12 Easy Car Repairs You Can Do To Save Your Money
Having your car serviced can be both stressful and expensive. The cost of replacement parts and the labor to install them at a repair shop can add up quickly and can drain your wallet faster than a Dodge Hellcat running the quarter-mile!
There is a better way, and if you're reasonably handy and have some basic tools and supplies, you can save a ton of green by doing it yourself. Big repairs should be handled by a skilled mechanic, but if you just need some maintenance, you're the perfect person for the job! Keep reading to learn about some simple car repairs just about anyone can handle.
Oil Change - The Basis Of Good Car Maintenance
The foundation of car maintenance is changing the oil. It's a fairly simple process that involves removing the old oil filter, draining the old engine oil, and replacing both with new. Every car is going to be a little bit different, so YouTube is the best place to see a tutorial on your specific car.
A few wrenches, a drain pan, a funnel, and rags are about all you need. If your car is low to the ground, a jack and jack stand comes in handy. The average cost of an oil change is $46 at a car dealership, and you can likely save $10 to $20 by doing it yourself.
Air Filter - Help Your Car Breathe Easier
The engine's air filter helps prevent dirt, dust, debris, and water from entering the intake system. Over time, however, the filter gets clogged, allowing less air to move through it. Think of it as a dryer lint trap for your car's engine.
A typical repair shop may charge $60 - $70 to replace just the air filter, but with minimal equipment and about five minutes of your time, you could literally breathe new life into your ride. Air filters range in price depending on the make and model of the car, but the average is about $30.
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Cooling System Flush - A Great Preventative Maintenance Job To Keep Your Engine Healthy
The coolant in your car's cooling system has a life span of one to two years before it needs to be flushed and changed. Over time, coolant loses its ability to prevent corrosion, which results in damage to water pumps, thermostats, and other parts of your cooling system.
It's important to get all the air out of the cooling system, so it's a good idea to watch a tutorial on flushing and bleeding the cooling system on your car. It's a simple procedure that helps protect your car over time. A mechanic might charge $100 to $150 for the procedure, but you can do it for less than half of that.
Headlight Bulbs - Brighten Up Your Night Driving
When your headlight goes out, it becomes a safety issue, as your path at night is less illuminated, and other drivers can't see you as well. There are typically three types of headlights on cars and trucks today: halogen, Xenon high-intensity discharge (HID), and light-emitting diode (LED). Halogen bulbs are the cheapest but don't last very long, and LED lights may be the most expensive but can last for 20,000 hours.
Typical replacement costs range from $80 to $100, but if your car has LED headlights, that could double. Cut the cost in half and replace them yourself.
Spark Plugs - Shockingly Simple And Beneficial
The engine's spark plugs thread directly into the cylinder head and provide the high-voltage spark necessary to ignite the air-fuel mixture within the cylinder. Your car will have one per cylinder and will require a special socket for removal.
It's important to note the type of spark plugs your car has, as you'll want to replace them with the same type. That will help keep your car running at its best and prevent any drivability issues from creeping up. Spark plug replacement can get expensive at a repair shop with an average cost of $200. If you do it yourself you can likely save more than half.
Windshield Wipers - Better Vision Helps You Drive Safer
Replacing windshield wipers is one of the simplest and quickest ways to dramatically improve your driving experience. If they start to leave streaks when wiping, you know it's time to swap them out for new ones. They usually clip onto the end of the wiper arm and take no more than a minute or two to replace.
If you have a repair shop do it, expect to pay around $40 for parts and labor. If you replace them yourself, you can save about $20.
Turn Signal And Brake Light Bulbs - Keep Your Car Safe And Visible To Others
Just like headlights, turn signals, and brake lights, tail lights are safety items, and it's important to keep them blinking at their best. Most cars will have several different bulbs in the tail light assembly, and each one costs only a few dollars. A repair shop may charge $10 to $20 per bulb for replacement, but this is a repair that everyone can do at home.
Usually, a screwdriver and pliers are all that's required to replace bulbs yourself: simple, cheap, and quick.
Brake Pads and Rotors - Make Sure Your "Woah" Matches Your "Go"
You use your car's brakes almost as much as its engine, and it's important to keep them in tip-top shape. Squeaking, grinding, pulsating, and a brake pedal that goes to the floor are all indications that it's time to service your brakes.
A repair shop could charge around $400 to replace brake pads and rotors on an average car, and if you happen to have a high-performance vehicle with uprated brakes, that cost can double. Despite being more involved than replacing an air filter, it's still possible for the average person to replace brakes themselves, saving hundreds of dollars.
Car Battery - An Easy Repair That Could Save You A Tow
Having your battery go dead is a huge pain, having to pay to have your car towed to a repair shop to replace the battery is even worse. Save a bunch of money and replace it yourself in a few minutes.
The batteries in most cars are fairly simple to remove and require only a wrench or two for the hold-down clamp and battery cables. Depending on the car, a battery will cost between $100 and $200 with high-end European models costing much more. Labor will add another $20 to $30 and can be as high as $100 if it's an emergency roadside repair.
Fuses And Relays - Sometime The Most Complicated Problems Have The Simplest Solutions
Just like the fuses and circuit breakers in your home, fuses in cars are there to prevent damage to electrical components and wiring. The relays your car uses act just like a light switch in your home. They use a small amount of electricity to turn a circuit on or off with a larger electrical current.
When an electrical component in your car suddenly fails, without warning, it's worthwhile to check the fuse and/or relay for the component. Most repair shops will charge you "time spent" to diagnose an electrical issue, but you can confirm the fuse is bad just by looking at it and saving a lot of money.
Brake Fluid Flush - Avoid Spongy Brake Pedal Feel With New Fluid
The brake fluid in your car, like the coolant, has a finite lifespan. Most automotive brake fluid, with the exception of DOT 5, which is silicone-based, absorbs water and moisture from the air. When water mixes with brake fluid, it reduces the effective operating temperature range and usually results in the driver feeling like the brake pedal is going soft under hard braking.
Most brake fluid lasts about 2-3 years, and it's a good idea to flush and change it when you replace brake parts. A repair shop might charge $100 for the service, but you can do it for about $25.
Check and Adjust Tire Pressure - An Easy Check To Ensure Optimum Performance
One of the simplest ways to ensure that your car is operating at its best is to check tire pressures regularly. If your tires are underinflated, it takes more of the engine's power to turn the wheels, increasing fuel consumption and tire wear. Another symptom of low tire pressure is "pulling" or wandering to the left or right, requiring steering corrections to keep the car going in a straight line.
A simple tire gauge (use a dial or digital gauge, not a stick gauge) costs under $10 and helps extend the life of your tires.
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