- All right.
So there are some surprising ways
that you can save money
when you are doing repairs on your car.
So, I brought in an expert mechanic, Cody, here.
We are here at your shop, Cody.
Thanks for letting us barge in.
- Absolutely.
- This is so fun.
So, there's really five main places you can fix your car:
a dealership,
the mechanic,
the tire store,
an auto repair shop,
and your house.
So, I want to walk through each of these,
going from the most expensive,
which we all know is the dealership.
I don't know much about cars, Cody,
so you're going to teach me a lot.
- Yeah. Let's do it.
- But I do know the dealership is the most expensive.
So, why would you need to take your car to the dealership?
- I would say anytime you've got something that's
within the manufacturer's recommended warranty period.
Sometimes that's 36,000 miles to 60,000 miles,
or if there is some type of a safety recall—
often times those repairs are free,
no charge to the customer.
Cause dealerships really are— they're expensive, right?
- Yes, absolutely.
- So why take it there?
So, you want to avoid that if you can.
- Yeah.
- Next, it would be a mechanic.
- Right.
- Where you're actually going to get, like yourself,
a professional to help fix your car.
So, when would you for sure want to go to a mechanic?
Everybody's range of what
they feel comfortable with is different.
- Yeah.
- Oil changes.
A lot of people think that oil changes can be . . .
They can do them at home and save money.
By the time you buy oil and you dispose of the oil,
you're really not any further ahead.
- Yeah, cause the average oil change is like
- $35.
Sometimes you'll find a special of $29.99 or $19.99.
- Totally, so you may save $5 here or there,
but the hassle.
Just have someone do it with the tools.
- Okay. Electrical issues and stuff with cars?
- Electrical stuff, check engine light issues,
where it takes some
specific diagnostic equipment and knowledge—
you might need a mechanic.
- Okay. Perfect.
- Next, kind of a step down from that, I guess,
is a tire store, right?
So you can go to a tire store
and obviously get new tires there,
but they'll actually do other services
for you for free sometimes, right?
- Right. A lot of the tire stores
take care of slow leaks,
a nail in a tire, or something like that.
Most of your big chain tire stores do free rotation,
balance, for the lifetime of the tires.
- So how often do I need to get my tires rotated?
- Recommended is, say every other oil change.
You know, 6,000 miles to 8,000 to 10,000 miles,
something like that.
Take advantage of it. It's free.
- Yeah, that's so good, so good.
Okay, and then auto parts stores
which are kind of even separate,
like Advance Auto Parts, all that.
I see those around. So why would you go
to somewhere like that?
Again, they do a lot of free services, too,
like testing batteries, alternators, starters,
and they will actually install batteries for free.
- Oh, seriously?
- A lot of light bulbs they'll install for free,
stuff like that.
- So would you recommend, like a light bulb,
that's a great example.
Go buy it at the auto parts store and . . .
- They'll sell it to you.
A lot of times they'll install it and everything.
- Yes, so nice.
All the tiers, you guys, of ways to save money.
You don't have to just take it to the dealership.
Think through it all.
And last but not least,
the cheapest way is your home.
Things you can do at home.
I'm fascinated by this, Cody.
So, you've got to teach me.
So, what are things that you can do at home?
- I mean, again, it's whatever you feel comfortable with.
Watch some videos online, and if you feel like tackling it,
then as long as you've got the tools . . .
Just make sure you use a jack and jack stand.
And that you're working safely around your car,
if you're getting underneath it.
- Yeah, for sure.
Okay, so the two things my husband is like huge on . . .
He changed our oil for a while.
But then the convenience aspect,
he was just like, "I'm just going to take it in."
Because literally, he was like, "I think I'm saving $5."
But changing our air filter and our windshield wipers.
The Cruzes—we do this at home.
I cannot attest that I do this, Cody. He does.
But those are two great things to do at home,
would you say?
- Yeah. Oh yeah, for sure.
And again, you might want to teach a child
that's never been exposed to working on something.
They may enjoy changing the oil or something like that.
- [Rachel] Okay. So an air filter . . .
So changing an air filter is pretty easy.
- Pretty straightforward.
This one is really easy to get to.
Every one is going to be different.
Your owner's manual usually tells in there
exactly where it's at.
They all come apart differently.
Some have screws, some little clips.
- Okay. So I'm going to ask you . . .
I don't know cars.
So when you see a box like this,
is this for sure—this is the air filter?
- Not necessarily.
You've got several different resonators.
- Okay, but when you lift it up—
- Yeah, inside is the air filter.
- Oh, that's it. Okay.
- You've got the clean side that goes toward the engine, and
the dirty side.
What I usually do—
the easiest way is to put it up to the sun.
If you can see light through it,
it's okay.
It's still fine.
If you can't see light through it,
then it should be replaced.
- How often should you replace it?
- Every 15,000 to 20,000 miles, maybe.
Or as it gets dirty.
- Okay. You can just order off Amazon or get at an auto parts store?
- You can get it on Amazon, just make sure
you order the right one.
Or at local parts store . . .
Amazon's a little cheaper.
- It just slides right in.
- Slides in.
Be sure it's clipped back in properly.
- So nice. Easy enough.
Okay, then windshield wipers.
Easy one to fix.
I say easy to fix, but you're going to prove to me it's easy.
- Yeah, they're easy.
So this one, every one is different. Again,
read the directions, watch a video online.
But this one just pops up.This pops up.
Obviously, be careful lifting that up.
If this thing is spring loaded,
if you let it go, you've got to replace your windshield.
It'll shatter that really easy.
So it just pops out, slide it in . . .
- [Rachel] Hook it in, just like a little lever.
- [Cody] Just like that.
- Easy enough.
And that costs what?
If you did that at home?
- If you did it at home, the wipers are . . .
You can get them online probably for $5 or $6 a piece.
- Yeah, versus a dealership or a . . .
- Right, a dealership would probably charge
$20 or $30 a piece for each wiper.
- Oh my gosh. So good.
Cody, you're awesome.
- Thank you. You guys are awesome.
- Thanks for showing us
how to save money with our cars.
We can all do it, so thanks.
- Absolutely. Anytime.