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Frightened of the mechanic’s bill? You’re not alone. Many vehicle owners fear taking their cars in to get worked on because of the big numbers that can result.
The good news is that there’s actually a lot that you can do at home to maintain your vehicle as it ages. Some relatively minor jobs can keep your car, truck or SUV in much better condition and save you a lot of money in terms of the total cost of ownership over the years.
Here are some of the top suggestions from our auto experts on how to effectively ‘be your own mechanic’ and help with preventative vehicle care from the comfort of your own home or wherever you have space to work on your set of wheels.
Oil Changes
When it comes to elective routine maintenance, oil changes should be at the top of any list. If you’re not going to pay a mechanic to do these on a very routine schedule, you should absolutely do them yourself.
The oil change is fairly simple. There’s just one major rule—always check and double check to make sure that there is no oil leak after you’ve completed the procedure. That includes threading the new filter on correctly, not over-tightening and replacing the drain pan bolt as well as the top cover. Regardless of whether you do the oil change or whether the mechanic does it—if everything is not in good shape at the end, you can lose oil and fry your engine! Also, try to avoid bottoming out on uneven roadways, where you can smash your drain pan and leave oil leaking all over the road.
Keep Up on Tire Pressure
Underinflated tires can wear improperly and become unsafe more quickly. In that case, you’ll have to shell out for a whole new set, which can be hundreds of dollars.
Checking tire pressure is a simple thing to do and a major part of routine maintenance. Mechanics may do it at the shop, but if you do it yourself, you’re more likely to prevent unusual wear—the kind that can void warranties. You can also lower the chances of some kinds of dangerous road accidents.
Wipers and Fluids
Always check for problems with your windshield wipers during icy or wet seasons. Another thing you can do is perform a routine check for all of your fluids—not just engine oil, but transmission fluid, wiper fluid, coolant and power steering fluid. Top off as necessary and if you can catch a small leak before it develops, you’ll be saving hundreds of dollars that you would’ve spent at the shop.
Basic Code Checks
Here’s another tip for newer engines…
Any vehicle made in the last 10 years or so is going to have a battery of new electronic codes related to engine health and the exhaust system, for starters.
Now, it’s often necessary for a professional mechanic to read those codes with a high-dollar machine to really effectively know what’s wrong with the vehicle and what the code represents. But that doesn’t prevent you from doing a simple on-the-street code check with OBD2 scanners and starting to get to know what type of problem you’re dealing with if your check engine light comes on.
Some auto parts stores offer a free basic engine code check. You may not get the specific diagnosis that you need, but you’ll be able to start narrowing down the problem and learning more about your vehicle in the process. Mechanics often respect when you come to them already knowing some of the information about a check engine light, and it can actually translate to financial savings if you don’t require the mechanic to start from scratch on the diagnosis.
Check Serpentine Belt
The serpentine belt may or may not be something that you personally feel comfortable replacing. Either way, though, you can check for dry rot and have a heads-up if your serpentine belt is aging and may need to be replaced down the road. The same goes for brake pads—if you have disc brakes and you hear that squeaking sound, it means that your brake pads are going to need to be replaced. Whether you take it to your local shop or elect to do this relatively minor work yourself is up to you, but only tackle it if you’re sure you can do it safely because you have a lot riding on your brakes!
Any of these types of routine maintenance can help you to protect your investment in your vehicle. Think about what you can do at home to keep your vehicle safely and legally on the road. Some preventative tips really work to optimize how you drive your car and give you more time in between mechanic visits.