DIY Saturday: Three Basic Automotive Tasks that You Can DIY

It’s Saturday once again, and it’s time for our DIY post. This Saturday, let’s talk about three of the different basic car maintenance tasks that are easy to DIY, no need to go to the shop and pay the mechanic just to do them. Plus, of course, fewer instances of shop visit, less chances of getting ripped off.

In your vehicle, there are certain tasks that have to be performed periodically in order to keep certain parts and systems in great working order. And, frequent visit to mechanics for these jobs can mean more expenses. So, better do them yourselves, right?

1. Oil change. Oil is used for lubricating metal engine parts in order to keep their operation smooth and prevent friction-caused problems. As the oil circulates around engine components, it collects particles that may clog metal parts. Plus, the changing temperatures in the engine make the oil lose its viscosity over time. So, it has to be flushed and replaced after a while. The flushing and filling process is simple and can be done by any average DIYer.

2. Tire pressure check. Maintaining the correct pressure of your tires is crucial before your every drive, especially if you’re going on a long travel. Improper pressure on the tires can cause poor fuel efficiency and affect the speed by which your car moves. Plus, in certain instances, this can lead to accidents. Fortunately, checking your car’s tire pressure is easy with the use of an air pressure gauge.

3. Wiper blade replacement. The wiper blades are important components that keep your windshield clean and clear, ensuring that you see the road ahead with full clarity. The blades are made of rubber, and they can deteriorate over time. But, replacing them is actually easy, so you should have no problem doing that.

The mentioned tasks are easy to do, and they’re a good project even for those who just want to start practicing DIY in their vehicles. Let’s start looking at the procedures involved in doing these maintenance tasks in the upcoming Saturdays.

DIY Saturday: The Basic Tools that You Need in Your Garage for All Your Automotive Tasks

It’s DIY Saturday once again! Last week the topic was about the prevention of damage when the engine starts to overheat. This Saturday, it’ll be a little different – let’s talk about the tools that you need to do your own car repair inside your garage. There are some repairs that even the average Joe can accomplish, so there’s no need to bring your vehicle to the shop, pay hundreds of dollars, and suffer from a possible rip-off.

As long as you have the following tools, you can already accomplish a lot of basic tasks and save more dollars:

Screwdriver and Wrench Sets. These are basic tools for use when doing repairs in your automobile. Whichever system you’re working on, you’ll almost always find nuts and bolts to loosen or tighten, parts to torque properly, and these basic tools are important for these tasks.

Jack. If you’re doing some work on parts and systems underneath your vehicle, the only way to accomplish the task is by getting underneath your ride. And, you will need to lift the car to achieve that. A jack is also a safety mechanism—it will ensure that your vehicle will be securely lifted without banging down and possibly putting you in danger.

Creeper. This is the perfect partner for the jack. When doing under-the-car repairs, sliding and lying on your back and peering at the part to be repaired is best and most conveniently done with the help of a creeper.

Volt Ohm Meter. This tool is designed for diagnosing problems. This is used to measure voltage in a device, so it’s ideal for testing electrical parts.

With the help of these tools, it will be easy to perform basic automotive tasks, and even to diagnose problems before bringing your vehicle in for repair. This is especially useful for people who dread going to auto repair shops or to those who have little trust on shop mechanics.

Car Manufacturer’s Manual: Your Ultimate Buddy Against Car Repair Rip Offs

In my previous post, I mentioned about one possible way to deal with a problem with auto repair shops—by asking for a refund. Here, I’ll talk about another way to avoid a possible rip-off, with the help of the manual that came with your vehicle.

This manual contains everything that you need to know about your car, from basic data to such things as fundamental automotive knowledge. By familiarizing yourself with all the information contained in the manual, you’ll know about the problems you might encounter in your vehicle and you’ll also have an idea about how to address these problems. Some of the benefits that you’ll get from the manual are the following:

* You’ll be familiar with the parts in your ride. The very least you can do is to be able to identify parts—know how they look like and where they are mounted. This way, you know that you’re being deceived when your mechanic tells you that he found the brake rotors damaged when he only inspected the engine compartment.

* You’ll be familiar with the different symptoms that will indicate damage of particular parts. If a mechanic tells you that a specific part is damaged, you can ask why you’re not experiencing symptoms associated with the said damage.

* You’ll be familiar with the correct repair interval of parts. Your car manual will tell you when the correct replacement interval for such parts as the belts, filters, and other components are. This way, you can argue with your mechanic when he tells you that one of the filters in your vehicle already needs to be replaced when it has only spent half its life before a replacement is needed according to your manual.

You never know how much help your car manual will be for you unless you read it. No matter how little your interest in automotive, you can avoid rip offs by auto repair shops by reading the contents of the said manual.