Choosing My Daughter’s First Car

Posted on: 28 June 2018

Today, cars play a critical role in our lives. Actually, it is hard to imagine a life without one. But just like any other machine, cars can fail you. Auto breakdowns usually bring a lot of frustration, especially when they were not expected. Some of these breakdowns require simple auto repair skills, which you can easily do by yourself. Here are five basic auto repair skills every driver should learn.

Changing oil

Checking and changing your vehicle's oil regularly helps to ensure that the vehicle is running smoothly and extends the lifetime of the vehicle's engine. This makes changing oil a critical skill every driver should learn, as it helps maintain the car. However, this skill might be challenging, especially if the drain plug and oil filter cannot be reached easily.

To change a car's oil, you need to remove the drain plug, unscrew the oil filter and then empty it. Next, you put the drain plug and oil filter back and pour fresh oil into the oil filter.

Changing a flat tire

Tires play a very essential role in a vehicle and they tend to go flat, even without a notice. That's why changing a car's flat tire is a lifesaving auto repair skill you should possess if you own a car.

The basic steps of changing a flat tire involve using a wrench to loosen the nuts. Next, use a car jack to lift the vehicle, remove the nuts, and replace the flat tire with a spare tire. Then, wrench the nuts back, lower the vehicle, and ensure that you tighten the nuts before you start driving again.

Changing spark plugs

Anyone who owns a car knows spark plugs and their function. These tiny devices located in the cylinder create sparks in order to ignite the fuel, thus powering your car. However, spark plugs usually wear out and need to be replaced.

Replacing spark plugs is a very simple exercise. You need to locate the spark plugs, detach the wire connected to the spark plugs, remove the defective spark plug, and then replace it with a new spark plug. You will be good to go once you attach the wire back.

Changing a battery

Changing a car's battery is a critical auto repair skills every driver should learn. The steps of changing a car battery are as follows: disconnect both the positive and negative terminals from the battery by removing the screws. Remove the worn-out battery and replace it with a new battery. Then clamp the cables back to the new battery.

Changing car wipers

Windshield wipers should always be maintained, and they should be replaced once they show signs of wearing out. To change wipers, you need to lift the wiper from the windscreen, press the tab to allow you remove the old wiper blade, line up a new blade, and then push it in firmly.

You should know basic auto repair skills, but you should also leave the more complex issues to professionals. If you have an issue you don't know how to deal with, contact an auto repair shop in your area, like Terwood Auto Repair.