The Truth About Car Repair Costs, How Much Should You Be Paying?

Repairing your car, truck, suv, or van, is a necessity. And, unfortunately, things break. So, the bottom line is at some point in time, unless you are a mechanic or body man, you are going to have to pay to have your vehicle repaired.


There are some things you can do to keep those costs down. For starters, when it comes to mechanical items, the obvious thing is to keep your vehicle maintained. I can't preach enough about how important it is to keep you car in good mechanical health. Things like changing the oil, maintaining your brakes and keeping the engine tuned up are just no brainers in this economy.


Let's look at brakes for starters. Brake pads wear out. They are manufactured to do this. They are also necessary. Ask anyone who has abruptly met the owner of the vehicle in front of them because they didn't pay attention to the "squeak" that was coming from the brake pads. A change of those pads might very well have saved them the cost of the accident, the cost of the ticket, the cost of a lawyer, if one was necessary, and the list goes on and on. AFTER the accident is too late! Brake pads are not expensive. In fact, if you change them regularly, you can purchase a set of good brake pads from a parts supplier like Advance Auto Parts, that has a "lifetime warranty"! Yup, simply put, you can buy ONE SET OF BRAKE PADS and NEVER PAY FOR ANOTHER SET AGAIN! EVER! Now, you will have to pay for the labor to install them, but, the next thing we're going to talk about here is how to save on that cost too.





Many people wait till their vehicle is down and then start searching the Internet for places to fix it. They make 20 phone calls, tell their story 20 times and come up with the best price and then drive to the "winning" shop and get the repair work done. I suppose this might work for some people, but, why go thru all that work when you can save yourself the phone time AND have your vehicle repaired cost effectively by choosing a shop BEFORE you need the work done.







When you are putting together your preventive maintenance items is the time to choose your shop. NOT when your vehicle is down on the side of the road and you're in a panic to find someone to fix it. Having a car repair shop phone number ready to call is the way to go. Most shops welcome your maintenance business. If you consistently go to the same shop to have your work done, you'll build a relationship with the shop. They cherish your business and will go the extra nine yards to make sure they take care of their "regular" customers. Many shops will even give a discount to those that are regulars. When you're on the side of the road and your car is broken down or in an accident, it's comforting to know that the repair guy knows you and will go out of his way to ensure that you are taken care of right away.


So, let's get back to how to build that relationship. Start by checking out the shops closest to you. Talk to the owner. Find out if they have a preventive maintenance plan that you can purchase. If not, put together a list of the items you want to have completed and see if you can get a "deal" on having all the services provided at the same time. Most shops will work with you on this. Find the best price at a shop you are comfortable with and stay with them. After going there a few times and showing your loyalty, the rest will follow.

Putting together your list of maintenance items really depends on the type of vehicle you're dealing with. Check your owner's manual for manufacturer's suggested time frames on the usual items like changing your oil, tuning up the vehicle, belt replacement, and so on. If your manual doesn't list these items, call a dealer and find out the recommended times.


If your vehicle hasn't been maintained for some time, you'll want to start with the obvious. Change the oil. If you want to save yourself some gas money, add a tune up to the list. Changing the plugs and wires will gain you some added mileage and ensure that your engine is running smoothly and efficiently. Most cars will go a year on a tune up with no problem. The next thing to put on the list is brakes. Have them checked at first. Have the mechanic tell you what kind of mileage he thinks are left on your pads and make a decision as to whether you should change them now or wait. Keeping these items together is important too, so, if the pads are worn at all, it's a good idea to have them done the first time to get everything done at one time and start your maintenance routine properly. Choose a good quality brake pad with a lifetime warranty and keep the receipt. When the pads wear down, go back to your supplier and simply get a new set. It's a one time fee that will save you a ton of money over the course of your vehicle's lifetime.


Have your mechanic check the belts. Belts are one thing that will definitely put your vehicle on the side of the road if they break, so keeping them in good condition is one of the most important aspects of a good preventive maintenance plan. If you have a serpentine belt, and most newer vehicle's do, it is well worth the cost of the belt to replace it. That one belt controls many items in your vehicle including the water pump and power steering pump. To get a good start on your maintenance program, include replacing this belt.


Lastly, have your hoses and any pulleys checked for wear. Replace any worn hoses or noisy bearings and pulleys.


The first time you have your preventive maintenance work done should include everything possible. This way, you can insure that you have covered all of the things that could come up and give you a good starting point to schedule the rest of your maintenance on. All of the items we have mentioned here include items surrounding or included with the systems that they are associated with. For instance, when changing the brake pads, your technician will get a good look at your suspension and alert you to anything you should be aware of there. When changing the serpentine, many of the components associated with that system will be checked at the same time, like the water pump and power steering pump and so on.


