Do you own and drive a car? Do you have a good mechanic or technician that services it for you? Or do you just go wherever the price is the cheapest? If you answered yes to the last question, you best change your ways. You need to find an honest, well-established repair shop to insure that your car can be serviced at all.

Did you know that there is a severe shortage of "qualified" automotive technicians today? It is estimated that within the next five to ten years, maybe sooner, there is going to be a major problem in the automotive repair industry. No technicians to work on your car! Next time you're at your local shop, take a look around. What is the average age of the people working there? The average is 52. You won't see a lot of younger people. Most of the mechanics and technicians working today are getting older and closer to retirement. As they leave or retire, they aren't being replaced a lot of the time. If things continue on this path, automotive repair could become a commodity of extreme value.

Too many automotive centers are taking advantage of the consumer's lack of knowledge about their automobile or truck. While there are many trustworthy shops that do honorable and reliable work, there are always places that just take the consumer's money while not making the necessary repairs, if they do any work at all.

The government and press are trying to intervene, and while some shops are getting caught and being indicted with fraud, too many shops are still doing it, and getting away with it. Most likely you have seen the headlines about automotive repair shops being indicted with fraud because they lied or cheated their customers in one way or another.

After reading this quick 'how-to' guide you will be able to change your car's oil, and depending on what make and model your vehicle is, save anywhere from 10-20 dollars on your usually very expensive oil change. Every 3000 miles it is important to completely drain out and replace the oil in your vehicle. Today, we're going to learn how!

First off, when changing the oil on your car you need to prepare with some supplies. You will need the following: Jack, the correct size wrench or ratchet, oil filter, oil, short bucket, rag, funnel, and a big piece of cardboard.

The first thing you need to do is warm up your vehicle. Drive around the block once or twice, which will heat up your engine a little bit. A vital part to changing oil. The oil must first be warmed up otherwise you will have trouble getting it out. Then, jack up your vehicle, being sure to follow all safety precautions. Make sure to find a strong point on the bottom of your vehicle before jacking it up. An axle is the best place. After making sure everything is secure you are ready to get down and start the dirty work.

With a little research on your vehicle, you can avoid future repair problems. Whether you are mechanically savvy or not, you can detect many common vehicle problems simply by using your senses of smell and sight.

TAKE A GOOD LOOK!

Are there any stains or drops of fluid under your vehicle? There may be no problem whatsoever, however you do want to check for wet spots, as this could be a symptom of a serious problem.

What color is the liquid under the car? Yellowish green, blue or orange colors can show an overheated engine or an antifreeze leak. You could have a leaky radiator or a water pump in need of repair. If this is the problem, you need to get to a repair shop immediately.