The cost of auto maintenance has been soaring over the last decade, but there are a few things you can learn to do at home that will save you the cost of labor. Mastering these basic tasks is also a great way to get started if you want to learn to fully maintain your own car.
Changing Your Windshield Wipers Within Minutes
Wiper blades are among the easiest auto parts to replace because they have a standard fitment across practically all cars. You just need to make sure you buy the right size for your vehicle, which means consulting the owner’s manual. Sometimes you need more than one size, either because the driver and passenger’s side use different blade lengths or because of a rear wiper blade that also needs replacement.
Car Battery Replacements
Changing a car battery typically involves loosening one or two screws to remove a guard, then loosening the battery connectors and removing them. It’s important to be careful handling the wires as you separate them from the battery, but it’s an easy changeover to make. Just put the new battery in and connect everything again.
Oil Filters and Oil Changes
You need a new oil filter with every oil change, and doing your own changes can save you as much as 50% compared to going in for a quick change. You’ll need a drain plan and a place to take the used oil for recycling, but you can drop off oil at local designated recycling locations. It’s worth investigating whether the same people you trust to tell you whether you have a check engine light on can point you toward local oil recycling, even if the store itself doesn’t handle it.
Installing a New Air Filter
Your engine air filter needs to be replaced regularly, and it’s worth inspecting the thing every time you do an oil change if you’re already DIYing those. When you go into a garage for a change, they typically give it a look to see if it is dirty or clogged. Putting in a new filter is usually as simple as getting the cover for its housing open. Typically, that means removing a screw or two, and then it’s just a matter of removing the old filter and seating the new one
Change Your Own Serpentine Belt
Since most modern cars have auto-tensioners for the serpentine belt, it no longer takes specialized tools to change them safely. This replacement is a little more complex than some of the others, but you can change a belt in 15 minutes if you know how and there are a lot of video tutorials to help you master the skill.
Brake Pad Replacements
If you are comfortable removing your wheels and tires to replace a flat, you can access the brakes to do your own pad replacements. From there, it’s easy to learn the rest of the brake system in case you need to replace rotors or other key components.
This is another job that is best done with some video tutorials to study ahead of time, but it’s a great one to learn as a stepping stone to bigger things. You can get pads from the same trustworthy people you trust when you need a jump starter, so start shopping today.