Now that you've gotten your vehicle maintained, the key is to keep it that way. You will have accomplished two things here. You can drive your vehicle worry free, knowing that the usual suspects are new and ready to keep your vehicle running. And 2., you have established a relationship with a shop that will serve you well for a long time to come.


Create a maintenance schedule and stick with it. The result will be worry free driving for you and your family and a vehicle that will run well and be worth more when it comes time to sell it. Both of which are well worth the cost of maintaining the second largest investment most of us own, second to our homes.


Happy motoring!


Larry and Dee Blackman
LDJ Auto Body
ldjautobody@yahoo.com
(813) 644-4497

Great Car, Truck, and Motorcycle Sites We Love and Want to Share

I love what I do!  Yup, as a woman in the auto repair industry, I genuinely love writing about cars and trucks and neat stuff to help and inform our readers about stuff that is either interesting, helpful, or, informative about cars, trucks, motorcycles and just about anything else that rocks, rolls, stops or goes!  In doing research, I have my favorite sites to check with and I thought it would be nice to pass along some of those sites to you, my Car and Motorcycle Maintenance readers!

Now, I have a bunch of favorite places on the net that I visit regularly and the list is huge, so I'm not going to try and list them all at one time.  Instead, I thought I'd start a new regular feature here and bring them to you once a week.  They are all great sites and each one has it's own special charm that keeps me comming back.

One such site is www.Jalopnik.com.  The writers at Jalopnik offer great all around content.  You'll never be disappointed here, whether you are looking for reviews of cars, trucks, motorcycles and what have you.  Not only are the articles packed full of great information, but, you will always find funny and interesting things here that you won't find anywhere else.  One of the features I love at Jalopnik.com is the "10 Best" series of articles found here regularly.  A consistent list of the "10 Best" of whatever the flavor of the day might be!  Yesterday's "10 Best" featured "Ten Things Every Non-Gearhead Needs To Know About Their Car".   Here's a perfect example of the great writing you'll find at this site. 

Now, those of you who know me are already laughing and thinking, yup, she would pick something that revolves around here favorite subject.....maintenance!  OK, I know I do tend to preach a lot about my favorite topic, but, for the most part, I try and bring your attention to those things that might not be as much fun as you'd like, but, somebody has to do it, and, I've always been kind of the "motherly" type!  This sites "10 Best", however, will not only keep you laughing, but, also has some realistic concepts and info that will teach you something too. 

See the little arrow???

For instance, No. 10 on the list taught me that that little arrow on your fuel gauge points to the side that your fuel door is on!  Now how handy is that little tidbit!?  Something that, as a professional in this industry, I should have already known....but, learned here today. 

There is also the lesson to be learned in No. 8.  Knowing whether your vehicle is front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, or, all-wheel-drive is key!  How embarrasing would it be to be caught on video putting your snow chains on the wrong set of wheels?  Of course, here in sunny Florida, we don't worry about things like that, and, when we do, we simply put one on the front and one on the rear to make sure.....(Yup, you might be a red-neck!)  But, check out the video anyway, it's good for a chuckle or two!  And, for all our "towing company" owner readers, that video was shot in Seattle, WA, where you just might want to open the new branch of your towing company!

If it weren't for the signage, I'd suspect this was done right here in Gibosnton!

No. 7 is a perfect example of why I preach over and over again about making sure you know exactly where your spare tire and jack are located.....  Now, what I really want to know is how one of our good ol' southern boys made it all the way to Japan, (take note of the signage), to help this guy get that truck up on those "homemade, red-neck style" jack stands?  Someone needs to let Jeff Foxworthy know about this one and I'll let him do the honors!

More than just a pretty cluster!

No. 6 is just good sense.  Knowing what all the lights and doo-dads on your dash are for is necessary!  They are there for a reason.  But, as the writers at Jalopnik have dually noted, they can be confusing!  So follow those great suggestions and get out the manual for your vehicle and learn what they mean.  There will be a "pop-quiz" on Friday!

No. 5 makes me feel better about all my preaching about preventative maintenance and how important stuff like that is!  Although I might have put it a little higher up on my list, jumper cables and how to use them is definitely something that we should be teaching our kids, right after we get done reading the "how to" instructions located....here!  (Always a good idea to brush up on something before we go teaching someone else how to do it, right?)

