6 do it yourself car maintenance tips
With fantastic weather upon us, there is no reason to not take out your vehicle and make some road trips. This is extremely important because staying in the house during the Coronavirus quarantine can be not so good for your mental health. As a result, you'll want to take your vehicle out on to the road and either joy ride or visit some locations you may have not gone to in the past. In order to do this, however, you will need to make sure that your car is performing well and up to date in terms of its maintenance. In this article, we'll cover exactly that and some maintenance tasks that you can do without needing to visit the dealership or mechanic.
1) Replacing Your Air Filter
You'll need to get a new air filter every year or 12,000 miles. Failing to do this can lead to a large amount of dust and detritus getting caught up within the engine system that can lead to the engine not being able to circulate air properly, working harder, and being less fuel-efficient than designed by the manufacturer. In order to replace it, you'll need to open the hood of your vehicle, open the casing, and remove the old air filter while replacing it with a new one. Remember to close the metal clippings and shut the hood of the vehicle.
2) Changing Your Oil
Replacing your oil and oil filter is a relatively quick process and is quite easy to do. You will want to wait for your oil to cool before opening the hood of your vehicle and unscrewing the drain plug to drain the old oil into the drain pan. Replace the drain plug and remove the oil filter and replace it with a new filter using a rubber gasket lubricant. Fill the engine with new oil using an oil filter. Replacing your oil is paramount to maintaining your vehicle. Old oil can lead your vehicle to work less efficiently because it does not properly lubricate the rest of the engine.
3) Check Your Tire Pressure
Checking your tire pressure is probably the easiest thing that you can do on this list. All it takes is for you to purchase an air gauge from your local auto parts shop. By keeping your tires inflated properly, you can make sure that your vehicle will have a proper grip on the road and will be able to maneuver with ease, thus allowing the engine to work more efficiently. A tire pressure that is too high can be ruptured by sharp objects on the road while one that is underinflated can lead to the tires not being able to use its track patterns to grip the road properly.
4) Cleaning Your Headlights
Another relatively easy do-it-yourself task on this list, cleaning your headlights is also one of the most important things you should do to get quality vision on the road. Unfortunately, it is not something that everyone does but this does not mean that it is difficult to do. A headlight restoration kit can be purchased for under $20 from an auto parts store and will include sanding and buffing materials that will result in your headlight looking new. You can also use a wax block to get an extra sheen on the headlights.
5) Checking Your Sparkplugs
Checking and replacing your sparkplugs and their corresponding wires sounds more complicated than it is but is actually an easy process. You can locate them near the thick wires underneath your vehicle hood and you will need to uninstall them one at a time in the specific order that is required by the manufacturer. You can install the new spark plug in by screwing it by hand and then using a wrench to tighten it. After you have done this, you can reattach the wire and complete the process for the other spark plugs depending on how many cylinders your vehicle has. This will lead to better fuel consumption, better engine efficiency, and higher gas mileage..
6) Changing Your Coolant
Changing your coolant or doing a radiator flush is something you should do as your vehicle gains more miles and generates common wear and tear. You can consult with the manufacturer's handbook to locate the radiator and let the old coolant drain completely. Then you can use a radiator flush to drain the cleaning fluid into the radiator before filling the rest of it with water. After this, you will want to replace the cap and start the car until it heats up to its normal temperature. Then, turn off the vehicle, drain the fluid, and add fresh coolant. The whole process should take about half an hour to complete but will leave you with an engine that has been properly cooled for optimal performance temperatures.
Maintaining your vehicle is extremely important but you don't have to necessarily take it to your local mechanic or dealership. These DIY methods can prove extremely useful whether you are in a crunch or just want to save a bit of time and money by doing it yourself.