by Jade Balle

Created on: November 07, 2008   Last Updated: November 16, 2008

So, wannabe grease monkey. You're trying to decide if maintaining your own car is a viable option versus going to a dealer or service garage to get the work done. You're definitely not the first! Whether this thought has crossed your mind because of cost or because you are tired of having your chain yanked by slick mechanics who try to upsell you at a basic oil change, there are a few issues to ponder.

Car maintenance is about more than just buying a jumpsuit and rolling yourself under your car. There are a few important details that most people overlook. When making this decision you've got to think about the process of buying parts and supplies, disposal of materials, and most importantly, your safety.

Parts and Supplies

There are a number of auto parts shops that will sell you the same parts and supplies mechanics use. You can sometimes even get great deals on auto maintenance kits, such as oil change combos that include your oil and filter at a discounted rate. The downside of this is that you sometimes can underestimate the tools that you need to complete the job seamlessly. For example, mechanics usually put your car on a lift when changing your tires and use pneumatic tools to secure the tire with bolts.

Mechanics also get a bulk discount on their parts and supplies. Instead of paying $20 for four quarts of oil they can get four quarts of oil for pennies on your dollar. However, they will tag on a hefty labor cost to even the simplest maintenance job that can bring the price of taking your car to the repair shop about even with doing the maintenance yourself.

You have to decide if going through the trouble of doing that repair is worth the time and effort. What takes a mechanic 10 minutes in the shop could end up taking you hours!

Disposal Issues

Another thought that oftentimes goes over the head of do-it-yourselfers is the need to dispose of unwanted materials. That old oil and those balled tires have to go somewhere! State and local governments have very specific rules about how waste is to be disposed of, and you could be fined if you're caught dumping it where it does not belong. If you have a safe legal way of getting rid of your car waste after the job is done, by all means, take the reigns of your car's maintenance, but if you'll find yourself contemplating sneaking around late at night to find the dumpster behind your local supermarket to dispose of a tire, maybe you should reconsider.

Auto repair shops know all of the rules of waste dumping and usually pay 3rd party companies to dispose of their unwanted materials. On the downside, you can bet that this cost is absorbed somewhere in your bill.

Safety Issues

Finally, you've got to think about safety. Are you completely confident that you are going to be able to change those brakes properly? And when you jack your car up and get underneath, you've got to be completely sure that it's secure on that mini lift unless you want your next project to involve "Resting in Peace." The upside of going to a state registered auto mechanic is that they have insurance for all of the work that they perform. If anything goes wrong with your car due to their error, you're covered.

Moral of the Story: Instead of jumping headfirst into the pool of folks who do their own car maintenance, first compare the pros and cons using these three important considerations.

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