MeL Minute

The Next Time You Buy a Used Car, Check Auto Repair Source

Have you ever purchased a used car and been nervous about its condition?  Well, I have. In retrospect, I sure wish I'd had access to MeL’s eResource, Auto Repair Source. Now that I do, I can speak from experience. I could have asked better questions before the sale.  And I could have had better information after the sale.  

I use Auto Repair Source all the time now and show my relatives and friends how to use it.  Recently, I was showing my Dad how to use Auto Repair Source and we found out that his vehicle had a safety recall on the gas tank.  That’s the thing about purchasing a used car.  You’re not the original owner and don’t always know about the service bulletins and recall notices.  As you can imagine, my Dad was pretty darn happy to find out about the recall and get the gas tank replaced. 

Here are the types of information you can find in Auto Repair Source: 

• Service information optimized for the most common maintenance and repair operations 
• Technical service bulletins and recall notices 
• Component location diagrams for most domestic and imported cars and light trucks 
• Precise and comprehensive wiring diagrams for all systems 
• Maintenance schedules and estimated labor times for the most performed operations in a mechanical repair shop 
• Engineering specifications/standards for the most common repairs and adjustments 
• Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), flowcharts and step-by-step diagnostic instructions.  They cover powertrain, chassis, body, and network communication 
• Part numbers, diagrams and pricing for thousands of the most commonly replaced parts.  They include manufacturer-suggested and retail price, all of which help users confirm the cost of repairs and identify all iterations of a part number or part status (current, superseded, split, discontinued.) 

Check out this quick 2-minute tutorial any time you need a refresh. So, the next time you’re thinking about buying a used car, don’t forget to check Auto Repair Source!

Brought to you by Theresa Runyan from the MeL Team. 

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