Auto Repair and Maintenance Tips (DIY)

If you have a car then it is important to keep a check on your car’s health. It means you are visiting auto repair shops now and then. But visiting auto repair shops means spending more money but at the same place important. In this blog post, we will try to save your precious money by giving you tips for your auto repair at your home.

Changing air Filter

Your car needs a new air filter after 12000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes first. There are two ways to change it, first is to visit an auto repair shop and hand over your car to them for a whole or you can change it at home by giving 10 to 15 minutes of your time. The steps below will guide you on how you can change your car air filter at home.

1. The first step is to spot the air filter under the hood of your car. It is a black rectangular shape box clipped with metal clips on its side.
2. After removing the clips and upper casing spot the air filter
3. Make sure to note the exact position of the filter
4. Remove used air filter and put the new one in the same place as the old one
5. At the end close the lid and make sure close the clips as well

That’s it you just changed your car air filter and saved some bucks in the process.

Related Post: HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR CAR RIMS WHEN IT IS PARKED FOR A LONG TIME

Changing the spark plugs

Most of the cars need to replace the spark plugs after 30,000 miles but it may vary from car to car. You just need to set aside some time and exercise patience. You will need a ratchet or socket wrench, 12″ socket extension, spark plug socket. This can be done all by yourself, you just have to spare a few minutes. But you need to do so in the following specific order.

1. Locate your spark plugs; they are attached to thick rubber wires under the hood.
2. There might be four, six, or eight in number, depends on how many cylinders your vehicle has.
3. First, remove the wire from the first spark plug only. Avoid removing all the wires at once. Make sure to note the order the wires are attached to the plugs
4. The first spark plug can be removed by using the spark plug socket and extension on the
5. Now place the new spark plug, tight it first by hand, and then by the wrench. But don’t over-tight it
6. Re-attach the wires with a plug.

Battery maintenance

If you want your car to run smoothly and efficiently then you might want to have a good battery. Only a couple of bits of crunchy white buildup on the posts can shield your vehicle from the beginning. A basic visual check of the state of your battery will disclose to you when you have to play out this cycle.

1. First of all remove the terminal of your battery, which should be an easy process for your straightforward process. It’s important to the negative cable first. . If they’re stuck, use a flathead screwdriver to loosen them.
2. Clean the posts. Some state Coca-Cola will work, and it does, however, we recommend utilizing a more expert person from your nearby auto repair store. Remember that a large portion of these solutions is simply baking soda and water, so in case you’re feeling very economical, don’t hesitate to make your cleaner. Apply the liquid to the posts, and clean overwhelmingly with your wire brush.
3. Clean the fluid with tap water.
4. After this make sure to dry the posts.
5. Replace battery terminals.

Fix Leather and Vinyl Tears

Most of the auto repair shops charge up to $200 to fix leather and vinyl tears. You can do it all by yourself in a couple of hours with a leather and vinyl repair kit (it costs less than $20) from any auto repair store. You need a little bit of practice to get the right mix of colors otherwise it might not be a perfect match, but it’s better than roaming around with torn seats.

1. First, start gluing reinforcing the fabric o the underside of the torn leather or vinyl
2. After that mix the fabric color heat-set filler to match and apply it on the tear.
3. Then, find a textured mat that is the same color as the vinyl or leather texture (Try the closest match) and place it o the liquid filler.
4. Use a clothes iron to heat the patching tool and then press it on the textured mat.
5. In the end, remove the patching tool, but leave the textured mat in place until the patch cools. Then peel it off.

There you go you just DIY your torn vinyl or leather.

 Bonus Trick (For emergencies only)

You are running late and cannot find your windshield scraper in the car?  You can use salt water to scrape ice from the windshield of your car. Road salt blended in with some water will eliminate the thin layer of ice when the temperature plunges under 32 degrees F. And afterward utilize your wipers to drive the slush away. Since salt isn’t good for your vehicle, utilize this strategy in an extreme emergency.

Conclusion

It is important to maintain your car and for that, you will have to visit auto repair shops. Instead of spending money and lose your car for a whole day, you can do the basic auto repair by yourself. But make sure you have all the tools for the DIY. If you have a problem you should consult a professional auto repair person. At Elite Albany we can take care of your wheel repair and rim repair services. We also provide on-site rim repair services, which include on-site wheel repair and rim repair service. If you are looking to replace your car wheels or rims you should visit our services at Factory Wheel Warehouse.

Also Read: Tips to increase life of your car wheels