Thursday, December 9, 2010

When to Go for Repair and When to Go for Replacement

Don’t know whether to take on your mechanic’s suggestion to replace a particular part in your ride? There may be instances when a shop mechanic will tell you to replace a specific part even when it isn’t damaged or has not failed completely yet—for one reason or another. Well sure, your mechanic may be just asking this so that he can earn additional dollars from you. But, this may not always be the case.

The basic rule is this: if the part is already damaged, replace it; if it can still be repaired, repair it. There are instances, however, that are not as simple as this. There are certain exceptions to this given rule.

Some of these are as follow:

* Leaking fluid containers. Is your vehicle’s radiator leaking coolant? The decision to repair or replace should depend on the hole of the radiator and the extent of coolant leak. If the hole is still quite small, the problem can possibly be solved by simply welding the damaged area. If, however, you have a serious and a big leak, then you might as well replace the said part.

* Damaged body panel. Fender benders are common road accidents. And although a damaged body panel will not affect your driving performance or safety, it will affect your driving appeal. So, fixing the problem is a must. If the panel is bent, then you may simply have it repaired. In fact, you can do the task on your own. There are tools that you can use to get a bent panel back in shape. If, however, the damaged area is large, it may be better to replace it.

These two examples are common dilemmas that vehicle owners have to face regularly. By knowing when to repair and when to replace, you can easily make a decision without letting the mechanic of an auto repair shop persuade you into accepting his offer.

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