Mark Greene
Car maintenance is part of your responsibility as a motorist. A vehicle in itself is an investment and you want to take good care of it for as long as it remains in your possession.
However, doing maintenance work can take a great deal of time. You might be better off hiring a mechanic to do the literal dirty work. Surprisingly, there are a number of car maintenance tasks that you can do by yourself. They are easy to pull off, and they save you more money compared to getting a mechanic. Here are a few quick repairs to help you save money and keep your vehicle roadworthy, especially if it’s a vintage car.
1. Replace cabin filters
Dust, pollen, and other debris may clog your air filters and reduce the performance of your vehicle’s HVAC system. It’s advisable to clean out or replace the filter once per year in order to maintain adequate airflow and prevent serious damage to the HVAC unit. You don’t need a mechanic to do the job, since replacing it would take you less than 20 minutes.
2. Replace oil and fluids
Changing engine oil, coolant, and other fluids helps maintain the efficiency of your vehicle and prevent serious damage. While it can be tedious on the surface, it’s still a task you can do by yourself so long as you follow the right steps, use the right tools, and pick the right fluids. Fluid changes can take half a day to complete (flushing alone will take at least an hour), but if you wouldn’t mind doing it yourself, you can save an extra $50 for the effort.
3. Replace a broken side-view mirror
In most states, you could be pulled over for a missing or broken side-view mirror. It would be best to purchase and install a replacement. However, the work could cost you at least $130 in parts and labor. The good news is that you can install a side-view mirror yourself, depending on the parts that need to be replaced. If you need new mirror covers, opt for carbon fiber. The advantages of carbon fiber auto parts include durability and weight reduction, and are also easy to install.
4. Installing new spark plugs
Most cars require replacement spark plugs for every 30,000 to 90,000 miles. While it’s not as frequent as other car maintenance tasks, replacing spark plugs won’t take a long time to complete. The process is fairly simple, but requires a great deal of patience and care, along with installing these parts in a specific order. To make it even easier for yourself (and prevent undue damage to the engine), consider ordering pre-gapped spark plugs that fit your vehicle.
It’s possible to do most of the basic car maintenance tasks. However, there are a number of jobs that require the skills and knowledge of a mechanic. If you are uncertain about doing a certain task, spending some money for an auto checkup would be wiser.
