When driving is part of your daily life, there are few things less pleasant than taking your precious vehicle into the shop for repairs with no way of knowing what to expect. Even if you've got a good relationship with a reputable mechanic or garage, it's important to take steps to ensure that you aren't shelling out money unnecessarily. You can avoid costly mistakes by following these tips:

Read Your Manual

Regular maintenance periods are recommended for all vehicles, but not all vehicles have the same guidelines. It's impossible for every car mechanic to know whether a vehicle requires a 15,000 kilometre check or 10,000 and 20,000 kilometre checks offhand for every make and model.

Your manual will also give you insight on repairs you can easily accomplish yourself, like changing your air filter, refilling low fluids, and replacing fuses, so that you can avoid a trip to the garage altogether. Know what all of your indicator lights mean so that you can make a judgement call yourself when an unfamiliar light pops up on the dashboard.

Shop Around

Just because you've taken your car to a garage for an estimate doesn't mean you have to agree with their assessment offhand. Call a few different reputable garages in your area to find out what their prices and timelines are for the same service. Be sure to include in your calculations any fee you'll pay to have the car towed to the new shop if necessary.

Once you do find a shop that does you right, make sure to become a 'frequent flyer' and ask about any loyalty programmes that they might offer.

Invest in Your Own Diagnostics

If you're super determined to save as much money in car repairs as possible over time, you might want to look into getting a handheld diagnostic computer for your home. These handy machines will give you the codes to determine exactly what is wrong with your vehicle, and allow you to find out if you might want to fix it yourself.

Look at Your Receipt

While you may be overwhelmed by the amount of money it's sometimes necessary to spend on your vehicle, one quick way to ensure you're not overpaying is to examine your receipt prior to payment. Check your receipt against the written estimate, and look for any duplicate or unauthorised charges. If you find some, don't get upset. Clerical errors happen to the best of people. Kindly ask them to explain each item to your satisfaction.

Get in touch with a local mechanic for more information. 

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