Q. How often should I have my tires balanced? –Cheryl

A. Cheryl- What a great question! Most of us know that we should have our oil changed 3-4 times a year and that our tires should be rotated every other oil change, or twice a year but what about tire balance? Tire balance is generally only needed when you replace your tires. As long as you are routinely having your tires rotated, and you aren’t experiencing any shaking or pulling with your tires then you should be good to go!

Q. I have a GMC 2000 Sierra truck with only 68,000 miles on it. What do I have to do to keep my truck running well? I know I probably need a new battery and cables, but what else? I have my oil changes every 3,000 miles – Jill

Jill—At AAA Car Care Centers, base all of the information we give you on what your specific manufacturer recommends at certain mile intervals. And because 60,000 miles is a major interval, there are probably multiple things that can be done to help your truck go the distance. I would suggest that you either stop by one of our locations, or a location that provides your manufacturer’s recommended maintenance to determine what is needed for your Sierra. We provide that information as well as future interval information to you at no cost. I like to use this information to plan ahead financially for maintenance and repair work that I know I will need in the future. Way to go Jill for staying on top of your routine maintenance! It will help your truck go the distance and will probably save you a lot of money along the way!

Q. I have a 2000 Eclipse that ran hot. Now I'm hearing the head gasket needs to be repaired. The price quote I got from the repair shop told me it would be $2,000 to repair. Am I being ripped off? Is this something I could fix myself with the manual?—Jessica

A. Jessica—This is a tricky question because like all questions I get, I can only go by the symptoms you report, so whatever I write will only be an educated guess from one of our technicians. What I can tell you is that many times over heating can be caused by damage that cannot be determined until the technician is well into the repair process. And depending upon the scope of the job, $2000 may be in line with this kind of work.

The one thing I can tell for certain is that it is probably not a good idea to attempt this kind of work yourself. Jobs of this nature should be performed by specialized technicians because it is extremely heavy work that may require special tools. If you are concerned about the price, I would advise getting a second quote from another shop. Just make sure that wherever you go has certified mechanics. Good luck!

Q. I have a 2001 Dodge Van and lately when driving on bumpy roads my care sounds as if the shocks might need replacing. Is this dangerous and also what kind of cost am I talking to replace them? – Doris

Doris—As I previously mentioned to Jessica, I don’t want to be too hasty in diagnosing your problems as issues with your shocks because cars are far too complex for me to say it is or isn’t something based on a description. But just from your description, you may want to ask your repair shop to check the converter shields first before checking your shocks. It does sound like you are fairly in tune with your vehicle though and I commend you for taking notice of a potential problem!

If the issue you describe is indeed your shocks, the possible hazards involved could be an increased stopping distance, irregular and premature tire wear and just plain discomfort while driving. And the issue with stopping distance alone is probably scary enough to make you want to get it checked out, especially if you are carrying precious cargo in your van!

As for the cost, it really can vary tremendously based on several factors like how much weight you carry in the van, driving habits, etc. And depending on the make and model of your vehicle, the type, quality and service duty of the shocks can determine the price. Prices generally run anywhere between $11-$80 a piece, not including installation.

Doris, because of the professional insight that needs to be applied to this particular issue, I suggest taking your van to your repair shop to have a technician determine the real cause of the problem. Good luck and safe travels!

As always, I love getting questions from readers. If you have a car problem or just wish you knew more about cars in general, please feel free to email me. I look forward to hearing from you.

If you have any tip and tricks, or there is something you want to know about, email me at girlsgarage@mailaaa.com