You Can Do These Car Repairs and Maintenance

If you own a car, you should not depend too much on a professional mechanic for its upkeep. There are certain things you can do to ensure that your car is running smoothly for a reasonable length of time.

With a little experience and with the right tools, you can successfully do lots of auto maintenance and even auto repairs. This will save you a lot of money considering that the professional fees of auto mechanics also keeps on rising together with consumer prices.

Of course, if your car is experiencing major problems, you should let a professional mechanic such as those employed at Midas Service or Jiffy Lube Services do the job. However, if the problem is only a minor one, you can try solving it yourself.

Here is a list of car repairs and maintenance that you can safely and successfully do on your own. Don’t be afraid to explore this area in your life. Many car owners are doing it, so there is no reason why you can’t do it as well.

1. Regular Maintenance

Maintaining your car’s engine and parts is the best way to ensure that you will be able to use it for as long as you want. Therefore, regular preventive maintenance is the most important thing you can do for your car.

It will keep you from spending a great sum of money for major car repairs. Don’t ever think that you are wasting your time performing these regular tasks. Just think about the money you will save and you will gladly do these preventive maintenance tasks regularly.

• Spark plug check and replacement
• Monitoring the right tire pressure before leaving the garage
• Brake pad check, repair and replacement
• Performing seasonal maintenance checklists – the schedule and tasks are indicated in the car operator manual.
• Check and replacement of air filter
• Regular radiator flush – sediments can accumulate inside the radiator compromising its ability to function as your car’s heat exchanger therefore you need to regularly drain the water inside the radiator.
• Wheel Lug/Bolt Check – constant turning in of the wheels can cause the loosening of the bolts and lugs so you need to regularly check their fit.
• Fuel filter replacement
• ABS Sensor cleaning
• Replacing the car’s air filter
• Fresh air vent cleaning
• Battery maintenance – you must see to it that there are no chemical residues or build-up in the negative and positive posts of the battery.
• Windshield wiper replacement
• Checking, changing or topping of engine oil
• Inflating a flat tire

2. Easy Car Repairs

There are easy car repairs that you can also successfully perform. Here are some of them.

• Replacing a fuel gauge sender
• Repairing a dangling exhaust pipe
• Removing a stripped screw
• Replacing a clogged fuel filter
• Replacing a headlight bulb
• Replacing a brake pad
• Replacing a worn brake disc

When you bought your car, you were given an operator’s manual. Check this manual for the right method of doing the above repairs and replacements. If one of them is not included in the manual, you can check with the car manufacturer and get a copy of the car’s repair manual.

3. Repairing Electrical Problems

Some of the most common car problems involve the car’s electrical wiring. In fact, if your car’s electrical wiring and system is faulty, you are running the risk of an accidental fire. Here are some electrical check and repairs you can easily perform.

• Fuse check and replacement
• Relay check and replacement
• Car stereo installation
• Basic wiring installation and repairs
• ABS relay installation

Again, be sure to consult the car operator’s manual or the car’s repair manual before attempting to do electrical repairs. And be sure that the car’s engine and electrical system is not on before performing any electrical system repair or maintenance.

4. More Advanced Repair and Maintenance

If your skills and knowledge level is that of a DIY car mechanic, you can safely perform the following car checks, repairs and maintenance. Certainly, you can save a lot of money if you will do these repairs rather than having your car repaired by a professional mechanic.

Of course, it necessitates that you must have a full complement of tools and equipment to be able to perform these tasks.

• Installing a Water Pump
• Replacing the car’s fuel tank sending unit
• Replacing a wheel stud
• Installing a fuel tank
• Replacing an old and dysfunctional brake line
• Installing a new steering rack
• Repairing and filling up a dent
• Replacing a fuel injector
• Replacing a fuel pump

The overarching concept when doing advanced car repairs is to be sure that your knowledge and skills are right for the job at hand. It is very frustrating to start a repair job, and realizing that you are not really capable of doing it in the first place. So, be honest with yourself, before starting the repair job.