Do It Yourself Auto Maintenance
Nobody likes to take their car in for repairs or general maintenance; it seems it’s impossible to leave without shelling out a couple hundred bucks. But what many people don’t know is that many of the common problems associated with cars as well and nearly all general maintenance, can be done by you, the owner. You don’t have to be a certified auto mechanic to drain your radiator fluid or change your spark plugs (I know because I have recently done both). If you have the time and the patience, you can save yourself hundreds if not thousands of dollars, as well as feel good about yourself for taking the initiative.
But how do you go about learning the ins and outs of your car? I would recommend everyone buy a service manual (different from your manual that comes with your car). I use a manual from Haynes Repair Manuals, which cost about $20. This comprehensive guide ranges from doing the very basic fixes to more advanced procedures that are specific to your vehicle. Just today, I cracked open my manual to learn how to drain the transmission fluid and replace the filter. The cost to me was $30 in materials, compared to the $100 + it would have cost else ware.
The advantage of doing a little auto maintenance yourself goes beyond saving a few dollars. It helps build knowledge of how your vehicle operates, which has multiple upsides, like standing your ground with an unscrupulous mechanic. Also, putting a little sweat into your vehicle only makes you appreciate it more. For me, this means driving it more conservatively and making sure I do the schedule maintenance. Give it a shot, regardless of you current car knowledge, I know you can do it – I’m proof! $
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Comments
My car has been needing a tune up for quite some time. I wanted to do it myself but didnt really know where I could learn. Maybe I will go buy the service manual for my car.
@ Pete – Your right, mistakes can cost you big. But, with every oil change or fix, I always make sure to keep checking the levels for the first couple days to make sure everything is normal. It puts me at ease.
@ David – Best $20 I’ve spent in awhile.
Although if you’re going to do your own maintenance you should be very careful. I had a friend who had this same idea to save money. He changed his own oil, forgot to put the cap back on and all the oil drained out. He ended up frying out his engine. Very costly mistake. Of course if you don’t make silly mistakes like that you’ll be fine.