Easy Car Repairs You Shouldn’t Pay For

We understand that owning a car is pretty costly, gas, maintenance expenses, and car repairs are no joke. But then, some would say that you could do cost-cutting by doing the repairs yourself. While that may be right, you probably think you can’t because you don’t have the skills.

Well, hush now. Here are some car repairs that, believe it or not, you can really do yourself despite your abilities.

Replace a Broken or Worn Drive Belt

The key to knowing if you need to replace your drive belt or not is if you hear your car squeal when you start it or use some accessories and if you can see crack or it’s already obviously worn. A quick visual inspection is all you need. But if it’s simply loose, just tighten it up.

Replace Your Battery and Alternator

Grab a multi meter to confirm if your battery or alternator is dead, but usually failure to power on your accessories or turn the car over is a sure indication. Can’t find where either of them is? You car’s manual will help you locate it. Learning how to jump your car will also help a lot because sometimes it’s all it needs and not a replacement of battery or alternator.

Replace Your Brake Pads

With a jack, torque wrench and ratchets, tire iron, c-clamp you’d be able to change your vehicle’s brake pads easily. But if the squeal sounds turns into grinding ones, you have to have the rotor itself replaced and not just the pads.

Fix Exterior Coolant Leaks

You know you have a leak if you see a pool of green, orange, or yellow liquid on the ground once you park your ride after driving it. With that, you need to pop open the hood and look for the same colored liquid draining from a hose or plastic piece. You just have to unclamp the leaking hose, put on a new one, and then reinstall the clamp.

The Regular Maintenance You Can Do in an Afternoon

While it’s a universal knowledge to tune-up your car every 30,000 miles or every two years, you have to know the following terms and procedure before you do the tune-up yourself.

·         Replace a Fuel Filter

·         Replace the Air Filter

·         Check and Replace Spark Plugs and Wires

·         Replace Distributor Cap and Rotor

·         Oil Change

Facts About Tires That You Should Be Aware Of

Tires are vital parts of vehicles and yet they only get attention during a flat one. Since you’re spending hard earned money on them, don’t you wanna know valuable information about them? Tires don’t come cheap, read and learn a thing or two about getting the most out of your tires.

You’ll Find The Recommended Tire Pressure On The Inner Side Of The Door

Not the one indicated on the sidewall of the tires.

Valve Caps Are There To Keep Anything From Entering The Valve That Could Cause Air Loss

Even without the caps, the tire won’t lose air, but other elements like dust, water, and mud (which could cause the air loss) could enter the valve.  

Lowering Tire Pressure Is A No-No

Lowering the tire pressure doesn’t help on wet surfaces since it makes the car lock up and skid more. The same thing during summer season as it could flex or bend the tire wall if you do so.

You’ll Need To Increase Pressure During Winter

For every degree the temperature drops the pressure of the tire decreases by 1 PSI. That said, it is advisable to increase the pressure by 2 PSI for every 3 to 4 degree drop.

Tread Pattern Exists To Discharge Water On Wet Surfaces

Not for aesthetics or handling on dry surfaces.

Winter Tires Are Not Just Required On Snow Or Icy Roads

Even without snow or icy roads, if the temperature is below 10 degrees it would be best to be equipped with winter tires too. This keeps the tires from going stiff due to cold.

Air Pressure Should Be Checked Weekly

Tires lose pressure naturally, especially if you drive every day. So it’s best to check as often as weekly and not only when you take it to the car servicing.

Slick Tires Provide Better Grip And Handling Only In Dry Conditions

Yes, slick tires help cars or bikes go faster because they provide better grip and handling on the race track, but that’s only during dry conditions. On the other hand, using such tires on road-going vehicles on a wet surface can be very dangerous.

Essential Things That Should Always Be In Your Car

A driver can bail out of a lot of sticky situations if he plans ahead. More often than not, things go south on you when you think nothing could go wrong. So it pays to hope for the best and plan for the worst, especially on the road. Here are some things that should always be kept in your car for all those just in case moments.  

Tire Gauge

Why allow yourself waste hours trying to fix your tires on the road if it only takes a minute to check how your tire is doing before you leave? The setback could be prevented if you had a tire gauge that will tell you if the tires aren’t properly inflated or they’re too worn out.

Oil

You should have at least a quart or two of oil as emergency supply, especially if your car requires a specific kind of oil. This should help you run your vehicle further in a safe zone when it suddenly stops in the middle of the highway.

Cellphone Charger

You’ll realize the importance of this when you find yourself in a car or road trouble and you can’t contact anyone for help because your phone run out of battery.

Flashlight

Phones these days have flashlights, but it’s still better if you have a stash of a good flashlight that will let you poke under the car or work on a hot engine. Aside from that, we know it provides better lighting compared to your phone.

