Need some help on how to teach yourself to fix your own car?
Here are some extremely helpful videos to help you maintenance your own car this weekend.
Everyone can have different reasons for servicing their own car, maybe to save money, or make sure it’s being done properly, or just to learn something new.
When you want to DIY your car maintenance it can be helpful to learn from someone who explains it clearly, and shows you step-by-step.
What to do if you can’t afford to fix your car?
If you have reached a chapter in your life that you cannot afford take your car somewhere for a service, why not learn to fix your own car?
Often buying the parts yourself and avoiding the charge of paying another person to do it can save you quite a bit of money.
Here are the top “How To” videos on fixing your own car for the most common service needs.
How To Change Your Own Oil
How To Change Any Car Fluid
Maybe you need to change your wiper fluid, engine oil, etc… all in one weekend?
This is your go to video multiple services on your own car with common tools at home.
How to change:
- Oil
- Transmission Fluid
- Coolant
- Power Steering Fluid
- Brake Fluid
- Differential Fluid
- Transfer Case Fluid
- Grease
- Washer Fluid
How To Fix a Flat Tire on Your Own
Have you arrived to the situation you need to change your own tire?
Or maybe you wanna practice before you come across this situation sometime?
Watch how easy it is to fix your own flat tire!
How To Change Your Own Wiper Blades
Remember, cars have different windshields wiper blade sizes and pairings.
Check and measure what yours are before buying new ones, or just bring in the old set with you.
Wondering what kind are the best to buy? The New York Times did an extensive 2020 article just about wiper blades.
Best DIY Auto Repair Websites [Top 3 Picks]
Needing a bit more information?
Here are our top 3 picks for DIY auto repair websites to help you service your own car.
Udemy Course
For under $40 you can take an online car maintenance course from home and learn all you might need to know about taking care of your own car.
Barry Bertollini has had over 1300 students and rating of over 4.5 stars for his online course.
Add years to the life of your car and save money to keep in your wallet by learning to service your own car.
AutoMD
AutoMD is great website filled with “How to” Guides for car care as well as many videos for fixing other car issues.
Their website has a great menu layout for helping you find the exact information you need to solve your car issue.
Auto Repair for Dummies
Did you know they have a website as well as the book “Auto Repair for Dummies”?
Another resource for finding a step by step guide to specific auto issues whether they be checking the air in your tires, checking you transmission fluid, or other issues.
Car Repairs You Should Not DIY
- Brakes
- Windshield
- Timing Belt
- Transmission
- Head Gasket
Brakes
These are an essential safety component of your car, and not something you want to DIY if you don’t know what you are doing.
It’s not necessarily a hard thing to fix, but it is something you DON’T want to get wrong or it could have dire consequences.
If you want to learn to fix your own brakes, learn from a professional source locally in person.
Windshield Repair
Again, another big safety component of your vehicle, and if the fix goes wrong it could get costly replacing the whole windshield.
What could have been a $60 – $80 fix of a chip or crack, can turn into a $500 job if the whole windshield ends up needing to be replaced.
This is one DIY that can end up costing you money instead of saving you money very quickly.
Timing Belt
It is a part of your car that will eventually need to be replaced, they don’t last forever.
The timing belt is an essential part of your engine, and not in an easy to reach place by any means.
Taking part of your engine apart and then remembering how to put it back together is not something the Average Joe or Joanne really wants to be doing.
As some of the other things on this list, if it goes wrong…you will costing yourself a LOT of money in potential repairs.
Transmission
It’s big, it’s heavy, and expensive….and it’s complicated.
Not something you really want to willingly try and DIY, and if it goes wrong you are easily into the thousands in repairs.
This is one part of the car that is also best left to the professionals.
Head Gasket
A critical component of your engine, and a very expensive repair at the best of times.
Professionals can take a week or two to learn how to repair this under the instruction of a professional mechanic.
As an Average Joe or Joanne it is not something you are going to be able to teach yourself adequately.
If you don’t get it right you could do permanent engine damage, just leave this one to the professionals.
Factory Service Manual is Your BFF
No matter what you are repairing, it’s a great idea to have your car’s factory service manual with you.
This manual will have the specific information you will need to carry out many repairs.
All of the exact specifications for your make and model vehicle are included in this manual, as well as it might have a “How to” included for fixing the area of concern on your specific car.
Despite cars having most of the same “stuff” inside, they are not all in the same places. So referring to your manual will make the job a lot smoother.
You Can Do It!
Don’t give up the first moment it gets hard.
Go ahead, say a few foul words get grumpy, grab a drink. Clear your head for 20 minutes, and then try again.
Learning new things can take time, so don’t expect to get it done in record time your first go.
You’ll get better at doing it yourself each time.
Take some tips on preparing yourself before the weekend, and then give it a good go!
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My dad taught me how to change my oil at a young age. I’m one of the few girls I know that can change their own oil.
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.