What You Need to Know About Car Care

Did you know that April is Car Care Awareness Month? Jody DeVere, CEO of AskPatty.com, joins Easy Does It host Ereka Vetrini to shine some light on what's really going on under your hood.

Related: Routine car maintenance tasks to stay up to speed on

DeVere says that the biggest mistake people make is "really not understanding what your car needs." To combat this, she says, "Crack open that dusty manual that's usually in the glove box of your car and understand the basic needs of your car and the intervals that those should be done. And then do it to the letter of the law. That's going to prevent a lot of costly, long-term, expensive problems."

Related: Cut car repair costs!

According to DeVere, you should become familiar with your car's service interval schedule to avoid being upsold products or services that you don't really need. In addition, she says, "Take a look around your car, and if you hear any funny noises, be able to report them with confidence. You want to approach the technician or the shop or the service advisor with confidence and have a good idea of what your car needs."

Whether you choose to take your car to a dealership or a independent service center, find a place you feel like you can trust. DeVere adds, "Make sure they're ASE certified technicians. Make sure you're treated with respect. Of course you can shop around. If at any time you're uncomfortable just leave."

You can save money with your car repairs by doing some tasks on your own. "You can replace your wiper blades every six months. It takes 30 seconds to do it," says DeVere. She also suggests replacing your own battery, doing your own fluid changes, and checking your own tire pressure.

"You can even do your own oil change," DeVere says. "Just be sure you have all the right equipment. Always use high-quality name brand motor oil because that maintains the life of your engine, which is the most expensive thing to replace."

For more automotive advice, be sure to check out AskPatty.com.

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