You may want to try to fix your own car to save money on repair bills. There are a lot of sites online that give instructions on fixing certain things on your vehicle. There are several things you should be aware of before attempting to do something yourself, especially some of the more difficult repairs.
First, you need to have the proper tools on hand. It does you no good to get into a repair only to find out when the vehicle is half torn down that you are missing an all-important tool, especially if you don’t have another vehicle to go get the tool.
Standard tools you should have on hand before you start any repair include:
Set of standard wrenches
Set of metric wrenches
Set of standard sockets (1/4-inch and 3/8-inch)
Set of metric sockets (1/4-inch and 3/8-inch)
Spark plug socket
Ratchet (1/4-inch and 3/8-inch)
Extensions: 4-inch, 6-inch and 8-inch extensions in ¼-inch size and 3/8-inch size
Small, medium and large Phillips screwdrivers
Small, medium and large common screwdrivers
Pliers
Needle nose pliers
Vise grips
Shop rags
Always print out the instructions especially if you are a beginner. A beginner knows what a wrench is, where to put gas in and how to start the car. A beginner should not try to do any repairs him or herself until s/he gets familiar with the vehicle. A good starting place is changing the air filter and changing the oil.
Learn where things are in your engine, such as all the sensors, the water pump, alternator, spark plugs, coils, wires, intake, fans and filters. You should also know where to find each fluid and how to check the fluids for your vehicle.
