Category: General Auto Repair

Your vehicle is a large investment and it is crucial that you keep it in tip-top condition. If you want to get from point A to point B with few issues, you need to keep up on basic auto repair in Longmont. Luckily, you don’t have to go to countless shops around town or visit numerous mechanics. At the best businesses offering car service in Longmont, professionals can take care of your maintenance needs to ensure your automobile runs at its best and has an increased lifespan.

There are several maintenance tasks that should be completed often if you want your automobile to remain in excellent condition for years to come. Continue reading to learn about a few basic tasks that a professional mechanic should complete at your local shop.

Handling Your Oil Change In Longmont

Changes are one of the most common and well-known maintenance tasks for Colorado residents. This task is crucial as it helps to keep your engine running at its best. If this task isn’t completed often or done correctly, it can cause your engine to work harder than is necessary, quickly damage parts in your vehicle, and lead to more expensive and serious issues.

This maintenance task does not take long to complete. It can often be completed by an expert mechanic in less than one hour. It is also a routine task and fairly easy to complete. However, if you are not a certified mechanic, you should not attempt this task on your own. Even the smallest mistake can lead to leaks and other serious mistakes that can cost you time, money, and stress.

Read through your owner’s manual to learn how often this task should be completed for each vehicle. Each manufacturer, vehicle make, and model may require different intervals for this task to be completed. It may also recommend different types of supplies. Your mechanic can provide more information on this task and specific details for the make and model of your vehicle.

Brake Repair

As you drive down the road, do you notice squeaking or grinding noises when you press on the brake? Do you notice the vehicle shakes or you have to press the brake pedal down hard to make the vehicle come to an abrupt stop? If so, your automobile may be in need of new brakes. This is a task that should not be delayed. Without maintenance, this issue will only continue to worsen, putting yourself, your passengers, and others on the road in danger.

A quick inspection at your local shop can help you determine if your brakes need to be replaced or if there are other issues that may need to be fixed. This is also one of those maintenance tasks that you want to budget for and have money set aside to prevent you from feeling stressed and overwhelmed when the time to pay arises.

Updates to Heating and Cooling Services

You may put off maintaining and servicing your vehicle’s heating and cooling system. You may believe that when these systems do not work in your automobile it is only inconveniencing you and making you uncomfortable. This is not true. Your heating and cooling systems play an integral part in your vehicle’s performance. Aspects of these systems can affect your internal controls, the radiator, belts, and more.

To keep you safe and comfortable, you need your heating and cooling systems working at their best. If you notice that there are serious leaks after using certain systems, your heating or cooling system unexpectedly quits, these systems do not operate properly, they blow the wrong air temperature, or all air has a foul smell, upgrades are necessary. Your mechanic can help you determine the cause of the issue and what is needed to repair it.

There are several common repairs to this simple that are fairly simple and can make a significant difference. For example, belts, such as fan belts, may need to be replaced. Your blower or a seal may be in need of a replacement. If any issues arise, the best shops can determine the issue and complete the task quickly and easily.

Alignment in Longmont

Getting alignment in Longmont done on your vehicle is another routine maintenance task that will keep you safe on the roads. During this process, a mechanic will adjust your vehicle’s tires to ensure they are centered and at the correct angles. This maintenance task offers many benefits including:

• Creates more even wear across all tires
• It will help the vehicle drive more smoothly on the roads
• Increases the lifespan of the tires
• Ensures the tires maintain proper contact with the road
• Improves gas mileage

This is another task that should not take too much time to complete. Often, it is wise to schedule this and your oil change in Longmont, CO during the same appointment. You can read through your owner’s manual to learn how often your vehicle should get aligned. Your mechanic at a local auto shop can also provide guidance on how often this task should be completed for your specific vehicle as well.

Do not just trust just anyone to work on your vehicle. You want someone who is experienced, honest, and trustworthy. You want someone who will not cut corners and will ensure that every task is completed properly. Once you find the best shops in Colorado to maintain your vehicle, work with these professionals for all of your maintenance needs. When your vehicle runs at its best, you will have a more enjoyable experience each time you hop behind the wheel and out onto the road.

Know where to go if you need car service in Longmont? Well, there’s no need to look beyond your own community. 

