DIY Car Repair: When To Do It & What You Need

Every automobile needs to be maintained as these are highly complex machines that can suffer a great deal of wear and tear over the years.

As a motorist, it is important to understand that often you will be able to carry out the maintenance work yourself which can be rewarding and a great way to save money, but there will also be times where the work needs to be completed by a specialist. Read on to find out more.

Things You Can do Yourself

There are several maintenance tasks that any motorist can do themselves and carrying out these tasks will help to keep your car in good condition and could prevent any costly repairs from being required.

The internet is a fantastic resource for motorists because you can find easy to follow guides and videos that will help you to complete all of these tasks safely. A few of the main maintenance tasks that a motorist should look to complete themselves include:

• Oil change
• Topping up liquids
• Topping up tyre pressure
• Checking the tyre tread depth
• Replacing the air filter
• Replacing spark plugs
• Rotating/changing tyres
• Cleaning the car

Tools You Need

Obviously, these tasks will require a variety of tools and these will prove to be good investments if it stops you from having to take your car to the garage every time that a maintenance task needs completing. You will need a basic toolkit filled with items like a socket and ratchet set, adjustable wrench, torque wrench, screwdriver and a set of pliers, but there is also some specialist equipment that you will need too. This includes axle stands which can be used to lift the car safely so that you can change a tyre or access the underside of the car.

Things to Take the Car to a Garage For

Of course, there will also be times where a trip to the garage is unavoidable because the work will need to be completed by a specialist and it could be unsafe for you to attempt to do it yourself. A few tasks that are best left to the pros include:

• Changing the clutch
• Any electric work
• Gear and transmission repairs
• Replacing the windscreen
• Car battery issues
• Air conditioning problems

Every motorist should know basic car maintenance as this can help to keep their car in good condition, prolong its life and save you money, but you must also know when to take the car to the garage as there is some work which needs to be done by a professional.