How many cars you have owned

How many cars and trucks have I owned in the last 16 years? Well lets see.......20! I know I am a sick individual. But most of the time I get bored and end up selling one and buying another. Sad part is, is that I know the price I bought each of them for, the price that I sold them for, and the starting and ending mileage! For a grand total of 367,060 miles on those 20 vehicles! So is this a low number or a high number. I generally keep them for a year and get rid of them. Mind you,I have never bought a "NEW" vehicle. The lowest mileage on any of my cars was the last truck I bought that I currently still have, A 2005 Chevy that had 61K miles on it when I bought it. Oh there was a 1998 Honda Civic with 38K miles on it that I only had for 6 months. I hated that car it was too small.

They all have been used. I don't even know how much money I have saved by being able to work on them myself. I do everything from changing the fluids to major engine and front end work. I know a lot of people say that they don't have the tools or know how, but you can do the majority yourself. Most parts stores will rent you the tools you need to do a job for free. You pay them, then when you are done with the tools you return them and get your money back. Believe me I did not get all my tools over night. It has taken quite a number of years.

More Tips...Volkswagon Check Engine Light On

Tired of looking at your check engine light? Don't be intimidated when it comes to working on a car. Everyone needs a starting point.

How much does a shop say they charge to "check " your engine light?.....Most charge $30-$60. You can have an auto parts store check it for free, but they can't erase the code that comes up. So when it comes time to find out why your "service engine" light is on, spend the money on a new tool instead of paying someone else. This is a great way to build up your tool box!



I paid around$60 for this code reader. I can read and erase codes and find out what the general problem is. The biggest problem when taking your vehicle to a shop is that "you" have "NO CLUE" what the problem is. This leaves the door open for dishonesty, and the possibility of "added charges". Not saying that all shops are dishonest, but there are plenty of people out there that will throw parts at a problem not knowing how to fix it, but you will still be the one paying the bill. It pays to have an idea what is wrong. Kind of like the people going into surgery and writing on the body part, "This Leg."

HOW TO SAVE ON MECHANIC WORK

Tired of paying for high priced mechanic work? Don't think you can do it yourself? Let's help!
Here is a list of Basic Tools needed.
1. Cresent (adjustable) wrench
2. Flat scew driver
3. Phillips scew driver
4. Latex gloves
5. Socket set(metric & standard)
6. Ratchet and extension
7. Oil filter wrench
8. Pliers


These tools alone will help you to save money doing it yourself instead of paying to have it done.