A properly functioning vehicle matters. You need your family van to last miles and miles on the highway for regular road trips with the kids. When buying a new ride for your aging parent, you want to make sure they’ll be safe on the road with a smooth engine, effective brakes, and extra special features to get them where they need to go in one piece.

So don’t look too far when seeking a business that will take good care of your vehicle with auto repair in Longmont and more. 

Here are some main focuses to keep your ride in shape for safe and easy transportation to learn about how your local mechanics can assist you. 

Oil Change in Longmont

For a flawless engine that purrs, you need to regularly get your oil change in Longmont, CO. This might be the constant flicker on your dashboard that you ignore, but it’s important to take the time and schedule this upkeep at your automobile garage. 

If you’re unsure how often to do this, you can refer to your model’s manual, which informs how much your engine holds depending on mileage. On average, you likely need an update every 3,000 miles. 

Brake Maintenance

This is a maintenance job that you do not want to hold off on. Procrastinating fixing your brakes could put you, your loved ones, and other drivers or pedestrians in danger. The brakes help you defensively drive if other vehicle operators make a risky move or in the case of treacherous weather conditions and the many other obstacles that you face on the road. 

Unfortunately, when it comes to brakes, no light shows up on the dashboard. Instead, you need to monitor for issues yourself and know when to spot a red flag. Some issues to be aware of are squeaky sounds, needing to put excessive pressure for the brake to work, grinding or shaking when stopping, or slower stopping. 

Ensure you get into the shop as soon as possible if you recognize any brake issues in your vehicle.

A/C and Heating

Air quality matters. That’s why your regional mechanics want to make sure that you have cool air for those hot summer days and warm air when temperatures drop. They want you to feel comfortable whenever operating your vehicle.

These features may seem like secondary concerns for your vehicle, but they make a big impact on your driving and how the rest of the vehicle functions. When you visit a shop, your mechanic will evaluate your heating and AC systems for possible clogged pipes, leaking fluids, pressure issues, or radiator concerns. Beyond these, they will also investigate your fan belt to determine if it may be worn out or melted. 

Let yourself and your family enjoy your times on the road year-round.

Engine Concerns

When it comes to your engine, you should schedule frequent checkups to help it last over time and run smoothly when driving. A maintenance garage can help with engine maintenance and replacements and attend to the timing belt and cylinder parts. With all of these working well with your engine, your machine will purr as you operate it. 

If your engine gives out, you could be in trouble. That’s why constant attention and observing for signals that anything is wrong with your engine or cylinder can save you a lot of money and trouble. Should you notice any signs of a problem, bring your vehicle into a shop right away. 

Undercarriage Care and Alignment in Longmont

Your machine’s undercarriage holds many vital parts that determine how it moves and how it can be operated. 

If your wheels are not properly in place, there could be trouble when steering. This process is not as manageable as a DIY. It requires your vehicle to be hoisted for proper underside maneuvering and repairs. That’s why you should make sure to come into a local mechanic shop if you’re recognizing that your wheels are facing different directions and not in sync.

The other under-car features that require attention in the shop are:

• Anti-lock brakes
• Chassis
• Exhaust piping
• Driveline
• Shocks 

Transmission

Whether automatic or manual, your transmission is your main operator for your machine’s movement forward, in reverse, and at what gears or speed throttles. The wiring and technical components of your clutch or transmission require expert eyes when needing maintenance or repairs. 

Your clutch is used frequently, and gears’ switches can cause it to wear out over time. Your mechanic team can look this over at your regular checkup so your clutch can switch smoothly and without a single catch or glitch. 

Towing 

Worried about facing troubles on the road? Well, no need. Your local area vehicle mechanics are at your disposal whenever things go wrong, and your vehicle comes to a halt. Available tow services will have you brought to the shop to start an investigation and find the source of the problem. That way, your model will feel brand new without any need to fear it shutting down on your again in the future. 

Your safety is valuable, so consider putting your mechanic garage’s contact information in your phone should you find yourself stranded due to a vehicle breakdown.

Putting Customers Safely on the Road

Quality matters. Don’t operate a structure that could leave you or your loved ones or other people on the road at risk. By paying close attention to the above features, and with other assistance available, your automobile repairman will ensure your machine is in top condition by the time it hits the road again. 