Flat Tire Fixer

There are situations that changing your tires is not a feasible option even if you have a spare tire. Aside from that, there are cars that don’t have spare tires to begin with due to expenses, space or weight. In case you end up in any of these cases, run-flats or sealant in a can, that’s compatible to your tire type and won’t damage your tire pressure monitoring system once equipped, will save your life.

Booster Cables

These cables helps jump start your car in case you’re stuck with a dead battery. This usually happens when there’s a battery defect, freezing temperature, sometimes even too hot weather, but most of the times due to driving habits. Though booster cables can help, it’s still important that you spare some time to get to the root cause of your car's frequent battery problem.

GPS And Map

Not all cars have built-in navigation system. Therefore you’ll find a map or GPS handy when you are headed somewhere you’re not familiar. This should keep you from going around circles and get to your destination. Don’t be that person who insists on relying on his inner compass, they’re usually the ones who get lost.

Basic First-Aid Kit

Accidents happen more often than you think. Being prepared with basic first-aid kit will let you attend to minor burns or wound. At least, even if help arrives a little late you know you’ll survive. A makeshift blanket and small fire extinguisher should be a part of your kit too.

Food And Water

Convenience stores seem nowhere to be found when you desperately need a drink or bite. Having a stash of bottled water and a couple of biscuits or protein bars will quench your thirst and stop your hunger pangs when you’re stuck in a terrible traffic or you can’t make a stop due to the bad weather.

Insurance Information And Vehicle Registration

Nobody wants to be caught in a collision, but when you’re already there you will surely need both of these. You don’t want to be in a desperate situation and not have legal documents to at least help you with damages and clearing your name, just in case.

Vehicle Scents That You Shouldn’t Ignore

Cars have a natural ‘car smell’ which car owners can all relate to. But there are some scents that you’d smell in a vehicle but should be given more attention to because they could mean danger. The next time you get a whiff of something odd in your car, don’t dismiss it right away! Stop, inspect the source, and take whatever action that needs to be done to fix it.  

Burnt Rubber

When you notice something like this, know that it’s probably the slipping drive belts or misplaced loose hoses that might be rubbing against rotating accessory drive pulley. While it’s vital that you take care of this immediately, do not reach in if the engine is hot. Wait for it to cool down.

Hot Oil

Before anything else, turn off the engine before you check if there’s any leak. Then, you can proceed. If there is actually a leak, you will see oil on the pavement or smoke coming from the engine area.

Gasoline

This smell can cause a driver or even passenger to panic because of the fact that fuel smell is a possible fire hazard. Don’t risk driving your car when you smell this and eliminate the smell as soon as you can, if you don’t know how to, call a car servicing right away.  

Sweet Smell Of Syrup

While it may smell nice, this could actually mean engine coolant is leaking from a component related to car’s cooling system. Just remember not to touch the radiator cup when it’s hot in attempt to check what’s wrong.

Burning Carpet

A scent like this means serious brake trouble that definitely should be attended ASAP! If this happens a lot on a normal driving condition, all the more that you need to get your brakes checked.

Rotten Eggs

No, it’s not the breakfast you tried to eat in your car on the way to work but didn’t get around to. This is usually due to a poor running engine that leads to the catalytic converter not converting hydrogen sulfide in the exhaust to sulfur dioxide properly. 

Ways To Care For Your Tires And Make Them Last Longer

Tires are expensive! And having to replace them more often that they should be isn’t something neither you nor your savings will be happy about. So, to keep you from going bankrupt here are some tips that will keep your priced tires in top shape.

Pay Attention To Your Driving Habits

Do you look out for potholes, road debris, speed bumps and curves? Do you drive like you’re being chased all the time? Often find yourself driving on rough roads maybe? All of these things changes your tires condition which leads to premature damage.

Keep The Load Within The Weight Limit

Gym bag, tools, spare tire, and stash of clothes, snack, and maybe a bag filled with personal belongings for those unexpected out-of-town trip or overnight stay somewhere are some of the reasonable stuffs that can be found in your car. But, try not to fit your entire house in your car. The heavier your car gets, the higher the risks for flats, blowouts, and damage. 

Watch Where You Park

As much as possible, avoid parking on hot asphalt during hot weather, not on gravel or dirt roads when it’s extremely cold either, or leaving your car immobile for weeks or months. These conditions can break down or destroy tires.

Make Sure They’re Properly Inflated

Over inflation and under inflation are bad for your tires. They put unnecessary pressure on your tires which leads to early wear and tear on them.

Proper Rotation Is Important

When you take your vehicle to service shops to have the oil change, have the tires rotated at the same time. This helps prevent uneven wear on your tires.

Don’t Forget To Keep Your Tires Balanced

While you’re at oil change and tire rotation, why not have your tires balanced too? Not only that this ensures smoother ride but also keep tires from improper wear.

Tire Alignment Is Just As Crucial

If you want to maximize the tire tread design, drive a car with better performance, and practically get the most out of your tires, make sure not to pass on tire alignment. This is essential for the drive line components of your vehicle.