Wednesday, June 8, 2011

car-maintenance-overspending-moneywatch: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance

car-maintenance-overspending-moneywatch: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance: "With gas bills putting a crimp in your budget, you don't want to be wasting money on other car expenses. But many car owners do just that — either spending more than needed on maintenance or putting off work that will cost more later.

To be smart about your car, you need to do the right amount of on-time maintenance — while resisting mechanics' pitches for unnecessary work. 'With advertising that emphasizes maintenance-free cars, people may have the idea they don't have to take care of them,' says George Sadowski, education manager at the Norwood, Mass., campus of Universal Technical Institute, a leading provider of training courses for auto mechanics.

But while neglect doesn't work, neither does overspending. From Sadowski and Michael Calkins, manager of the AAA program that recommends repair shops, here are 10 ways you may be wasting money on your car.

1. Changing oil every 3,000 miles. A relic of a bygone era, this guideline is often promoted by dealers or repair shops eager for business. Instead, read your owner's manual and follow the manufacturer's recommendation for oil-change intervals — it's often"

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