A car is a considerable investment, regardless if it’s new or not. Many car owners are hesitant in fixing their vehicles, but there’s no reason for you to pay for something that you can do without a technician’s assistance.
If you’ve been searching for the perfect new or used autos and score a great deal from a car dealership, you may want to cut costs on maintenance. Modern vehicles are becoming increasingly sophisticated; not every maintenance job or repair requires a skilled mechanic.
Here are five car maintenance tasks that you don’t have to be a professional technician to tackle, saving you money and preventing future repair bills.
Changing a Taillight Bulb
Taillights are one of your car’s essential safety components, illuminating your vehicle’s rear end that warns other drivers about the distance between you and them, especially during low-visibility situations. To replace these bulbs, you’ll need to gain access to it through its housing, which you can find detailed instructions in the car owner’s manual. Depending on your vehicle, you can usually reach the rear taillights through panels inside the trunk or hatch.
Once you have its housing open, remove the rear bulbs, take them to a car parts store, and buy matching replacements. After this, place the replacement bulb inside the housing and put everything back in place after installing it.
Checking the Tire Pressure
Regularly checking your tires’ pressure is essential, especially if you drive often. You can check its pressure yourself by using a tire gauge and see if it’s still within the ideal pressure indicated in the car owner’s manual or inside the driver’s side door frame.
When checking, ensure the valve cap has no cracks and place its exposed end onto the valve stem. Ensure the tires are cool to get an accurate reading. When reading, make sure there’s no hissing and replace the valve cap when you finish.
Car Battery Maintenance
If you want to keep your car’s battery in the top-notch condition, the best thing you can do is keeping its case clean because dirt, grime, and oil buildup can result in a power drain. You can clean its case by wiping it with damp paper towels with mild detergent. When you see any cracks or bulges on the battery, it’s best to replace it immediately to avoid any incidents.
Changing the Oil
Replacing oil every six months is standard for most cars, and though changing the oil yourself is easy, it does require equipment. These include gloves, replacement oil, oil filter, funnel, oil pan, a funnel, and a replacement plug. Check your owner’s manual to see where the oil filter and drain plug are to speed up the process. When successfully locating it, replace the old filter with a new one and add the correct amount of replacement oil, indicated in the owner’s manual.
Replacing Fuses
If an electronic component of your car isn’t working, it’s best to check any damaged fuse. You can locate the fuse box using the owner’s manual alongside how to open it. You can remove the covers using your hand or a flat-head screwdriver. Once you’ve opened it, check to see which fuse isn’t working by reading the owner manual’s chart. These fuse boxes usually come with a small plastic tool to remove and install fuses, but you can also use a pair of needle-nosed pliers.
Take the time to learn these easy car maintenance or repair tasks to save you money, time, and effort, allowing you to cruise without a worry in the long term.