Car Maintenance - Page 3

Boehm Collector · ‎03-09-2010

@BunSnoop Please accept my condolences for the loss of your husband. As far as your vehicle.... I would take it to the dealer or a reputable mechanic every three months for an oil change. Have them check the tires, etc, when you go.

rockygems123 · ‎06-04-2012

@Desertdi wrote:
Oil changes and maintenance PRICES have gone WAY UP...so you might want to ASK before you take your car in. Had mine done this week...and it came to $173.

@Desertdi

Wow! Was that an oil change only or extra work?

Sticker shock where we go these days

Desertdi · ‎03-13-2010

@rockygems123

The only thing they noted was tightening a bolt on the oil pan. And it is an 8cyl.

To tell you the truth, I was kinda "expecting" a price hike...sorta like the "kiddie basket" of a grocery cart of food at Kroger now runs around $60 (!!!). di

♥Surface of the Sun♥

jannabelle1 · ‎09-12-2010

@BunSnoop, my sympathies to you with the loss of your husband. I lost mine 7 months ago, so I can empathsize with you.

Regarding your cars, it would be helpful if you have friends, neighbors or family that you could ask where they take their cars for routine auto maintenance and new tires. Some of the places are good, and some of them aren't so good. It's just very helpful if you can get a recommendation for an auto place that you'll be able to trust. There are usually a number of places that can do most any repair that you need, including a dealer who sells the same make of cars you have - maybe the dealer where your cars were purchased.

I don't know the first thing about fixing anything on my car, so I rely on one place that I know will change the oil and filter, rotate my tires and do most anything else that needs to be done. They always put a sticker on the inside of my windshield (upper left) as a guide for when I should schedule another oil change).

You'll find a good place, I'm sure...just check around a bit and try to get a few recommendations. I've found that most people are more than happy to help me when I ask. Best of luck to you!

Q-Checker · ‎05-09-2010

There are many good ideas here. Among others, I also highly recommend AAA membership for dead battery service, flat tires, "rescue" in the case of car problems on the road, etc. I drive less than 1,000 miles a year these days and, until I reach the next 5,000 mile recommended service window, I rely on Full Service checks (tire pressure, oil and all other routinely checked fluids) when I get gas. It is more expensive than Self Service gas, of course, but much less than dealer service. I tip well and go to the same gas station to ensure that all of the critical things are carefully monitored. Since I now drive relatively few miles a year, I do not need to fill the gas tank very often, making the added cost of Full Service fill-up's seem like less of a dent in my pocketbook. I use the pricey Mobile One oil, so it lasts a very, very long time,which makes the added cost seem worthwhile to me. I buy it at a discount place (Costco last time) and keep a spare quart in the trunk. I also bring my own Mobile One oil to the dealership during oil change time and pay a small service charge for this vs. paying them a huge premium for it. The car is a 2009 Honda and has been problem free. I also live in a state which requires annual inspection, so important safety items are monitored then.

AuntG · ‎03-09-2010

I'm sorry you have so much to deal with. We found a good local garage, and they do our oil changes and tire rotations. Brakes get checked when the rotations are done, and all fluids get checked with the oil change. If you can't find a trustworthy independent shop, there's always the garage at the dealership. We had to use them when the cars were under warranty, but they push for more maintenance than was needed for our type of driving, and they cost more. Still, they did reliable work.

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@BunSnoop wrote:
My husband passed away recently and my mind is racing as to what I need to do to keep everything at home operating well.

In regards to cars:

My cars are older so they do not give me any prompts that oil is low, etc. How often do you check to be certain your oil is at the right level? Do you do it yourself or do you take it somewhere to be checked?

Same for tires. As my cars are older, I do not get any prompts regarding tire pressure. How often do you check the tire pressure? Do you check it yourself or take it somewhere? Do you use a portable air compressor to add air yourself?

To make sure that your car is maintained correctly do you ever just take your car to a reputable car repair business and request they do a full inspection of the vehicle and review fluids, filters, brakes, etc.? If so, how often do you do this?

My husband did almost everything himself in regards to car maintenance. (Brake work, oil changes, tire rotation, checking fluids, tire air pressure, etc.) I wondered sometimes why he was outside so much doing "stuff" with the cars. Now I understand better why he was always busy in the garage.

Thank you!

@BunSnoop

So sorry for your loss!

On my own, I check my oil around the first of every month, and other fluids a little less often.

As for car maintenance, I found an independent auto mechanic that has been AAA certified. This is a very big deal, as it's difficult to get the Auto Club's blessing. It also gives me assurance and recourse if anything were to go wrong.

How often you get your car serviced will depend, in part, on how many miles you drive. For many, it's every 6 months or every 3,000-4,000 miles, and also depends on what type of driving you do.

Ask around or check the AAA website for mechanics in your area. It's really nice to have a mechanic you can rely on.

Hope this helps.

Lucky Charm · ‎03-09-2010

@BunSnoop You might consider trading in both cars for a newer model that does have the indicators. Not so much for knowing tire pressure, oil change recs, but for the piece of mind of something under warranty and more reliability.

lovesallanimals · ‎03-11-2010

BunSnoop - I also lost my beloved husband just 2 months ago so I understand what you are going through. I have no one to help me with these things, I am totally alone. I have two cars which are older but I love them both and we always liked having both in case one broke down, which has happened, and this way we always had a back-up. The gas station in my area has been around for a very long time and they are excellent so I just bring in the cars about once a year and tell them to check if anything needs to be done. The owner is very honest and if nothing needs to be done he tells me.

conlt · ‎03-16-2010

I agree, a small reputable independent shop is probably the best. My mother died in 2019 and we found her receipts for her car repairs. Her car only had 40,000 miles on it. However, it seemed to us that the dealership over-serviced it. Far to many oil changes etc. I do remember when they tried to sell her a $2000 tire sensor and I had her refuse that.