Whether for a checkup or regular maintenance or repairs or an emergency operation, don’t hesitate to contact your Colorado mechanic. 

Of all the things you own, your vehicle is likely among the most expensive — if not the most expensive. Therefore, you want to do everything in your power to ensure that it stays functional and maintains value for as long as possible. This way, not only do you improve the overall driving experience over the course of owning your car, but you also improve your chances of getting a higher price if you do ultimately decide to sell it down the road.

With these things in mind, you can find five things that deserve to be in your regular vehicle maintenance routine.

Change Your Oil Regularly

Your vehicle is a very high-powered machine with a lot of interconnected parts. To be able to drive your car at high speeds over long distances, especially year after year, you want to make sure that you’re properly lubricating all the different parts powering your vehicle. 

To gain a sense of how many parts are involved in this process, you simply have to open up your car’s hood. A look in any direction will reveal parts that push up against one another, interlock with one another, and generally interact in ways that are bound to produce a lot of friction. To make sure this friction doesn’t cause any part, or your car as a whole, to overheat, you need to regularly change the oil in your vehicle.

Most vehicles have what is called a “dipstick” to help you understand the remaining oil in your vehicle. If after taking the dipstick out of the vehicle you notice that the oil marking is very low, then that’s a sign that the oil in your vehicle desperately needs to be changed. Allowing your vehicle to completely spend the rest of its oil reserves makes way for a hot, volatile, and dangerous environment inside of your vehicle. Naturally, whenever something as flammable as gasoline is around, you want to do everything you can to reduce the chance of ignition — regularly changing oil is one way to do this.

If you’re not comfortable making the change yourself (perhaps it’s your first car), then consult with family members to see if they can help you. If family or friends can’t provide any assistance, the next best thing to do is get a professional oil change in Longmont CO. With an oil change in Longmont, you can drive off the lot assured that your vehicle is lubricated with enough oil to help you traverse even the steepest hills in Colorado. 

Prioritize Premium Fuel

Outside of oil, you also want to make sure that you’re only fuelling your vehicle with the most premium fuel available. When you see that higher cost above a premium fuel pump, it’s tempting to drive right on by and settle on a cheaper, standard-fuel pump, but this is seriously doing your vehicle a disservice.

You may be saving money in the short term by opting for cheaper fuel, but there’s a good chance that it will come back to bite you in the later stages of your vehicle’s life. You may be okay if you only use your vehicle sparingly and not on tough roads, but if you need your vehicle every day to get you from A to B as quickly as possible, then premium fuel will undoubtedly be a better, more cost-effective choice. 

This is because, with premium fuel, your car can operate more efficiently. With higher-quality fuel, you can be more confident that air bubbles and other impurities aren’t making their way into your vehicle’s internal parts. Over time, these impurities can cause your vehicle to be less efficient, more prone to breakdowns, and generally operate at a lower level. 

In this sense, premium fuel can actually save you money in the long run. Similar to how a healthy diet reduces your chances of sickness — and therefore costly doctor visits — premium fuel reduces the likelihood that your vehicle will need costly repairs or tune-ups down the road. 

If you’re having difficulty understanding what kind of fuel works best with your vehicle, you can bring your vehicle in for car service in Longmont for a professional’s opinion. This process can save you the trial and error otherwise involved in cycling through different kinds of fuel — and the spending associated with that. 

Regular Tune-ups

Regardless of how well you treat your vehicle and the quality of products you put inside of it, you should still make an effort to take it in for regular checkups. For example, taking your vehicle in for alignment in Longmont is a great way to make sure that there aren’t any issues with your vehicle’s tires — issues that may be causing your vehicle to work harder than necessary to drive in a straight line. 

Tune-ups are also typically a lot cheaper than full-on auto repair in Longmont, as you’re bringing in your vehicle for prevention against problems as opposed to bringing it after a problem has already occurred. Tune-ups also look great on a CarFax history sheet, which can help you sell your vehicle for money if you ultimately decide to sell it down the road. 

If you place yourself in a buyer’s shoes, wouldn’t you want to see that vehicle you’re considering buying was regularly maintained? Of course you would! This is why tune-ups help to not only improve your driving experience, but also increase the value of your car on the marketplace. 

