Before continuing with a car repair, you need to make sure you have given your car to someone who will do the job honestly for a price that fits inside your budgetary constraints. These questions will help you find the right service professional to meet your needs.

First, ask the mechanic or garage about any awards or affiliations the shop or its mechanics have received. Automotive Service Excellence certification or affiliation with the Automotive Service Association are good options. You may want to ask about the credentials of the mechanics. Someone who has been to auto/diesel school will have more training about vehicles than someone who learned in his garage growing up.

Next, ask if the garage charges for estimates and diagnostics for auto repair. The answer to this will vary, but will help you determine whether or not you can afford the mechanic. Often the mechanic will not charge to visually inspect the vehicle, but will charge if he has to use a machine to do a more in-depth diagnostic.

Inquire as to whether or not the mechanic or garage specializes in a certain type of car repair. You may find a garage specializes in brakes, transmissions, a/c, or diesel repairs. Some shops will specialize in a particular type of vehicle. While these shops will work on other systems or vehicles, you may not get the most efficient job done if your needs do not fall within their specialization. Make sure your vehicle falls within the expertise of the shop you choose.

If you do not have another vehicle you can use while yours is in the shop, you may want to ask about courtesy cars. Larger garages and chain stores may offer courtesy cars you can drive while they fix yours. Find out if there is a charge for this, or if it is included in the cost of the repairs.

Sometimes you can save money by using used parts rather than new ones. Some garages will have contracts or partnerships with junkyards where they can get used parts. Ask whether or not this option exists. Not all garages have it, but if your budget is tight you might want to look for one that does. Keep in mind that you may not be able to find a used part for your particular vehicle, even if the garage offers this option, because you will be limited to the stock on hand in the junkyard.

Finally, when you think you have found a source for car repair that you can trust, ask them about guarantees and payment options. No matter how honest a mechanic is, the cost to fix your vehicle may be high. It’s simply the nature of the industry, so you may want a company who offers payment plans or takes credit cards. You also want a company who is willing to stand behind the work of their technicians, offering workmanship warranties if something should go wrong with vehicle after you get it back. If you have found someone who is willing to stand behind their work, then you have found a good source for car repair.

If you’ve had your vehicle for any length of time, chances are the paint doesn’t look quite as immaculate and shiny as it did the day you drove it off the lot. With time, dings and scratches can appear in the paint job, and if you live in certain areas, the air itself can begin to take a toll after some time. If you want a great new paint job, you can always take it in to a trusted car repair or auto body shop and get the works. If you don’t feel like spending that much money, however, here are some car repair basics that can get that paint job looking fresh again.

Your first stop will be your local paint jobber. Take your car there and ask for one of two solutions. Either you can look through their chip books to find the right match for your make and model, or you can have them use a special chromatic camera to match the color. In most cases, it is better to go with the predefined chip in the book if it is available and your car hasn’t been repainted before. Once you’ve found the right color, purchase all you need to make the fixes. Most jobbers will sell you paint in increments as small as a pint. You also may need thinner and clear coat depending on what type of paint you purchase.

Before you begin spraying your car, make sure you spray the paint on a test panel to make sure the color is a match. This can be very difficult to discern by simply looking at it in the can. Anything less than an exact match will stand out like a sore thumb. If the paint isn’t an exact match, you should go back to the jobber and complain, can of paint in hand. Don’t wait until you’ve used all the paint to go back and ask for a refund. It’s unlikely you will be accommodated, particularly since most paint jobbers do the majority of their business through the local body shops and don’t have a great deal of time for small individual sales.

If you don’t feel comfortable doing the work yourself, by all means head to a car repair shop and have them do it for you. You can even purchase the paint ahead of time and bring it with you if you so choose, though this is unnecessary. Ask the local paint jobber which body shops in the area they recommend. Keep in mind that there are two different kinds of shops: those that do high quality work for a premium price, and those that use cut rate paint but charge very little. Which type of shop you want to go to will depend on your long term plans for your vehicle.