Whether its arguing over parts prices or repair job, here are the reasons why you should treat your mechanic better!

Not every mechanic is a scammer and once you have found a trustworthy one, it would be good to stick with him! Check out the real reasons! - Brought to you by PartsAvatar Auto Parts.

Well, if you are planning to visit a technician or mechanic, there are some things or etiquettes you should follow in order to maintain a good relationship with them. We often get conned by people in name of heavy repairs but not every mechanic is bad.

Here in this article, we will highlight what annoys a mechanic, what makes him laugh and how to treat him well.

How to maintain a good relationship with your mechanic?

1. You can offer incentive to your mechanic if you think he is money minded guy. You can also recommend him to your boss or friend. Your mechanic will definitely like your gesture of recommendation. This means you are satisfied with his services. Also money minded ones will see you as an investment because you are indirectly increasing his customers!

2. The more they know your vehicle the less they will try to con you with fake repairs. Find a good mechanic and if you have found a good mechanic, just stick with him. This will be a smart decision.

3. If you want them to treat you something more than a number, you should treat them the same way. If you meet their enthusiasm with trust, they are more likely to be personal with your vehicle and you!

4. Though some deceptive mechanics have given the whole auto mechanic world a bad reputation but majority of them are just using their skills to make their ends meet. Not everyone is trying to rob you because they also have a family and are working for normal hours like any ordinary human.

5. If you are friendly with your mechanic, then don’t ruin your relationship by getting annoyed over small things like your vehicle shows up late. He may do some free repairs and even may give you some advice!

6. Give respect take respect! Mechanics due to their practical experiences have more knowledge than YouTube or internet. If you happen to meet a knowledgeable mechanic, treat and learn from him well. The more you encourage them, the more they will share their knowledge!

7. They work on something that you have no experience of. So, being polite means you need their help. Instead of doubting them, give them a chance to prove their skill because they are Pros!

8. Leave the Solution to the mechanic. Don’t try to diagnose it yourself. Of course if you know so much you are just annoying him unknowingly.

What not to say to your mechanic

You shouldn’t say things to your mechanic that could end up costing you more money. Here are few things that you should avoid saying!

“Just do what it needs”

This is just an open invitation. If by any chance you meet a deceptive mechanic, he will make an expensive bill by adding fake repairs and replacements. So, don’t be ignorant.

“I know nothing about cars”

Though some parts of an auto mobile are quite complex to understand like working of direct injection engine or transmission system. But you can’t be a dummy.

At least you can know what antifreeze or an air filter is. Bottom-line is, have basic knowledge!

Saying this would be direct invitation to big repair bills!

“I can’t afford it”

Many folks amuse their mechanic by saying they can’t afford a repair or expensive bill while showing off their luxurious lifestyle. Having latest model IPad and seriously you can’t?

“How can it cost so much when all you did was plugging a computer to find the problem?”

A mechanic’s job is never easy. If it was that easy, you would be doing it yourself. Computer only give technical information to start with. The rest is their hard work.

“But it is still new!”

New means straight off the dealership showroom floor. A five year old, 60000 miles car is not considered new! So, before making your mechanic laugh, think deeply.

“I googled the problem”

Google is a great source of information. We can find almost every info regarding any field. Even though you know, it’s better to keep quiet and let your professional handle the things.

Of course, otherwise you would have been doing it in your garage, right?

Never tell a mechanic what his job is!

“Can’t you do it for a better price?”

See, you get what you pay for. Though it may seem easy, but practically it requires training, experience and a lot of knowledge to gain a good reputation. A good mechanic is not paid for a job in isolation.

Automobiles are considered to be the second large investment a person makes in his/her life. Also, mechanics are like doctors to your car. So, treat them well and they deserve to be paid rightfully.

Don’t haggle parts pricing

You may buy replacement auto parts from any online auto parts store. But, the mechanical shop has to pay overheads, wages and other expenses. They make sure that a quality replacement auto part is being used to fit.

