There are many pieces of advice on how you can save on car repairs. Of course, the answer to car repair savings is car maintenance. Ensure that your well-loved car is running smoothly by doing some maintenance checks every day. Since you can do the daily maintenance checking, you can also do some chores yourself. Some will call it repair, others use the term maintenance. Whatever names the maintenance tasks are called, here some car jobs that you can do on your own.
DIY Reminders
Before you get started on your DIY project, prepare your garage for that. This means that you have to clean out your garage. Organize your tools and stuff. The best location is inside the garage to avoid hassles when there is sudden change of weather. Ensure that you have sufficient lighting as well. If there is a need for some instruction manuals, be ready with it. Researches on how to get some maintenance done should also be on hand. This is especially vital if the car work that you are going to do is a bit detailed. Other things that you need are rags, cleaning materials and lots of patience. With all these things ready, you are on your way to a DIY car maintenance.
Do-It-Yourself Tasks
So what are those car things that you can do on your own? And what are those that are best left to experts? The tasks will depend on your skills and what you know about cars. Here are some examples:
- Cleaning inside the hood – this is easy and basic. Getting rid of dust and mud that can be found inside the hood is an everyday maintenance that anybody can do. You also get to check if there are things that need looking-into by experts.
- Washing the car – as tedious as it sounds this ensures that you maintain the nice, shiny finish of your car. How? If dirt and dust (among other things) remain on the finish of the car, they create microscopic frictions that wear down even the mightiest type of finish. If your car has lost its shine, there is no amount of waxing that can bring it back. Remember, waxing only enhances the shine. Also, use only shampoos designed for cars. Other cleaning materials erode the car’s paint and this will be more damaging in the long run. Do not forget to include the tires. Keeping it clean from mud every day can prolong your tire brakes as well.
- Waxing – this task protects your car’s paint job. It also protects the finish from hard-to-remove dirt.
- Replacing air filter – Air filters should have a 1-month life span. These filters are the car’s breathing system. If the filters are clogged up, the car finds it hard to “breathe” as well. Most kinds of air filters can be replaced even by those who do not know anything about cars. It is a straight-forward task of removing and putting a new one in.
- Changing the oil – This task is also easy and can be done on your own.
- Checking the tire pressure – All you need is an excellent tire gauge and you are all set. If tire pressure is checked every day, you prevent quicker wear and tear of your tires. Furthermore, you get to save money because of efficient fuel use. With correct tire pressure, it is also easier to know if alignment is needed or not.
Do It Yourself!
There are many reasons why you bring your car to a car shop. Notice that some of those services can be done inside the comfort of your own garage. And you get to spend a bit of alone time if you do it on your own. And as they say: if you want anything done correctly do it yourself!