finding the problem with a car that doesn't always start

You have probably spent years developing a trusting and working relationship with your favorite car repair station and its mechanics. Unfortunately, all good things must end, and mechanics get old and retire or they just go out of business. Before that happens, there are three things you can do to ensure that your car continues to get the kind and level of quality auto service you have been used to receiving.  

Get in One Last Tune-up, Tire Rotation, Etc.

Try to schedule one last vehicle maintenance task, preferably any one task that might cost you a lot of money somewhere else. Not only can you get this bit of maintenance out of the way, but it also opens the door for a conversation about when your favorite shop is closing up. You can thank the owner and his mechanics for the years of excellent service, and you have a deadline in mind in case anything else goes wrong with your vehicle before the shop closes down permanently.

Buy up Any Spare Parts That Your Mechanic Has in His/Her Inventory

Your mechanic will want to unload as much of his parts inventory as he can. Ask him or her if he/she has any spare parts for your make and model of vehicle. He/she may sell them to you at cost, or at a discount just to clear everything out before the shop closes. You definitely want to buy a spare alternator, battery, tires, starter, ignition, onboard computer, windshield wipers and blades, brakes and/or rotors. Not only are you helping the mechanic get rid of excess stock, but you are also decreasing your next repair service by having the parts on hand and just giving them to your new mechanic to install. Then you only have to pay the new mechanic for labor.

Compare and Contrast Pricing Tables and Transferring Records

Your old mechanic probably has one or two other shops in mind to which he or she can refer you. You can compare and contrast the pricing tables at these new shops to several other shops in the area. While your old mechanic and shop are still in business, you can get his or her opinion about some shops you have looked at on your own. Then you can ask for copies of the repairs and receipts for repairs that have been made on your current vehicles in the last two years and transfer that information to the new mechanic of your choosing (such as Dean's Automotive Service Center).