Buy a new car or keep driving an old car?

Serpentine belt

This is a relatively cheap service at most garages at usually well under $200 except for luxury cars. On most cars this is "that one belt" that's the most important. If the car squeals from a cold start and/or just starts squealing a lot whenever you accelerate, get this belt changed.

Battery

This is one of those things that's actually really easy to replace yourself for under 50 bucks - however - the main issue with modern cars is that the computer needs a "reset" after a battery disconnect. If the reset isn't performed after the new battery is installed, the car either won't run correctly or won't even start. Very annoying.

In my experience, the best way to change a battery is to have AAA do it. If you have an AAA membership, call them up and say you need a battery replacement. They'll send a guy with a battery and replace it on-site. Keep the receipt, because AAA guarantees the battery for 3 years.

If you don't have AAA, have a garage put in a new battery. Cost from AAA or the garage will be between $125 and $250, depending on car.

Alternator

This is an electrical thing that keeps the battery charged once the car is started.

Signs of a failing alternator is your battery gauge lighting up in your dashboard, flickering headlights, interior lights getting real dim, power windows running real slow (although that could be something else which I'll cover in a moment,) power door locks not working right, and so on. If you notice electrical crap not working correctly and you know the battery is good, getting a new alternator fixes that.

In my experience, alternators don't start failing until after 100,000 miles on most cars, although they can fail earlier.

When replacing an alternator, you might be tempted to be a reconditioned one. Don't do that. Always get new. It is worth the extra 50 to 75 bucks going with a new one.

Yes, you can replace this part yourself if - and this is a big if - the position of the alternator in your car is somewhere that's accessible. Some cars are designed where the alternator is in a spot you can't get to without taking apart five other things just to get to it. If that's how your car is, don't attempt to replace it yourself and just have a shop do it.

The shop cost of this is usually $350 to $600 depending on car.

Power window track lubrication

This is the last one I'll list, and fortunately it's super easy, super cheap, and yes this will potentially save you from having to replace a power window motor.

First, get some WD-40 Specialist Water Resistant Silicone Lubricant Spray.

Second, roll down all the electric windows on your car.

Third, spray the tracks that the glass would rest in when the window is up. I'm not talking about the top of the window frame but the sides. Whenever you use the window, the glass moves along those tracks and that's the thing you're lubricating here.

Fourth, roll up and down the windows 10 times to work in the lubrication.

Do this twice a year. This will save you from having to replace a electric window motor/assembly/regulator/whatever over time.

I unfortunately speak from experience on this one. On a vehicle I used to own, I had the driver's side window electric stuff replaced 3 times (costing me $200 to $350 each time) before learning that lubricating the tracks would have prevented that electric crap from breaking in the first place.

Published 2020 Sep 22