Monday, December 26, 2011

Why are Car Repairs So Expensive?

!±8± Why are Car Repairs So Expensive?

It is not uncommon for car owners to spend, over the course of several years, almost as much money on car repairs as they spent on purchasing the actual car. Auto service is notoriously expensive in many parts of the country and can be debilitating to one's budget if it comes at an inopportune time. Knowing a little about the auto service industry and why car repair is sometimes so expensive can help you avoid overpaying for car service.

Labor

When you pay for a car repair or a car part replacement, a lot of the times what you're paying for is mostly the labor. The parts required for the job might be fairly cheap, but it is the time taken to complete the job that you're being charged for. One of the keys to saving some money on labor costs is simply to shop around. Not all auto shops charge the same for labor. In fact, labor costs differ greatly from shop to shop. There are some that will charge you /hr or more on major repairs, but if you look around, you might find others that charge /hr or less.

Another thing to be aware of is that, if your car breaks down on the road and you take it to a nearby, roadside shop, you can be almost certain that the labor costs will be overpriced. This is for the same reason that a glass of beer at a ball game will be overpriced: you're paying for convenience.

Parts

If you buy your parts directly from the shop, they will likely be marked up for profit. Some auto shops raise the price of car parts as much as 30% or more above the MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price). Additionally, some vehicles, especially older or vintage cars, will require parts that are harder to find, or are no longer made and have to be bought on special order from the manufacturer.

Now, if you want to save money on parts, it might be a good idea to ask your mechanic, after an evaluation of the car is completed, to tell you what parts will be needed for the job. Then order these parts online for a discount and have your mechanic install those instead of the shop's.

Learn Some Basic Auto Maintenance

One of the best ways to avoid expensive car repairs is to take good care of your car and learn to do some basic auto maintenance. Procedures like changing your oil when required are very easy to learn and anyone can do them. There are even simple online guides that teach you how to do many of these so that you can save yourself a trip to the car repair shop.


Why are Car Repairs So Expensive?

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Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The Many Uses of Cheap Tires

!±8± The Many Uses of Cheap Tires

If you are always having problems with your tires, you may have a job that requires you to drive in some sticky situations, or that you are used to put a lot of miles on your car or truck. Whatever it is, replacing tires can be an expensive affair if you don't know the difference between the many different types of tires and treads. Unless you have one of the above problems mentioned, you can always get away with some of the cheap tires when you need to get new ones for your car.

However, there are times when cheap tires just simply won't do. If you have a long trip coming up, you don't really want to skimp on the tires. If you are going to be dealing with snow and sleet soon, you may also want to skip the cheap tires and opt for the really good and perhaps more expensive one. When you have to drive through construction areas often both on the highway or in relation to your job, you need the best tires you can get your hands on. Other than that, well, you can get the less expensive tires and still have very pleasant drive with them. Just remember to keep your eye on them as they won't last quite as long as the more expensive newer tires.

One great time to get cheap tires is when you only have to replace one of the worn out tires on your car. If you have found that tire has gone flat, but the other tires are still quite fine, there is no sense in replacing all of them at once. Finding cheap tires for this particular reason can save you some money. And you can replace all at once when everyone of the tires have worn out. However, it's good to keep in mind that most recommended staggering your tires changes by twos to avoid having them all go bald at the same time which can be pretty dangerous.

You can find cheap tires anywhere, but try to stay to stay away from the very low end of the spectrum. You can still get a great deal on them without getting those that will only last a few months, and might even prove to be a little dangerous. Your cheap tires can save you money, but they are an important part of your car and you want to keep your family safe in all those driving trips. Find some inexpensive tires that you can trust, and remember to check them often and to keep the air pressure at the proper level to lengthen the life of your tries, and of course, having a safe journey at the same time.


The Many Uses of Cheap Tires

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