When figuring out your budget, it is easy to forget about the money you need to save for car maintenance and repairs. If you aren’t very handy, it is easy to call up the mechanic and make an appointment. However, that appointment could set you back a couple hundred. Since online shopping has made it easy to order Used GMC truck parts or replacement parts for your automobile, you can save a lot of money if your DIY your own car repairs. Here are few things that you could attempt on your own.
Changing Your Brake Pads
As you will find out, it is actually simple and inexpensive to change out your own brake pads. Heading to a specialty brake shop or the mechanic will cost you an arm and a leg, but with some pliers, basic wrenches, a wheel lug wrench, and some jack stands, you can do on your own (and usually for less than $50). The car and the pad material will impact the cost, but the procedure is pretty basic. You can probably get it done in less than two hours, and that’s even on your first try.
Changing Your Battery
Many people head to the automotive shop with help replacing their battery, but this is one of the easiest of DIY repairs. Your battery can last up to six years, and batteries often have the date stamped on them to help you figure out when it should be changed. Don’t wait until you have problems to replace it since you don’t want to be stranded somewhere without power to the engine. To make the change, you need a basic set of wrenches.
Change Your Oil
Pulling into a quick lube shop can set you back anywhere from $30-$100, especially if you own an expensive imported automobile. The cheaper the oil change, the cheaper the oil, and the more likely something will found that is “wrong” with the car. This is another quick fix that you can do yourself. With the money you save, you can upgrade to high-quality oil and oil filter. In addition to the jack stands and jack, you will need a drain pan for the oil and an oil filter wrench. These items are a one-time purchase that will outlast the life of your car.
These fixes might seem intimidating, but they are some of the easiest maintenance tasks you could try. Stop in at your local automotive store for the parts you need and start saving money on your car repairs.