Have you ever considered how much you rely on your car? You need it to get to work, get the children to school, to run errands or just to have a relaxing evening away from home. If your car is a vital part of your life, how important is your relationship with the people who take care of it?

Because your car mechanic is the person you trust to keep your vehicle on the road, it’s important to build a great relationship with one mechanic. If you take your car to the same mechanic regularly, he will get to know your vehicle because of regular car maintenance visits. This will help your mechanic be able to spot any auto maintenance and repair needed earlier than if you floated from shop to shop, chasing down the best price.

You can build a great relationship with your mechanic in many ways. Here are some great ideas from the experts who deal with car maintenance professionally:

* Authorities from this field agree: Loyalty and referrals are the best way to building a relationship with a mechanic. And by consistently frequenting the same person, you’re also benefiting yourself, because your mechanic has your car maintenance information handy, and knows what services have been completed over time.

* Trusting your mechanic is something promoted by the experts at Cars.com. If you have a good mechanic, don’t run to another shop when he delivers bad news. Yes, second opinions might be necessary in rare cases, and good mechanics should recommend you pursue them.

* Communicate everything with your mechanic, from how often you have car maintenance checks to what you see, smell, hear and feel when driving the car, says CarDealExpert.com. But after presenting all the important information about your vehicle to your mechanic, leave him alone to diagnose the problem. Feel free to ask questions, which might open more dialogue about other symptoms you didn’t notice earlier.

Some may argue that seeking out the best service price, even if it means going to a different shop, is a better deal. But in the long run, the experts say, developing a great professional relationship with one maintenance man who you trust will better serve your car, and potentially your pocketbook.