Takeaway

There may be a lot of moving parts to your vehicle, but by just following the guidelines outlined above, you can make sure that they stay in working order and maintain their value over the course of your vehicle’s life. 

Plus, by regularly changing your oil, prioritizing premium fuel, and taking your vehicle in for regular tune-ups, you can get more cash for your vehicle when it’s time to sell it. After all, no one wants to buy a used car that wasn’t properly taken care of by its last owner.

As an automobile owner, it can be hard for you to commit to a decision when you decide that your vehicle is giving you some trouble. In some cases, your decision is based on emotions, like a vehicle that you’ve grown fond of over an extended period. In some cases, you have more practical concerns, like rather paying for a repair fee than committing to buying a whole new vehicle. This isn’t even including the added energy and time that you need to do to find a new vehicle in the first place. So, when you decide what you want to do with vehicles that have problems, here’s what you should think about before repairing or replacing.

The Safety Question

If you have to base your decision on only one thing, it should be the safety of you and your passengers. Even if you do things the right way, and get regular procedures like an oil change in Longmont, CO, done on time, eventually, your vehicle is going to be old enough where you present a possible safety hazard to other drivers on the road. Saving your money or having a better-looking vehicle isn’t as important as road safety. So, if your vehicle is starting to appear unsafe and you don’t have enough time to buy a newer one, get a repair to hold you over. If keeping a vehicle safe means having to pay for repairs over and over again, replacement may be a better fit. The worst mistake is ignoring things completely.

Regarding repairs, it’s important for you to practice some honesty when it comes to expenditures that may be involved. If you see that vehicle repairs are required often or are quite expensive, you need to decide whether or not you’re really saving money when you repair as opposed to replacing. For example, when you pay to fix alignment in Longmont, you’re putting money in that you’re never going to get back. However, a new vehicle is a true investment. You won’t recoup all your costs, but will at least get some of your money back by selling the costs. Also, not all repairs and services are the same. Something basic like an oil change in Longmont, likely won’t hurt your budget. However, the more you pay for more expensive procedures, the bigger a load keeping the vehicle is for your finances.

In other situations, the problem may not be financial, but just trying to get as much bang for your buck as you can. If you were to go to a dealership and see what’s available, the salesman would likely tell you a lot about different features that can inform and improve your experience overall. For those who want just a basic vehicle and aren’t concerned about a lot of fancy additions, safety improvements may still be worth your attention. These include blind-spot detection, parking assistance, lane steering alerts, and a lot of added security measures. If your vehicle was damaged in an accident, you may want these features on your side with your next vehicle.

Adapting

In some cases, especially during lifestyle shifts, you’re more taking advantage of an opportunity when deciding whether to repair or replace a vehicle. People with young children are a good example. New families likely need to get used to having a lot more space for the first time. This includes both the children and the different items you need to pack with them. This means you may have a smaller option that you like and don’t necessarily need to replace yet. However, it’s no longer a fit for your needs and you need something to. There are many different changes that can lead to this, from moving to a new area to picking up a new hobby to other changes in your family structure.

Something that doesn’t get talked about a lot, but may spark a decision for you to repair or replace faster is how other people opt to react to your vehicle. If you find that friends, family, and loved ones aren’t looking to ride in your vehicle, or would rather drive on their own to different places, treat that as a warning sign. Some people are embarrassed to be seen in an old or damaged vehicle, while others may be legitimately concerned as to whether or not a given ride is safe. Don’t be pressured into making a decision, but reevaluate if you wish. Sometimes, the perspective of someone else makes you realize things you were ignoring.

The feelings other people have regarding your vehicle may be one thing, but what about what you feel? No one wants to spend extended periods in a vehicle that leaves them worried about their safety. When this happens, constantly having to repair your vehicle can stop being practical and become more irritating. If this doesn’t bother you and the financial issue doesn’t exist, simply follow up with auto repair in Longmont as long as you wish. Just make sure that you’re not spending time in a vehicle that is unsafe for yourself and others.

Repair or replace is something that every vehicle owner is going to have to go over at some point. While you can weigh the opinions of others, the decision is ultimately yours. The best course of action is to look at your situation and see what fits it best. Many people find themselves blending the approach to suit their needs. For example, you may have just done a major repair and don’t want to pay that again, but aren’t ready to replace it outright. You commit to that repair, then start looking for new vehicles to drive right away. This way, you have new options and immediate savings. When it comes to car service in Longmont and buying something new, this may be the best combination.

