DIY Vehicle Maintenance

Learning to maintain your own vehicle could save you an enormous amount of time and money. Also, should you break down, it is very useful if you know what to do then. Below are some DIY vehicle maintenance tips.

Checking Oil

Oil is essential to the effective operation of your vehicle as it lubricates the engine parts. Dirty or insufficient oil can damage the engine so it is very important to check your oil regularly. This is very easy to do if your car has a dipstick (some newer cars no longer have this). You need to check your oil when the vehicle is on a level surface and after it has run for at least five minutes. If the oil is low, you can fill it up or get it checked by your dealer.

Changing Oil – DIY Vehicle Maintenance

If the oil is dirty and needs changing, this is a much more complicated job. You will need to drain the oil out of the vehicle and install a new oil filter. Then you replace the oil. The engine needs to be warm and the car should be on a level surface while you carry out the job.

Car battery

Forgetting to turn off your lights could cause your battery to run flat. In this case, you will need to restart your car using jumper cables attached to somebody else’s battery.

If you suspect your battery may be faulty, you can test it –leave the headlights on for about 10 minutes after taking a drive of about 10km and then try to start the engine. If the engine does not start easily then the battery is not holding its charge and may need replace it.

To replace the battery, ensure the car is switched off and that there is no metal anywhere near the battery terminals. You can then remove the battery and replace it with a new one.

Wiper Blades

Wipers are important to make sure you can see clearly when driving in the rain. Worn wipers can, therefore, be dangerous and it is worth having a spare set of wiper blades (in the correct size) available. They are very easy to change by unlocking the clip in the middle of the wiper, removing the old wiper and sliding the new ones into place. You can check if by sliding your finger along the blade to check for a smooth surface. Worn wipers will also be noisy during use.

Rotating Tires – DIY Vehicle Maintenance

It’s not a difficult job to perform but can be very strenuous. You need to remove all four wheels and then move the wheels from the back right to front left and from back left to front right. Before rotating your tires, ensure that all four are the same size – if they are different sizes at the front and back then just switch sides.

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All info was correct at time of publishing April 24, 2018