Five Maintenance Procedures Your Car Cannot Do Without

People tend to hop into their cars without thinking about all of the things that could be going wrong under the hood. However, you can’t understate the importance of keeping your car in tip-top shape. Jungerman CARSTAR in St. Peters, Missouri, as top quality auto repair professionals, want you to know about these five auto service items you should certainly not skip.

Oil Changes

Oil is the lifeblood of a healthy car. Most people know that they have to change the oil every 3,000 miles, but don’t forget that you should also examine your oil level every 1,000 miles just to make sure that everything is as it should be.

Keep the oil changed. It is the easiest thing to overlook and ignore but the most crucial thing anybody can do. We at Jungerman CARSTAR see a lot of worn engine parts due to the lack of oil changes.

Tire Maintenance

Correctly maintained tires enhance your vehicle's steering, stopping, and traction. Tire pressure ought to be set to the manufacturer’s specifications, which usually can be found in the owners' manual, on a sticker inside fuel filler door, or on the door well of the driver's side door.

It’s imperative that you keep your tires inflated to the pressure that's recommended by the manufacturer of the vehicle. Proper inflation keeps your tires wearing properly. Over- or under-inflated wears tires out faster, can adversely affect fuel consumption, and present a safety hazard. Get your tires rotated and balanced each 6,000-8,000 miles and get the alignment checked once a year to make sure there are not suspension problems.

Fluids

Checking the other fluids in your vehicle is also very important. Of course, we have already covered how you need to have the oil changed regularly. When you do that, also check all of the fluids including the transmission fluid, brake fluid, and coolant. Flush the transmission fluid around every 50,000 miles.

Brake Check

A brake inspection ought to be part of your vehicle’s ongoing regular maintenance to guarantee safety and reliability. Have your brakes examined at least once per year or more frequently if you experience grinding, vibrations, or shaking when you brake. Regardless of the car, brakes usually need to be replaced every 20,000-30,000 miles.

Scheduled Maintenance

Failure to adhere to the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule can result in loss of warranty coverage, breakdowns, poor fuel economy, and an increased cost of ownership in the long run. Having an authorized professional examine your automobile according to these schedules is an opportunity to catch issues before they get you stuck or turn into larger repairs.

Build a connection with an auto body shop. Jumping from shop to shop might save a few dollars on particular jobs, but ultimately the only one who will have any responsibility for the shape of the car will be you. Having a reputable auto body shop you trust means you having somebody looking under the hood for any potential problems on a regular basis. A good auto mechanic, who is familiar with your needs, your expectations, and your car, will help you get the most from your vehicle.

If you live in St. Peters, St. Charles, O'Fallon, or Lake St. Louis, Missouri and don't already have a regular auto body mechanic, consider taking your vehicle to Jungerman CARSTAR. They help countless drivers like you keep their automobiles in top performance shape.

Avoiding Staged Auto Body Claims

Staged auto body accidents are building in number, endangering the lives and boosting the car insurance rates of innocent drivers who may unwittingly think they are at fault. Questionable claims from staged accidents increased 46.3 percent from 2007 through 2009, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, or NICB, a nonprofit agency in Des Plaines, Illinois, funded by 1,100 property and casualty insurance providers nationwide to fight auto insurance fraud and automobile theft. Here are some tips from Jungerman CARSTAR in St. Peters, MO based upon information from the NICB. If you have an auto body accident in St. Charles, O'Fallon, Lake St. Louis, and St. Peters, Missouri, you will be glad that you were prepared with this important auto body repair information.

Auto insurance fraud added $4.8 billion to $6.8 billion to auto injury claim payments in 2007, based on the Insurance Research Council's November 2008 study "Fraud and Buildup in Auto Injury Insurance Claims: 2008 Edition." NICB investigations in Florida, New York, and California uncovered sophisticated, multistate rings that included the staged accident participants and doctors, chiropractors, lawyers, and even auto body shop owners that benefited from the car insurance scam.

Multiple claims for a single accident

One common element runs though the majority of staged accidents. The "victim" vehicle will contain three to four passengers who will file medical claims against the victim's auto insurance company in addition to a car damage claim. Stagers often target younger ladies and older adult drivers as they enter or exit a shopping mall or parking garage. If you're talking on a mobile phone or appear otherwise distracted while driving, you are a perfect mark.

There will be someone sitting there at the curb and you pull up and they'll wave you on by. The next thing you know, you are getting blocked and then getting clobbered. Don't always assume that it was an accident; it may well have been deliberate.

