Posts Tagged auto shops

5 Automotive Tools Every Auto Owner Needs

Automobiles are sizeable investments. As a car becomes older, its maintenance becomes increasingly important. There are many tools that every auto owner should have. Auto shops can sometimes charge exurbanite amounts for a simple fix that could have been done at home for much cheaper. Having the proper tools and knowledge will allow any auto owner to save money, learn more about their automobile, and maintain their car.

1. Every auto owner should have a jack and jack stands. When working on a car, more often than not, the car must be elevated. Simple procedures like rotating tires can be done at home with the help of a Jack. Additionally, all car owners should have a jack in their car with them wherever they go. In the unfortunate event of a flat tire, having a jack and a spare tire can lead to a simple tire replacement. In a garage, having a powerful jack and strong jack stands makes it possible for an auto owner to reach every point underneath the car and thus solve problems more efficiently.

2. One of the most important car maintenance practices is the oil change. To maintain an automobile, the oil should be changed once every 3,000 miles. Quintessential to a successful oil change is having an Oil Wrench that takes the oil filter off and allows the oil to be changed expediently. Without an oil wrench, an auto owner may be forced to take their car to an auto shop and overpay for a simple oil change.

3. Often when dealing with parts of the engine, or the hard-to-reach spots under the hood, proper tools are required. A 3/8-inch Socket Set can allow an automobile owner to loosen and subsequently tighten a wide variety of bolts. Different extensions allow the auto owner to obtain the best angles for torque and therefore make auto jobs quite a bit easier.

4. When changing oil, having a funnel, some rags, and a bucket is very helpful. Once again, the oil change is one of the most important maintenances for a car, and it can be done easily by anyone. However, many people do not have the proper tools or knowledge for a successful oil change. Having a funnel can also be useful when refilling any other fluids in one’s car. The funnel serves to make sure that fluids do not get over filled, which can lead to significant problems.

5. Finally, every auto owner should have a pair of solid vice grips. Some times a part will just not come loose. Other times, a car part may not seem to be tight enough despite one’s best efforts. Vice grips can hold a wide variety of car parts and allow the user to obtain more leverage for either tightening or loosening a part. When encountering a part that will simply not come loose, many auto owners will give up and take their car to a shop. Having vice grips can help one to avoid this problem.

Unfortunately, there is no car in existence that doesn’t require constant maintenance. However, with the right tools, anyone can fix minor problems and maintain his or her automobile without the assistance of an auto mechanic. The right tools can lead to a longer last vehicle, and large cost savings.

Related posts

Buying Auto Parts Online

Purchasing auto parts online can be economical, and you can even choose from among a wide selection of used and reconditioned parts that are practically as good as new to save even more money. Whether you need to replace larger items like transmissions or differentials, or small details such as taillights or hood ornaments, you can find virtually any auto parts you may need online.

When it comes to buying a car, there are really only two strategies to choose from. First, you can buy or lease a new car and then trade it in every two or three years for the latest year model. Alternatively, you can purchase a car and drive it for 7 to 10 years to “get your money’s worth from it.”

Obviously, the most economical of these choices for most people will be to keep your car for a number of years, instead of constantly trading in for the latest model — and losing money in the process. But keeping your car for an extended length of time means that you will have to be vigilant about its upkeep, and from time to time you will likely have to replace some parts and have other maintenance and repairs performed.

But when it comes to replacing auto-parts, anyone who has visited a mechanic lately can tell you that costs have skyrocketed. Auto parts, and especially original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, auto-parts can be prohibitively expensive for many makes and models. As a general rule, the more exotic or expensive your car is to begin with, the more expensive the replacement parts will be.

This is especially true if you purchase auto parts from the original manufacturer. But there are several solutions to the high cost of replacing auto-parts. For example, you can choose to purchase so-called third-party parts online. These are auto-parts made by other companies, not the automaker; and they are normally quite a bit less expensive than buying OEM parts.

Third party parts are readily available for nearly any model of car or truck, and often the price difference will be substantial. For example, replacing a radiator for a standard American-made sedan can cost as much as $800 if you purchase original equipment manufacturer parts. But when you buy a replacement radiator for the same car from a third-party manufacturer, it is possible to pay as little as $250. Obviously, that’s a huge savings, and something you will definitely want to consider the next time you need to replace auto-parts for your vehicle.

But there is another option as well: used auto-parts are available to fit most American and foreign made cars. Used or “reconditioned” parts are often sold for a fraction of the price of new, and in most cases they are just as reliable to use.

Although you can find used auto-parts at specialty dealers, auto shops and parts stores, by far the best prices are to be found online. There are several big-name auto-parts stores online that specialize in used or reconditioned parts. Most of these sites have an easy to use search function that will allow you to see if they have the part you need in only a second.

This will save you an enormous amount of time over the “old way” of doing things: driving all over town and asking if the part is available at each different location you hit. For this reason, buying auto parts online is much more convenient and can also save you a great deal of money.

Related posts

Save Money By Buying Wholesale Automotive Parts Online

Well, maybe you have heard this one before, but I will give it a shot with you. There is actually a place where you can get wholesale automotive parts online, from reliable dealers, for discounted prices for the most part.

Very quickly, the Ebay Motors site has become the choice for many average Joes as well as auto shops who need quick access to hard to find body parts, engine parts, transmission parts, breaks, and more. Like regular Ebay Auctions, you can find both buy it now options and regular auctions on various parts for all makes and models, and for all years. In fact, there is a whole community of sellers that specialize in vintage and older vehicles also.

Not to mention the fact that you can easily navigate the site by searching by make and model, under either a vehicle search, or a part search. In fact, the LARGEST seller of WHOLESALE parts, where you can buy your parts individually for wholesale prices, has sold to date over, 252,638 parts on Ebay Motors. They are running their entire business through the site. Feedback rating on them? Out those 252,638, 99.1% of them submitted positive feedback from their purchase, which for sales that high in Ebay Terms means they are DEFINITELY a reputable seller. This is just an example, to show the fact that the sellers on Ebay Motors are reliable for the most part, especially the bigger ones. But DO check the feedback rating first.

A couple of quick notes before you begin. You CAN search locally to you, if need be, especially if you end up actually purchasing a whole vehicle on the site, or you need to pick up your part. However, 99% of the time you can get everything shipped directly to you, and in fact, that includes vehicles as well.

If you do not have an account, I would strongly suggest opening one, which you can do free of charge. You do not need to enter anything personal like credit cards or social security or anything of that nature when obtaining your ID and Password.

Related posts