DIY Preventative Car Maintenance

Your vehicle is an expensive investment that requires preventative maintenance to keep it running at optimal performance for as long as possible. Most routine vehicle maintenance can be performed at home to save some money. But it’s not just changing your oil and checking fluid levels. Some parts fail or begin to wear out from daily use, age of the vehicle or lack of proper care and require replacement.

If you are handy at all with tools or know someone who can give you a hand, you can keep your car, truck or SUV in excellent running condition yourself! Quality used auto parts can be found at a local or online salvage yard at affordable prices. Some parts may even come with warranties. Don’t forget to keep a log of all maintenance performed such as oil changes including any repairs and parts replaced. This helps you keep track of everything that’s been done to your car and is helpful when selling or trading in your car.

Inspect and Replace Your Vehicle’s Exterior Lights

If it’s not a headlight that has gone out, often we don’t notice that our car lights have failed. Vehicle exterior parts such as tail lights, blinkers and license plate lights tend to need replacing long before headlights. Non-working car lights can be dangerous but are also illegal. Avoid getting a citation or causing an accident by immediately replacing any busted tail lights, headlights and turn signal lights.

Make it a point to check that all exterior lighting is also in working order. A great time to do this is when you’re changing your car, truck, SUV or van’s motor oil. Have someone watch your lights while you press the brakes and engage your turn signals and backup lights. Bulbs and light covers can usually be purchased at affordable prices from local and online salvage yards.

Replace Passenger or Driver Side View Mirror

Car door mirrors end up broken or even missing all the time. They snap off easily, sometimes by no fault of your own. They get damaged or ripped off completely by other cars or driving too close to an object like a gate post. Regardless of how your side mirror was broken, it needs to be replaced for safe driving.

If only the side mirror is broken and no further damage to your vehicle has occurred, this does not require making an insurance claim. Replacing a car, truck or SUV side view mirror is an easily completed task with a few tools and some patience. Because buying them brand new can be costly, checking with your local automotive junkyard for a quality used side mirror can save you money..

OEM Replacement Windows for Cars, Trucks, Vans & SUVs

Everyone has seen drivers on the road with trash bags taped in their vehicle’s window. This is not the safest option. Not replacing your auto glass puts passengers at risk of getting hit with road debris. Taped up windows greatly inhibit the driver’s ability to clearly see around the vehicle while driving and increases the potential of a crash. A missing window also allows rain, snow, dirt, animals and thieves all to have easy access to the inside of your car.

Instead of driving around with an unsafe window, check the stock at your local junkyard for replacement auto glass for your make and model. Each side window, sunroof or rear windshield removed will be OEM, meaning the vehicle came equipped from the factory with the auto glass, it is not aftermarket. When purchasing auto glass from the junkyard, they may also have window motors and switches available if you need them.

Find Quality Used Rims for Your Make & Model

Whether you need just one rim or all four rims for your car, truck or SUV, it’s always a good idea to check with local salvage yards for quality used wheel replacement parts. While it is possible to find stylish, aftermarket wheels for your make and model there, the junkyard is a great place to locate stock rims. Car owners may need to replace only one rim due to damage from hitting a curb or being involved in a car accident and a junkyard is the perfect solution.

The cost to replace OEM wheels through the dealership can be astronomical. Buying aftermarket wheels means the replacement may not match or you’ll be forced to buy all 4 in order to have a matched set of wheels. Before making a costly wheel purchase, check with your local salvage yard to see what rims and wheels they may have in stock for your vehicle.

Find Common Car Parts to Replace At A Trusted Salvage Yard

It doesn’t matter if what you need is a commonly replaced car part or a hard to find one, Gardner Auto Parts has quality used parts, engines, accessories and more for your European and Japanese import vehicles. They have been helping South Florida drivers affordably repair their foreign cars, trucks, SUVs and minivans for over 50 years.

With decades of automotive experience, their knowledgeable staff is available to answer questions about common car problems and help you find the quality used replacement parts you need. We also offer shipping across town, across the US or across the globe. You can easily shop our online inventory of quality used auto parts or call our shop directly.