Over the years, car owners learn to trust their four-wheelers to the point they stop maintain them properly. Such lenience could cost you in the long run, as car maintenance needs to be done regularly if you want it to run (or should we say drive) flawlessly.
Regular checkups at the mechanics should do the trick but there are at least 5 small repairs you should learn to perform on your own to save money on car expenses.
Changing a flat tire
One of the most common problems that aren’t necessarily related to car maintenance is a ruptured tire. When you blow a tire while driving you have two options: either to call the towing company or open the trunk and change the tire yourself. You will definitely have to visit the mechanic afterward but you need to roll to their garage first.
Luckily, changing a flat is pretty easy. Using a wrench, you first loosen lug nuts, then use a jack lift to raise the vehicle above the ground, and then finish removing lug nuts. Once the new tire is put into place, you screw back the nuts but not all the way.
Only when the car is firmly on the ground can you finish tightening the lug nuts (there are usually 4 of them). You are now ready to drive off but keep in mind that most spare tires are narrower in diameter than regular tires (called “compact spares”), as their only task is to get you to the nearest mechanic, not to drive on them every day.
Checking and replacing engine oil
If you want the car to run smoothly and the engine t last you more than a decade, then check the oil regularly. Ideally, you should do this on a weekly basis when the car is still warm and on level ground but the engine has completely stooped working.
Once the oil settles, remove the plug and place a clean dipstick inside the engine. When you are sure it went all the way in, hold it for a second and then take it out to check the oil level. The ideal reading is between the two marks indicated on the dipstick.
Changing the oil is a bit more complicated but too hard either. Remove the drain plug to drain all the oil, unscrew the oil filter and empty it completely. Once you pour good-quality fresh oil inside, put the plug and the cap back. If you’re still not confident enough, feel free to watch any of the thousands of instructional videos available online.
The appearance of your car
Let’s be honest: you bought your beloved four-wheeler because of its look and not because of the engine under the hood. It’s perfectly fine to admit this, as even the biggest auto enthusiasts can appreciate a well-detailed car.
However, not all car owners have enough time to wax the hood, for example, so they turn to car detailing services that allow them to specify what needs to be done on their car and the rest is up to professionals in the field.
How to remove scratches from car paint
Don’t you just have it when someone scratches your car at the parking lot, even by accident? A large scratch can ruin all the detailing you did in the past, so you need to take the car to an auto body shop, or do you?
Luckily for car owners, covering up smaller scratches is a DIY job and a cheap one as well. Once you determine the depth of the scratch (this parameter is more important than the total size of the damaged area), you should sand the surrounding area.
After cleaning the damaged area, apply a rubbing compound that you will polish into the bodywork. Having waxed the area, the rupture should be well sealed and no longer visible. This repair cans save you thousands of dollars, depending on the car model you own.
Car maintenance – battery
If a car battery dies on you while commenting on a busy road, you should be able to pull over a fellow motorist who will help you jumpstart your car. However, if the same problem occurs while the car is parked in the driveway, don’t waste money on mechanics, tow trucks, or harass your friends.
Changing a car battery is simple enough: remove the cover, disconnect the negative cables, and move the clips away. After you repeat the procedure for the positive cable clamp, you should be able to replace the old battery, after you take all the small screws out.
After you install a new battery and return everything as it was, take the old battery to the place where you purchased the new one. They will send the battery to recycling, as the lead-acid from older models of batteries is an environmental hazard.
Once you become crafty at changing engine oil and detailing the car, you will start learning new DIY fixes, such as replacing air filters or changing spark plugs. All these small repairs can really bring down the total car maintenance bill.