Avoiding a staged accident

Here are six tips from Jungerman CARSTAR on how to avoid becoming a victim of a staged accident:

• Avoid tailgating. Recognize the "swoop and squat" situation in which a motorist suddenly swoops in front of you then slams on his or her brakes, and leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you in case the driver slams on his brakes.
• Call the cops even if damage is minimal. A St. Peters, MO police report will make it harder for a stager to intentionally damage his or her car later to collect a bigger claim against your car insurance company.
• Grab a camera or use your cell phone to photograph everything and everyone at the scene. Pay extra attention to the number of people in the other car and the damage to both vehicles.
• Be wary of passers-by who just happen to arrive on the scene, especially if they offer to direct you to a doctor, attorney, or tow-truck company. They may be part of the scam.
• Avoid tow-truck drivers that you did not call. They are often part of this car insurance con.
• Be wary of physicians who insist that you file a personal injury claim following an accident, particularly if you aren't hurt.

Although auto body fraud is a very real concern, many auto body accidents are nothing more than accidents. In either case, consider taking your vehicle to Jungerman CARSTAR, which serves the people of St. Charles, O'Fallon, Lake St. Louis, and St. Peters, Missouri.

Finding The Best Place For Auto Body Repair

If you’ve been in a car accident, it is important to know that auto body shops only sometimes have your interests in mind. Unfortunately, some auto body shops will routinely downplay claims, minimize auto repair costs, use cheap parts, or even neglect to fully repair problems. These practices can devalue your automobile and give you even worse problems later on.

Here are a few basic principles from Jungerman CARSTAR in St. Peters, MO on things to look for when picking an auto body shop, as well as tips on how to be an active participant in your car’s auto body repair to ensure that it comes out looking fantastic and costing you only what is necessary.

Research Before You Repair

Angieslist.com, Yelp.com, and Google reviews are useful sources to get a feeling of an auto body shop’s quality according to customer reviews, but take the online reviews with a grain of salt. You will want to concentrate on well-written, thought out reviews – not nasty one-liners, because even the best businesses can end up with an unhappy customer every now and then. You might also manage to find discussion forums specific to your vehicle’s make and model where forum members can recommend good auto body shops in your area.

Choose an Auto Body Shop with a Warranty

Some auto body shops offer their own independent warranties on their repairs for fit, finish, functionality, and overall quality. Ask to see their warranty and ask some questions about it prior to agreeing to do business with a given auto body shop and make sure it doesn’t have a time frame. A good auto body shop will provide a lifetime warranty. Jungerman CARSTAR offers such a warranty for the people of St. Peters, St. Charles, O'Fallon, and Lake St. Louis, Missouri.

Keep Your Existing Manufacturer Warranties Intact

Ask your selected auto body shop if any mechanical repairs will nullify or alter any existing warranties you may have on your new or recently purchased automobile. Factory warranties on engines and accessories might be compromised if your car needs mechanical repairs following a collision, so be certain your car’s factory warranty is not being compromised with aftermarket parts, or repairs that otherwise aren’t manufacturer-approved.

If your insurer is trying to “mandate” aftermarket or used parts that will void your factory warranty, demand that the insurer give you a written warranty identical to your factory warranty. Nine times out of ten they’ll just pay for original parts, rather than giving you the runaround.

Get More Than One Estimate

It’s best to get quotes from a number of different auto body shops. After the initial estimate, show their estimate to the second shop and the third shop, and ask how they compare with the first auto body shop’s quote. You might find that one or the other is skipping over some important items. Do not merely compare the final estimated cost, because one auto body shop might be quoting for a completely different method of repair than the other. You will want an auto body shop that's both thorough and friendly.

Do Not Be Willing To Settle

Do not settle for anything less than totally new factory-original parts for your vehicle, and be sure to let the auto body shop know it. Of course, there are some jurisdictions where auto body shops can opt to utilize aftermarket or used parts, but those are generally not the way to go. Look at the work closely to make sure that your vehicle was restored to original condition by the parts used, or you have the right to ask for new parts. The shop managers should have no doubt that you are not willing to settle and that you want nothing but top-quality work. If you do not tell them that you won’t settle, there might be shoddy work done on your vehicle. That is why you need to look for qualities like thoroughness and friendliness in every auto body shop you consider.

Make Sure Everything Is Written Down

It used to be that you could trust people to live up to their word. Sadly, that’s just not the case anymore. There are key phrases that insurance adjusters and auto body shop people like to throw around like “totally cover the rental car,” “restore your vehicle to pre-accident condition,” and even “pay for everything.” Those words sound really great, but you will want to make sure that those kinds of things are all in writing. If you are talking to an insurance adjuster over the phone, follow up with an email so that you have a written record of what was promised by all parties involved. That will also make sure that everything is clear for everyone so all parties are on the same page. If you end up having to appeal a decision or call someone out for a broken promise, you will be glad that you got it all in writing.

These are only a few of the precautions that you ought to take when it comes to your next car repair. After all, your vehicle is the second-largest investment you'll make after your home, why not make sure that it is fixed right? If you have any more questions regarding auto body repair or would like an estimate, contact Jungerman CARSTAR in St. Peters, MO to get the answers you need.