Ten Basic Car Maintenance Tips
Not every distributor is good, though you could say that about any industry. For most parts, a pretty standard price mark up is about 40%. This means that if you could purchase the part from the manufacturer directly for $200, through the distributor you should be paying about $280 for the parts that you need. If you're paying less than that, then you should take a look at the overall quality of the spare parts to make sure they meet your specs. If you are paying more, then you either have a premium quality part... or the distributor is adding more to the cost. Don't be afraid to take some time to do some research to see which distributors in your area are giving you fair consideration in pricing!
Next on our to-do list is the air filter. This is another easy thing to do. Under the hood of your car there is a big black box with some clips on it. Just unclip the top of the box and you have found your air filter. junk yards huntsville of them slide out pretty easily and you can check to see how dirty it is. You can blow it out or vacuum it, but if the manual says it's time to change it you probably should. The last time someone at a repair shop wanted to change it for me I said now and I was glad I did. They wanted $40 to do it! I went to an carparts near me instead and bought one for $15 and put it in myself. It took less than 30 minutes including the amount of time it took to buy it and I saved $25. So now you can save $25 and get better gas mileage.
car store Use either a bicycle tire pump or an air compressor and pump a few bursts of air to rid the spark area of dirt, dust or gravel. Alternatively, clean off the old plug and the area around it with a rag or small brush. These steps help prevent any foreign material from falling down into the cylinder when the plug is removed.
Replacing spark plugs is not difficult, if they are located in a place on your engine block where you have enough room to reach them with a socket wrench. I usually start by taking out the first plug on the left side of the engine block. The spark plug wire is carefully removed. Then I put the socket wrench over the spark plug and turn the wrench counter clockwise until the plug comes loose.
There are a number of online stores which offer discounts year-round. You can take advantage of such offers. But one must verify the make, brand, color and suitability of such parts, especially if they are offered on heavy discount.
Price is not everything. Even if you can't negotiate with the car salesman to lower the price any more, you can still get yourself a good deal. Ask for freebies or whatever extra services they're offering.