why is your check engine light on?

Most cars eventually need repair at some point in their lifetime. Parts in the vehicle will eventually wear, and you may need to have an auto repair shop inspect and repair the car to ensure it is safe to drive and remains dependable.

Normal Service

Every car on the road will eventually need service of some form. The tires and brakes wear as you drive, the oil will become dirty and lose its viscosity, and suspension and steering parts will eventually start to break down. All of these things are part of owning a vehicle, but your local auto repair shop can help you maintain the car and fix things before they become problems so that you do not break down on the road somewhere and require towing to a service center or auto repair shop.

You should do regular service every few months on most vehicles, but to find the exact service intervals for your car or truck, check the owner's manual that comes with it when the vehicle is new. If you do not have the owner's manual, you can often download one from the web, and some salvage yards pull them out of scrap cars and sell them for a few dollars.

Your local auto repair service can also help you determine when your car should come in for maintenance and repair, so talk with the tech working on your vehicle to determine when you come back next time. Most vehicles have oil change recommendations that you should follow, and this can be an excellent time for the repair tech to look over the car to find problems and correct them because the parts fail.

Break Downs And Repairs

Often once the car or truck has already suffered a breakdown, the best option is to call the auto repair shop you use and see if they can tow your vehicle for you. If you already have a relationship with the shop, they will often send a tow truck out to bring the car to the shop, make the repairs for you, and bill you for the entire thing at the completion of the work. 

If you don't have a shop that you use regularly, you may need to call a tow service and have the vehicle towed to the nearest auto repair shop in the area. Most automotive repair services are happy to look at the car for you once it arrives in their shop, and if you are not sure you can afford the repair, ask for an estimate before the work is started. 

You will likely need to pay the towing company when they tow the vehicle, so be prepared for that when you call and request the tow. Look into automotive repair near you.