Owning a car is a huge responsibility. For one thing, some people save money for years before they can even think about buying their own car, and then there's the work involved in maintaining your vehicle. For the most part, a local garage can do the major repair work for you, but what happens when you encounter a problem on the road? Here are four basic car repairs that anyone who drives should be able to do themselves:
(1) Jump-starting a car. €" Everyone has encountered a car that won't start. Most of the time, a jump-start will work to at least get you to a garage where you can have your engine checked. Keep a set of jumper cables in your trunk and learn how to jump-start a car properly.
(2) Changing a flat tire. €" Again, this is something that everyone encounters at one point or another. Make sure you have all the proper tools to change a flat tire and keep them in your vehicle at all times. For women, there are hydraulic jacks that don't require as much strength as the standard jacks that most vehicles come with. Changing a tire is a fairly simple process once you know what you're doing. Check the Internet for tutorials and videos to help you learn the basics.
(3) Reading the gauges and warning lights on your dashboard. €" Today's vehicle manufacturers have tried to make it easier for people to prevent major damage to their vehicles by placing indicator lights in the dashboard of your vehicle. Read your owner's manual and find out what each of these lights mean. It could go a long way towards finding out what's wrong with your car.
(4) Checking fluid levels and topping them up. €" Your car needs oil, brake fluid, coolant, transmission fluid, and other fluids in order to run properly. Know where each of these fluid reservoirs is located in your car and learn how to check their levels. Keep a spare bottle of engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, and transmission fluid in your vehicle in case you need to top up these fluids on the go.
You should also have the number of a local tow truck service or a garage in case of emergencies. The local garage that will be doing most of the major repairs and maintenance work on your car should be one that you trust especially if you don't know much about engines. Also, have your own source for Japanese car parts. You can save money by buying the parts yourself and then having your local garage replace the broken part for you.
(1) Jump-starting a car. €" Everyone has encountered a car that won't start. Most of the time, a jump-start will work to at least get you to a garage where you can have your engine checked. Keep a set of jumper cables in your trunk and learn how to jump-start a car properly.
(2) Changing a flat tire. €" Again, this is something that everyone encounters at one point or another. Make sure you have all the proper tools to change a flat tire and keep them in your vehicle at all times. For women, there are hydraulic jacks that don't require as much strength as the standard jacks that most vehicles come with. Changing a tire is a fairly simple process once you know what you're doing. Check the Internet for tutorials and videos to help you learn the basics.
(3) Reading the gauges and warning lights on your dashboard. €" Today's vehicle manufacturers have tried to make it easier for people to prevent major damage to their vehicles by placing indicator lights in the dashboard of your vehicle. Read your owner's manual and find out what each of these lights mean. It could go a long way towards finding out what's wrong with your car.
(4) Checking fluid levels and topping them up. €" Your car needs oil, brake fluid, coolant, transmission fluid, and other fluids in order to run properly. Know where each of these fluid reservoirs is located in your car and learn how to check their levels. Keep a spare bottle of engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, and transmission fluid in your vehicle in case you need to top up these fluids on the go.
You should also have the number of a local tow truck service or a garage in case of emergencies. The local garage that will be doing most of the major repairs and maintenance work on your car should be one that you trust especially if you don't know much about engines. Also, have your own source for Japanese car parts. You can save money by buying the parts yourself and then having your local garage replace the broken part for you.