Car maintenance costs | Car care tips
In our hectic schedules, we usually forget to bother about maintaining the car in good condition. It is only in situations when the car strands on the way or refuses to budge from the home when you are going for office, that you realize that you had not maintained your car for long. We are just concerned about the car dropping you to your destination and the maintenance is the least important factor for most of the negligent car owners.
Periodic maintenance done on the car can reduce the high amount bills which will stun you after a car break down maintenance job. Have the maintenance done on your car at proper intervals as mentioned by the car manufacturer at the certain miles maintenance job. If time is the restricting factor, there are many such garages that work on weekends too. Finding them can be very helpful to such people. Even workshops near to the office can be helpful so that you can give your car for a full day check up while you are at office.
Get a good idea about the kind of maintenances that has to be done on your car and at what intervals. You can read the car owners manual to find more information about the number of miles at which it is recommended to go for oil change, and maintenance check ups. Different cars have different timings, therefore creating a chart of the maintenance times and sticking to it is very essential to keep your car in good condition.
Most of the people now prefer for the car maintenance contracts which can be purchased from the car dealer itself while buying a new vehicle. You can pay this amount along with your finance amount and will coverall common maintenance over miles done for oil change and other normal wear and tear. The manufacturer provides warranty over certain items which are prone to wear and tear, all other common maintenance issues will be covered under this contract which is usually priced at 150 to 200 dollars. The vehicle maintenance coverage is mostly up to 50,000 miles and a few years time. After the period ends, the maintenance charge can be renewed at higher charges.
In the first 3000 miles, the lube, oil and filter will have to be changed. You can cut down the maintenance charge here by doing the oil change by yourself. It will just cost around $25 to $50 if you do it by yourself and can save on the labor charges. There are several websites online that will give you detailed information regarding the oil change procedure.
Usually what happens is, when you take your car for an oil change at 3000 miles, the auto repair center will offer a free check up and will point out many defective parts. To make sure that his claims are true, ask him to show you as to what is worn and torn. It is always good to have proper information regarding your vehicle parts so that you do not get fooled into spending on unnecessary maintenance by such ‘up sells’. If the mechanic’s recommendations of the maintenance job are reliable enough, then do go for it as you do not want to take a risk with any further damages to your car.
Above the manufacturer allowed warranty, your car will have to face an extra $200 to $300 in the first few years. When creating an annual budget for the car maintenance cost, it is always advised to add a $100 to the amount so that you wouldn’t be taken by surprise when you have a bit bigger amount bills. After the three years time, the car will require constant maintenance works and the amount will rise to $800 to $1000 per year including the tire changes required.