Common Oddball Automotive Repairs

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Abraham Chavez

If you want to keep your automobile running like it should for a long time, then you will have to take it in to a local auto repair shop on occasion for oil changes, routine maintenance, break inspections, transmission troubles and more. That’s all part of the cost of car ownership. Yet you don’t want to bring your car into the shop unnecessarily or else you are wasting time and money that could be better spent on other activities.

Yet every day, car owners bring their vehicles into our San Diego shop for a number of oddball fixes that are either completely unnecessary or widely misunderstood. These “automotive repairs” can end up costing a lot of money over time and leave you scratching your head.

Screwy Auto Repairs Mechanics See All the Time:

Tighten Your Gas Cap – This sounds foolish but this should be the first thing you do if a “check engine” light comes flashing on your dashboard. More often than not, tightening your gas cap will solve the “problem.” Advanced automotive systems have their advantages but one setback is that a loose gas cap can cause pressure imbalances that trigger the “check engine” light to go on. Think of it another way: How would you feel if you drive across town to visit an auto repair shop just to have them “fix it” by turning your gas cap half an inch to the right?
Fixing Those “Extras” – Much like our offices and homes, automobiles have gone high tech and people can install all sorts of aftermarket products such as alarms, stereos, hands-free devices and more on their cars. Yet some of the time, these projects go array and the person hurts the electrical circuits by overloading them. Uninstalling these extra products, and then reinstalling them properly, is another common oddball job that our mechanics see all the time.

Don’t be that guy! (or girl) Come see us instead.

Undoing Do-It-Yourself Work – It is true that everyone who drives a vehicle can and should safely and legitimately perform certain repairs or maintenance jobs themselves to save a few bucks. Changing the oil can be done with minimal tools; refilling fluids, replacing windshield wipers, and replacing blown fuses can be done by the driver with ease.

Keep in mind that engine, transmission or brake repair almost always needs to be handled by a trained mechanic. Fixing these botched auto repairs almost always ends up costing more than the initial auto repair would have cost – had you gone straight to the professionals. So next time you are in need of some of these oddball repairs, don’t just ‘wing it’ but instead put your trust into an auto mechanic and save yourself time, money and a possible short term headache!