Lots of people would like to know how to do basic repairs and maintenance on their own car, whether to save money on repairs, help your car to hold its value, or just to understand how the car works a little better. There will always be times when you need a professional, but there are ways to learn the basics yourself.
Don’t be Intimidated by Car Repairs
For some people, repairing a car can seem like an impossible task. Taking a quick look under the hood is enough to have most people running to their nearest Auto Repair Shop, instead of trying to fix the problem themselves.
Of course, beginners should never attempt to make any complicated car repairs such as fixing engine problems themselves and should see a mechanic. Tackling repairs you aren’t ready for can be both dangerous and end up costing you more in the long run. However, if you can learn some basic car maintenance and know-how to repair some common issues, these are useful skills to have. It will also reduce expensive visits to mechanics for easy tasks like having the oil, spark plugs or battery changed.
Start Learning Basic Car Repair Skills
A total beginner will need to start from scratch and this can seem frightening. The best way to learn is to be brave, get under the hood and take a ‘hands-on’ approach. If you know someone who knows about cars and confidently carries out their own repairs, ask to help them out. Learning by doing is one of the most effective ways of getting to grips with the basics. Ask to help with maintenance tasks and to fix basic engine problems and these skills will soon become second nature.
Carry Out Car Repair Research on the Internet
Just about anything can be found online, and car repairs are no different. There are plenty of websites that cover car repairs and maintenance, and just as many YouTube videos. These sites have step-by-step tutorials, easy-to-follow videos, and forums where beginners can ask questions and get advice about their repair tasks. The advice is often in-depth, easy to understand, and is a very affordable, if not free, way to learn the basics and even some more complex car repair skills.
Learn Car Maintenance through Local Colleges
Night classes at a local college are another effective and reasonably cheap way to learn some of the basics of car maintenance and repair. Colleges will teach their students the basics up to some more advanced skills. Technical colleges have well-equipped workshops and will have everything they need to teach you practical skills rather than only the theory. Searching on the internet should help you to find courses in your local area in vehicle repair and maintenance. Part-time car maintenance courses could include working towards a diploma or just be for fun and to learn something new.
Learn By Reading the Car Manuals
Car manuals that were written by companies like Haynes are one of the most popular and common ways to learn some car maintenance and repair skills. Car manuals can be found for any type of car and should include a step-by-step guide to the most common engine and bodywork issues. Companies like Haynes also often have accompanying DVDs that act as a visual guide for an easier way to learn. The advantage of this method is that you can take as much time as you need to when working on your new skills. Some car manufacturers will also supply manuals and common troubleshooting problems on their websites.
Rent Garage Space and Tools to Conduct Repairs
A lot of garages now rent out some of their workshop space and tools to customers for very low prices. The equipment that is available for hire might include ramps to lift cars and any of the tools needed to carry out basic tasks. At least a basic level of car maintenance skills will be needed if you want to do this. When you compare the cost of hiring space against the prices charged by mechanics for simple jobs this could be a good deal.
With the average cost of car repairs going up all the time, it is cost-effective to learn some simple car repair skills. Once these skills have been learned they can last you forever and could majorly cut the cost of maintaining your car. With self-service garage space and tools available to rent it has never been easier to put those newly acquired repair skills into use.
