Many of us have been driving cars since we were in high school. As much as we want our cars always to be perfect, that’s not likely to happen. Owning a car means you have to dedicate your time and money to maintain it. However, you often forget that car repairs can be a significant drain on the bank account and unforeseen expenses that few of us budget for.
While it’s easier for you to sit and scroll Instagram on your phone while the mechanic repairs the car, it is so much cheaper and sometimes less time-consuming to do the maintenance yourself. So, if you’re up for it, here are easy car repairs you should know to do yourself.
Replacing The Air Filter
Though many people go to a mechanic to get this done, it’s so simple that anyone can do it easily. So for this, follow these steps:
-
- Firstly, find the filter under the bonnet of your car. You can also check the car’s manual if you can’t find the filter.
- Before replacing the filter, note how the air filter fits and which way it faces.
- Now remove the old filter, clean the air filter housing, insert a new filter, and replace the cover.
Do Your Own Oil Change
Changing oil is crucial to ensure the smooth running of the vehicle and prolong the engine’s lifespan. Therefore, changing oil is something you should know to do by yourself. But, of course, it’s a different thing if your oil filter and the oil drain plug are very far to reach.
Most commonly, you’ll have to remove the oil drain plug and unscrew the oil filter to empty it. Now, put the oil filter and drain plug back and remove the oil filler hole cap. Finally, finish the task by pouring fresh oil.
Changing A Flat Tire
Flat tires can happen anytime and anywhere. We all have faced at least one instance where flat tires have created a massive problem at the end moment. Unfortunately, like movies, no handsome guy will appear out of thin air to replace the tire for you. Therefore, you should know how to do it.
To do this, you’ll have to :
-
- Loosen the lug nuts using a wrench.
- Now use a jack stand to lift the car off the ground.
- Next, remove the lug nuts and then the tire and place the spare tire on.
- Lastly, wrench the lug nuts again, lower the car, and ensure the lug nuts are secured.
Changing a flat tire is not simple as it may sound, so make sure you go through the detailed guides and take care of your safety while performing the repair.
Replace Your Windshield Wipers
One of the easiest things on this list is replacing your windshield wipers. Replacing your wiper blades every year is crucial as rubber starts to break down over time due to wear from the scraping of ice and snow or from the summer heat. You’ll know it’s time to replace the wipers when they start becoming ineffective or scratchy when in use.
The method to change the blades vary from brand to brand, but they all have a clasp mechanism with a button to press or a sliding lock to release. Also, make sure you buy the right size blades for your car. If you’re unsure, check the car’s manual or search online to determine which blades you need and how the mechanism works.
Know How To Change The Spark Plugs
You must be knowing what spark plugs are and what they do. These tiny devices inside the cylinder create a spark to ignite the gasoline to power your vehicle. However, spark plugs eventually wear off at 10,000 miles or more. But fixing it is quite easy.
All you have to do is:
-
- Locate the spark plugs in your car.
- Next, remove the spark plug wire and remove the faulty spark plug.
- Lastly, insert the new spark plug where it should be, and put the wire back where it was. And you’re done.
Changing A Car Battery
Car batteries tend to die at most inconvenient moments. If it happens in the middle of the highway or during a road trip, it’s best to find assistance or call a tow truck. But if you’re lucky enough to understand the signs that the battery needs a replacement, here’s how you can do it:
-
- Remove all covers from the battery.
- Disconnect all the negative cables and remove the clamp away from the battery post.
- Now, perform the same with the positive cable clamp.
- Lastly, remove all the screws, replace the old battery with the new one and reconnect the cable clamps. Again, if you’re doing this for the first time, it’s best to label the clamps before removing them.
Replacing A Taillight Or A Headlight
Having a broken tail light or headlight is not only illegal but also very inconvenient. That’s why you should change them as soon as they begin to fade. However, you can save money by doing this DIY repair:
-
- Remove the screws to connect the headlight frame to the bracket
- Now, disconnect the electrical connector, then remove the faulty bulb to replace it with the new one.
- Lastly, plug the connector again and replace the frame.
Wrapping Up
There you go with the seven most essential car repairs you should know. By doing these repairs by yourself, you’ll save money and a lot of time. Sometimes, you can also avoid inconvenient situations. First, however, make sure you know everything about the procedure you’re going to do. Also, it’s essential to take all the safety measures.