No. 4 has me loving the great writers at Jalopnik even more!  Here they go again with making me feel proud about my obsession with maintenance and learning things about keeping your car safe!  See, I'm not the only one who knows that this stuff is important and will come in handy one day!  We, as vehicle owners, need to know this stuff!  So read this one and use the info to keep you and your family safe.  By the way, this really is a good way to check the tread on your tires.  Let's just thank our lucky starts that good 'ol Abe had a full head of hair when they decided to snap that picture that's made him so famous!

No. 3 here is related to No. 4 as it has to do with tires.  And, yet again, I get to have that warm fuzzy feeling knowing that my PM info is thought to be useful by yet another author of vehicular knowledge! Making sure your tire pressure is accurate can save you money! And, now that I've got your attention by lighting up your sense of financial security....it's also necessary to keep you safe!  Tire pressure has everything to do with keeping as much of the tire surface connected to the road which is what keeps you in control.  So, take note of the info here and use it!  You'll save money at the pump and ensure your vehicle has every bit of needed traction when you need it!

No. 2. is pretty self explanatory.  But, remember the name of the article?  Not everyone knows about this key to keeping your car running smoothly!  So, follow the information here to check your oil regularly.  You can thank me later for my preaching! 

Schedule that maintenance appointment now!  We miss ya!

No. 1!  So, by this time, most of you have figured out that I've taken the time here to drive home, once again, the importance of keeping your car, truck, or motorcycle healthy!  Yes, I snuck it in by disguising this as a fun, humor filled article to give you a couple laughs, and, drive home the point, once again, that a well maintained car is a healthy car!  Follow these instructions and we probably won't be seeing much of each other!  But, it's not that we don't want to see you, we love talking with our customers. It's just that we really do care and want to see you have fun with your vehicles and not be spending money for no reason!  Parts need to be changed at one time or another just because they wear out!  So, we'll be seeing each other regardless!  I just like seeing our customers save money where possible.....take this last point to heart then.  Schedule your maintenance when it's recommended.  Those guys at the manufacturer's don't just write those manuals for fun, ike I do!  There is a reason for them.

Well, here's a big THANK YOU to the writers at www.Jalopnik.com!  To all our regualr readers, you need to subscribe to this great site!  You'll love the articles, news, reviews and much more.  It's one of my personal, regular reads and I want to share it with you.  So sign up now, you won't be disappointed.

Now, whether you do your maintenance yourself, or, you come and see us, I want you to save as much money as possible while maintaining your car.  Use the link here to find the absolute best prices on everything you'll need to keep your vehicle healthy!  I've told you time and time again, I'll do the homework for you when it comes to finding the best prices on parts!  Advance Auto Parts always has great deals to save you money when repairing or maintaining your car, truck, suv, van, or motorcycle!  By going to our online parts directory, you'll fnd coupons, deals and more to help you get everything you need.  Use the search box on our page to look up exactly what you need.




Don't forget, our local customers here at LDJ Auto can use our "labor only" specials and supply the parts yourself to save money on your maintenance and repairs.  We love giving our customers the best deals we can and cutting out the middle man in the parts category is a great way to start saving.

Advance Auto Parts Still Has Lowest Prices On Auto Parts and Accessories!

Advance Auto Parts

The One Day Sale is over, but, you can still take advantage of Advance Auto Parts low, low prices!

April is National Car Care Month! 

To help you find everything you need to get your vehicles ready for Summer, LDJ's Online Store has put everthing you need in one convenient space, to make it easier than ever to do your vehicle parts, maintenance and accessory shopping.
 

Buy direct from Advance Auto Parts and save big money!  As always, LDJ's Online Auto Parts Store offers you "direct to the supplier savings"!  No mark-ups, no middle man.  You get the great prices you deserve and we put it all right here, so you can shop in the comfort of knowing that LDJ Auto has found the absolute, lowest prices and the very best deals out there, to make sure you get the lowest prices on the Internet.

Click on a link to go directly to the Advance Auto Parts Store, or, we've even listed the entire store inventory right here, so you don't even have to leave the page!  Use the promo codes listed and get the most unbelievalbe savings on everything automotive.  Use the search box below to find your parts by name, brand, or category!  It doesn't get any easier than this!  AND, you can order your parts online, and, have them ready for pick-up at your local Advance Auto Parts, so you don't have to wait for them to ship!  That's right!  Order today! Pick up today!  Install today!

Have questions about your parts or accessories? Mobile phone users, simply click on the link here to call and speak directly to one of Advance Auto's friendly AND knowledgeable staff to ensure you get exactly what you need!  Then simply have them get it ready for you to pick up at one of Advance Auto's 3,400 convenient local stores!

So, what are you waiting for?  Start shopping and start saving NOW! 

LDJ Auto Body's The Art of Custom Car & Motorcycle Maintenance Survey! Help US Help YOU MORE!