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It is crucial to take your car maintenance seriously. Without proper maintenance, you may encounter unnecessary expenses, sometimes huge car repair costs, or get you and others injured. Doing regular car maintenance does not have to cost you a fortune. Following are things you can do to save money on repair and maintenance of your car.
Be nice to your car while driving: try to avoid hard braking, abrupt cornering, and other stress-inducing practices.
Do regular preventive maintenance: many parts on your vehicle are interrelated. Ignoring maintenance can lead to trouble: specific parts - or an entire system - can fail. Neglecting even simple routine maintenance, such as changing the oil or checking the coolant, can lead to poor fuel economy, unreliability, or costly breakdowns. It also may invalidate your warranty. Follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule in your owner's manual for your type of driving. Some repair shops create their own maintenance schedules, which call for more frequent servicing than the manufacturer's recommendations. Compare shop maintenance schedules with those recommended in your owner's manual. Ask the repair shop to explain - and make sure you understand - why it recommends service beyond the recommended schedule.
Learn about what you can benefit from warranty: there is no "standard warranty" on repairs. Make sure you understand what is covered under your warranty and get it in writing. Be aware that warranties may be subject to limitations, including time, mileage, deductibles, businesses authorized to perform warranty work or special procedures required to obtain reimbursement. Check with the Federal Trade Commission or your state or local consumer protection agency for information about your warranty rights.
Have your car washed and waxed regularly: this helps to keep the body shiny and clean and free from potential corrosion problems.
Choose a good technician: look for shops that display various certifications - like an Automotive Service Excellence seal. Certification indicates that some or all of the technicians meet basic standards of knowledge and competence in specific technical areas. Make sure the certifications are current, but remember that certification alone is no guarantee of good or honest work. Ask if the technician or shop has experience working on the same make or model vehicle as yours.
Keep the records of all maintenance and repairs for future diagnosis of problems.