It is widely accepted that do-it-yourself car repair can save the vehicle owner a great deal of money. Since a car is regarded as an essential asset, doing-it-yourself repairs can yield great personal satisfaction to an amateur mechanic.
Due to the complex nature of sophisticated components, I would always recommend getting a professional to take a look. However, there are some simple fixes which can be accomplished by an amateur mechanic at home.
The first thing you need for DIY car maintenance is an effective toolkit. Beginners should start from easy areas such as air filters and brake pads, before taking larger projects such as replacing tires or breaking down and resurrecting wheels.
Basic Tools
DIY autoworkers will have a need to keep a certain allocation of their toolboxes dedicated to tools to repair their own vehicle – ranging from screwdrivers, wrenches, socket sets and ratchets to the likes. Without these they can’t access key componentry.
Begin with a good quality set of impact sockets, shallow and deep sizes and extension lengths, and the impact bits needed to get the job done. For that inevitable time when a bolt simply refuses to loosen, you’ll want at least one hex or Allen in addition to an adjustable wrench or two, which can help you snip off stuck or slack bolts or screws on suspension pieces. A pair of either maybe included in a set like this. Great for pinching wires or snipping loose bolts and screws.
A voltmeter or multimeter – an indispensable tool in every mechanic’s arsenal – measures voltage and current to help diagnose electrical issues. You will also want a jumper box to jump-start a disabled battery or inflate a flat quickly, and a hand-held OBD reader, which fits into your car’s onboard diagnostic port to reset its Check Engine light, if you’re unsure of its issue.
Tools for Electrical Fixes
Tools in a garage can either mean the difference between providing a simple oil change and an extensive overhaul, or a frustrating end to your DIY mechanic dreams. Any DIY mechanic will know that having a sturdy socket set along with a ratcheting wrench is crucial; but a wet/dry vacuum cleaner, although an optional extra, might soon become the most valuable tool your garage can offer when it comes to removing grease, oil and other residue from hard-to-reach areas in your car.
Needle-nose or side-cutting pliers will help you get where traditional pliers won’t, and they’ll also allow you to more easily turn wires than regular pliers will. A multimeter has enormous potential for diagnosing bad switches, testing batteries and finding hot wires.
Make sure you at least have a vehicle jack to get under the car in an accessible place and avoid a strained back, or damaging your concrete driveway (and the car itself). Then have a good 15 to 20 minutes before you get started, and assemble some tools for the occasion. Dead blow hammers for those stuck bolts, zip ties to bundle and hold wires and cables in place, deadlift hammers for nuts and bolts that just don’t want to move, and zip ties to hold wiring away from moving parts, and better yet, keep your hands away from any moving parts while you continue other critical work to get back on the road.
Tools for Brakes
They can seem trivial, but very few things in a car are more important to your safety than brakes, so it’s crucial that they work well. With a bit of DIY mechanic’s knowledge and tools, many brake problems can be easily fixed yourself: that’s knowledge you don;t just need in an ‘Ian’s’ garage, but it could also save you time and money out at the repair shop.
Brake Repair Tools
Other handy tools for brake repair are an Allen wrench set, c-clamp (or vise grip or some other good-quality pliers for this task), brake bleeder kit to release air from the hydraulic system, and two lug nuts (or a lug wrench) through which you can snug up or loosen your wheel lug nuts.
Assuming you will be buying a new set of replacement brakes or rotors, you will also need a jack and set of jack stands to lift and support the vehicle while doing the brake job. A better-quality service jack is recommended as it will last much longer than an emergency jack that came with most vehicles.
Tools for Tires
It is not much difficult to fix brakes and wheels at home and it can help you to spend less money, especially if you are beginner. Doing it at fixing it yourself at home could be cheaper than workshop repair especially when choosing to fix it by yourself
Such indispensable accessories comprise of a 2-in-1 tire iron (to remove wheel covers which can bear the imprinting of a hammer slam sometimes, also a chisel to split them incorrectly) as well as an own wrench for the screws of your car – include your stock bolts and an X shaped one incorporating 3-4 assorted sizes – not forgetting about the jack stands that can offer you not only security and tranquility when working under your car but also up on and above it.
Other helpful gear for tire maintenance and repair is a tyre pressure gauge so you can keep your gas mileage and tread lifespan up; zip ties come in handy as an organising tool – they make bundling cables and wires together tidy and quick, and easy to access the specific bundle you need; penetrating oil and other lubricants can be helpful for cleaning and maintenance, and for quick emergency repairs; and gloves help protect your hands from metal grating and rough edges as you repair.
