Is repairing your vehicle yourself the best choice? Or should you always take it to the mechanic? Which way is the best for you and your car? Let’s look at some of the benefits of DIY car repair and maintenance.
Safety and Liability
Would you trust a repair person to replace your brakes if they did this job only once every four years?
You’re going to put your life and the life of your family at risk for saving a $100? That’s not such a good idea. Whenever the repair is safety related, absolutely have the mechanic do it. That mechanic replaces these things every day. Put your trust in the expert and stay safe.
Where You Can Save Money
Some maintenance jobs are super simple. For jobs like an oil change or changing a sparkplug, there isn’t much that can go wrong. Although, if you don’t put the oil pan back on correctly and that nut is put on cockeyed, you’re probably going to create an expensive problem that needs to be handled before the next oil change. How much are you saving, $20? Leave it to the mechanic.
Things like adding air to the tire and checking your fluid levels can and should be done all the time by the vehicle owner. When you find you’re needing air in a tire more than once between oil changes you’ll need a mechanic to inspect the tire and patch the leak.
When You Need a Mechanic
You need to take your vehicle to a mechanic for any repair, maintenance or upgrade task. The mechanic will get it done right, has the equipment to do it quickly and can dispose of fluids and parts legally.
Sure, maybe you know how to change the oil. But when you can spend $80 and your mechanic gets it done fast, why spend your Saturday afternoon doing it? You still need to legally dispose of the oil, which is expensive. And you run the risk of putting a bolt on wrong or worse. Additionally, you get oil all over yourself and your driveway.
Leave It To the Pro
You aren’t saving enough money to pay for your time. It is better to do something fun with your family while your mechanic does the repair. Your mechanic will also spot big problems on the horizon and fix them before you risk injury. It’s always more practical to take your vehicle to a good mechanic, like A1 Performance Auto Repair.
