There are few things that add stress to one’s day like suspecting a vehicle needs to be repaired. Just like with one’s health, a penny of prevention can be worth a pound of cure, but when an issue strikes, the time is too late to go back and take better care of your vehicle. If your Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, or RAM vehicle is not running smoothly, it may be time to take it to your dealer service center here in Raleigh.
For many problems, people think they will save money by doing it themselves. But unless you’re a trained mechanic with years of experience, most issues cannot be done cheaper at home. In addition to the equipment and experience, you’d need the tools and diagnostic equipment specifically designed for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and RAM vehicles. Some believe that if their car is making noises or acting-up, they can just do some googling, watch a youtube instructional video and save some money. They often end up doing more harm than good when they do complicated repairs incorrectly using subpar parts and have to have a professional do it all anyway after the wasted time and money.
Others see a ‘check engine soon’ light and take it to a local autoparts store to get the free OBD-II reading. Sometimes these give accurate readings, but often the small cheap readers they use mis-read and the store immediately has a list of parts they want you to buy based on that misdiagnosis. If a light comes on telling you to have your engine serviced, it’s best just to listen and take the vehicle to a dealer service center as soon as you can.
There may not be anything as obvious as a light telling you to get your car serviced though. Sometimes you just need to use your intuition and basic observation. If there are fluids under the car leaving stains on the cement, this could be a sign of a leak in any number of systems. If the transmission fluid is contaminated, it will make accelerating more difficult and cause that jumping feeling when changing gears. Any grinding or screeching when braking could be a sign of bad brake fluid, brake pads, or even brake rotors. When steering fluid gets low or contaminated, people often notice they have more difficulty turning the wheel or hear noises when they do.
A car obviously has many things that can go wrong, but it is best to trust your instincts when you sense that something is not right. It is MUCH cheaper to have the professionals at your local Raleigh dealer service center fix an issue right when it surfaces, rather than trying to do it yourself or waiting until a relatively easily solved issue gets worse and damages the vehicle.