Q: How can I tell if the technician knows what he's doing? No matter who you decide to use, make sure they employ ASE certified technicians who are certified in the area your car needs the repair in. ASE, or the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, is a series of tests that automobile repair technicians can take to see how well they match up against industry standards. Q: How often should I change my oil? The simple and easy answer is to take your car in for an oil change every 3 months/3,000 miles. Think of an oil change as a physical for your car, a chance to have an expert thoroughly look it over and see if everything is O.K. Assuming you drive between 12,000 and 20,000 miles a year, here's my recommended annual maintenance schedule. Q: How often should I change my coolant? A flush every two years is a good idea now that radiators and related cooling system repairs cost 3-5 times what they did in the 70's. A $75 cooling system flush every two years will virtually assure that you will never have to purchase a radiator for $400-500. Q: When should I change my belts & hoses? The hoses and belts should be replaced at 35,000 to 45,000 miles. It is best to do a total belt and/or hose replacement just before the hot summertime. Ask for hoses and belts that carry a lifetime warranty. Expect to pay between $8 to $30 for each v-belt (depending on the belts length) and between $15 to $80 for each wide, multi ribbed serpentine belt. Labor charges depend on the engine type and other variables. Q: What can I do to get better fuel economy? Review the following list and see what you have done and still need to do: Take the junk (old papers, tool boxes, golf clubs, snow chains) out of your trunk. Air up your tires to 35 psi. Use a 5/30 or 10/30 engine oil. Install fresh spark plugs. Remove anything on the exterior of your car that you don�t need that catches the wind like a storage box mounted on the roof of your station wagon. Keep your windows up. Use your cruise control every chance you get. If your car is a 1981 or newer, don�t warm up your engine longer than 1 minute before you drive away slowly. A pre 80 car can be warmed up 2-3 minutes. Keep your air filter clean. Anticipate the traffic ahead, try and coast as much as you can. Make it a game trying not to hit the brakes as you drive to work. Drive as if there was an egg between your foot and the throttle. Use the cheapest gasoline recommended for your car. Q: How will I know when I need shocks & struts? Changing the shocks or struts on a car is normally only done once every 50,000 miles or when your ride quality or tire wear indicates service is needed. Always consider parts with a lifetime warranty. Shocks or struts are bad for any one of three reasons. They are bad and need to be replaced when they are leaking oil, broken, or show symptoms that are directly attributable to the deterioration of the shock or strut. Q: Why should I rotate and balance my tires? If you never rotate and balance your tires, the fronts will last about 10,000 to 20,000 miles and the rears will last 50,000 to 80,000 miles. The reason we rotate tires is to even out the wear and properly done, all the tires will be worn out at the same time. It's also a great excuse to inspect your brakes on a regular basis.