Should I Consider Buying a Used Transmission?
on Jan 03 in Maintenance & Repairs tagged used transmission by jasonl
Transmission repair is an expensive endeavor, and a damaged transmission is often the cause of an otherwise good car going to the junkyard before its time. Yet the untimely demise of someone else’s transmission could be good news for you if you have the time and inclination to replace the damaged transmission with a used or rebuilt (or refurbished) transmission.
But is it wise to buy a used transmission? By definition, a used transmission is used. A portion (or perhaps a majority) of the transmission’s life is gone, isn’t it? How do you know when to buy a used transmission and when not to?
Is a rebuilt or refurbished transmission worth it? Image copyright Flickr user Brownpau (click for details)
Here are a few tips to help you determine whether a used transmission is right for you, and how to find a good one.
5 Vehicle Fluid Levels You Shouldn’t Ignore
on Dec 26 in Maintenance & Repairs tagged by jasonl
You’re probably always pretty good at keeping an eye on your gas level. In fact, watching gas prices, gauging how far you can get on a small amount of gas, and leaving room in your budget for transportation costs is something that we’ve all gotten used to doing over the past few years.
There’s also the fact that, if you run out of gas, you know your car isn’t going very far. That’s why we pay so much attention to how much gas is in the tank. The thing is, there are other fluids levels in your car that you shouldn’t ignore. In some cases, a drop in one of these other fluid levels will just be an inconvenience. For example, a few years ago I was behind a truck that took a mud puddle too fast and splashed some mud up on my windshield. It was at that moment that I realized I was out of wiper fluid.
In other instances, low fluid levels can be downright dangerous. Running out of oil can damage your engine, sometimes beyond repair. Transmission fluid, antifreeze, and brake fluid are additional fluids that you really don’t want to run dry on, as they can all lead to catastrophic mechanical failures.
Car maintenance is incredibly important. MSN Autos says that “even the newest cars require scheduled service to live long, productive lives.” Checking fluid levels can be a hassle, but it’s usually a lot easier to prevent something bad from happening than it is to fix it after it really happens. It’s a lot cheaper, too. Wouldn’t you rather spend the $40 for an oil change than you would $6,000 – $12,000 for a major engine repair? I would!
Not long ago I was online looking for a quote on car insurance and instead I found information that showed me that my oversights on my essential fluids might cost me an arm and a leg in the future-forget about the high prices of gas!
The following is a short list of 5 fluids that you should keep your eye on as far as general car maintenance is concerned: Read More
Is Your Mechanic Ripping You Off?
on Oct 31 in Maintenance & Repairs tagged auto repair tips, mechanic, mechanics, repair shop by jasonl
We aren’t all car-savvy, and some of us can get sorely mislead when it comes to our cars. Not everyone knows what every purr and growl of their car means. I’ve always been amazed by the guys that I know who can tell me every little thing that is wrong with their car (and how long they can shove off fixing it before their car is in really dire shape). I can’t do that. So I have to trust my mechanic.
But not all mechanics are what they seem to be…mechanics have the unfortunate reputation of being slightly unsavory, and tweaking the cars of unsuspecting grandmothers so that the car will break down and they’ll have to come and get it fixed again and again and again…
What To Look For
To prevent a potential mechanic rip-off situation, there are some things you can look for that can indicate the quality of the shop you’re about to do business with. People may say you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, but well, that’s a book. You do have the right to take a look around the garage and judge what you see, assuming you are able to correctly interpret what you find! Read More