It is an incontrovertible truth that good maintenance of the car is essential to make sure that the vehicle remains in good working condition for a long time. After all, it is your hard-earned money that has been used for buying the automobile.
There are some tasks related to maintaining the car that you can do it on your own, without the involvement of a mechanic. This, obviously, is helpful in reducing the expenses incurred by you. It may also be quicker to resolve it. However, it’s crucial to note that the car can also be affected by problems, the repair of which needs the expertise of a mechanic.
What are the repairs that can be handled DIY and which are the issues that can be resolved only by an expert? The following are the points that aim to provide clarity on this aspect:
- Changing oil counts as being among the simplest tasks that are suitable for DIY. When the owners themselves take care of this key facet, apart from bringing a drop in costs, they will also be able to prevent wastage of time. Here, the only thing one shouldn’t forget is that the oil has to be changed at the specified frequency.
- Replacement of brake pads is another uncomplicated task that you can execute, by yourself. Remember, if you intend to accomplish this task DIY, you have to ensure that the pads are of topmost quality. Or else, you could be endangering your well-being, while driving around.
- Similarly, when the time has come for installing a new serpentine belt, the DIY method can be considered. But here, the basic prerequisite is that you must have a thorough knowledge of the entire process. Otherwise, you’ll end up fixing it in a wrong way and this would lead to major repairs involving exorbitant costs.
As has been mentioned earlier, you have a few repairs which only a skilled mechanic can handle. In these situations, if you attempt to go with DIY, things gravely aggravate and this obviously carries serious financial implications. Hence, it’s imperative that you are clearly informed about the repairs where the only viable option is to take the vehicle to a reputed garage.
- When your car has been driven for over 60,000 miles or so, the time for rectifying the timing belt is just around the corner. However much adept you might consider yourself in technicalities of car maintenance, this is a task that only an expert can complete successfully. No doubt, fixing this belt is among the most expensive repairs that the automobile has, in its lifetime. Yet, it’s advisable that the repair is done only in a workshop.
- Likewise, any problems pertaining to transmission need to be solved only by your mechanic. This is applicable even if you consider the given issue to be a minor one.
- In the same way, if the cooling system of your car is not working properly, just drive the vehicle to the workshop and don’t entertain any second thought, in this respect. Even if you come across any DIY details on this repair, on the net, just ignore the same.
Kindly note that what all has been discussed above are only general guidelines and they are not hard and fast rules. Always keep in mind that safety while driving is paramount. Therefore, if you are slightly doubtful even about the DIY repairs, go ahead and contact a good mechanic.