The secret to the longevity of any vehicle is regular maintenance. Preventative maintenance will also save you money in the long run. Reduce your fuel consumption simply by ensuring your ignition coil is working properly and that your tyre pressure is correct. It’s the little things in life that make all the difference. Learn how to check your engine oil and it’s efficiency. Or how to increase your safety by replacing your old windscreen wiper blades.
The secret to the longevity of any vehicle is regular maintenance. Preventative maintenance will also save you money in the long run. Reduce your fuel consumption simply by ensuring your ignition coil is working properly and that your tyre pressure is correct. It’s the little things in life that make all the difference. Learn how to check your engine oil and it’s efficiency. Or how to increase your safety by replacing your old windscreen wiper blades.
- How to check and change your engine oil
- An easy guide to change your car’s air filter
- Give your car the best head start and change the ignition coil
- Under pressure: get your tyre pressure just right
- Replace your windscreen wiper blades in these few easy steps
- Advance your DIY skills on your car – try these techniques
Some of the most common vehicle maintenance tasks are easy to tackle at home. With a little preparation, you can do them yourself. More complicated tasks should be trusted to the professionals, particularly if they require special tools. When it comes to electrical faults, it’s best to take your car to a workshop where they can run a diagnostic using their advanced software and repair the problem. Brakes are another repair you should not take on without any prior experience – after all, it’s your safety at stake. And even though you can change a tyre, it can be faster and relatively cheap to take your car into a workshop where they have professional garage equipment.
If you think that there is nothing left for you to do, don’t worry. There are plenty more basic car checks that you can do yourself with your DIY tools. You can check and change the oil, regularly check your tyre pressure and change your air filter in your own workshop. Here are our five basic car maintenance checks you can do to keep your car purring like a kitten.
How to check and change your engine oil
- Locate the oil tank and dipstick under the hood.
- Check oil level when the engine is cold.
- Clean the dipstick, reinsert it, and check the oil level, ensuring it’s between minimum and maximum marks.
- Top up oil if needed, choosing the correct type for your car.
- Regularly change oil and filter as per your logbook.
- Oil changes can be done by a mechanic for convenience and proper disposal of old oil.
An easy guide to change your car’s air filter
- Consult your car’s service logbook for the correct air filter type.
- Locate the air filter box under the bonnet; refer to the car’s manual if needed.
- Unscrew the box, remove the old air filter, and clean the area with a vacuum or damp cloth.
- Place the new filter in the box, intuitively fitting it into place.
- Retighten the screws on the box.
Give your car the best head start and change the ignition coil
- Locate the ignition coil near the cylinder block or spark plugs.
- Remove the cable caps leading to the spark plugs, labeling them for correct reattachment.
- Disconnect the electrical connection by loosening the clip and pulling it off.
- Loosen screws to remove the faulty coil and inspect ignition cables for damage.
- Clean and spray with Air Intake Cleaner.
- Install the new coil using original screws and specified torque.
- Reattach spark plug cable caps in the correct order and reconnect the electric connector.
Under pressure: get your tyre pressure just right
Tread and pressure are the most important maintenance factors on your cars tyres. The pressure ensures your safety on the road. If it is too low, your fuel consumption can also increase.
Check your manual to find out your vehicles optimum tyre pressure. Then unscrew the cap from your tyres air valve and connect the tyre pressure gauge firmly onto the valve. If it makes a sound, readjust your connection until the noise disappears. Press lightly to increase or decrease the pressure until your tyre pressure matches that of your manual. Disconnect and close the cap and repeat on each wheel.
Replace your windscreen wiper blades in these few easy steps
Don’t put up with smears across your windscreen, just replace your windscreen wipers yourself and enjoy the clear view of the rainy roads. Windscreen wiper maintenance is relatively simple and can easily be done as a DIY project.
Make sure to check that the wiper blades are the correct size for your car. It’s recommended to take the old ones off as a comparison. Once you pull out the wiper, the blade should slide right off. Then you can slide your new blade on just as easily.
Advance your DIY skills on your car – try these techniques
If you are wondering where you stand on the DIY spectrum, these projects should be a good gauge. At the very least you can save some money and do it yourself. You never know it may spark your interest in doing more advanced maintenance yourself, such as an oil change. So what are you waiting for? Try these techniques out today!
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