Purchasing a car is just the beginning of the expenses that are coming your way. Car repairs will follow suit. If you don’t know what car repairs might be necessary for the future, can you plan accordingly and budget?
Common Car Repairs
That’s what this article is here for! To help you understand and better predict what could come your way. Read on to learn how you can begin planning your vehicle maintenance budget.
What Are the Most Common Car Repairs?
Proper car maintenance can help you avoid some vehicle repairs. However, that is not always the case, as some car repair costs are unavoidable with car ownership. Knowing what could happen ahead of time can help you troubleshoot.
Oil Change
To increase performance and ensure a longer lifespan, car maintenance includes regular oil changes and oil filter replacements. This may be the most common of all. When you refresh the oil and change the filter, you restore the properties, including lubricating and cooling of the critical fluid.
Oil is a vital fluid for your vehicle. If you are unsure when you should replace the oil, a technician can help you decide. They can typically tell you when your next visit should be.
Windshield Wipers
A technician can inspect your windshield wipers and fluid to help you determine when this needs to be replaced. However, this is easy to do yourself too to save some money. It is important for your safety, especially while driving during poor weather conditions.
New Tires
Tires are a lot like shoes on your feet. It is the thing beneath you that makes contact with the ground. Just like shoes protect your feet, tires protect your car.
A technician can tell you when you need to replace your tires by checking your tread. They can also let you know when you should rotate them.
Battery Replacement
Old car batteries are a nuisance and dangerous when they cause issues. They can prevent you from being able to start your car. The vehicle battery is important for upkeep for your car maintenance.
Fuel Cap Tightening or Replacement
The “check engine” light may go on if a fuel cap is loose or missing. Not only is the “check engine” light a nuisance, but it can also cost you more on gas—as much as one-half per cent of fuel economy. This is a simple fix, though, for car repairs.
Oxygen Sensor Replacement
The oxygen sensor is an important component of your car. It reads the levels of unburned oxygen in your exhaust. It sends this information to your car’s computer.
The vehicle’s computer interprets this information. It adjusts the air-to-fuel ratio for better performance for your car. About every 50,000 miles, the oxygen sensor likely needs replacement.
Catalytic Converter Replacement
Basically, your emissions management system is your vehicle’s catalytic converter. Your state will sometimes require that you pass an inspection.
A common thing when it comes to vehicle repairs, catalytic converters are expensive to replace. Hopefully, your catalytic converter will last the lifespan of your car. This is possible with proper car maintenance.
Spark Plug Replacement
Vehicle repairs can include spark plugs because they develop wear and tear. So from time to time, spark plugs require a replacement. Changing spark plugs yourself is common for car ownership.
When spark plugs don’t work, you may not get good gas mileage. Worse yet, your catalytic converter can melt. It is a good idea to let certified mechanics do this repair so that you know it is functioning correctly.
Spark Plug Wire Replacement
While you need to keep your spark plug in good working condition, you also want the wires that deliver them voltage to work properly too. They can corrode, break, or just get destroyed. This is fairly inexpensive, and like other things, if you don’t maintain it, it will lead to much bigger car repair costs.
Ignition Coil Replacement
You’ll want to make sure that your ignition coils are working properly. They inform the spark plugs when they need to fire. They are prone to needing replacement because the car uses them all the time.
This is a critical part of your car. If left alone without care, major damage can occur to your ignition system. You can determine these types of car repairs with a diagnostic test.
Thermostat Replacement
The vehicle’s thermostat regulates your engine temperature. It is mandatory that the thermostat is functioning properly because a bad one could lead the engine to overheat, which could lead to enormous car repair costs. If it isn’t working, replace it immediately.
Mass Air Flow Sensor Replacement
You may think that changing your air filter is optional car maintenance, but that is not the case. When you don’t replace the air filters as you should, you have bigger car repair costs to follow. This is because you will eventually need to fix the mass airflow sensor.
The function of this part is to monitor how much air is circulating to the engine, and your engine won’t perform well without it working correctly.
EVAP Purge Control Valve Replacement
The Evaporative Emissions system, or EVAP system, takes the unburned hydrocarbons that are made in the fuel cell of the car. Then, it recirculates them, flowing back to the fuel cycle. In layman’s terms, it takes the unused fuel and recycles it.
A mechanic must replace the EVAP Purge Control Valve once it malfunctions or your engine efficiency and fuel economy will suffer.
EVAP Purge Solenoid Replacement
The EVAP system has another component called the solenoid. It is electromagnetic. The solenoid tells the EVAP system the time it must purge.
This is vital to your EVAP system that it works properly. It can impact your emissions test and fuel economy badly should you not fix it accordingly when needed.
Now You Need a Vehicle Maintenance Budget
Avoid massive car repair costs with correct and timely car maintenance. A vehicle maintenance budget can help you prepare for the cost of upkeep necessary to avoid bigger car repairs.
It’s the smart way to maintain your vehicle without surprises that put you in a hole financially. Here are some great tips to help you plan your vehicle maintenance budget.
Review Your Car Maintenance For the Last Year
If you have a physical folder you keep at home with car maintenance receipts, now is the time to pull it out. If you don’t have the paper receipts from your annual car maintenance, look at your chequebook, online checking account, and/or credit card bills, depending on how you paid for it.
Car maintenance can include car repairs, oil changes, tire rotation, and more. Your car maintenance budget does not include insurance or car finance payments.
Add It All Up
Now that you have your car maintenance expenses for the past year, get a grand total. Divide this amount by the calendar year or 12 months.
This will give you an average monthly number for car maintenance. For example, if you paid $1,200 for the last year, your monthly amount would be $100.
The Current Condition of Your Vehicle
Now, you need to examine the vehicle’s condition, including its age. Older vehicles have larger issues. If your car is older, increase the car maintenance budget.
If your car repair costs were very high the past year, you may expect this coming year won’t be as high and actually lower. Then, you may wish to budget less for the year.
The recommendation from experts is to set $100 to the side every month for your car maintenance budget. They also suggest that you adjust this amount based on the car’s condition.
Keep the Car Maintenance Budget Separate
It is best not to mingle your car maintenance budget for car repair costs with other money you save. If it helps, open a completely separate account for this. That way, you know that you have money set to the site solely for car repairs.
Car Ownership Is a Big Responsibility
As we said, the upkeep and bills don’t stop when you pay for the car. Maintaining vehicles so that they can take you safely on the road is a big and expensive responsibility. A little planning can help you mitigate enormous challenges on the road ahead.
We love helping people with timely and practical advice for their cars. Keep checking in for more information about car repairs and more!