But if you are friendly enough if with your mechanic, then you can use your own replacement part.

“My alternator needs replacement”

Don’t diagnose the problem yourself. If they go by your opinion and replace it, you can get into huge trouble if there is no issue with the auto part you suggested to be replaced. So let them inspect.

Ask him to keep auto part that is removed to show you afterwards for your satisfaction. Some auto parts are quite expensive like car alternators and automotive catalytic converters. Make sure to check their warranty and customer reviews before buying them there.

“I will pay for anything because I m going on a Trip”

You can simply request your vehicle to be checked over because you plan on keeping it for a while. Also, ask for the auto parts to be looked at. You can also let him inspect the level of oil and coolant/antifreeze in your car!

Never pay before the job is finished

Do not leave your card details with your mechanic when you drop the car off. Pay them when the job is done!

Never offer to take as much time as he needs to repair.

Make sure that you specify a certain time to take your car back from repair shop. Otherwise, the mechanic will give priority to other cars before yours.

The bottom line is trust them! They want your car to run as smoothly as you do. Ask the right question and keep the communication lines open!

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Is your Car’s Engine a greasy mess?? Follow these steps to clean dirty engine without screwing it up!!

Engines don’t need dirt or oil on them to work properly! To help with that, here’s how to clean one of the most forgotten places on a car’s body without screwing it up!!- Brought to you by PartsAvatar Auto Parts.

Car Engine and its components are the most expensive auto parts to repair. We spend thousands of dollars in replacing and upgrading auto parts, paint jobs, replacing tires etc. But did you ever wonder how your engine looks like? Ever seen its condition?

If you want engine to work in its best condition keep it clean.

Why is it important to clean the engine compartment?

Well, of course if the engine compartment is clean, it will make your car look newer and cleaner. If you plan on selling your car, then you must do it! Though it is true that oily, greasy dirt that accumulates on an engine can trap heat, it’s doubtful it would be enough to cause an engine to overheat or even run hotter than normal.

But it doesn’t mean that cleaning engine has no benefit. It can help determine where the oil or grease is coming from like leaky valve cover gasket. Cleaning off the gunk can save you a lot of dollars on repairs. With a clean engine it is much easier to find a fluid leak, worn or torn belts, prevent engine rust and to sell your car when the time comes.

If you are a mechanic, a clean engine makes things a lot less messy when under the hood. So now let’s get to the point- how to clean it!!

Required tools for cleaning

1. Micro fibre towels

2. Brushes

3. Drip Pan

3. Spray wax

4. Soapy water

5. Pipe cleaner

6. Trim cleaner

7. Flashlight

8. Degreaser

Make sure to save these components from water!!

1. Car alternator and distributor

2. Engine oil

3. Automotive spark plugs

4. Car brake and power water reservoir

Remember, never detail a hot engine!

Clean it all

Before you begin cleaning make sure to remove any leaves, grass or debris from the engine bay. Disconnect the car battery by loosening the bolt on negative terminal on the battery and sliding the ground cable off of the terminal.

It would be good to cover spark plug inlets, loose wires or other wiring or electronics with plastic for safety. Let the engine run for at least five minutes and then let it cool down.

Degreasing the Engine

Choose a good quality degreasing product. Solvent based degreasers work faster. Start by degreasing the perimeter of engine bay. Make sure you get the fluid containers and hoses degreased as well.

Read the instructions on the degreaser bottle to ensure you use the best method. The painted surfaces are fine to use degreaser but it will remove the wax. So be careful not to overspray. You can avoid damaging paint by rinsing it off quickly (with slow stream of water).

Degreaser won’t do whole job for you but it will make things quicker. For fairly dirty engines, three minutes are enough to loosen up the stuck grease or oil. With the help of stiff bristled brush scrub away the deposits of grease, grime or burned oil.

