Car Repairs You're Probably Wasting Money On
Driving Costs Down
There's no way around it. Cars are expensive. But they don't necessarily have to be as expensive as they are for some of us. When it comes to car repairs and maintenance, there are some things we all do that we can stop doing—that won't hurt the car but will help our wallets. Sounds like a win-win to us.
Lube Job
It sure sounds important, but unless you have a heavy duty pickup truck, or something in that vein, you probably don't need to bother with lube jobs. Check that owner's manual.
Regular Tune-Ups
Back in the day, a regular tune-up was probably a good thing—have someone take a look and make sure everything is working as it should be. But these days, with all the computer systems built into automobiles, you're getting a regular tune-up every time you drive the car. That's what all those lights and indicators are for. If something isn't right, your car will tell you. And on that note...
Don't Ignore Those Lights
There's an idiom known as the Snowball Effect, referring to "a situation in which something increases in size or importance at a faster and faster rate"—which is exactly what can happen if you ignore those dashboard lights and indicators. Something that might initially be a fairly easy and relatively inexpensive repair could "snowball" into a much bigger problem the longer you stare at those lights without making an appointment with your mechanic.
Premium Fuel
Premium gas does have value for some higher-end cars. However, for the rest of us, the only real difference it makes is to our wallets. 87 octane is perfectly fine. Want another way to save money on gas?
