We rely on our automobiles to get just about everywhere. Despite how much time we spend behind our vehicles’ wheels, most of us know very little about how to handle even the most common car problem.
This is an issue because it’s very easy to get stuck somewhere if you don’t know how to manage simple problems with your vehicle. Many of the most common car issues are not so difficult to fix if you take the time to learn what you’re doing.
Learning the basics of automobile repair can save you time, money and keep you out of more serious trouble. Ready to learn? Read on, and we’ll walk you through a few basics.
Changing a Flat Tire
Who hasn’t had the experience of driving and hearing that awful sound of your tire deflating? It’s enough to make your heart sink. Once a tire goes out, you won’t be headed anywhere fast anytime soon.
Changing a flat tire, however, doesn’t have to be a big deal. It’s a skill almost any serious automobile owner should take the time to learn. It could save your life at some point in time.
You probably have everything that you need to switch the tire out located in your trunk. There’s likely a spot where you can find a spare tire, a wrench, and a jack stand hidden away. You’ll use this jack stand to lift the car off the pavement.
You’ll then remove the lug nuts from the wheel using the wrench and pull that tire off. Putting the new tire on is as simple as doing the opposite, using the wrench to screw the lug nuts back over the new tire.
Once the new wheel is on and secure, you can lower the jack and should be good to go again. Make sure those lug nuts are tight before you pull away!
Fixing a Car Battery
If your car battery dies on you, it can leave you high and dry. If this happens when you’re out in the middle of nowhere, you might have no choice but to call for help or a tow truck.
However, if your car battery dies a little closer to the home you might be able to rectify the situation on your own. Replacing your car battery with a new one is quite simple and shouldn’t require a trip to the auto shop.
If you already have a new battery on hand, you’ll simply need to pop the hood of your car and take the old one out. This can be done by removing the covers and disconnecting the negative cables first.
Once they are unplugged, move the clamp out of the way, and that should allow you to unplug the positive cables as well. If your cables themselves weren’t labelled, you might want to label them before unhooking them from the battery. Unscrew the screws keeping the battery in place, and pull it out.
Once out, you should be able to do this same process in reverse to install your new battery.
Dealing With Faulty Headlights
It’s not legal to be driving on the road without properly working head and taillights. It also can be dangerous, limiting your visibility when you’re driving on dark roads.
Luckily, this is another situation where the DIY fix is easy enough that you can save yourself the trip to the auto shop. You’ll simply need to remove all the screws that connect the headlight frame to the vehicle itself.
Once you do this, you’ll get your hands inside and disconnect the cables connected to the bulb. You can then pull the bulb out and replace it with a brand new one. Plug it in, screw the cover back on, and you should be good to go again.
You can replace a frame for your headlights in much the same way if it were to ever get damaged.
Issues With Brake Pads
The last thing you want to do is be out driving with damaged brakes. Far too many accidents result from faulty AC motor brakes. Understanding how to fix your brakes if they’re starting to go could save your life.
Once again, you’ll need to jack your car up so that you can get underneath. Take the wheels off and find where the slide bolts are. You’ll want to remove these and the brake pads underneath them and replace them with brand new ones.
It’s as simple as that! You’ll put it all back together and your brakes should work as if they were brand new.
Performing an Oil Change
If you want your vehicle to perform properly, you need to keep an eye on the oil. Changing your car’s oil is a fundamental skill as it’s something that will need to be done many times over your vehicle’s life.
You should be able to perform this with ease. You’ll want to pop the hood, unscrew the oil filter, and empty it. You’ll simply pour new, fresh oil into the oil filler hole, and you should be good to go. It couldn’t be easier!
If you aren’t sure how this all matches up with your own vehicle, a brief search will likely turn up tutorials that match your vehicle model.
Fixing a Common Car Problem
Every car owner should be able to fix a common car problem or two. Having this knowledge under your belt can help prevent you from getting stranded and save you money.
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