Owning a car is not a cheap endeavour. Aside from the payments, gas, and insurance costs, having to pay for repairs or routine maintenance just drains your wallet even further. For those of us on a budget, it’s vital to cut costs where we can. That’s why it’s beneficial to learn how to perform some auto repairs yourself rather than paying a mechanic to do it for you. While some fixes and maintenance may be too complicated or large to do yourself, like severe accident repairs, there are many that are not only doable, but fairly quick and easy for the average car owner to learn! Here are seven auto repairs that shouldn’t be too difficult to do on your own.
- Changing Your Windshield Wipers
We’ve all been there: wintertime comes around and suddenly the old wipers that used to work well enough in summer rain can’t seem to make a path through the snow blocking your view! Frayed, broken, or bent wipers are dangerous to drive with, so it’s essential they be replaced if need be. There are usually three types of windshield wiper connectors: pin-fastened wipers, hook-and-slide design wipers, and straight-end connector wipers. For pin and hook-and-slide wipers, you don’t need any specific tools to unfasten the old blades and secure the new ones in place. Straight-end connector wipers do require a screwdriver in order to depress a tab inside the arm, but this is still very easy to accomplish!
- Flushing Your Coolant System
Has your dashboard temperature gauge been resting higher than usual lately? This can lead to your engine overheating and could be caused by depleted or ineffective radiator fluid. You’ll want to flush the coolant about every two years or every 30,000 miles to avoid any damage to your engine, but the good news is that this is very easy to do yourself! You can flush it with a specialized cleaning product, but a regular garden hose works just as well. Otherwise, all you’ll need is a screwdriver or wrench to remove the drain plug. Your radiator could also have a leak. Don’t worry if you can’t locate the leak or if it’s in an inaccessible area; just purchase a radiator leak sealant liquid. This will provide a coating over your radiator, but will only work for small or slow leaks.
- Hiding Pesky Clear Coat Scratches
This aesthetic issue may not cause your car to drive any less safely or efficiently, but scratches can seriously diminish your car’s value! If you’re hoping to look stylish or sell your car soon, don’t lose out on even more money by paying a mechanic to repair clear coat scratches. Thankfully, these types of scratches are easy to fix yourself, as the clear coat is the top layer of your car’s paint job. Simply polish the clear coat with a rubbing compound for shallow scratches to mend the damaged area. For deeper scratches, sand the area before polishing it to eliminate rough edges.
- Performing an Oil Change
Depending on the car you drive and how often you drive it, you may need to perform an oil change two to four times a year. Mechanics will often charge double the amount of the oil itself to do this task for you, so there’s a real opportunity to save some cash if you learn how to do this yourself. All you need is a ratchet, wrench, funnel, and, of course, the correct oil type and filter for your engine. Simply drain the older oil into a drain pan, close the plug, and re-fill it with the new oil. If you’re having trouble locating your car’s oil drain plug, your car’s manual will be able to help. Not only will you save some money, but you’ll feel much more independent too!
- Switching Your Car Battery
This process is probably one of the most simple tasks on this list. Start by removing any covering on the old battery as well as disconnecting the negative cables. Remove the clamp at the battery post and then disconnect the positive cable clamp. There will be some screws to remove before you can take the old battery out and secure the new one in. As long as you reattach the cables in the correct order, your new battery is all set and ready to go! New batteries are expensive enough–don’t drain your wallet by paying a mechanic hundreds of dollars to do this for you.
- Installing Gas Struts
Gas struts exist in your car’s boot, bonnet, hood, and door. These may start going faulty after as little as five years, and it’s vital to replace them when the time comes. This process is actually pretty straightforward even for first-timers, but properly installing gas struts requires carefully following a three-step process. You can use a flathead screwdriver to remove the lift support clips from the old gas lift struts, then just pull the ball of the old strut off the joint. Take the new strut and snap it into place on the top ball joint fastener and reconnect it to the lift support clips. Always double-check your work by gently tugging on the support to ensure it’s secure.
- Adding New Brake Pads
Thankfully, new brake pads themselves are actually fairly affordable at only $35 to $150 depending on the type you need. Yet, your mechanic may charge you upwards of $300 to change them! Replacing old brake pads is a necessary task to avoid causing damage to rotors, and all it takes is a lug wrench, standard wrenches, and a jack. Also, make sure the brake pads you purchase come with fasteners and a packet of grease for lube. Just slide the old brake pad out and clip the new one into place with its fasteners.
While some repairs do require a professional, many vehicle maintenance tasks aren’t too complicated to do yourself. Mechanics can be a great resource, but if you’re driving on a tight budget, they may not be affordable. It’s much cheaper to purchase the relevant replacement parts or tools and fix your car on your own. The best part: after repairing your own car, you can spend the money you saved on a reward for your own hard work!