If you’re looking for basic car maintenance on a budget, Del Mar College’s Automotive Department offers a low-cost alternative.
When cars are brought in, automotive students can use their lab time to assist in car maintenance and build their skills under supervision of their instructors.
Car maintenance services can be provided to Del Mar College students, faculty and staff.
Duane Beadle, an automotive professor, said that to get started with a diagnostic test, the price is $75 for every client. The client has to buy their own parts for services, but labor is free. The elimination of labor costs is a steal compared to the prices of dealership services.
According to CoPilot, diagnostic tests alone at a dealership can range from $50-$500 depending on your vehicle.
Beadle said vehicles should be less than 10 years old as they are easier to work with.
“We need to have something just like in the industry comes in,” Beadle said. “We repair it, and we get it out as quickly as possible. Something that’s simple — suspension or alignments — we really do a lot of those.”
Services usually take around one to two weeks from check-in until the service is completed, depending on the severity of the issue.
To guarantee a certain service, contact either automotive instructor Raymond Wallace at rwallace2@delmar.edu or Beadle at dbeadle@delmar.edu to see what the automotive classes are working on that week.
For more information, contact either Wallace or Beadle directly by email or visit the Automotive Building behind both the Diesel Technology and Auto Body Technology buildings at Windward Campus.
