-priced items than required. Read your owners manual for type of oil and frequency of change (I change my oil around 3,000 to 4,000 miles). Savings: $90 - $120
*
Rotate the Tires.
Most tire stores (if you bought your tires there) will do this for free every 5,000 miles - you don't need to pay extra at another shop while your car is in for other repairs. Savings: $90
*
Replace Air Filters and Wiper Blades.
This is where the oil change places really make a killing - it's incredibly easy and quick to replace these items and they are priced much higher than a discount car-parts store. Again, read your owners manual for replacement frequency, but I'd change out both about once per year. Savings: $40
*
Replace the Brakes.
This job requires some ability, but is not impossible. Can you "borrow" a mechanically-inclined friend for an hour or two? There are tons of great books on the subject, and modern brakes are a snap. Drum brakes on a collector or hot rod are a little more complex, but, again, great books exist and the job is relatively easy. Savings: $400
*
Give Your Car A Tune-Up.
For a modern car, a tune-up is ridiculously simple and rare nowadays - essentially replacing the spark plugs. The easiest way to save money is to just say no when your mechanic tries the hard sell. Read the owners manual to find the frequency, and you may be pleasantly surprised. Most modern cars are designed to go up to 100,000 miles before the first tune-up. You don't need to tune-up your car any more often than is required - unless there is a definite mechanical problem. If your car is older and has a distributor, carburetor and/or points, then you need more frequent tune-ups. Again, get yourself a book and dig in!
Dan Morton is a car enthusiast, author and internet entrepreneur.
Visit his unconventional car site, http://www.RodnClassic.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_Morton
Labels: Auto Part
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