How to start fixing your own car
Fixing your own car can be a very daunting prospect, especially if you don’t have any previous experience with mechanics. However, if fixing your own car is something you’d like to start doing, here are some of the things you should consider beforehand:
Invest in high-quality tools
It goes without saying that if you want to make any repairs to your car, you should be using high-quality tools to do so. Consider investing in a DeWalt multi tool kit, to begin with, this will stand you in good stead for making minor repairs. Whilst it is crucial to have good tools, don’t go overboard straight away, there is no point investing in a garage full of tools until you have experimented first. As well as the tools themselves, don’t forget about PPE; protective eyewear and heat resistant gloves are useful to have when working on a car.
The tools you need are likely to vary slightly depending on what issue you are trying to solve, the tools that are worth having will become apparent the more repairs you undertake.
Do intensive research
For any car repair, no matter how small, it is very important to do intensive research beforehand. Be sure to get your information and instructions from reliable sources and don’t begin any work until you are confident that you know what you’re doing. It is well worth watching YouTube videos that demonstrate how to make fixes so that you can see them being undertaken first-hand.
Don’t forget to also cross reference with information in your car’s manual before attempting any repairs.
Ask for help
If you are going to start making repairs to your car, you need to be open to asking for help, especially when you first start. Talk with family and friends to see if any of them have experience fixing cars and ask if they’d be willing to assist you with your first few repairs.
They may also be able to advise you on mistakes to avoid and must-dos for completing successful car repairs.
Know when to seek professional services
Before you begin fixing your own car it is very important that you are able to acknowledge that you are going to be unlikely to always make repairs yourself. If you aren’t a trained mechanic, then it is highly probable that there will be some issues that require professional skills and experience to fix.
For safety reasons you should not attempt any major repairs that could impact how the car drives or that puts your or others’ safety at risk.
Make sure to use a trusted, qualified mechanic for any car repairs that you aren’t going to conduct yourself. They may even be able to give you some tips for making further minor repairs in the future.
