Most of us have owned a car since our teens, yet we don’t bother learning about some necessary repairs that can save us a lot of time and money. There are a lot of maintenance jobs that don’t require you to be a trained professional. A car is one of the most used things a person owns and making sure that it stays in perfect working condition should be our foremost priority.
Almost all of us have gone through the frustration when our car breaks down. But, what if I told you that you could easily keep your car in top-notch condition so that you don’t have to go through the same ordeal once again? Here are 7 of the most basic repairs that you can do yourself to make sure that you don’t get stuck in the same place for a long time.
Changing Your Car’s Oil
Most of the problems related to the engine are caused due to your car’s oil running out or being full of impurities. You need to keep an eye and regularly change your car’s oil to make sure that it keeps running smoothly. All you have to do is remove the oil drain plug, detach the oil filter with the help of a screwdriver, clean the screen, put it back, and reattach the oil drain plug. Now, the next step is pretty simple. Just remove the oil filler cap and pour fresh oil into it and voila, you are done.
Change a Flat Tire
The most common problem related to a car is a flat tire. I have been stuck in the middle of the road more often than I would like to. That was before I learned to fix a flat tire. Changing a flat tire isn’t that big of a deal as people advertise it to be. Learning how to do it can be lifesaving and will give you peace of mind that you won’t have to leave your car in the middle of nowhere.
It involves some pretty necessary steps such as loosening the nuts with the help of a wrench, lift the car with the help of a jack stand, placing the spare tire on, removing the jack stand, and putting the nuts back on the wheel. Where the internet has come to us as a blessing as we can quickly go to Google and search for tires on websites such as tires shop near me, and all problems will be resolved in a few minutes.
Changing Your Batteries
Another vital skill that is very beneficial to acquire is learning how to improve your car batteries. Just like a spare tire, you should always keep a set of extra batteries in your car as they tend to give up on us in the most inconvenient of times. It involves a lot of necessary steps, such as disconnecting both the cables and moving the clamps away from the battery post. After removing the screws, you can replace the old battery with the new one, reconnect the wires, put the screws back on and you are done.
Jumpstarting a Car
Keeping extra batteries in your car and checking the ones in use is a good practice. However, cells do have a life, and they can give up on you anytime. In such a case, a thing that comes in very handy is knowing how to jumpstart a car. To perform this, all you have to do is attach the ends of the jumper cable to your vehicle. Then you are going to need the help of a Good Samaritan. There are a lot of people on the road who would stop for you when they see jumper cables attached to your car. Now connect the other end of the jumper cable to the Good Samaritan’s car, and your battery will get the kick start it needed.
Removing Scratches
It doesn’t matter how good of a driver you are or how carefully you drive your car, every once in a while, you will see scratches on your car. Where it might look like a little aesthetic problem, it can cost you some serious money if you take your vehicle to a repair shop. Most people don’t know this, but fixing your car’s scratches is just another repair you can do yourself at home, depending on the depth of the scratch. If the scratch isn’t that deep, you should start scratching the area with sandpaper and clean it with water. Now the next step is smoothly lathering the city with some rubbing compound. Now, use the same color compound to polish the area and wax dry it. It would seem as if there was no scratch, to begin with.
Fixing the Front and Back Lights
Another common repair is the headlight and taillight related problems. These lights are one of the most used items in a car, and they tend to get worn out over time. It is not only inconvenient to drive like this but also illegal. So, fixing it should be your foremost priority. All you have to do is get a bulb, take out the screws of the car, disconnect the connector, and replace the faulty bulb. You can also replace the whole frame of the light if your frame is broken using the same steps.
Replacing Air Filters
One of the most overlooked repairs of a car is air filters. We might not know it, but air filters are a very vital component that keeps your engine free of dust. As it protects the engine, you must keep changing these filters over time. The changing procedure is also effortless and inexpensive. All you have to do is open the hood of your car, find the air filter unit, remove its cover, and take the filter out. Now clean the mask of the screen, insert the new screen, and put back the cover. Congratulations! It was as simple as that.