When you get in your vehicle in the morning and head to work, it often feels like routine behavior where nothing could go wrong. However, without any warning, you may run into road trouble. Accidents and breakdowns often come out of nowhere. They leave you surprised, stressed, and frightened. If you don’t know what to do after you have broken down on the roadside, you should call for support. It would be best if you had a mechanic that offers towing services on your speed dial as they will provide more expertise than family or friends. While they will ensure that you get your vehicle fixed immediately, they can also check to see if you need an oil change in Longmont, CO, or other vehicle repairs. 

Depending on how long you have been driving, you may never have had to call a tow truck before. Tow trucks help get your car service in Longmont, while also ensuring that you get off the road and away from danger as soon as possible. When an issue arises, and you need to call a tow truck, they will assess your vehicle’s damage and transport your vehicle to the nearest mechanic. Often these companies have their own garages where they provide mechanic work. So if you require some roadside assistance or auto repair in Longmont, you should be calling a tow truck. Below is a summary of the most common situations that warrant a call to your local tow truck company. 

You’ve Run Out Of Gas

Running out of gas on the road often seems impossible, especially if it has never happened before. Most people think that they would know better than to head out on a long drive without first checking to see if they have enough gas. While many may want to think this, people fail to double-check in all too many cases. Running out of gas is more common than you would think. It usually happens when people are in a rush or having a busy week and do not notice that their meter is running on red. When you run out of gas on the road, it can be a bit scary, especially if you are in the middle of nowhere, and there are no signs of infrastructure anywhere. 

The best thing to do in this situation is to call a tow-truck. They will come to your assistance and either take your vehicle to the nearest gas station so you can fill up or even bring you the gas to fill up your vehicle on the side of the road so you can continue on your own to the nearest station. While you may feel embarrassed about calling someone because you have run out gas, it beats staying on the shoulder with no other option. The bonus of calling a tow truck is they may also provide additional services like alignment in Longmont. 

You’ve Got A Flat Tire

Whether you have run over a nail, hit a pothole, or have a slow leak, getting a flat tire is a huge inconvenience when on the road. When you get your first flat, it can be a bit unnerving, it often sounds and feels a lot worse than it is. It would be best if you immediately were pulling over to the side of the road to get out of the way so that traffic can continue to flow. If there is no way for you to move your vehicle, you need to put on your four ways to know to go around you. You should never continue driving if you have a flat, it can stress your vehicle and cause an even worse accident. Once you are pulled over and on the roadside, you can call a tow truck to come and assist you. Depending on the vehicle you have, you may have a spare tire in the trunk that you can use to replace the flat, but many people aren’t familiar with this process, and it does not guarantee that you will make it off the road safely. When you call a tow company, they may come and replace your tire on the spot or bring your vehicle into their shop where they will replace the tire for you. They will also let you know what led to the problem and may even offer you an oil change in Longmont. 

Dead Battery

A dead battery tends to arise in the worst of times. Either you are just about to get in your vehicle after a long day of work and head home, or you are leaving a late-night movie. After you have left your vehicle sitting for an extended period with one of the power lights on or the door slightly open, your battery will drain as there is no engine running to charge it. While you can jump your battery using jumper cables and someone else’s vehicle, you will not always have someone else around or the cables. If you are in a jam and need to get your vehicle started, the best thing to do is call a towing company. They will arrive very promptly and ensure that your battery gets the boost it needs so that you can get on your way. You can also talk to them about measures you can take to ensure that you don’t run into the problem again.

When it comes to roadside assistance, a tow company should be your first call. While family and friends can provide support, they do not have the expertise and auto knowledge that these professionals have. Whether you’ve run out of gas, you’ve got a flat tire, or your battery has died, a tow company will support you promptly and skillfully. 

If a driver is heading in for minor non-essential repairs or standard maintenance like an oil change in Longmont, CO, it is usually perfectly fine, if not just plain advisable, to simply drive that vehicle right up to the shop. 

That said, there are a lot of times when driving a car can actually make an issue or problem a whole lot worse, and if this is the case, it is always better to call in a towing service rather than risk making the situation worse than it already is, especially if driving the vehicle could pose a safety hazard of any kind. 

