Driving in Minnesota takes a toll on your car. Whether it’s winter ice slicks or summer potholes, there are a lot of hazards that can place wear and tear on your vehicle until it needs to be repaired. For major repairs, your first and best option is always to bring your car to a reliable auto repair shop in Minnesota. But for smaller repairs and maintenance, there are some things you can do by yourself to save some money.
Driving in Minnesota takes a toll on your car. Whether it’s winter ice slicks or summer potholes, there are a lot of hazards that can place wear and tear on your vehicle until it needs to be repaired.
For major repairs, your first and best option is always to bring your car to a reliable auto repair shop in Minnesota. But for smaller repairs and maintenance, there are some things you can do by yourself to save some money.
If you’ve never worked on a car before, even the smallest repairs may seem daunting. But if you really want to give it a try, read on to learn some of the most straightforward do-it-yourself car repairs that you can try at home!
5 Easy DIY Car Repairs
- Oil Change – The average car needs an oil change every 5,000 to 7,500 miles, making this one of the most common vehicle maintenance services in Minnesota. If you want to perform an oil change yourself, just buy the appropriate oil and oil filter for your car. Then, find your oil drain plug, drain your old oil, swap out the oil filter and fill up with the new oil. It’s as simple as that!
- Car Battery Replacement – If your car battery dies, you can find yourself stranded in your driveway, in a parking lot or even on the side of the road. While you’ll first need to acquire a new car battery, the actual replacement process is something you don’t necessarily need to go to an auto repair shop in Minnesota for. Grab a wrench and be sure to disconnect the negative cables first. Then, you can disconnect the positive cables and the clamp holding the dead battery in place so that it can be removed. Once it’s out, you can plug in your fresh new battery and get your vehicle moving again.
- Flat Tire Change – Flat tires are a huge inconvenience but changing them isn’t too tough. All you need is a jack, a wrench and a new tire. Once your vehicle has been safely removed from the road, you can jack it up, remove the damaged tire and screw on the new one. Even if you end up needing to have your car towed to your house before you perform these repairs, you can save yourself labor costs by doing it yourself.
- Spark Plug Replacement – Spark plugs play a crucial role in the operation of your car by igniting the combustion needed to get the engine started. If your spark plugs have gone bad on you, your car may struggle to start or not start at all. Thankfully, there’s an easy fix; first, pop your hood and locate your spark plugs, which may be found on the top or the side of your engine. Then, pull out the spent spark plugs and install the new ones, and you should be able to get on the road!
- Engine Coolant Change – A low level of engine coolant is a common culprit for your car’s “Check Engine” light igniting. Engine coolant is vital to preserving the temperature of your engine, and should be changed every 30,000 to 50,000 miles. If you want to confirm low engine coolant is responsible for this irksome light coming on, try connecting a digital diagnostic reader to your vehicle’s OBD port. Once you’ve confirmed the problem, it’s as simple as draining the bad fluid and pouring in new coolant.
Need a More Advanced Auto Repair in Minnesota?
While these simpler car repairs can be performed easily enough in your own garage, any more advanced vehicle repairs and maintenance should be left in the hands of skilled mechanics. Give Arvu Auto a call today for the best vehicle repair and maintenance services in the West Minneapolis metro!
