The biggest frustration car owners have to face is the constant bill spent on car maintenance and repairs. Regardless of the type of car, the year or the model, your car might need some essential maintenance to keep its parts from permanent damage.
Getting a mechanic to do almost everything on your car would not seem so bad until you realize the amount of time and money you would have to give out continuously, then you would have to consider doing a few things yourself.
If anyone shows you the basics of car repairs like oil changes and the likes, you may feel intimidated and confused, but in the real sense, maintenance is easy to do, and you can carry them out at a little cost.
Provided you have the confidence to make some repairs, one crucial part is getting the right tools to tackle your car maintenance issues; the other is having detailed information on some DIY car maintenance tips you can handle. After purchasing your tools, we can help with the later.
Spark plugs
Mostly after every 30,000 miles, you should change the spark plugs of your car. Replacing your spark plug may seem intense, but it is not a difficult task, it might take just about 20 to 30 minutes to complete it. The first thing you need to do is get the right tools. With a ratchet or socket wrench, socket extension and a spark plug socket you can make this work.
Locating the spark plugs is not so difficult since they are always attached near thick rubbery wires. Depending on the number of cylinders, a regular car would have more than one spark plug; they could be four, six or eight.
The spark plugs are installed in an order that needs to be maintained, so start by removing the wire from the top of the first plug only, then the rest one after the other. With the spark plug socket and extension, screw removes one spark plug, then install it by screwing with your hands at first, then use the wrench to tightening it up (but not so much).
Fasten the wire back to the top of the new plus, and repeat the process for the others. Some users like to gap their plugs, but if you buy the original, you don’t have to worry about re-gapping them.
Air filter
When your car runs for 12,000 miles or after every 12 months, you should consider replacing your air filter. Fixing a new air filter is another easy maintenance you can handle you can complete in less than 10 minutes. Any mechanic would charge nothing less than $50 for this when the only item you need to carry this out is the new air filter you are fixing; it may cost about $15 only.
The air filters are made to be easily accessed without needing any tool, they are located under the hood of your vehicle inside a black box with metal clip fasteners at the sides, but if you cannot find it, check your owner’s manual.
The only thing you do is open the box, take out the old filter, replace it with the new one, and close the lids. Before changing it, study the positioning to see where it is facing, so you can attach it the same way. You should try to blow the compressor air to clear out the debris probably every two months, so your air filter can have an extended life.
Windshield Wipers
Changing your wipers would take you only about 15 minutes and also require no tool. A bad windshield wiper would affect your visibility on the road, so ensure your windshield wipers are changed after 6 to 8 months of usage.
To fix a new wiper you may need to confirm from the instructions in the package, some of them would have picture guides to the steps. This is because wiper blades installations are different from cars to cars, but a careful study on them would give you better knowledge.
For most cars, you should lift the wiper blades to give you enough convenience, then remove the metal blades from the rubber arm, in some cars they are attached with a small plastic clip or a tab and be careful not to scratch your windshield or bend the wiper arm.
When you are installing the new windshield wiper, just reverse the process and line them up, so they are tight and secure, it is that simple!
Battery and alternator maintenance
The battery is an important aspect of your vehicle; you would know your battery or alternator need some attention when your car is not smoothly turning on, and the car accessories also stop powering up. If you don’t know, the alternator is a device most times found near the front engine with a belt in its front; it works with the battery to power up the electrical parts of the vehicle.
One of the first tools you need to sort battery or alternator issues is a multimeter; you should use them to carry out a test to know where the fault lies. Other tools you need are wrenches, screwdrivers, wire brush, corrosion-removal fluid, and rags.
The multimeter can detect if your battery or alternator is dead by measuring the power and if they are, you should replace the damaged part. If you have used a car accessory and without powering the engine, then a solution to your battery might be a jump start. You can use the car’s manual to locate the battery and alternator in your vehicle.
It is always better to keep your battery in a good clean condition to increase the battery life and maintain a strong connection between the car and the battery because a few specks of white residue can sever the linking.
You would know when to clean up your battery with a simple inspection and to do so, remove the terminals, your battery would have a positive and a negative cable. You should remove the negative first; the screwdriver could be of help in loosening them if they are stuck.
You can clean up the spots on the battery with some baking soda while you clean it vigorously with a wire brush, rinse the places off with water, dry with a rag, and fix the battery terminals. All these can be completed in 20 minutes.
Conclusion
Car maintenance would keep your vehicle functioning well on the road, doing it your self would reduce your spendings, but one very critical part is knowing the ones you can do and the ones you shouldn’t attempt on your own.
All these maintenance and repair yips are safe, and you can carry them out yourself, without any harm.
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