Tuesday November 24, 2009 11:36 PM ET
SmartMoney
Published July 14, 2009  |  A A A
Deal of the Day by AnnaMaria Andriotis (Author Archive)

10 Cheap Ways to Care for Your Car

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You don’t have to live in Detroit to see that more drivers are hanging on to their cars for a longer period of time.

High unemployment and dwindling financing options are pushing fewer consumers toward new car dealerships. On average, U.S. car dealers sell 17 million cars a year, but this year U.S. auto sales are projected to drop to nine million, says Robert Sinclair Jr., a spokesman for the New York branch of the American Automobile Association.

Broadly speaking, fewer new cars on the road means more in need of fixing up. And as consumers look to cut costs, many of them are tackling auto repairs on their own. Fifty-one percent of vehicle owners say they’re performing more maintenance on their car instead of going to a mechanic than they were a year ago, according to a survey commissioned by Honeywell Consumer Products Group, a car-care products manufacturer and conducted by Kelton Research, a market research company.

By making certain tweaks and repairs on their own, consumers can increase their car’s longevity and end up spending less cash at the mechanic, says Rich White, the executive director of the Car Care Council, a nonprofit organization that educates consumers on how to maintain their cars. Think of it as preventative medicine for your sedan.

A visit to the mechanic once or twice a year is recommended (not unlike a visit to the doctor), since they can tackle problems like an oil change or headlight replacement, which can be more challenging at home, especially on newer luxury vehicles, White says.

Before you start on repairs, locate your owner’s manual, which comes with your care, and repair or service guide, which is sold at dealerships and parts stores. Leaf through it for guidance about the parts you might need or whether the manufacturer recommends that you leave a particular task to the dealer.

Here are 10 ways to maintain your car for less money. (Parts prices are listed on AutoZone.com and the National Automotive Parts Association and are based on equipment and repairs for a 2009 Toyota Camry.)

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User Comments
Car-man

1 Comments
For the most part, the author of this article is obviously unfamiliar with any kind of maintenance of vehicles. I, too, found her article to be humorous in that it contains a great deal of misinformation. Page 3. She writes, 'However, replacing brakes on your own requires several specific tools, including a new brake rotor, caliper and fluid. Front rotors cost $56 to $68 and rear brake rotors cost $36 to $53. Calipers cost $10 to $15…'
Actually a frequent brake job just requires changing the brake pads and, perhaps, replacing the brake fluid. Yes, you can buy cheap rotors and maybe salvaged calipers for the prices noted, but the rebuilt calipers that I bought for my 1991 Toyota Camry last month were more like $59 each, new ones would have cost about three times that from the dealer.

Page 4. The author wrote, "...a quality (tire-pressure gauge) will cost around $29..."
A good digital gauge will cost you less than $10 at Wal-Mart, Target, or K-Mart.

'To rotate y...(Read more of this comment)
Posted by: l98_700r4
On page 11 "Change the oil", where did they find that the price of a funnel is $14!? I've never paid more than $5.99 for a funnel (this was the long style meant for automatic transmissions). Funnels are often a $1.99 or $.99 item at Wal Mart.

On page 3, the "several specific tools" are often under $10 at autozone. The function of the common disc brake pad spreader can be accomplished with a c-clamp of sufficient size.

Also the brake rotor, caliper and fluid are parts of the brake system, not tools! They usually do not need replacement at every brake pad change (unless you've driven till your brakes started grinding and then it's usually only rotors). The prices for calipers are a bit low, while the rotors are a bit high.

The prices of all the parts will vary by vehicle, but you will get charged a markup over the parts vendor price at the mechanic (part of how they make their money).
Posted by: phhudson1
Most of todays newer vehicles use what is caled a Mass Airflow Sensor. It is located between the air filter and intake manifold. The sensor measures the amount of incoming air into the engine as well as air temp.the ecm or engine controll module the calculates how long to hold the fuel injectors open. A clean or dirty air filter will not increase or decrease your fuel mileage. The engine control module along with the oxygen sensors of the vehicle maintain the proper air/fuel mixture by controling the amount of fuel the engine requires. I am an ASE certified master technician. I find reading these "tips" quite funny. I dont know were these journalists get there info but it is certainly out of date.
CyCarConsulting

14 Comments
These are tips for people who are very handy. If you don't want to tackle any of this or get dirty,and you want cheap, here is a suggestion. Talk to your friends,neighbors,colleagues, etc.,etc.,
and find out where they are getting their work done. Keep in mind you have to ask a lot of people, you are doing research, rather than cleaning grease from under your fingernails. Once you feel you've narrowed it down, go online and check for any bad reports or items on the shop. Drive over there and look around. Is it neat, or does it look like the day after Katrina? Sometimes there are very skilled techs working behind their homes, that are just as good as anyone out there, provided we are talking about service and not major diagnostic problems. If you find a good one you will know. If he guarantees his work, wants you to keep coming back, and charges you a fair rate, without trying to sell you a lot of stuff you don't need, This might be the guy.
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