TIRES -
1. When buying tires, ask for details on
differences in tire quality and guarantees.
KNOW IN ADVANCE - When you purchase tires, try and buy a match
set. Buying only what you need at the time may be practical, but
could also come back to haunt you later. If you purchase a tire
from an established shop, such as Daniels Auto Care and Tire,
and later decide to shop at a warehouse club for another tire.
Chances are, your tires will not match. In most cases, although
new and acceptable, warehouse club tires are tires that are no
longer being manufactured. When you are comparing tires make sure
you are comparing the exact same design, model and size, not just
the name.
Ask how long the tires have been sitting on the rack. Older tires
dry rot.
COSCO Tires - http://www.consumeraffairs.com/tires/costco.html
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/archive/index.php/t-256275.html
Check Engine Light
If your check engine light has been haunting you, don't allow
your mechanic to "reset it and let's see what happens."
Your car's OBD (On Board Diagnostics) system will give specific
codes relating to your check engine light problem. If your mechanic
doesn't have the ability or knowledge to read these codes, or
doesn't feel like it, you're wasting time and money at that shop.
Listen for car
Car noises are often one of the first signals that something has
gone wrong with your car. An auto mechanic can often get a good
sense of what's wrong with your car if you can accurately describe
that funny sound your car is making. Unfortunately, most people
are not very good at accurately describing car noises for troubleshooting
purposes. If your car has started rattling, squealing, jingling,
scraping or making other funny sounds, take the time to figure
out exactly how to describe those sounds so your auto mechanic
can get a head start on diagnosing your car troubles.
Make note of WHEN you hear the car noises.
Does it happen only when you make a left turn? Do you hear a thunkity-thump when you step on the brake? Does it stop after you complete a turn or when your car shifts gears? Being able to tell the auto mechanic exactly WHEN the car noises happen and under what circumstances can often help him start making a diagnosis of your auto problems.
Turn off the radio, close the windows and LISTEN.
Pinpoint WHERE the sound is coming from.
Try to get a fix on the direction from which the sound is coming so that you can tell your auto mechanic what part of the auto you think it is making it. General terms are okay here - "the left front end" or "somewhere around the back right wheel" are perfectly acceptable descriptions of where car noises are coming from.
Describe the car noises as accurately as possible.
Put your descriptive powers to work to describe the sound you hear. Does it rattle? Is it more like a soft jingle? How loud is it? There's a big difference between a squeal and a screech, or the sound of metal scraping metal. Does it start as a ticking and turn into a squeal when the car speeds up? All of these details will help your auto mechanic diagnose your car troubles, saving him time and you money.