Don’t use high pressure hose to rinse the engine. A regular garden hose can do your job. Anything that doesn’t come off can just be wiped down. If after rinsing, still engine looks dirty, again apply degreaser on affected areas carefully and repeat the process.

After rinsing the engine off, you should begin washing your car immediately. Make sure all the dirt is gone.

You may need to mix some soapy water in a spray bottle to assist in your detailing. That helps get the areas that need to be hand detailed.

Cleaning Engine components

Some areas or engine components may require you to use detailing brushes to get the grime off. Use soft bristled brushes to do so. Use the scrub to clean the terminals of the battery until they are clean.  You can also use baking soda and water solution to do so. Dip your brush in the mixture of baking soda ( a bit) and water(a bucket) and scrub the corroded battery terminals and other areas.

For hard to reach areas you can use a tooth brush or pipe cleaner to absorb the soapy water. Lastly use brake cleaner to spot clean grime deposits. Use a hard toothed brush to scrub the grime away and rinse it with brake cleaner.

You can allow the engine to air dry and concentrate on other things like dealing with corrosion on the prominent heat shield.

For scrubbing the plastic parts, use stiff plastic bristle brush and then sponge water. Rinse with water and dry with towels.

Once dry, you may need to repeat cleaning some areas with the soapy water. Finally rinse with clear water and let it dry before starting the engine.

Once the engine is crystal clear, now you can easily spot leaks that are causing the grease and oil to build up. Also check for coolant leaks. Check the coolant system to see if its holding enough pressure.

Well you can also shop for auto repair tools and garage shop supplies online, if you want to do this job by your own!

Your engine will look so much better if you take some time and clean it up. Once you clean it, maintaining it with regular wipe downs is much easier.

Clean engine might increase your car’s resale value, so give it a thought. But if you are not sure if you can perform it well first time, it doesn’t hurt to ask for assistance. Take help from your friend or ask a professional.

Make sure to clean your engine somewhere you can collect the wastewater and dispose it of properly. Make sure the engine has cooled down when you start your cleaning job. You should never pour cold water on a hot engine as it can crack the engine parts.

If you’re on the hunt for an online car parts store that has everything that you need, then look no further than Partsavatar.ca!

Warning lights on your dashboard are usually the first sign of trouble with your car.check it out!

Don’t panic! Know what these car dash lights mean and what you need to do when they illuminate! – Partsavatar Performance Parts.

Dash lights are nothing new but the warning messages they give are. Not all warning lights are universal as they differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. It is advised to always follow your car’s owner manual when you are unsure about warning light.

Still Parts Avatar explains the meaning behind most common dash warning symbols.

Coolant Temperature Light

This light indicates the temperature of the engine has exceeded its normal limits. Hot engine leads to overheating.

What you need to do is check the level of coolant of car or leaks if the coolant is dripping out. Also check the fan operation and automotive radiator caps. Loose radiator caps sometimes cause the coolant to leak and hence increases the temperature inside the engine.

If you still cannot figure out anything, call your mechanic!

TPMS Light

If the Tire pressure monitoring system detects that one of your car’s tire is under inflated, the system sends a warning message in the form of TPMS light.You definitely can’t ignore this! This is because under inflated tires often cause road hazards and accidents.  Get your tires inflated properly!

Sometimes bad sensor generates false warning message. In this case you will need to manually reset the TPMS light or replace car's TPMS sensor with the help of professionals.

Oil Pressure Warning

If this light comes on, it means your engine is low on oil or loss of oil pressure. Stop at the safe place and shut down the engine.

The first thing you need to check is the engine oil level. If it is low, then top it up. If the warning light still persists even after filling the oil up to level, then you may need to visit your mechanic.

Engine Warning light

Usually called check engine light. There are numerous reasons behind the occurrence of check engine light.You may need to check and replace certain parts like automotive oxygen sensor, automotive spark plugs and mass air flow sensors. These auto parts are still cheap to replace and easily available at aftermarket prices.

