Buying a cheap used car will save you money each month because you won’t be paying a hefty chunk of money for a car payment. You will need to invest some money into your car, however, to keep it in better repair. Spending a little money towards necessary regular maintenance will let you keep your car longer so that you can get your money’s worth out of it, regardless of how little it may have cost you. There are several things you can do to keep your cheap used car in better repair.

Get a Tune-Up

When you first bring home your cheap used car, it is a good idea to take it to a reliable mechanic and get it thoroughly checked over. Hopefully you did your research before buying the car, and you made sure it was in good shape before you bought it. A mechanic can check out all of the belts and hoses, the water pump, and other little things to make sure that they won’t be causing you a problem anytime soon. You should also get a good general tune-up so that your car will be running at its best.

Check and Change the Oil Regularly

Older cars have a tendency to burn more oil, as the engine doesn’t work as efficiently as it did when it was new. It is important that you check your oil frequently to make sure that it is at adequate levels. You also need to get oil changes regularly. As your car’s engine ages, the parts begin to wear down. Keeping your engine lubricated will prevent damage to your engine that can result in expensive repairs. Oil absorbs dust and other pollutants from the air, and these things build up in the oil. If the old, dirty oil is not changed, your engine could become corroded, which will cause you big problems. 

Change Other Fluids

There are other fluids in your car that need to be replaced periodically as well. Transmission fluid should be drained and replaced about every 60,000 miles. If you don’t know when or if a transmission fluid change was last performed on your car, then you should add it to your list of needed maintenance. If your vehicle is anything other than front wheel drive, you should also check your differential fluid and have it changed if necessary. Both of these are relatively inexpensive procedures that will help to keep your car in better repair.

Clean the Battery Connections

In the last few years, the value of the American dollar has dropped significantly. It now takes more of our hard-earned dollars just to cover the essentials. So it makes sense to save money whenever you can.

One place that you can save money is at the junkyard. Their prices are often half of what the auto parts store charges. And that adds up when you’re performing your own auto repair. Alternators, starters, tires, seats. Chances are, if a part came on the car, you’ll find it at the junkyard. 

Save Time 

Once you’ve determined what part you need, call your favorite auto parts store and ask what the ‘re-man’ part will cost. Remanufactured parts are reconditioned used parts. Every time you return a ‘core’ (i.e. your broken alternator, or powersteering pump), that old part gets shipped off to be rebuilt. Reman parts are considerably cheaper than a brand new part, and it’ll give you a baseline to see how much money you’ll save on a used part. 

Next, grab the Yellow Pages and start calling around. If you’re computer savvy (which you probably are, considering you’re reading this article), Google “junkyards + your city & state”. Under the local search results, you’ll see the various salvage yards in your area. If the yard has a website, it will be listed under the name. Many times, a junkyard will have their entire inventory listed on their website. You can then see if they have your part, and how much it’ll cost. 

Another, simpler way to find used car parts online is http://www.car-part.com/ . This website is the consumer portal to the Hollander part interchange service. Every junkyard that subscribes to the service can upload their entire car part inventory to the system, allowing other yards to see and sell their car parts, if they don’t have it in stock. It will also tell you what parts interchange with which vehicles. 

A simple search here, will tell you what Hollander-subscribed junkyards in your area have the part, the price, and the yard’s phone number. Not all salvage yards use Hollander, so it’s still a good idea to call around.

Save Money

 Full-service junkyards will pull the part for you, while you wait on a grease-stained plastic chair. A pull-a-part type of salvage yard will allow you to pick & pull the part yourself. These are usually cheaper than a full service salvage yard. But you’re going to need your own tools, and a bit of free time. If you’re not a hardcore do-it-yourselfer, just pay the extra few dollars to have the part pulled for you.

Once they have your part, don’t be afraid to negotiate the price. Used auto parts is a cash-business, so many junkyards will be willing to haggle. Especially if you’re buying more than one part. Remember, the worst that they can do is say ‘no’.