You’re ready to go to work and you head to the car inside your garage, whistling your favorite tune in your head. You open the door, get in front of the wheel, insert the key, turn on the ignition, and none—the engine wouldn’t crank. Panicky thoughts run in your head, and your first impulse is to reach for your phone to call your local auto parts shop to have your car fixed.
Wait! Not so fast! An attitude like that is an invitation to a rip-off. If you’re getting panicky, with stress mounting up and with your “do what you can to fix my car” attitude getting in control, it’s so easy to throw away money even when you don’t have to. So, before you let your panic overwhelm you, focus your energies first into these things:
Look for symptoms. Okay, your car won’t start. Are there other symptoms that you can observe? Does your car crank, only to die right after? Or does it remain dead no matter how many times you turn the key? Check for other symptoms as these can help in diagnosing the problem later on.
Look into possible problems. After you’ve taken note of the symptoms, you can now do some research about the possible problems. In case of a starting issue, one possible reason would be a spark plug failure. It could also be your battery. Look into all the other possibilities and narrow down from there depending on all the other symptoms that you can observe. You can also do some DIY tests if you’re familiar with the process so that you can pinpoint the problem.
Research on repair rates and repair shops. Check the ongoing repair rates or replacement prices online. This way, you’ll have a rough idea of the amount you need to spend when you bring your car for repair. Plus, it pays to have something to compare to when the shop already gives you an estimate. And if you don’t have a trusted shop yet, it’s time to look around.
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