Questions to Ask Your Mechanic: Tips From a Dealer
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So your vehicle is due for a maintenance inspection and you want to be prepared with questions &#; as you should! Although necessary, many car owners find vehicle maintenance to be stressful and a bit confusing. After all, it&#;s not like you&#;re a mechanic!
When it comes to regular car maintenance, allow us to be your ultimate resource. Below, you&#;ll find our top six recommended questions to ask your mechanic on your next trip to the service shop. Continue reading to learn more!
Why Is Regular Maintenance Necessary?
Vehicle maintenance is designed to keep your car in a good and functional state. Regular car service is essential to prolong the life of your vehicle and to avoid hefty, unexpected, repair bills. In fact, having your car routinely serviced will reduce wear of your engine &#; which is crucial to your vehicle&#;s performance.
Ideally, mechanics recommend you follow the 30-60-90 interval rule of thumb when it comes to how frequently you need to bring your vehicle in for a service inspection. This puts your car in the shop for scheduled maintenance at 30,000 miles, 60,000 miles, and 90,000 miles. However, maintenance needs such as an oil change or tire rotation should be done between these milestones &#; about every 5,000 and 10,000 miles.
Related: How to Stay Up-To-Date on Your Car Maintenance This Winter
6 Vehicle Maintenance Questions to Ask
Now that you know why vehicle maintenance is so important, let&#;s go over six questions you should ask your mechanic on your next visit to the shop.
1. Are You Clear on Why I Brought My Vehicle In?
Although the answer to this question will likely always be yes, it&#;s still important to clarify with your mechanic that they know why you brought your vehicle in for service. Technicians generally have a lot on their plate, so sometimes the finer details slip their minds. To avoid this, consider writing down a list of symptoms that you&#;re concerned about so you can go over it in detail with your mechanic before your service begins.
2. Are You Familiar with This Make and Model?
Although most mechanics are well versed in many types of makes and models, you&#;ll want to clarify that your technician is familiar with your vehicle. After all, some repair shops specialize in specific types of cars. Simply asking your mechanic if they&#;ve worked on your specific make and model will give you peace of mind that your car is in great hands!
3. Can You Explain My Repair Options?
This may seem like a no-brainer, but asking your mechanic to explain the details of your repair options will ensure that you are in the loop and fully understand the extent of your car&#;s needs. Additionally, many car issues have more than one solution, so asking your technician to explain your different options will help you make the best decision for your vehicle, and your finances.
4. Can I See My Old Parts?
If your mechanic is replacing parts in your vehicle, you should ask to see the old part before it&#;s discarded. Not only will it prove that the part was actually replaced, but it will also educate you as a car owner &#; as you will be able to see the part(s) before and after.
5. What Would You Do In My Shoes?
Before spending copious amounts of money on suggested repairs, ask your mechanic what they would do if they were in your shoes. For example, if you own an older car, certain repairs may not be worth the time and money to fix. Asking your mechanic what they would do in your situation will ultimately help you decide what maintenance needs immediate attention, and which ones may not be worth repairing.
6. Can You Provide Me With a Maintenance Plan?
Quality mechanics not only want you to leave your car in great condition, but they want to keep it that way for all of the miles to come! At the end of your service appointment, you should ask your mechanic if they will provide you with a maintenance plan to keep your vehicle in tip-top condition. After all, if you don&#;t have a routine maintenance schedule, you&#;ll end up at the service shop more frequently (and with a more expensive bill).
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Schedule Your Car&#;s Routine Maintenance at Battleground Kia
We know that car maintenance is not the most exciting task in the world. However, we hope this blog serves as a helpful resource as you begin to prepare for your next vehicle service. After all, understanding your maintenance needs is of utmost importance as a car owner.
At Battleground Kia, our expert technicians will answer any questions you may have concerning your vehicle&#;s required maintenance. If you, or anyone you know is in need of routine maintenance, don&#;t hesitate to contact our team! Visit our website or click the button below to connect with us!
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There are so many things to consider when buying a new car&#;especially at a time when gas prices are high and inflation has made everything else more expensive, too. And while you&#;re picturing yourself driving around town in your new vehicle, taking it in for service is probably not part of the fantasy. After all, it&#;s a new car, and, ideally, should be in tip-top shape when it leaves the dealership.
But, of course, that&#;s not necessarily the case&#;and even if it is, your vehicle will eventually require routine maintenance. That&#;s why it&#;s so important to ask about maintenance while you&#;re shopping for new vehicles. Here are some questions you should ask in order to make a fully informed purchase, courtesy of a guide from Consumer Reports (CR).
Many new vehicles come with some sort of complimentary maintenance plan, but they&#;re not all created equal. In fact, if you don&#;t find out what this &#;free&#; service includes, it could end up costing you in the long run.
If a salesperson says your vehicle comes with &#;complimentary&#; maintenance, here are a few questions to ask:
Which services are free? (i.e. Oil change, tire rotation/balancing, a basic tune-up, etc)
How long does the complimentary maintenance policy&#;s coverage last?
How often are you entitled to the maintenance?
Is there a limit to the number of times you can take your vehicle in for free maintenance services?
Is this perk from the automaker, or the dealership?
Do you have to visit a particular dealership or location in order for your maintenance to be complimentary?
If your purchase does come with any version of a complimentary (or discounted) maintenance plan, do not make the purchase (or at least, leave the dealership) without getting that in writing, experts at CR stress&#;even if the salesperson tells you not to worry about it.
Even if your new vehicle doesn&#;t come with a complimentary maintenance plan, you should still ask about what it takes to keep it running properly. Questions to ask include:
What services are needed on a regular basis in order to maintain the car?
How often should the vehicle be serviced? (Although that information is also in your owner&#;s manual, so confirm whatever the salesperson tells you.)
Is there&#;s anything unique to/specific about this vehicle in terms of maintenance?
Finally, the experts at CR recommend being wary of any type of maintenance package deal the salesperson offers you. These typically involve paying upfront for a few different services at regular intervals&#;and often aren&#;t good value.
Do your own math to figure out whether a package deal is worth it, or if you&#;d be better off getting services on an as-needed basis from the dealership or a local auto shop.
Want more information on Municipal maintenance vehicles? Feel free to contact us.