Maintaining your car can feel daunting, but many essential tasks are surprisingly easy to handle yourself. Not only does do it yourself car auto repair save you money on labor costs at the mechanic, but it also empowers you to understand your vehicle better and ensure its longevity. Here are a few simple car maintenance tasks you can tackle at home.
Keep Your Windows Running Smoothly: Lubricate Window Tracks
Window issues can be more than just an annoyance. If water freezes in your window tracks, it can create resistance when you try to lower or raise the window. This strain can damage the window regulator cables, leading to expensive repairs costing around $300. Fortunately, preventing this is a breeze with some simple do it yourself car auto repair.
Lubricating your window tracks is a quick fix. You’ll need spray silicone or dry Teflon spray lubricant. Lower your car window completely and spray the lubricant directly into both the front and back window tracks. Apply enough lubricant so that it runs down the entire track. After applying, operate the window several times, opening and closing it fully to distribute the lubricant evenly throughout the track. If any spray gets onto the glass, simply use a glass cleaner and a paper towel to wipe it clean. Regular lubrication will keep your windows operating smoothly and prevent costly regulator repairs.
Maintain Optimal Braking: Swap Out Brake Fluid
Brake fluid is crucial for your car’s braking system, and while some manufacturers provide replacement schedules, others don’t. However, brake fluid degrades over time, absorbing moisture which can compromise braking performance and lead to corrosion. While a complete brake fluid flush requires professional equipment, a brake fluid swap is a straightforward do it yourself car auto repair task that can make a noticeable difference. You can even test your brake fluid at home with readily available test strips to determine its condition.
A fluid swap involves replacing a portion of the old brake fluid with fresh fluid. Using a baster (ensure you use a dedicated baster for brake fluid and a separate one for power steering fluid as they are incompatible), draw out the dark, old brake fluid from the reservoir. Dispose of the old fluid responsibly, for example, into a recycling bottle. Then, refill the reservoir with fresh, new brake fluid to the recommended level. Drive your car for about a week to allow the new fluid to mix with the old fluid in the system. Repeat this swap procedure several times over the next few weeks until the fluid in the reservoir maintains a light honey color, indicating fresher fluid throughout the system. Be careful not to draw fluid into the baster bulb itself as brake fluid can damage the rubber.
Ensure Smooth Steering: Change Power Steering Fluid
Similar to brake fluid, power steering fluid also degrades over time and use. Unlike brake fluid, there aren’t readily available test strips for power steering fluid, so relying on manufacturer recommendations or general guidelines (like changing it every two years or 24,000 miles) is advisable. Changing your power steering fluid is another simple do it yourself car auto repair task you can perform at home using the fluid swap method.
Using the turkey baster method as with brake fluid, remove the old power steering fluid from the reservoir while the engine is off. Suck out as much of the old fluid as possible. Refill the reservoir with fresh power steering fluid to the correct level. Start your engine and let it run for about 15 seconds to circulate the new fluid. Repeat the fluid swap procedure, replacing more old fluid with new, until you’ve used most of a quart of new power steering fluid. It’s crucial to only use the power steering fluid type recommended for your vehicle and to avoid using universal fluids or any “miracle” additives or stop-leak products, as these can damage your power steering system and lead to costly repairs.
By undertaking these do it yourself car auto repair tasks, you can proactively maintain your vehicle, prevent expensive problems, and gain confidence in your car maintenance abilities.
