Many people choose to do their own auto maintenance and minor repairs, rather than take their car or truck in to a service center. Doing the work yourself can save you money (and often time). Below are some basic repair and maintenance jobs that you can perform yourself.
- Replacing air filters
Engines use an air filter to block impurities in the air from making it into the engine block. This air filter needs to be changed periodically, otherwise it will get clogged up with dirt and prevent enough air from getting to the engine. In many vehicles, you can get to the air filter simply by removing a few clips and lifting a black plastic rectangular lid.
Your vehicle probably also has a cabin air filter (or two). This interior air filter is responsible for filtering the air that comes into the passenger compartment of your vehicle -- the air that you breathe in when the heat or air conditioning is on or when the windows are closed. This filter should also be replaced regularly. It is often located behind the glove box (which you can probably just release and swing down, rather than completely remove) or somewhere else behind or under the dashboard. Your vehicle's owner manual may be able to tell you where the cabin air filter is located, or you can look it up online.
- Replacing the battery
If your battery is old or dying, or you're pretty sure it won't last much longer, you can purchase a new battery from an auto shop, or from a retail store like Walmart or Sears, and install the battery yourself. Replacing a battery is an easy task -- most batteries are negative-ground, and with a good wrench you can have the job done in under 10 minutes. Most stores will dispose of the old battery for you (you may need to provide your sales receipt for the new battery).
Some stores and auto shops provide free installation with any purchased battery. In these cases, let them do the heavy lifting for you, but if they charge for installation, replacing a battery is a job you can do yourself.
If your vehicle is equipped with anti-theft technology, disconnecting the battery may cause your radio/stereo to stop working. In this case, you'll need to enter a code to re-enable it, which you should be able to get from your dealer or manufacturer.
- Replacing windshield wipers
When your wipers stop working effectively or begin to leave streaks on your windshield, it's time to replace them. If you know what size wipers you need (your owner's manual should tell you, or you can look it up online) it's not a big deal to remove the old ones and install the new ones. It may get a bit tricky if your wipers require a special adapter, but for most vehicles it only takes a couple of minutes to replace a pair of wiper blades. Auto service centers will offer to change your blades for you when you go in for an oil change or other service, but they may charge more for the blades and you'll probably also have to pay for the labor.
- Replacing lights and bulbs
Replacing a headlight, tail light, turn signal, or interior light in most vehicles is a simple task. Some cars require the front bumper to be removed, or the lights are otherwise hard to get to, but in most cases you can replace burnt-out bulbs yourself. Online auto parts stores like AutoZone.com or AdvanceAutoParts.com can tell you which bulbs fit your vehicle.
- Replacing fuses
Replacing a blown fuse (or a faulty relay) can be done in just a couple of minutes. Your vehicle may have a fuse box located under the hood, or it may be under the dash (or both). Your owner's manual will tell you the location of your fuse box(es), and on the top of each box there should be a diagram showing which fuse controls which component. Always replace a blown fuse with an identical fuse of the same size and rating.
- Changing the oil
Replacing the engine oil is more involved than the other tasks listed above, and it requires more equipment, but it is certainly something you can do yourself. You'll probably need ramps, so that you have room to work under the vehicle. You'll also need a drain pan or other container to drain the oil into, and an oil filter wrench (or oil filter pliers) to remove the old oil filter. Once you are finished, you'll need to dispose of the oil in a manner consistent with local regulations. (Some auto parts stores will dispose of the oil for you.) If you plan to do your own oil changes regularly, the tools that you have to buy will quickly pay for themselves.
Changing the oil itself is not a hard job; it just takes time. Basically, all you will need to do is drain out the old oil, remove the old oil filter and install the new oil filter (if necessary), install the oil plug and washer, and fill up the reservoir with new oil. If your owner's manual doesn't show you how to change the oil in your car or truck, you can probably find a video or tutorial online describing the exact steps for your vehicle.
(Originally published on Helium.com, April 2012)
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