According to market research and Consumer Reports, the all-time high average age of vehicles has reached 10.8 years, and to save money a lot of consumers prefer to keep their old cars rather than buying new ones and postpone needed maintenance.  

Unfortunately, delaying these types of auto services represent a big compromise in the car’s safety. Experts that work in an auto repair shop in Huntington Beach Ca state the best way to save money is by paying attention to your car’s condition and address any problem immediately, because making a minor repair now and then will cost less than having to do a significant one later. 

Check reviews online of the auto repair shops in Huntington Beach to make sure you are choosing the best option in your area. Here is a list of dos and don’ts that will help you get an efficient and adequate service. 

Try To Communicate Properly

It will make things easier for your mechanic to diagnose your vehicle’s problem if you can communicate properly. You can do it by taking notes ahead of time of unusual sounds, smells, sensations, etc., when they start to appear, and how often they occur. Also, if possible, note what happened right before they appeared. Keep track of the last time your car was checked, the problem could be related to the last repair. 

To facilitate communication, these are the most common terms of vehicle symptoms that mechanics use;

• Backfire: A noise that emanates from the engine and sounds like a gunshot. 
• Bottoming: When going over a bump it’s felt like a harsh noise that is sensed through the steering wheel or passenger compartment. 
• Bucking: It’s felt when the transmission staggers as it changes gears. 
• Detonation: Also known as “knocking”, is a rattling sound while accelerating.
• Dieseling: It occurs when after switching off the car the engine continues to run for a short period of time. 
• Hesitation: When the car loses power for a moment right after accelerating. 
• Misfire: Hesitation is created when the fuel in the cylinders fails to ignite correctly.
• Shimmy: a boat motion-like that can be felt in the steering wheel or the tires.
• Sluggish: When a car doesn’t accelerate smoothly or with enough power.
• Surge: A sudden increase of speed. 

Be realistic

When you drop off your car in an auto repair shop, don’t expect to get your vehicle fixed quickly and for a cheap price. Expect your visit to take most of your day, and be prepared to pay for the parts and also the labor. Even if you only need a quick fix, auto repairs are very busy and you should expect to find a queue of a fair number of cars ahead of yours. You should ask upfront the waiting time, and a cost estimate before you allow the mechanic to take it under their service. 

Keep Your Car As Tidy As Possible

Dropping off a dirty and messy car is not only impolite, but it also affects the quality of the service. Often mechanics have to get into tricky spots in your vehicle to diagnose a problem, access a part, or perform a repair. Therefore, try to tide up the floor before you visit an auto repair shop, don’t forget about the back seat and the trunk, because having golf clubs, baseballs, and coffee cups can also affect the mechanic’s performance. 

Make Sure You Can Be Reached

Leave your phone number to make yourself available so if anything happens you can respond immediately. If you can’t be reached and the technician needs your approval for a specific repair, your vehicle will be sitting in the garage unattended until you get back to them with an answer. Moreover, you might want to know when the car is ready to pick up and how much is the total cost, instead of playing a guessing game.

Don’t Be Annoying

There are some surveys based on auto repair shops in Huntington Beach Ca that have shown mechanics expressing a certain objection when customers are hanging around while they work. You must spend time explaining the problem to the technician when you first come in, but once you’ve explained yourself, try not to hover over them or distract them. Be considerate of their job and, if possible, leave the auto repair Huntington Beach offers many beautiful places you can enjoy while your car is getting fixed. If the waiting time is not too long, you can always ask for coffee, take a seat and allow the mechanics to take their time inspecting the vehicle accurately, without feeling the pressure and the stress from the customer.