Car Repair: Doing it perfectly the first time

METRO MANILA, – Car repair can be an intimidating topic for people who have never done it before.

It doesn’t help that stores are packed with complicated and confusing car equipment and parts. Not only that, if you’re not an experienced mechanic, you might not know the correct way to approach car repairs.

Nonetheless, it is a good idea to learn more about your vehicle and how it works. Even if you are not yet familiar with cars, there are some basics that everyone should know.

Find out how much a mechanic charges

Then, check to see whether or not you can do a particular job yourself for less.

This will give you an idea about whether you can save money by doing the work yourself or if it’s best to just pay someone else to do it.

Read the manual  

Use the manual to have a grasp of how your automobile was created.

You can also find other important details that will help you know your automobile better. These include its features, manufacturer and limitations.

Several troubleshooting tips are also provided, allowing you to do it on your own, if you want.

Understand how your car’s engine works

If your engine is making loud noises while running or isn’t starting up at all, then it is important that you learn these basics in order to determine whether the problem was caused by something simple or more complex.

Tear down the car to check its parts

If you have no idea how to maintain your car, it is important to seek some advice from other people first.

This will give you an idea if something goes wrong with your car. However, if you want to see how things work, you may take your car apart piece by piece, at least until you completely understand the components. You can use the manual to determine each part prior to opening anything.

The first thing that you should take apart is the interior. Remove all the seats and every other component inside the vehicle. This will allow you to look for any possible problems with them, as well as give you a clear view of what needs to be fixed or replaced in the future.

If there are things like cigarette burns on any of the seats, it would be best if you replace them now instead of waiting until they get worse. When taking apart the interior, make sure that there is no part of it left inside the vehicle.

This may cause small problems later on, such as blocked air vents and other inconveniences that will cost more in repairs than what it would have taken for a quick fix.

Get a second opinion

When you have an issue with your car, don’t just take it to the first mechanic you find.

Get estimates from several repair shops. If they’re all in the same ballpark, it’s probably okay to go ahead and get the work done at any one of them. If they vary widely in price, consider calling around until you find a shop that’s charging close to what others are charging.

If you can’t do that, make sure to ask each shop for an explanation of why a repair will cost more or less than the others.

On the other hand, if your automobile is no longer working well, consider looking for another vehicle. Get in touch with a reputable car dealership shop like Automart.PH!

We offer a wide selection of used cars at great prices, ranging from compact cars to pick-up trucks, that suit your needs.

And if you’re looking for the finest used cars, check out Automart.PH Certified Used Vehicles. These are restored until they feel like new again. They also come with a three-day money-back guarantee and, for Gold Certified units, a one-year warranty.

Automart.PH Senior Content Creator VJ Bacungan contributed to this story.