The basic repairs which every car owner should know thoroughly and be able to execute are:
1. How to replace a car's battery.
2. How to add additional brake fluid.
3. How to change the engine oil.
4. How to change a flat tire.
5. How to replace worn out windshield wipers.
How to change a car's battery
First disconnect the negative terminal of the battery and then the positive terminal. Remove the frame which holds the battery securely in its position. Remove the old battery from its position. Place the new battery in position and fix it securely by attaching the frame, to lock it into position. Re-connect the terminals to the battery, first connect the positive terminal and then the negative terminal. Dispose of your old battery by exchanging your old battery for a new one with the battery dealer. Don't throw used batteries into the environment.
How to add additional brake fluid
To add additional brake fluid into the brake fluid reservoir of a vehicle, open the cap of the reservoir. Fill up the reservoir with the recommended grade of brake fluid, up to the line marked as full. Do not fill fluid beyond the full line. once the fluid has been filled into the reservoir, fix the cap of the reservoir securely and pump the brake pedal a few times to ensure the freshly filled fluid is supplied to the brake lines.
How to change the engine oil
Run the vehicle for a period of 5-10 minutes in order to let the engine oil heat up. Hot engine oil flows out easily when compared with colder engine oil, since it has a lower viscosity. Remove the engine oil filler cap, in order to enable the dirty engine to flow out more easily. Place an oil collection pan beneath the drain screw of the engine, to collect the dirty engine oil. Remove the drain screw, and let the old oil flow out completely into the oil collection pan. Once all the dirty oil has been collected, replace the drain screw. Now, remove and replace the old filter with a new one, before filling in fresh engine oil. Fill in fresh engine oil through the oil filler cap and secure the oil filler cap in its position securely.
How to change a flat tyre
Place the gear lever of the vehicle in Neutral and ensure that the parking brake of the vehicle is engaged. remove the spare tyre, jack and wheel nut wrench from the boot of the vehicle. Before jacking up the vehicle, loosen the wheel nuts of the wheel which is to be changed slightly. Jack up the vehicle and then completely loosen the wheel nuts of the tyre and in its place fix the spare tyre. Tighten the wheel nuts securely and then lower the vehicle from the jack. Never fully tighten the wheel nuts when the vehicle is lifted on the jack, beacuse it may cause the vehicle to lose its balance while on the jack and come crashing hard to the ground. When the vehicle has been lowered to the ground, tighten all the wheel nuts properly and with equal tightness. Get the flat tyre repaired as soon as possible.
How to replace worn out windshield wipers
A screeching wiper blade or a wiper blade with hard or worn out rubber is an indicator that the wiper blade has to be replaced. To replace wiper blades, lift up the arms of the two wipers and unscrew and remove the old wiper blades from the wiper arms. Put in the new wiper blades and fix them securely to the wiper arms. Once the new blades have been fixed, check the fitment by operating the windscreen wipers of the car. If the wipers are devoid of any noise and if they have a smooth cleaning movement, the fitment is correct. If there are any noises from the wipers or if there are streaks on the windscreen, then check the blades thoroughly, to see if they have been properly secured or not.
With reference from Associated Content
Image Credit - Arbor Auto Works