Ideally, of course, the car service in Longmont who tows the vehicle is able a qualified specialist in auto repair in Longmont. This way, anybody who is already going through the pain of experiencing car trouble can save themselves headaches by streamlining the repair process by hitting two birds with one stone. 

Keeping all that in mind though, it can often still be difficult for those people who aren’t professional mechanics to know when to tow and when not to tow. Obviously, nobody wants to cause more damage than what has already been done, but a lot of people tend not to realize how serious the signs are until it is too late. 

With that in mind, this article is hopefully going to clear up some confusion, and maybe even save some drivers some major regret later down the line, by laying down some of the signs that it is better to call up a company that specializes in auto repair in Longmont for a two rather than risk making the situation worse by continuing to drive. 

Smoke

Whether coming from the tailpipe or under the hood, smoke is never a good sign. Continuing to drive the car in this condition will not only pose a safety hazard but could end up causing some serious issues with essential and vital components like the engine and exhaust system. 

Burning smells are also a tipoff that something is overheated, and it’s best to park the car immediately and call for a tow rather than wait for the smoke to appear. 

Unusual Smells

Aside from red flag burning smells, vehicles might also produce a full range of unusual or pungent smells when not performing their best. 

Another major warning that a vehicle will need to be towed in the smell of fuel. A fuel leak can pose a major safety hazard, so anybody who thinks they might smell fuel should pull over and inspect the vehicle immediately. 

Speaking of leaks, any type of loss of fluid generally warrants a tow, so if there is anything accumulating under the vehicle, it’s time to call up that local specialist in auto repair in Longmont for assistance. A lot of these fluids have strong smells, and the nose can often be a helpful indicator that something is off even if a driver isn’t able to see under their vehicle at the time. 

Strange Noises

There is no such thing as a completely soundless vehicle, but drivers should always be alert for sounds that fall outside of the spectrum of what they normally hear when driving. 

Two very essential components, the brakes and the engines tend to make strange noises when they are not functioning properly, so out-of-the-ordinary sounds should always be a cause for concern. If a driver notices a grinding noise when they put their foot on the brake or notice that any strange screeching, whirring, or knocking noises are coming from under the hood or under the vehicle, it’s time to pull over the vehicle immediately and call for a tow. 

Warning Light Indicators

Drivers also need to be sure to mind their instruments. Aside from the essential warning lights like the oil level light, check engine light or tire pressure indicator light, all of which tend to indicate the type of serious underlying issues that often warrant a tow, drivers should also be sure to always keep an eye on their temperature gauge. Should it ever start wandering toward the red zone, they need to pull over safely as soon as possible. 

Continuing to drive an overheating vehicle can cause serious damage to the engine, so if this is the case, it’s time to pick up that phone and call for a tow truck. 

Handling Issues

Is the vehicle not responding as it normally would? Maybe the brakes feel too easy or too difficult to depress, or the brake pedal is vibrating underfoot. Maybe the steering wheel is shaking, is pulling in one direction or other or feels more difficult to turn than it usually does. Maybe the engine seems to be surging, the clears are clunking loudly or it seems to be taking a long time to get the vehicle to full speed, especially on an incline or hill. 

Basically, handling issues are always serious. If the vehicle is not performing as the driver expects it to, this is a safety hazard, and unless the issue can be remedied on the spot, as is sometimes the case with a flat tire, it almost always warrants a tow. Keep in mind that handling issues also tend to indicate problems with vital vehicle components, and continuing to drive can end up causing a lot more damage than has already been done. 

So listen to the senses and don’t ignore these crucial signs. Play it safe and play it smart. 

The Takeaway: Safety First 

No matter what warning signs a vehicle in need of a fix is or is not exhibiting, the first question that a driver should always ask themselves is whether or not a vehicle is safe to drive. 

In most cases, if the vehicle is just in need of standard tweaks, like say, wheel alignment in Longmont or an oil change in Longmont, it should be perfectly fine to drive it to the shop as long as there are no strange smells, sights or sounds involved and the vehicle is still handling and responding normally. The same goes for problems with most non-essential components like windows, air conditioning or some minor electronic issues. 

