Did you know that each year in the US, around 40 million used cars are bought by consumers, consistently making up the majority of annual car sales? Buying a used vehicle or holding onto your vehicle for longer can often be the best long-term budgeting option. To keep your vehicle on the road, you’ll need to see your mechanic regularly.
The good news is that regular maintenance doesn’t have to be as expensive as you might think. If you’re looking for affordable car or truck repair in Fredericksburg, VA, or want to learn more about keeping repair costs down in general, then keep reading this handy guide.
Be Nice to Your Vehicle
Few vehicles are designed to be driven like race cars, and even race cars need excessive maintenance off track. Driving aggressively can put a strain on shocks, breaks, steering, drivetrain, and many other components in your vehicle. If you don’t wear these parts down or damage them prematurely you can expect less repair costs in the long run.
Pay Attention to Warning Signs
Weird bumps, noises, and smells can be telltale signs that something is wrong. Inspecting your vehicle or taking it in for an inspection may help you catch a cheap and easy fix early before something big and expensive breaks. The same advice goes for those lights on the dash.
Fill Up the Water and Change the Filters
The radiator is one of the most crucial components that keep your car from destroying itself. Make sure that you regularly put coolant and water in the coolant tank so that excess heat doesn’t severely damage your vehicle.
Car engines also have air and oil filters that remove dust and other contaminants from the air and from inside the engine. If left unchecked these contaminants would wear your engine’s parts down incredibly quickly. Air filters can be changed every 7,500 to 15,000 miles without trouble, while oil filter changes should occur more regularly.
Overlooking these three very simple bits of maintenance can lead to high vehicle repair costs in the future.
Know and Adhere to Your Warranty
Your warranty is one of the best ways of shielding yourself from high vehicle repair costs. Knowing the duration of your cover will allow you to make decisions about getting an extended warranty or starting a rainy day fund for covering car repairs in cash.
Your warranty will also show what kind of behaviors are required by the warranty. Some of these include staying on a regular service schedule and being careful with aftermarket parts. Not only do these habits keep you covered, but they also happen to be the same habits that keep car repair costs to a minimum as well.
Find the Best Car and Truck Repair in Fredericksburg, VA
The best thing you can do to keep repair costs low is to find a trusted auto mechanic. Getting cheated by unregulated can cause a lot of damage and costs time and money. Express Auto Service is an ASE-certified blue deal shop that offers top-quality service and repairs.
If you’re looking for an auto technician or mechanic you can trust in Fredericksburg, VA, then contact us today to find out what we can do for you. We can handle everything from regular maintenance to auto repairs. Let us handle your truck and car repair needs.