5 Must-know thing about DIY Auto Repair

After some time driving that auto with the new car smell, you may just experience your first trouble with your vehicle. We mean a mechanical problem, technical or any matter that caused your vehicle to stop running or somehow a part fails to do its purpose.

When this happens, one would initially think about calling the professionals, a mechanic or someone they know who could do the job. However, you may want to find alternative options especially if your whereabouts is in the middle of nowhere and it's the middle of the night.

Of course who would ever want to get stuck in a situation like that? That is why one should be able to learn basic auto repair servicing on his own vehicle. We don't advise that you get a 6-month course of automobile servicing but knowing how to fix the most common vehicle problems will definitely come in handy.

To help you start, we, in Philkotse.com prepared a collection of the most usual vehicle problems that you can encounter and how to fix them.

1. Problems with the tires

You may have left home with your ride in tip-top shape and everything seemed perfect when you get to your destination. However, it was like lightning when bad luck struck you (or your tires, specifically) when it was time that you needed to head home or perhaps elsewhere. Now there are probably heaps of things you can end up doing or you can fix it yourself by having the right tools and the spare tire.

You can fix your car's tire by having the right tools and the spare tire.

Simply loosen the jug nut with a wrench. Then, lift your car slightly on the part with the affected tire using a jack stand. The next step is to remove the lug nuts followed by the tire. You can now attach the spare tire and use the wrench to put the lug nuts back on again. Remove the jack safely to carefully lower the vehicle and check if everything is packed nice and tight.

2. Problems with the spark plug

The spark plug is responsible for igniting those little sparks that bring your vehicle to life internally. These are mini devices inside the vehicle's cylinder and unfortunately, these can wear out after some time. The best estimate is about 10,000 miles.

The spark plug is responsible for igniting those little sparks that bring your vehicle to life internally.

Replacing the spark plug is quite easy and doesn't require an expert in any field but merely someone with common sense. One only needs to locate the vehicle's spark plug and detach the spark plug wire. After removing the broken spark plug, put the new one in its place and re-attach the wires properly.

3. Problems with the car battery

Name one part of your vehicle that gives up on you in the most inconvenient times. If you answered battery, then we're just about to address your concern. It's terribly inconvenient if you happen to have trouble with your vehicle's battery at an isolated place at a bad time. The best way to relieve situations like these is by giving your car battery a quick check before leaving home and doing the repair and replacement there.

Give your car battery a quick check before leaving home and do the repair and replacement there.

Start by removing any material covering the battery that may hinder a successful battery-replacement procedure. The next step requires the negative wires to be removed as well as the clamp. The positive cable lamp also requires the same procedures. You'll then need to remove the screws safely and put a working (if not new) battery in its place. Finally, it's time to reconnect all the cables you split because of the procedure.

4. Problems with the windshield wipers

Surely we're not alone into thinking that one of the vehicle parts that are most taken for granted are windshield wipers. Not a lot of busy vehicle owners give attention to it until it actually becomes faulty or it finally failed to do what it's supposed to. When it does, you can either spare perhaps a few hundred pesos to get it fixed or start to get to work on it yourself.

Windshield wipers are often neglected by most car owners.

If you decide to proceed with the DIY fix, simply lift the windshield wiper arm and press on a small release button. This will let you take out the wiper arm easily without tugging or so. Get your newly clean and shiny wiper arm and reposition it on the part where you had removed the faulty one and push it in and voila!

5. Problems with the taillights and brake light

Vehicle lights going out can be caused by a variety of reasons. A lot of these reasons don't really matter anymore once you've been caught breaking the law. If you have a broken light or tail light, it's best to give it a resolution immediately. It's not only dangerous for you especially in nighttime and unfamiliar places, as stated earlier it is also against the law and you may end up paying a substantial amount of fine.

If you have a broken light or tail light, it's best to give it a resolution immediately.

If you plan to remediate the matter immediately, then no worries, just simply unscrew the screws that connect the headlight frame to the bracket. After this is done, you can now disconnect the electrical connector and remove your faulty bulb. Get your new and shiny light bulb and put it in place of the broken one, then plug its connectors back on.

It may seem impossible at first but these tasks are actually very doable when one starts performing it. Just make sure that you always pack your set of tools and spare so you're always armed ready to make that necessary repair.