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Five simple DIY vehicle maintenance hacks to help you make big savings
- Replacing air filters Air filters prevent particles in the air from entering the engine's cylinders. Clogged filters will hurt your car’s power and mileage. Replacing air filters is a quick fix. Just open the bonnet, loosen the screws around the air filter housing, open the air filter housing, replace the filter and tighten the screws again.
- Changing wipers Try to change your rubber wiper blades every year. It's extremely cheap to replace your wiper blades and takes only a few minutes. Just make sure you order the right size of rubber blades for your wiper - then just grip the wiper, slide out the old and install the new. On most cars you only have to push a tab on the wiper stalk to detach a blade.
- Changing the battery For failing batteries, a dealer replacement can cost several times the price of the battery itself. All you need is a basic toolkit with wrenches. Unfasten the battery holder and remove any screws and lift the battery out, then put in a new one and re-fasten the holder and tighten screws. Just remember to remove the negative cable first when removing the battery, and to replace the negative cable last when installing it.
- Oil changes An oil change is a simple DIY procedure. Wait at least an hour or so after switching off the engine and make sure the engine has cooled completely. All you need is a jack stand, an oil filter wrench and a drain pan, plus a funnel and a can of new oil. From under the car, unscrew the drain plug, drain old oil, then replace the drain plug. From the bonnet, remove the old oil filter with an oil filter wrench. Lubricate the rubber gasket on the new oil filter with new motor oil, fill the new oil filter halfway with new oil, and screw it in – then simply fill the engine with new oil.
- Tyre overhaul Just like changing a flat tyre, you can also install a full new set of tyres if your existing tyres become worn or damaged (you can measure tyre tread by inserting a coin into the grooves and seeing how deep it goes – do it when the tyres are new and compare as they get older). You can get the tyres balanced and aligned later from a good service centre.
