How to Dispute Car Repair Charge

There are times that you need to dispute a charge from your mechanic. Sadly, not all (many?) mechanics are trustworthy. But hoe do you do it? Hoe do you walk away with the bill you feel is accurate and honest?

There are sine great resources online, where increasingly, new startups are trying to shed some light on the traditionally opaque car repair industry. Repairpal.com and autoMD.com are the leaders in giving you an online quote on what a should cost. Both have limited programs which try and connect you with a reliable mechanic. Or, there is the new startup www.carfixd.com which negotiates for you.

So, how do you negotiate?

1. Always ask the mechanic to show you the parts

2. Make sure you look up the prices of posts online

3. Try and get a second opinion on the repair by calling another shop

CarFixd.com - Beta Launch

A new website www.CarFixd.com just launched and is looking for FREE beta testers!

Basically, the site lets you hire a mechanic to negotiate car repair for you. You are having trouble with car repair, you hate dealing with mechanics, so hire a mechanic to deal with mechanics. They are entirely on your side, and they call up your shop, make sure you are not paying for things you don't need and you are getting a fair price for what you do need, and then you settle your (negotiated) bill with the repair shop.

If you want to try out the service for free - shoot them an email at info@carfixd.com

Why Snow Tires Make a Difference

Depending on where you live in the US, snow tires are either unheard of, something your skier friend pays for, or a way of life. Go a little further north and most of Canada requires either snow tires or four wheel drive.

So what's the big deal? Do they really matter?

Short answer: tires matter more than having AWD/4WD.

Long answer:
When your car is trying to get grip, the tires are the single biggest game changer. Four spinning tires without traction is not much better than two, and much worse than two tires with traction. Most importantly, think about braking: unless you're using the skinny pedal on the right (accelerator) AWD/4WD does absolutely nothing. All that matters are the quality of your brakes (a little) and how much traction you have, which is all about up tires.

Car Repair Warranties on Older Cars: Are They Worth It?

There are a lot of articles out there which talk about whether or not extended warranties are worth it from dealerships. The answer is generally "No" - but they do offer peace of mind and a fixed monthly expense, which can really help from a budgeting perspective.

But what about cars with a few more miles on them, or that you bought used? These are often the best value out there for vehicles. Autos tend to depreciate significantly in the first few years, but new models and big changes only come about every 4-7 years or so. Often, you can get the same car that they are selling new for $30,000, three years old and with 45,000 miles on it for $15,000, or 5 years old with 80,000 miles on it for $7000.

There are a lot of companies out there which offer 3rd party warranties for used cars. But are they worth it?

The short answer is "No." The long answer is "absolutely not."

The issue is this: none of these warranties really cover anything except the engine or drive train. They all have disclaimers that all basic mechanical parts are not covered. That means most of your car repair bill will not be covered.

What is covered then? Not a lot. If your engine blows up they MIGHT cover the cost of replacing it or doing a major repair. But if the issue was caused by "improper maintenance" they don't have to cover a thing. So - if you don't keep a perfect maintenance schedule and have records for all of it, they don't have to pay a dime.

Long story short - used car warranties are almost never worth the money.

What's The Best Used Car According to a Mechanic

Coming from the car repair industry you see and repair a lot of older vehicles. And a lot of those vehicles are difficult and expensive to work on. So what's the best car from a mechanic's perspective?

There are a few which almost every mechanic agree on.

1. The Honda Accord
This is probably the best. Reliable and cheap to repair, both the v4 and v6 are nearly bulletproof.

2. The Chevy Suburban
Cheap and reliable 4x4 SUV with tons of space. While many people see the fuel economy and that's all they care about. But with about 16mpg, limited depreciation and bomber build quality,  these SUVs can be a great value.

How Much Does My Check Engine Light Tell Me?

Your check engine light is a very useful diagnostic tool, and a good way to keep an eye on the heath of your engine, but not your car.

Your check engine light mostly reads from a number of sensors. These include oxygen sensors which let it know if the car is running rich or lean, temperature sensors which let it know if you are overheating, throttle, camshaft and crankshaft position sensors, and on almost all cars these days, ABS sensors that tell it wheel speed.

So, of something is going on which one of these sensors can read, your check engine light will come on and you or a mechanic can use it to help diagnose the problem. For example, a broken house line in the engine could be misread as a misfire which you need to replace your spark plugs or cool packs, instead of a $10 hose. The light only goes so far, knowledge is still key.

The light also tells you nothing at all about the mechanical systems on your car. Axles, brakes, suspension, most of your steering system: none of these things have sensors which tell you when they need repair or what they need, other than a few cars with brake pad sensors which don't work very well.

Your check engine light is a useful diagnostic tool, but it only covers a small percentage of repairs other than on the engine itself.

Car Repair Shops Growth Slows

http://www.forbes.com/sites/sageworks/2014/01/26/auto-repair-shops-financial-analysis/