Having a car of your own is one of the greatest conveniences of life. You can travel wherever you want without the hassles of public transport. However, maintenance of a car is not cheap. Overhead expenses such as fuel, car insurance premium and servicing can strain your budget.
To top that, there could be surprise repairs which could cost you a trip to the mechanic. However, with some simple tools and basic knowledge, you can take care of many repairs yourself. Here’s a list of simple DIY car repairs that can save you time and money:
Changing Brake Pads
Don’t be intimidated by the word brake pads. Changing the brake pads is a very easy procedure and can be done using simple tools such as a wheel lug wrench, basic wrenches, pliers and jack stands. The procedure is pretty straightforward. Here’s how to do it-
- Remove the wheel
- Pull out the hardware
- Remove the worn out brake pads
- Push in the calliper piston
- Install the new pads
- Reinstall the hardware
- Repeat the same steps for each wheel
Most of the car brake pads need to be replaced around every 30,000 kilometers. However, every car is different, so check the owner’s manual for the exact specifications.
Changing the Battery
Changing the car batteries is by far the easiest of the DIY car repairs. All you need is a basic set of wrenches and you are good to go. Here’s how to do it-
- Remove the negative [black] cable first and then the positive cable [red]
- Remove the old battery and place the new one
- Replace the positive cable first [red] and then the negative cable [black]
Most of the car batteries last almost 4-6 years. Don’t wait for the problems to start showing as your car may breakdown anytime. So check the date stamped on the battery and replace it on time.
Changing the Oil
Most of the car experts recommend changing the oils every 4000 km or so, in order to maintain the engine in top condition. You don’t need to visit the mechanic for a simple oil change. However, you need to follow certain precautions such as, not changing the oil when the engine is hot and handling the jack with care. To change the oil, you will need a jack, an oil filter wrench and a drain pan. Here’s how to do it-
- Fix the jack and locate the oil pan under the car
- Remove the drain plug and drain the oil into the oil pan
- Replace the plug once the oil is drained
- Go to the engine and remove the old oil filter with the oil filter wrench
- Lubricate the rubber gasket on the new oil filter
- Fill the new oil filter with new oil
- Screw in the new oil filter
- Fill the engine with new oil using a funnel
- Check with the oil level with a dip-stick to make sure it’s full