There was a time when cars were pretty standard mechanically speaking. They differed radically on the outside with soaring fins, complicated grills, and unique bodywork. But under the hood, they were much the same. You could get your hands on batteries, spark plugs, and a few belts. And, in time, most car owners learned to fix the problems that would pop up.
Today’s cars, trucks, and vans present a bigger challenge. The emerging technology varies from one vehicle to another, and much of the workings are invisible to the untrained DIY eye. But there are some things you can do to fix common problems and keep the price manageable.
Forbes contributor Larissa Faw notes, “Millennials, having grown up with sophisticated technology, just expect stuff to work and are less interested in figuring out ‘how’ it works than previous generations. It’s increasingly unlikely they even know how to unlock the hood of their vehicle. They seem only to care about where the on-off switch is located.” She may be a little tough on millennials, but the cars will have problems with potential repair costs and degree of difficulty you may want to consider before you were to do-it-yourself.
Problems your car might be experiencing:
Dead Battery: You’ll know when the battery is dead. Absolutely nothing will work. The car won’t start, lights won’t turn on, and the radio and entertainment centre won’t engage. Today’s batteries last a long time, but they may fail.
If it’s dead because you left the lights on, you can get help with jumper cables. With a charge, you can get going, and the mechanics will recharge the battery. However, sometimes the battery just dies. You can purchase a replacement battery at the dealership where you bought the car, at auto parts stores, or your local big box store. They are a bit heavy, but you can replace yours easily by removing the cables from the old one and reattaching them to the new. Batteries come with warranties, so you can expect a long life from your new one.
Spark Plugs: In older cars, spark plugs often encounter frequent issues. They generate the spark that ignites the fuel-air mixture, causing the engine cylinders to move. Properly set, these plugs deliver just the right spark at precisely the right time. Signs that it’s time for a replacement include misfiring, rough idling, or when the “check engine” light illuminates on your dashboard.
In more recent vehicles, spark plugs are typically located beneath a protective cover and ignition coils. This design helps shield the plugs from road dust, but you can easily access them with a spark plug ratchet wrench after removing the cover and coils. Today’s manufacturer’s preset spark plugs, alleviating concerns about the correct gap size; however, it’s still wise to check it. When replacing, gently lower the new plug into its well and tighten it snugly, but be careful not to overtighten it.
If you need to replace your spark plugs, you can order car and truck accessories online to find the right parts for your vehicle. Whether you’re upgrading or maintaining your car, you’ll discover a wide range of options to ensure smooth performance.
Flat Tire: You will have a flat tire sooner or later. It’s never convenient, but you can do it. Complete blowouts are rare, but you will run over a sharp object that deflates the tire. When possible, you should drive the car to a clean flat surface.
Modern cars come with small replacement tires. Yours may be suspended from the chassis or stored in a recess in the trunk or back of the vehicle. It comes with directions and a jack, but once you find it you’ll know what to do. But you must consider your personal safety by posting warning signs. If you are unable to change a tire for health reasons, you should be prepared to call for service.
Malfunctioning Lights: If you drive with a bad headlight, tail light, brake light, or turn signal, you can get a ticket. Malfunctioning lights are a safety risk, so you should check on them regularly.
In most cases, you can follow the directions in your owner’s manual to replace the bulbs. But you may need help at an auto service centre if the problem appears to be the wiring.
Oil Change: It’s not difficult to change the oil. A signal may appear on your dashboard, or you may follow the directions in the car’s manual. It will tell you how often to change the oil and what kind to use.
Basically, you drain the oil from an outlet under the motor. Once it is drained, you can twist the oil filter out and replace it. (Oil filters last through several oil changes, so you should keep track of the replacements.) Then, you replace the oil with a fresh product until it registers on your oil dipstick. While you are under the hood, you should check the quality of the oil filter as well as other accessible fluids like windshield cleaner, water, steering, and transmission fluids. These checks should be part of a routine preventive checkup.
Faulty Transmission: You don’t want your transmission to fail. It is essential to the car’s performance and can mean the end to your vehicle. Car makers have gotten better at making fail-safe systems, but no vehicle is immune.
What you can do is keep your eye on the symptoms of trouble. For instance, the transmission requires lubrication. The transmission fluid can leak through seals and gaskets with wear, tear, and damage to the undercarriage. The more fluid you lose the harder the transmission must work, so check for leaks on the garage floor.
Air Conditioner: It doesn’t matter much where you live, you can’t do without your air conditioning system. After all, the same system provides heat and basic circulation. Unless you can drive around with the windows open all the time, you need your cooling system. Not every problem costs thousands.
If the air conditioner makes grinding or rattling noises when you turn it on, you need a professional to look at it. But if it just losses cooling over time, chances are you have a coolant leak. The air conditioner uses refrigerant which typically does not need replacement. Still, it can leak when O-rings become brittle and deteriorate. Depending on the car design, you may or may not be able to do this yourself, but it needs attention.
Chipped Windshield: Pebbles, stones, and other road debris can chip your windshield, and those chips can turn into cracks. Cracked windshields must be replaced completely, and you risk getting a ticket in the meantime.
If you act as soon as you notice the chip, you can find low-cost remedies online or at most major stores. There are kits you will use to inject an epoxy filler or acrylic compound into the chip. You can’t fix long cracks, and some marks can’t be erased completely. But you can fix enough that others won’t notice.
Bad Start: If your lights go on and your radio plays but the car won’t start, you may have to replace your starter. Depending on the car, year, and mode, it could cost you moderate to high dollars. With recent cars featuring push-button starters, it can be a top dollar repair.
When you turn your key, the starter should engage with the solenoid to fire the engine. So, the problem could be the starter or solenoid. Once you eliminate the battery, you might tap on the starter with a rubber mallet to jar any parts that need it. You’ll need to access the starter from under the jacked up car where you can first detach the battery cables.
Using the appropriate wrenches, you can remove the bolts that hold the starter in place before you reach the solenoid. With all the wires detached, you should key them with coloured duct tape so everything goes back where it belongs. If you are replacing the starter, you might as well replace the solenoid, too.
One more thing to think about!
Writing for Popular Mechanics, Ezra Dyer warns, “There’s maintenance you should do, the kind of work that demonstrates or imparts mechanical aptitude. But sometimes, it doesn’t seem worth the bloody fingers and oil stains.” There are more factors, of course. You may be under pressure from time, work, and other obligations.
Your car may be a pleasurable ride, a work vehicle, or a family van. But things can wrong at the worst times. If you don’t have the talent or tools, you should rely on reputable local auto service. It might be a location specialising in your vehicle brand. It might be attached to a big box store. Or, it might be a neighbourhood pro. And, low bid or high, if you have the time, you want to compare estimates. Cheap isn’t always the best way to go, but balance your research, reviews, and needs and you’ll have a strong lead on the better option.
Given the possible costs of some car repairs, you may want to learn some repair skills for the future. In the meantime, you should understand the vehicle requires attention and preventive maintenance.
Failing all of this, you may discover that your car isn’t worth repairing, if so, you could always sell it?
Did you like this post? Why not Pin it?
Featured article
No Comments