The point here is that it is important to tune into the senses and trust those instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, it is better to call a company who specializes in auto repair in Longmont for a tow rather than risk making the situation worse. 

If unsure, simply give your local car service in Longmont a call. They have the knowledge and expertise to help a driver identify the signs, and might be able to spot a potential problem that might have otherwise gone overlooked. 

When someone has a vehicle that is in need of an oil change in Longmont, CO, they essentially have two different choices. They can either bring their vehicle to a dealership or they can get an independent auto repair shop to handle it for them. The choice that they make can have a big impact on both the quality and effectiveness of the oil change they receive in Longmont. Therefore, it is important that drivers know which place they should be going to for all their general auto repair needs in Longmont. 

There are many different reasons an independent shop is the obvious choice. In fact, here are several of the biggest reasons independent shops come out on top in their battle against dealerships.

Better Understanding of Why Vehicle Issues Happen

If someone takes their vehicle to a dealership of the same brand, then chances are that the dealership technicians are simply going to confirm what part is malfunctioning or damaged in the vehicle and then simply swap it out with a new version of the same part. While this is a great short-term solution, it does nothing for the long-run health of the vehicle. That is where independent technicians have the upper hand. 

Because these independent shops work on all kinds of vehicle makes and models, they have to develop an understanding of why something happens and not just what to do when something happens. Although this difference might seem subtle, understanding why something happens instead of just how to react when it does happen is crucial in maintaining the health of something like a vehicle. 

If a certain issue is being caused by some sort of problem in a totally different component of the vehicle, then this may not be something that the dealership technicians are going to be able to identify unless it is a super common problem in their vehicles. For those more specialized problems, someone needs to understand why other similar issues happen so that they can know whether or not there is a totally different component possibly at fault. 

This will be the difference between fixing an issue the first time rather than trying to swap out three or four different parts before finally fixing it. So if someone’s vehicle is not under full warranty or they are not wanting to spend countless hours sitting in a dealership waiting room, then they are often better off going with an independent shop instead. 

More Personalized Service

Not everyone drives the same and a person’s specific driving habits have a big influence on the health of their vehicle. That is why it is so important that independent shops take the time to learn who someone is as an individual rather than just an account number on the screen. A driver does not need to give their VIN number every time that they have an appointment because the technicians at an independent shop will already know their name, which is even more important. 

Nowadays, most independent shops also use equally advanced computer systems as large dealerships, so they have the capabilities to track and look up any previous servicing information for the vehicle just as easily. Therefore, they have all the same data as the dealership and also have the benefit of knowing personal driving information on top of it. 

This is handy in learning valuable pieces of information like how far that person drives to get to work every day, if they go on any off-roading adventures on the weekends, and if they live in a particularly hilly part of town. All this stuff is not information that a dealership is likely to know and even if the driver does tell them, it will probably not be the same technician who is working on their vehicle the next time so they would have to explain the information all over again. 

However, most independent shops have technicians who are more like family than they are coworkers. Therefore, all this information is widely available and it is likely that the same couple of technicians will be working on the person’s vehicle every time anyways. So they only have to explain it once or twice and then that information is remembered and taken into consideration for the next time the vehicle has a problem, like needing a wheel alignment in Longmont, just in case their driving habits have something to do with it. 

No Convincing to Unnecessarily Purchase a New Vehicle

When someone goes to get car service in Longmont, the last thing that they often expect is to be told that they should purchase a new vehicle entirely. However, this is exactly what tends to happen at dealerships all the time. 

This is because dealerships make most of their money on new vehicle sales rather than the servicing of current vehicles. Therefore, if they see that someone has owned their vehicle for more than a few years and is nearing the end of their lease term, then they might try and convince the driver that it would be better for them to simply upgrade to a new vehicle entirely and save themselves from having to pay for repairs on their current vehicle. 

This is not something that drivers will have to worry about when going to an independent shop because they do not sell vehicles or make any money whatsoever from the driver purchasing a new vehicle. And regardless of whether it is their current vehicle or a new vehicle, it is assumed that a loyal customer is going to continue coming to the independent automotive shop for all their servicing needs, so they get the business either way. 

Therefore, they will only ever suggest looking into getting a new vehicle if their current one is in such bad condition that it is going to cost them more money to repair it than what it is worth.