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Car Breaks
Your car breaking is not a pleasant experience. Whether you walk out to your car in the morning and it won’t start, or it breaks down on the side of the road as you are driving, it is a nuisance to deal with, and could end up costing you a lot of money. The problem is that at some point in your cars life, it is probably going to break. When this happens, there are two main things that you can do.
Image Credit: Garrette
Take It To The Shop
The first, and most obvious, thing that you can do is take it to a mechanic. They will look over the car for you, figure out what is wrong, and fix it for you. The problem with this method is that sometimes the repairs will be very costly. And if you do not know a lot about cars, you will be left wondering if you are getting ripped off. However, if you want to ensure that the job gets done right, and in a timely fashion, then taking it to a mechanic may be your best option.
Fix It Yourself
For those of you that are more adventurous, handy, or just want to save a little money, you could try to fix your car yourself. Depending on what the problem is, you may be able to repair the car right from home. There are a few steps that you should follow when trying to repair your own car.
First, you will need to diagnose the problem. If you don’t know what you need to fix, search the Internet for similar symptoms to your car. Is there a weird smell or an unusual noise? Is the car not behaving as it should? There’s a good chance someone else has had a similar problem, so you may be able to figure out what the issue is with a little research and some trial and error. Here is a free tool to help get you started with diagnosing your car problems.
After you know what the problem is, you have to decide if you can fix it. There are plenty of guides and tutorials online that can walk you through the steps, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. We recommend going through a few tutorials first and seeing what the entire job entails. If you think you can handle it, then proceed on. Otherwise, it may be time to take it to a shop.
If you are going ahead with the repair, you will need two things – parts and tools. Most car repairs will require that you install a replacement piece, and in order to do that you need to find the right one. Don’t just go out and purchase the cheapest replacement piece that you can find. If you have a diesel engine, you’ll need diesel engine parts. If you have a Ford, you’ll need Ford parts. It can be tempting to try and save money here, but you’ll save yourself trouble down the road by getting the right parts now.
You’ll also need the right tools to install the new piece, or fix whatever other issue you may be having. In the tutorials you find they should list the tools you’ll need, so it is just a matter of making that purchase as well. Buying tools can be a good investment if you plan on fixing your own car from now on.
Going Forward
Once you’ve had your car fixed – either by you or an auto shop – your goal should be to prevent it from happening again. It is always a good idea to perform routine maintenance on your car to keep it in good shape, and from breaking down. Here is a quick guide on some common car maintenance jobs that you should be doing throughout your car’s life.
While a car breaking down is unpleasant, it doesn’t have to be too complicated. You can either have the problem handled right away by a mechanic, or invest some of your time into doing it yourself. Either way you go, be sure to take the time to weigh all of your options so you know not only will your car be repaired correctly, but that it will be done for an affordable price.
