If you own a car, you know how expensive it can get just to do routine maintenance. This is especially true if you have to take your car to the shop every time you need something done. For example, the average repair cost for a car across the nation is $356.04, and a lot of that is for labor. Here are some basic car repairs you can learn to do yourself to keep more money in your pocket.
1. Oil Change
An oil change needs to be completed every 3,000 miles or so depending on the type of oil you use. The more often you change the oil with a combination of higher quality oil will help make your engine last longer. Without proper lubrication, the pistons in your engine can’t fire properly, causing the engine to seize up.
Get some oil, an oil filter, and an oil pan to drain the old oil into. Drain the old oil, replace the filter, put the new oil in, and check it with the dipstick. It’s a little more complicated than that, but you get the gist.
2. Brake Job
Your brakes are another feature of your car that needs to be replaced on a semi-regular basis. It’s also important to know how to replace them in case you have an emergency and your brakes stop working. Roughly 20,000 miles is as far as you should go before replacing your breaks.
All you need is 30 minutes to an hour. The price of the supplies depends on what kind of car you drive, but you will save yourself a lot of money on labor if you replace them yourself.
3. Spark Plugs
After roughly 30,000 miles, your spark plugs should be replaced. Your spark plugs ignite when your engine fires, helping the engine complete the proper ignition timing so it runs properly. After a while, the plugs wear out and don’t spark as well.
All you have to do is take out the old spark plugs in the order it explains in your manual and replace them with the new ones. Do it one at a time, though; don’t take all the old plugs out at once. It should only take you about 20 to 30 minutes, and it should cost less than $15 to buy new plugs.
4. Windshield Wipers
Another thing you should be able to do by yourself is to replace your windshield wipers. This job is incredibly simple, and you can buy new wipes almost anywhere. The American motor vehicle and parts retailers generated around $100 billion U.S. dollars in revenue in 2017 alone.
This is in part due to the fact that people are buying more and more parts themselves. It should only take you about 15 minutes to take off the old wipers and put on the new ones, and it should only cost $10 to $20 depending on the brand of wipers you buy.
5. Battery Maintenance
Without the battery, your car will not be able to start. Even if you have a battery, your car won’t perform very well if the battery doesn’t have enough power to let the engine turn over.
There are two basic things you should be able to do with your car’s battery. First, you should be able to check it with a voltmeter. These readers are relatively inexpensive. If the battery has less than 9.7 volts while starting the engine, it needs to be replaced. You should also be able to charge and jump your batter in case it dies.
Car Repairs You Can Learn to Do Yourself
Don’t be intimidated by this list. It may seem scary if you’ve never done your own car maintenance before, but it is relatively simple to learn these things.
You have about two to four million sweat glands working to cool your body down and protect it from overheating, so don’t sweat it.
With the money you will be saving, it should help you overcome your fear of the blood, sweat, and tears you’ll put into your car in the years to come.
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