by Marie F.

Created on: November 06, 2008   Last Updated: November 16, 2008

Car maintenance. Two scary words? No, but the words 'car problems' are. Think of the old saying 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'. Just like we go to the doctor for a checkup, our cars need periodic maintenance.

Oil changes, air filters, brake pads, new belts, and fluid refills are the most common car maintenance issues. Do it yourself or take your car to a professional auto shop? Let's take a look at the two choices and decide.

Professional auto shop:

The auto shop workers have probably done hundreds if not thousands of oil changes, brake pads, etc. They have seen cars new and old, fancy and not so fancy, and cars in repair and in disrepair. They know what they are doing. But what a way to spend a Saturday morning. Sitting in a small waiting room with bad coffee, yesterday's newspaper, and a television programmed to the last channel you would ever watch at home.

You can go here to find tips on choosing an auto mechanic: http://www.mechanicadvisor.com/Tips.aspx

Do It Yourself:

How difficult can an oil change be? The premise sounds easy, but is a little more complicated than just sliding under the car, unscrewing the oil compartment's bottom and draining the old oil into a bucket. You also have to ensure that you dispose of the oil in the proper way. Oil change shops charge an extra fee to dispose of used car oil in a legal manner.

Keeping in mind that all makes and models are slightly different, here are some step by step instructions:

Changing the oil http://www.wikihow.com/Change-the-Oil-in-Your-Car

Che cking fluids http://www.wikihow.com/Check-the-Fluids-in-a-Car

Shou ld that someone be you? Well, do you come with a warranty on your work? If you notice oil staining your garage floor do you scoot back under to troubleshoot or take it back to the auto mechanic's shop and say "somethings wrong, fix it". That's the catch. And, if you are under the hood to change a filter are you schooled enough in the art of auto repair to notice if something else may need repair?

Bottom line:

Take the car to a professional. Ensure that you are going to a reputable mechanic (get a referral, see how busy they always are, check a local internet site for comments). Pay labor costs yet feel confident that you can take your car back to them if there is a problem.

or

Do It Yourself. Save money, build confidence, no waits. Yet take the chace that something goes wrong and you have to pay to have that corrected by a professional.

Learn more about this author, Marie F..
Click here to send this author comments or questions.