A car is an investment, and, like with other investments, you’ll want to protect it at all costs. Thankfully, it’s not as hard as it seems. According to Southern Oregon Subaru dealerships, you can save a lot of money, time, and effort if you can do a couple of simple car maintenance and repair jobs by yourself. While professionals are better at handling some of these maintenance and repair tasks, these menial jobs require little technical knowledge.
Check Your Engine
As a rule, you should conduct weekly engine checks on your car to ensure that it remains in top shape. However, these checks should go beyond popping the hood and looking if the engine is visibly okay. Subaru dealerships near Klamath Falls OR recommend that every car owner invests in an automotive borescope for a more accurate view of their engines.
A borescope (or boroscope) is made of a semi-rigid tube with an eyepiece on one end and a lens or camera on the other end, which allows you to inspect the engine more closely. The price of a borescope can vary depending on the type, so you need to do some research first before you commit to buying one.
Change Air Filters and Wipers
Changing your car’s air filters is another task that doesn’t require a certification to do. As a general rule, you must replace air filters every 12,000 miles or every 12 months, whichever comes first. This task should only take 10 minutes of your time since it only requires you to remove the old filter and replace it with a new one.
Another box on your to-do list should be to change your windshield wipers. Just take a look at how the old wiper blades were connected and attach the new ones in the same way.
DIY Car Repair Tips
Most professionals should undertake the repairs in your car. However, you can handle a couple of simple fixes, provided that you have the space and tools for it.
For example, you would need a socket wrench, spark plug socket, and a 12-inch socket extension to change spark plugs. Focus and concentration are critical to this task since you must replace the spark plugs in a specific order. It also requires a bit of your time, so you’ll need to be patient.
Another thing you can do is changing your busted headlights or tail light bulbs. Of course, you wouldn’t know if your lights need replacement if you don’t check them regularly. Checking the lights is usually a two-person job (one needs to step on the brakes while the other checks if they are working). If your lights require replacement, don’t forget to take the old bulb with you to the store to make sure you get the right size.
If in doubt, you can count on Youtube video tutorials on how to fix these simple issues. You just need to do research and accept that you’ll have to go through some trial-and-error before you finally fix your car.
Need to know more DIY maintenance and repair advice? Check out Klamath Falls Subaru for more helpful tips.