Erwin Magalang
Member
As a car owner, there are tons of things that you need to be aware of in car repairs. For one, regular maintenance is the key to ensure that your vehicle will constantly be running smoothly and efficiently.
Then, of course, you should know that having your car fixed in an auto shop can be quite pricey at times. So to curb the costs, there are some car repairs that you’re better off doing by yourself.
Don’t fret! There are easy DIY repairs out there, no matter your technical skill. All you need are the right tools and knowledge. Listed below are some of the car repairs every car owner should know.
Changing Oil
One of the foolproof ways of guaranteeing that your car is running smoothly is through changing your oil as often as needed. Doing so will also help extend the lifespan of your engine and avoid future costly visits to an auto shop. This clearly tops the list of the DIY car skills that you need to have.
Some of the basic steps include completely draining the oil, detaching the oil filter and emptying it, returning the oil filter and drain plug black, removing the oil filler cap, and finally, pouring in the fresh oil.
Changing a Flat Tire
A flat tire in the middle of the road? It just might be one of the most common nightmares of car owners. You want to be fully prepared if ever that happens to you.
Fortunately, learning how to change a flat tire is relatively easy. It involves loosening the lug nuts with a wrench, using a jack stand to help hoist your car from the ground, removing the lug nuts and the tire, putting the spare tire, wrenching the lug nuts backs snugly (and ensuring that they’re tight and secure!) and lowering the car.
Changing Spark Plugs
Spark plugs need to be replaced every 10,000 miles or so. Some of the steps that you need to keep in mind are: locating your spark plugs (which is fairly easy), removing the spark plug wire, removing the old spark plug, positioning the new spark plug, and putting the wire back. How’s that for an easy car fix?
Changing a Car Battery
Car batteries are notorious for dying down at the most inopportune time. That’s why if you’re at home and your battery seems to be wearing away, then your best bet is to replace it.
Some of the steps involve removing the battery covers, disengaging the negative cables, moving the clamp away from the battery post, doing the same steps for the positive cable, removing the screws, replacing the tattered battery with the new one, and reattaching the cable clamps.
Changing Brake Pads
Brake pads are, as you might already know, are essential for your safety. A lot of car accidents stem from brake failures, and you don’t want to compromise your safety by driving with damaged brake pads.
The process includes loosening the lug nuts of the wheel, lifting the car up using a jack stand, removing the wheels and slider bolts, disposing of the old brake pads and replacing them with new ones, and reattaching the slider bolds and the wheels back tightly.
Replacing Lights
No one wants a broken headlight or tail light, right? Aside from being bothersome, this is actually illegal. So make sure that you replace your lights the moment they start dimming.
Some of the steps include removing the screws connecting the light frames to the bracket, detaching the electrical connector, removing the defective bulb and replacing it with a new once, reattaching the connector, and putting back the frame.
Replacing Wipers
Imagine having faulty wipers in the midst of a heavy rain. Scary, right? Defective wipers can not only be detrimental to your car, but also to your safety, which is why it’s vital that your wipers are always at the optimum condition.
Some of the steps are moving the wiper arm away from the windshield, pulling off the wiper blade by pushing the tab under it, positioning the new wiper blade with the arm, and pushing it in, making sure it’s tight and secure – easy as that.
Replacing Air Filters
Air filters help in keeping your engine devoid of dust and other pollutants. They’re also cheap and easy to replace. They’re typically replaced every 30,000 miles or every year.
Some of the steps involve opening the hood, spotting the air filter unit, removing the air filter cover, extracting the air filter out, cleaning the air filter housing, placing the new filter, and putting back the cover.
One of the things that you should know about cars is that they need to be regularly maintained. This ensures that they’re always up and running, and won’t suddenly die down just when you need them.
Visiting an auto shop to have your car fixed, however, can sometimes be costly. One of the ways to help you save some money is by doing some of the car repairs yourself.
Then, of course, you should know that having your car fixed in an auto shop can be quite pricey at times. So to curb the costs, there are some car repairs that you’re better off doing by yourself.
Don’t fret! There are easy DIY repairs out there, no matter your technical skill. All you need are the right tools and knowledge. Listed below are some of the car repairs every car owner should know.
Changing Oil
One of the foolproof ways of guaranteeing that your car is running smoothly is through changing your oil as often as needed. Doing so will also help extend the lifespan of your engine and avoid future costly visits to an auto shop. This clearly tops the list of the DIY car skills that you need to have.
Some of the basic steps include completely draining the oil, detaching the oil filter and emptying it, returning the oil filter and drain plug black, removing the oil filler cap, and finally, pouring in the fresh oil.
Changing a Flat Tire
A flat tire in the middle of the road? It just might be one of the most common nightmares of car owners. You want to be fully prepared if ever that happens to you.
Fortunately, learning how to change a flat tire is relatively easy. It involves loosening the lug nuts with a wrench, using a jack stand to help hoist your car from the ground, removing the lug nuts and the tire, putting the spare tire, wrenching the lug nuts backs snugly (and ensuring that they’re tight and secure!) and lowering the car.
Changing Spark Plugs
Spark plugs need to be replaced every 10,000 miles or so. Some of the steps that you need to keep in mind are: locating your spark plugs (which is fairly easy), removing the spark plug wire, removing the old spark plug, positioning the new spark plug, and putting the wire back. How’s that for an easy car fix?
Changing a Car Battery
Car batteries are notorious for dying down at the most inopportune time. That’s why if you’re at home and your battery seems to be wearing away, then your best bet is to replace it.
Some of the steps involve removing the battery covers, disengaging the negative cables, moving the clamp away from the battery post, doing the same steps for the positive cable, removing the screws, replacing the tattered battery with the new one, and reattaching the cable clamps.
Changing Brake Pads
Brake pads are, as you might already know, are essential for your safety. A lot of car accidents stem from brake failures, and you don’t want to compromise your safety by driving with damaged brake pads.
The process includes loosening the lug nuts of the wheel, lifting the car up using a jack stand, removing the wheels and slider bolts, disposing of the old brake pads and replacing them with new ones, and reattaching the slider bolds and the wheels back tightly.
Replacing Lights
No one wants a broken headlight or tail light, right? Aside from being bothersome, this is actually illegal. So make sure that you replace your lights the moment they start dimming.
Some of the steps include removing the screws connecting the light frames to the bracket, detaching the electrical connector, removing the defective bulb and replacing it with a new once, reattaching the connector, and putting back the frame.
Replacing Wipers
Imagine having faulty wipers in the midst of a heavy rain. Scary, right? Defective wipers can not only be detrimental to your car, but also to your safety, which is why it’s vital that your wipers are always at the optimum condition.
Some of the steps are moving the wiper arm away from the windshield, pulling off the wiper blade by pushing the tab under it, positioning the new wiper blade with the arm, and pushing it in, making sure it’s tight and secure – easy as that.
Replacing Air Filters
Air filters help in keeping your engine devoid of dust and other pollutants. They’re also cheap and easy to replace. They’re typically replaced every 30,000 miles or every year.
Some of the steps involve opening the hood, spotting the air filter unit, removing the air filter cover, extracting the air filter out, cleaning the air filter housing, placing the new filter, and putting back the cover.
One of the things that you should know about cars is that they need to be regularly maintained. This ensures that they’re always up and running, and won’t suddenly die down just when you need them.
Visiting an auto shop to have your car fixed, however, can sometimes be costly. One of the ways to help you save some money is by doing some of the car repairs yourself.