Car Care Advice To Save Money

Lauren Fix, author of Lauren Fix's Guide to Loving Your Car says you can probably save yourself some money if you pull out your car’s owner’s manual before you take your car in for service. 
 
If it tells you to do something I would do it, but if it tells you not to touch your coolant or your transmission fluid then don’t waste the money. Because many times you’ll get your oil changed and that "quick-change" place will tell you, “You should have your transmission fluid changed.” And if you don’t know any better you’ll let them do it and you’ve just wasted some money. 
 
Why would your owner’s manual tell you not to change your transmission fluid?
 
Because many of them are sealed and a sealed transmission doesn’t need to have the transmission fluid changed. Or it may tell you to do it at 100,000 miles and you may be at 30,000 miles.
 
 Lauren says if your check engine light comes on, first make sure your gas cap is on correctly but if that’s not the problem…
 
 Don’t wait on that a check engine light is really critical, I know people that have had them on for six months to a year and their fuel economy has dropped off by 40%, which is very common because it’s usually an emissions problem.
 
And just to be safe…
  
I always recommend people carry a portable power station because most people don’t know how to use jumper cables – it’s extremely intimidating. A portable power station is really smart because one you can plug into your lighter, you press the button – it starts the car.
 
To hear the complete unedited interview, click here