Most men, women, and some dogs have all had the same thought while at a mechanic’s shop. They all wonder if they could be doing what they are paying the mechanic to do. Well, in a lot of cases the answer is no. But there are enough cases where a layman can do it themselves that it is worth mentioning.
So, here are three forms of maintenance you can do on your car without paying a mechanic.
• Inflate Your Tires
This is a simple one, but it can save you from dealing with many problems in the future. It is always surprising just how many issues spring from under-inflated tires. Where you will usually find issues is when one of your tires is more worn out than the other. This can cause your axel to lose alignment, making your car veer.
That is a worst-case scenario, but it can be avoided by keeping your tires evenly inflated. Inflating your tires will also help with your gas mileage, which saves you money in a much more immediate way.
• Check Your Air Filter
Air filters are funny because everyone thinks they know what they do. The general perception is that air filters filter the air coming into the cabin of the car. It is, obviously, true that air filters filter air. But the air they filter is not going into the cabin, but the engine. The engine is a combustion engine and needs air to combust.
Check this air filter to make sure it is in good condition and change it out if it is not. This will keep your engine running well, as cleaner air going into your engine means that your engine will get less dirty and have an easier time creating the combustion it needs in order to operate efficiently.
• Check Your Hoses
The hoses of your car are usually the sneakiest things to lose functionality in the car. If a hose in your fuel line, for instance, is having trouble maintaining pressure, or even if it has sprung a leak, you might not know until the problem becomes serious. This is why checking these things is an important preventative measure.
Imagine that you have a ruptured hose in your fuel line. There will be a leak of fuel, perhaps a small one, that creates a pool of gasoline under your car. Well, you will only be able to see that gas once you move your car. And since you usually move your car while going somewhere, you are unlikely to see that pool of oil.
The same thing can happen with your car’s coolant hoses. Coolant can be even worse to lose than gas. A problem in your gas line affects fuel efficiency. A problem in your coolant system affects engine temperature. This can lead to an overheat in your engine, which can potentially destroy your car.
These are just a few ways to maintain your vehicle without any training. Just remember that if you run into a problem that you cannot solve it is often better to trust it to an expert than try to do it yourself. So, be safe.