But, just pray that your mechanic doesn’t tell you that your catalytic converter is malfunctioning. Catalytic converters are very expensive exhaust system parts.

Just keep your car properly maintained and check for worn out parts regularly if you want to escape a huge repair bill.

ABS Warning light

ABS lights indicate that the Anti lock Brake Computer code needs to be reset.

Don’t worry you are not going to have brake failure in this case. As the brakes work normally as they do without ABS. but for the sake of your safety, do yourself a favor and visit a technician for resetting of ABS code. 

  

Traction Control or ESP

Whenever you use anti skid or electronic stability system, the traction control light illuminates. What it generally indicates is that the traction control system in car is engaged.

Battery Charge Warning light

It means that car’s charging system is out of power.The voltage level goes below normal level and the vehicle’s charging system starts malfunctioning.

If you encounter this light, the first thing to do is inspect the battery terminals, alternator belts of car and battery condition. Malfunctioning alternator, loose or broken alternator drive belt and a slack battery cause this problem.

Call your mechanic and check for the cracks and worn out parts. Many aftermarket stores offer car batteries and auto alternators at budgetary prices, so consider buying these from online stores like parts avatar.

Brake System Warning Light

Low brake fluid level often causes the brake system warning light to appear. Other issues associated with this warning light are; parking brake is on or ABS problem.

In this case, make sure that the parking brake is fully released and check the brake fluid level.You will need professional assistance if the problem is with ABS.

It is wise to check the brake fluid level every few weeks to avoid such brake related problems.

Fog lamp Indicator

This indicates that the vehicle’s front fog lamps are illuminated. In the foggy regions it is essential to use fog lamps your and other motorist’s safety. But you need to be very careful with the usage of car lights as not every light is meant to be used in every weather condition.

If you don’t wish to get warning receipt from officer on the road, then read this article about correct usage of car lights.You can also Shop for good quality automotive Fog lamps at Parts Avatar with free shipping.

Security Light

It means that you may need a key with the proper transponder in order to trigger the ignition. Or worst, there is something wrong with car’s anti theft system.

You will need to take your car to a garage for professional diagnosis. 

Washer fluid reminder

auto Washer fluid level sensors send signal to the system indicating low washer fluid level in the washer reservoir.

In this case fill the washer reservoir with the fluid. Some cars have separate reservoirs for front and rear window washers.

 Traction control Malfunction

This light indicates that there is a problem with vehicle’s traction control/ anti skid or electronic stability system or it may have been totally shut off.

You will need to have professional diagnosis in this case.

If you need any assistance regarding purchase of aftermarket auto parts, feel free to contact experts at Parts Avatar Canada.

PartsAvatar Discloses Peculiar Causes behind Car Breakdown and Ways to Prevent them.

Want to know the most basic causes behind frequent breakdowns of your car? Save your money on expensive repairs and mechanics. – Partsavatar Vehicle Parts.

 We rely on your vehicles way too much. So it is possible that your car will cut out on you when you are driving down the road. You can avoid breakdowns and prevent your car from being town away by towing truck by knowing causes behind this. It is very important to keep servicing and checking your vehicle. Let’s have a look at some frequent causes and their remedies.

Dead Battery

This problem is one top of my list of causes. Sometimes when in the morning you turn the key and nothing happens. You just keep on repeating the process until you get sick of it and decide to call your mechanic.Don’t worry.

Battery can get damaged from regular short trips. It is very important to take a long drive at least one a week. Even poor electrical connections can result in battery damage. This problem frequently occurs in winters.

You can prevent the battery from getting damaged by taking long trips because the car’s alternator needs time to recharge your battery every time you drive. Short journeys drain the battery faster than the longer. You can sort this out by charging the battery overnight for every 2 weeks. These ways you will be able to keep it running longer.

Check the connections are secure and the battery terminals are clean and protected from corrosion. Loose or corroded connections need special attention to keep your car going.

You can Shop for good brand aftermarket car battery and its components at parts avatar Canada.

