Every car owner has been there. Your car is clearly in need of some TLC, but taking it along to the garage could cost you an arm and a leg.
Plus, you can’t be sure just how long it’s going to take for your car to come home again. And you need it; that’s your one and only form of reliable transport.
So you open up a Youtube video, you follow the instructions on screen, and you think you’ve handled the job just fine with a bit of DIY. Only to turn the engine over and see a whole new bunch of warning lights come on across the dashboard.
Because no, DIY isn’t always an OK thing to do when your car either breaks down or has been flashing an alarm at you. Sometimes you do need a pro to take a look and perform the job properly. It could even be dangerous to run a car that’s only had a DIY fix applied.
As such, let’s go through a quick list of the most common car repair jobs that people run into. And for your convenience, we’ve separated them out into what’s OK to DIY versus what should always be done by a professional.
Repairs That are A-OK to DIY
Let’s start with the positives. Here are the car repairs you’re more than OK to do at home if you’re up for it.
Changing the oil
It’s quite easy to change the oil in a vehicle, just as long as you know you’ve got the right oil in your hand.
Headlight issues
If you’re having trouble with getting your headlights onto full beam, or they just
seem a bit dark no matter the time of day, you can put new headlights in yourself.
It’s best to take a look under the bulb, however, to see if there are any corroded elements that need a wipe off first.
Changing the battery
If the battery isn’t giving as much power as it used to, or it’s gone flat entirely, you can easily pull it out and fit a new one in.
Although, you’ll want to double check it’s been hooked up properly (and that the connectors don’t need any maintenance themselves).
Pro Tip: Keep the manual handy!
It should be in your car at all times anyway, but if a light comes on that you’ve never seen before, see what the manual says.
Repairs You Should Leave to the Professionals
For the rest of the jobs on this list, it really is best to just take your car down to your local mechanic and have them see what’s wrong.
Indeed, these problems are a bit more serious, a lot more dangerous, and could even make your vehicle hard to handle when it’s on the road.
If the fix isn’t done correctly, you could get yourself into an accident.
Anything to do with the brakes
Your brakes are the one thing keeping your car under control when you’re on the road. If there’s a problem, you’re going to need a pro to assess the danger.
Whether the brake pads need changing, or the brake fluids need topping up, or you’re worried that your brake is sticking a little, get to a mechanic ASAP.
A malfunctioning radiator
Radiators are crucial for keeping your engine at the right temperature. If you keep driving while it’s busted – or try to replace the radiator entirely – you could screw over the entire engine system.
You can technically apply temporary fixes to a malfunctioning radiator (including cracking an egg to seal it while you get down to the garage), but you should always have the pros check it out in the end.
Damage to the windscreen
Windscreens are both incredibly strong and incredibly fragile parts of the car, and it’s this delicate balance that means you need an actual mechanic to fix it when damaged.
A chip can very quickly turn into a much bigger crack, and you don’t want that happening while you’re flooring it 80+ down the open road.
A problem with the transmission
Car transmissions can be a real headache. Understanding what’s wrong with the transmission is only half the battle, as this is quite the complex procedure in itself.
And when there’s nothing else to do except get someone who knows what they’re looking at to check it over, that’s the only thing you should do.
If in Doubt, Head to a Mechanic
So, what about those infrequent occasions when something is wrong with your car, but you just can’t quite tell what? Tire treads seem fine, and there’s no check engine light blinking on and off. You can’t find the right online tutorial for the job either.
You’re at your wits end, you can’t find an obvious problem, but the car still has some trouble turning on – or even starts to smell like burning when you’ve been driving for a few minutes.
Well, if you’re in doubt, you should just head on down to your mechanic again!
They’ll be able to get a proper diagnosis done, so you’re not left wondering if your car is going to blow a gasket any time soon.
Get Your Car Repaired and Road-worthy Again
Some car repairs can be DIY-d, and unfortunately, some can’t.
And it’s important to know the difference between these two types of jobs, as you don’t want to end up impacting your car’s performance any further.
You also don’t want to be getting behind the wheel of a vehicle that isn’t safe to drive, and only a mechanic can really tell you if it’s OK to keep operating or not.
So, while the oil changes and battery troubles can be par for the course in your own garage, take anything more in depth down to the local garage and get it seen to.
Remember, while the upfront cost may be high, it’ll save you having to pay ten times as much to try and fix a failed DIY repair!