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Alright…who here likes taking their car to the shop for maintenance? Anyone…anyone…Bueller…Bueller. We me neither, so I’m passing on some of Franco’s favorite tips for saving $$$ on car maintenance.

DIY

For those that are familiar with automotive forums and message boards, you will recognize the “DIY” tag as “do it yourself.” Although this is an obvious money saver, it can be a time drainer. When I do decide to tackle a problem on my own (e.g. changing brakes and rotors), I always rely on the wisdom of other salty DIY veterans at bimmerfest.com. I haven’t done extensive research, but I’m sure there are a variety of similar sites for all kinds of makes and models. When you do decide to DIY, make sure you know what you are getting into. The work will most likely require a good amount of time and some tools that you may not have on hand. Add up the total cost of materials to see how much you will be saving compared to taking it into the shop. Divide your savings by the amount of time it will take you to complete the project to see if it is worth the effort (after all, you could be spending that time relaxing on the porch with a frosty beverage in one hand and a plate of BBQ in the other). Lastly, if you can find a friend (probably a pretty good friend at that) that 1) knows something about cars & 2) is willing to help you out, you will find the process to be much more enjoyable and faster.

Labor Only

Depending on what you are having fixed, sometimes it can be advantageous to purchase your parts/materials and bring them to a mechanic to have them installed. This way, you are only paying inflated mechanic prices on the labor and are getting a better deal on the parts. I’ve done this for everything from window regulators to power steering pumps (didn’t have a good experience with that one) to tires and oil changes. Make sure you discuss this option with a mechanic you feel comfortable working with before purchasing all your parts online. 

• Auto parts - I like to use rockauto.com as they have very good customer service and excellent prices. 
• Tires -I use tirerack.com. Just this last week I had a blow-out on the highway and had to get two tires replaced (I’m of the belief that it is best to replace tires in pairs so that they wear evenly). I ordered a set of 2 Goodyear Eagle tires and had them drop shipped to my local Eagle Tire store (oddly enough). As I was waiting for the tires to be put on, the store manager asked me how much I paid for the tires. I told him and after cross checking his database, he told me that my price was slightly below his cost basis (and about 30% below his retail price). Needless to say…Franco was pleased. 
• Oil changes - I typically just buy the big 5 quart jug of my favorite oil (Mobile 1 Synthetic for High Mileage Vehicles) at Walmart and pay someone to change the oil and filter. Oil changes are about as easy as they get, but this is a perfect example of the savings/time ratio I was talking about earlier. First off, I have to jack my car up to get under it in order to change the oil. Secondly, I have to dispose of the old oil, which can be a pain. It’s much easier for me to pay someone an extra $13 to do this for me in under an hour.

So there you have it. Some good tips that can save you a couple hundred bucks a year (or more) on car maintenance.

Ciao,