Alongside our homes, cars are perhaps the biggest thing that we will spend money on during our lifetimes. Whether it is the cost of buying them outright or paying for them each month on a hire deal, they can end up being a serious investment. Of course, for car lovers, this is not an issue as having a great-looking vehicle to enjoy driving around in is cool. Not only that, but they also serve a very practical purpose in helping us get from A to B in our daily lives.
As with everything in life though, it is always nice to save a few dollars where possible. One area where this is very achievable in relation to cars is caring for them. Obviously, we are not talking about major work here that needs a qualified mechanic to safely complete but simple care jobs that anyone can do at home.
Taking the time to find out how to carry out some basic car maintenance tasks and making the decision to do them yourself will save you a lot of money in the long term. With popular sites such as YouTube now carrying videos on how to do almost anything and the internet providing many informative articles on car care, there has never been a better time to have a go yourself.
Just what are the best jobs you could do to look after your car at home and save money on paying others to do them?
Get rid of scratches and scrapes
Scratch repair is certainly something that you could do yourself to save money – Revive Scratch Repair by shinearmor.com is a great product to use to achieve this. This simple-to-use car detailing gel is safe to apply by hand with a microfiber cloth and will instantly restore your car’s bodywork. Once rubbed in, all that is left behind is a cool grape scent and a shiny, glossy finish. Compared to having this job done at a garage or service center, handling it yourself with products like this is much, much cheaper while still giving the same results.
Fit a new air filter
Although air filters do not cost much, this can soon add up after you have paid your local garage to change it. To save yourself some serious money in the future, take the time to learn how to change it yourself. Usually, this will be every 12,000 miles or every 12 months, depending on which comes first. The filter is normally found in a black rectangular box under the hood. Changing it is as simple as taking out the old one and putting the new one in its place. If you struggle to find your filter, then it is best to head to YouTube for a more hands-on explanation that you can engage with visually.
Battery care
One of the simplest car care jobs you can do at home to save money and time is looking after your battery. While you do need to be careful here due to the charges involved, basic tasks can be done to keep it in shape and your car starting well. You would first need to remove the battery terminals – make sure to do the negative first. Next, clean the posts on the battery with suitable cleaning fluid and a wire brush. Afterwards, just rinse with clean water and dry off before putting the terminals back. As with fitting a new air filter, this is not a big job in terms of any supplies needed, but it will save you paying out lots in labor to your garage.
Changing spark plugs
When you begin to learn more and carry out car maintenance jobs yourself, you will be amazed by how confident you become. Changing spark plugs might sound scary, but if done in the correct way, it is achievable at home. This is usually needed after about 30,000 miles, but it is worth checking the owner’s manual for your vehicle to be sure. The key thing to remember is that you need to change the spark plugs one at a time and in a set order. Once you remove one spark plug from its wire, install the new one and then reattach before moving on. It is also worth remembering not to overtighten the new plugs when fitting them.
Save yourself serious money on car care
As the above shows, there are some pretty easy jobs you can do at home to save money with car care. The small investment you may have to make in parts or products will certainly be offset by the amount you save in not paying your local garage to do the work! As time goes on, you will start to get more confident with car maintenance and find more tasks you can handle safely to save money.
Tags: car maintenance
