DIY or Garage?
Cars are a labour of love to the motoring enthusiast. If you own a vehicle that has done a few kilometres and is also old enough to not be under a manufacture warranty/servicing regime, then you can save yourself some money by doing the car’s servicing basics yourself. Things like an oil and filter change, air filter replacement, coolant fluid check and tyre pressure checks can be easily done by any half-useful person who knows which end of a spanner to hold; and these key maintenance factors do look after your vehicle. You can quite easily purchase a maintenance manual for your car online, at a library or through your local bookshop. Many ‘do-it-your-selfers’ can save a few dollars by doing these few important tasks themselves. Just don’t forget to put the oil back in the vehicle – unlike my father-in-law who, after draining the oil out, didn’t get round to putting it back in. Forgetting the life blood of an engine is a very spectacular way of ending its life.
If you just can’t face the job of changing the oil and other basic checks on the vehicle, do shop around for the best deals in car servicing. It’s surprising how variable the cost of car servicing can be between garages. There are even servicing outfits strictly geared up for doing the basics – like ‘Oil Changers’. The convenience of just dropping your car in when you like, waiting for usually less than half an hour, and driving off again can’t be underestimated. It beats being without a car for a day.
When it comes to getting your WOF done, this is the time when anything that needs fixing on your car to be roadworthy will be found out. When it comes to repairs, this is an area that demands good automotive knowledge and will be the right time to employ an expert’s skills if the job is beyond your skill set. Also, when your car comes to a halt because it breaks down, if you can’t fix it, then an expert will be needed for the diagnosis and repair. It’s usually electronic components, air conditioning and the like which will be beyond the average ‘do-it-your-selfer’.
It’s actually quite fun doing maintenance on you own car, particularly if you have an interest in cars. You do get quite a lot of satisfaction from doing so.
Level 2, 9 Help Street