t9t9:
Cars are fun to drive and they usually put a smile on the faces of their owners. However, they breakdown sometimes which leads to disappointments, stressful visits to the mechanic workshop as well as a hole in your bank account or a financial knockout in extreme cases. This could be … http://autojosh.com/5-ways-to-know-more-than-your-car-mechanic/

t9t9:
Cars are fun to drive and they usually put a smile on the faces of their owners. However, they breakdown sometimes which leads to disappointments, stressful visits to the mechanic workshop as well as a hole in your bank account or a financial knockout in extreme cases. This could be … http://autojosh.com/5-ways-to-know-more-than-your-car-mechanic/

Cars are fun to drive and they usually put a smile on the faces of their owners. However, they breakdown sometimes which leads to disappointments, stressful visits to the mechanic workshop as well as a hole in your bank account or a financial knockout in extreme cases.

This could be an avenue for your inexperienced mechanic to exploit and leave you unsatisfied. A fact most car drivers are yet to discover is that they know more about their cars than an average mechanic.

These are some of the resources at our disposal which will enable us outsmart them:

1. Car Owner Manual: This is a book or booklet that comes with all cars containing its essential information and instruction for use. It is usually found it the glove compartment and many of us neglect them till they become dusty with their vast content, which includes: Safety instructions, maintenance information, features, vehicle operational directions etc. It also tells us about the tires, brakes, fluids, fuel type, when to change the timing chain/belt and when to change the engine oil as well as the type of oil to use. For example, a 2011 Ford Explorer started to act funny and the maintenance-required light came on about a month after its first oil change in Nigeria. The mechanics serviced the vehicle again and did all they could to no avail; they were about to start decoupling the innocent vehicle before we advised them to use the recommended engine oil in the user manual. It was all like magic to them. The manual is a factual document from the manufacturer while some mechanics do guess work more than you could ever imagine. This document teaches us to be proactive in handling our cars, which will do a great deal in reducing our dependence on mechanics and ultimately reduce repair cost.

2. Inferior Parts: Some mechanics are synonymous with inferior car parts and claim they are helping you to save cost. The cost you save today will be compounded for you at a future date. It is recommended to always buy brand new parts; if you have to settle for less, make sure you buy a certified first grade tokunbo part. However, there are some car parts that are better bought brand new.

3. Online community and forum: People who have been on car forums will immediately understand and appreciate this point. There is nothing as wonderful as asking any question about your car and you get a quick response from car experts like Gazzuzz, Siena, Autojosh and other car experts as well as other drivers who have had a similar issue. The issue with the car might just need a do it yourself fix or the knowledge you’ve gained from the forum will enable you advise your mechanic accordingly. If varied opinions are given to you on the forum, you will have to eliminate from the least relevant.

4. Routine and Scheduled Maintenance: Do not pass the buck when it comes to the maintenance of your vehicle. You have to keep track of your last oil, air filter, transmission fluid and timing belt change as well as tire rotations. You have to do some of the maintenance yourself and the mechanic may not be able to keep track of the others because they work on several cars except you use a repair shop that has a proper system.

5. Trust: Always trust the car user manual more that your mechanic and trust the knowledge you have gained from forums when in serious doubt of your mechanic’s opinion. This only makes sense because manufacturer wants the best for their cars in as much as they want you to patronize them for replacement parts. Furthermore, the forum commenters have nothing to gain or lose by giving you the free piece of advice. Run away from any mechanic you cannot trust, however, avoid being on a constant run as this could do you more harm.

Your car can treat you right if you give it the treatment it deserves. Do not say Honda cars have transmission problems when you use Abro transmission oil.

Finally, you need to be weary of a mechanic that does not have a car diagnostics scanner as he will rely solely on his instinct.