Fancy yourself a DIY mechanic? Haven’t got the cash to take your car to the body shop? Fortunately, there are some basic car repairs that you can do to turn your vehicle into a well-oiled machine. With MOTs legally required at least once a year, it pays to know how to keep your motor running. Save yourself time, energy and money by following our simple guide. Credit: https://carvine.co.uk

1. EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW
BASIC
CAR REPAIRS
You need to regularly check and change your car’s oil to
ensure smooth running of the vehicle and to prolong the
lifespan of its engine. Changing your car’s oil is one of the
most fundamental DIY skills you should have for car
maintenance or repair. Of course, it’s a different story if the
oil filter and oil drain plug of your car are very hard to reach.
Most of us know what spark plugs are and what they
do. They are the tiny devices inside the cylinder that
create sparks to ignite the gasoline, ultimately
powering your vehicle. But they do wear out every
10,000 miles or so. The fix is actually quite easy.
Basic steps involve draining the oil
by removing the oil drain plug,
unscrewing the oil filter and
emptying it, putting the oil filter and
drain plug back, removing the oil
filler hole cap, and pouring fresh oil.
The steps include: locating your spark plugs, removing the spark plug wire, removing
the faulty spark plug, inserting the new spark plug in its place, and putting the wire
back. You’re done! Make sure to watch a tutorial before you do it yourself.
1. CHANGING YOUR OIL
3. CHANGING SPARK PLUGS
2. CHANGING A FLAT TIRE
There’s a reason “wheels” is slang for car. It’s because the
tires are one of the most important parts of your vehicle. And
they can go flat on you every once in a while. But changing a
flat tire doesn’t have to be a big deal and could actually be a
lifesaving skill to learn.
Basic steps involve loosening the lug nuts (with a
wrench), using a jack stand to lift the car off the
ground, removing the lug nuts (and subsequently
the tire), placing the spare tire on, wrenching the
lug nuts back on, lowering the car, and finally
making sure the lug nuts are tight. Simple.
4. REMOVING SCRATCHES FROM PAINT
Scratches are the absolute worst. Even the tiniest
scratches are visible from a distance and can kill the
overall appearance of your metal monster. Unfortunately,
it may cost you thousands to get them removed in a body
shop. But you can save the money and the frustration
with a simple DIY job.
The steps include: determining the depth of the
scratch, lightly sanding the scratch, cleaning the
area, applying rubbing compound, polishing the area
with the rubbing compound, washing the area, and
finally waxing the area to seal the repair. That’s it.
You’ve just saved yourself a lot of money.
Windshield wipers are one of the least-appreciated
parts of your car’s safety system. Imagine what would
happen if they failed on you during a heavy rain or
snowfall, perhaps resulting in damage to your brand
new vehicle. Faulty wiper blades need to replaced,
and you need to be sure that your windshield wipers
are always in perfect shape. This DIY is an easy fix.
The steps involve: lifting the wiper arm away from the windshield, depressing the
small tab that allows the wiper blade to be pulled off, lining up the new wiper blade
with the arm, and pushing it in tightly. Done! Make sure to follow tutorials while
doing it.
7. REPLACING WIPERS
5. CHANGING A CAR BATTERY
10. JUMP-STARTING A CAR
This is not so much a repair as it is a
fundamental skill. Everyone should know
how to jump-start their own car. You
wouldn’t want to have to call roadside
assistance every time your car won’t start,
and it’s really the easiest thing ever.
Just take your jumper cables out, put both
vehicles in neutral and shut the ignition off.
Now, attach one of the red clips to the positive
terminal of your battery and the other to the
positive terminal of the battery in the other
car (the one that will start). Attach one of the
black clips to the negative terminal of the
battery in the other car. Attach the other end
to an unpainted metal surface. Now try to
start your vehicle. You’re done!
The brakes are one of the most important elements of
your vehicle for ensuring your safety while driving. Many
car accidents result from brake failures, so your car’s
brakes always need to be in perfect condition.
Thankfully, changing the brake pads can be as easy as
changing a flat tire.
Basic steps involve loosening the lug nuts of the
wheels, jacking the car up, removing the wheels,
removing the slider bolts, removing the older brake
pads and replacing them with new ones, and
putting the slider bolts and the wheels back on
securely. You should be particularly careful
if you’re using replica wheels.
8. REPLACING AIR FILTERS
Air filters are one of the most overlooked parts of your car. They
keep your engine free of dust and other contaminants. They are
inexpensive and quite easy to replace, so keeping your car’s engine
clean is another easy DIY.
The steps include: opening the hood, locating the air filter
unit, removing the air filter cover, taking the air filter out
and cleaning the air filter housing, inserting a new filter,
and finally replacing the cover. You’re done! Make sure you
change your filter once every 30,000 miles, or
approximately once every year.
6. REPLACING A HEADLIGHT OR TAILLIGHT
Having a broken headlight or taillight is not only
inconvenient, but is actually illegal. Consequently, you need
to change them as soon as they begin to fade. But why waste
money on a mechanic when the DIY replacement is so easy?
The process involves: removing the screws
connecting the headlight frame to the bracket,
disconnecting the electrical connector, removing
the faulty bulb and replacing it with a new one,
plugging the connector back on, and finally
replacing the frame.
Sometimes only your frame might be broken,
which can be just as hazardous. You can change
it following the same procedure.
Car batteries tend to die on us at the most inconvenient
times. If you’re in the middle of nowhere, your best bet
would be to find roadside assistance and/or call a tow
truck. But if you’re home and your battery shows signs
that it might need replacement, the DIY replacement
method is quite easy.
The steps include: removing any covers from the
battery, disconnecting the negative cables, moving
the clamp away from the battery post, doing the
same for the positive cable clamp, removing all
screws, replacing the old battery with the new one,
and finally reconnecting the cable clamps. Make
sure you label the cables before you remove them.
1
2
3
9. CHANGING BRAKE PADS
https://www.lifehack.org/374885/10-basic-car-repairs-everyone-should-know
https://www.dumblittleman.com/basic-car-repair
Sources