Car repair and maintenance is one of those monthly costs that many people tend to overlook. Motor vehicles require routine servicing during their valuable lives, and the majority of us would pay extra to have it done. However, this does not have to be the case. You can perform the following car repairs without visiting a mechanic using parts purchased online, accessible equipment, and some basic skills.
1. Cabin Air Filter Replacement
In most vehicles, removing the cabin air filter is an easy task. The majority of air filters are behind the glove box. It is readily accessible by unfastening the glove box and lowering it to reveal the entry filter’s lock. The majority of cabin air filters come with a written process instruction manual. If this is not the case, you can still visit the internet, where tutorial videos are available on similar product pages. Ascertain that the guidelines you obey are specific to the brand and model of your vehicle.
2. Changing Your Oil
On cheap oil changes, there is still an asterisk. They are subject to terms and conditions and do not contain the correct quantity of oil for your engine. Unless there were genuine engine problems, a good establishment would not discover them during routine checks. Therefore, do it yourself. Purchase a high-quality oil filter and the highest-quality oil available from your nearest retailer.
Apart from jack stands and a jack, an oil filter wrench and a drain pan are needed. You can find instructional videos online that demonstrate how to change the oil in several different cars. Bear in mind that you should change your oil after about 10,000 miles. Consult the owner’s manual.
3. Headlight Replacement
It’s critical to do a routine walk around your car for various reasons, but one of the most important is to ensure that all of the lights work. Not only are lights necessary for good vision and alerting drivers of your intentions, but failing to maintain them will result in traffic tickets. If one or more of them stop working, it’s time to purchase a replacement and do the job yourself. The rest of the work involved in repairing lights would include screwdrivers.
Changing it yourself will result in savings of up to $150. take the old bulb to the store with you. You want to ensure that you are receiving a comparable replacement. Additionally, never handle the bulb glass with your bare hands before replacing it. Your fingers’ grease will cause the bulb to flame out unexpectedly.
4.Replacing the Battery
Replacing the car battery is the simplest of all do-it-yourself fixes. A battery can last between 4 and 6 years, so you should be able to determine when the new battery needs replacing. A new battery costs, on average, about $80. It would cost upwards of $200 to repair it at a dealer.
To perform the replacement, all that is needed is a simple collection of wrenches. Remove the NEGATIVE (black) cable FIRST, then connect it LAST after installing the new battery. Otherwise, you risk shorting the positive (red) terminal to a grounded section of the vehicle.
5. Windshield Wipers Replacement
Taking your vehicle to a garage or store to get its windshield wipers fixed is a complete waste of time and resources. A collection of wipers would cost between $20 and $40 on average, plus the dealer’s hourly labor rate of about $100. It just takes a few minutes to repair the wipers on your car, and detailed directions come along with the new wipers you purchase.
When you visit a shop, they will have a reference manual that will inform you of the appropriate wiper sizes to ensure a proper match. The old wipers usually slide out, and the new ones slide on. Within two minutes, you’ve saved yourself $100.
In addition to the above simple repairs, brakes are also the vehicle’s most critical things to ensure protection when driving. Basic procedures involve removing the wheels, replace the older brake pads with new ones, and securely put everything back on. Within ten minutes, the repair process is complete. Changing a flat tire, too, is way easier than replacing the breaks. The above simple repairs would save you a lot of money and time as they help you learn more about your car.