Flat Tire

Sometimes it is too late to check a flat tire after the damage occurs and the rim is already on the ground.The worst is you are left stranded on the road. Do routine check up on your tire.

Even a single nail could cause the tire to go flat. So inspect for any debris on the surface of the tire. There are certain things that are important to inspect as follows.

1. Tread depth:  check your tire’s tread depth of car regularly. Take a penny to check the low tread depth. Tread depth should be at least 1.6 mm.

2. Uneven wear: if the tread pattern is unusual or the depth is varying from tire to tire then let the tires checked or replaced if needed.

In case of heavy loads, make sure you adjust the tire pressure of car's tire to cope with the change. Owner’s manual provides information regarding tires so you can take its help.

You can install electric equipment like TPMS in your car .car's Tire pressure monitoring system sensors sense the under inflated tires and let you know it via an electric signal.

Overheating

Several reasons could cause a car to overheat. Damaged cooling system might cause the car’s engine to get overheated and ultimately the engine breaks down.It is strongly advised that if you notice that your car is overheating, do not continue to drive as you might be damaging other parts along with the engine.

Sometimes leaks in radiator or improper level of coolant fluid cause overheating of the engine. You can notice leaks around radiator welds or hoses. Visit you mechanic for replacement of car radiatorand car radiator hosesor automotive coolant.

You can further check the thermostat by feeling the upper radiator hose when the engine has warmed up. If you notice that the hose is still feeling cool then the thermostat is stuck shut. Repair or replace the auto thermostat as recommended by your mechanic.

Sometimes the air entering the cooling system via leaks could cause the engine to overheat. Hence due to air lock, the cooling system stops circulating the coolant and the remaining coolant inside the engine becomes superheated. So, it is very important to inspect the leaks.

The foreign objects or mineral deposits that block the radiator could cause the engine to overheat as it hinders the flow of coolant.

Water pump failure is one of the most common and regular cause for engine overheating. If the water pump is showing the signal of wear or breakage, engine starts overheating.The water pump wears quite often so you may need to change the car's engine water pump periodically.

In cold weather, coolant gels up inside the engine or radiator and cause a blockage. It can also cause internal damage in components like radiator.

Overheating could cause serious engine damage so it is very important to be proactive. Fill the coolant to the proper level and flush out the dirty coolant or fluid that causes the system to overheat. Do not drive an overheated vehicle as you will just damage the entire engine by doing so.

Clutch Cables

If you feel unusually weird while pressing the pedal, there might be some problem with the clutch cable. It is not a good sign.

If you notice a worn or stiff clutch cable then after applying additional pressure on the pedal, it might break. So be careful with hard pedals.

When you are driving up the hill, the car may slip in or out of gears. Clutch cables might have worn out so replace them before it becomes too dangerous for you to drive. Partsavatar offers durable car clutch cables, have a glance.

If you notice jerking of vehicle on slow speeds, slipping of gears or stiff pedals, then get your clutch cables checked by a professional.

Failing starter motor

We sometimes assume the reason behind the stalled vehicle might be failed radiator. But it might be starter.

Starter often produces grinding noise if the starter drive gear is worn out. Do not avoid it as it may damage flywheel if ignored.

When you turn the key and nothing happens, or you turn the key to crank the engine and the engine turns over slowly and stops. The starter motor has been damaged. Call your mechanic immediately and get the starter motor of car or even car starter replaced if necessary. Parts avatar offers free shipping on starters so get the benefit.

Insufficient lubrication

Every engine needs oil not only reduce friction but also to carry away the heat. The oil is primary means by which the rods, pistons and bearings are cooled. So any reduction or improper lubrication may cause these parts to run hot or seize.

Low oil pressure often causes engine failure. You should not starve the engine for oil as this result in failed oil pump, a plugged oil pickup screen inside the oil pan or low oil level.

Keep your engine moving with regular oil change and always choose high quality oil for your car’s engine and its lubrication.

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