Easy DIY Vehicle Maintenance Saves Money

You can service quite a few things on your car, crossover, or SUV yourself by using some easy DIY vehicle maintenance tips. All it takes is the right tools (you can buy the tools as you need them; you don’t have to spend hundreds right off the bat) and a little knowledge of how to do each job.

Some expensive specialty tools you can even borrow from parts stores, such as Aurozone. Just ask for information at the counter.

As for the knowledge, you can find directions to fix just about anything online. Look at written, illustrated directions and do-it-yourself instructional videos on Youtube.com before deciding whether you really can do a job.

If you have a handy neighbor who can give you tips, that’s great! People who routinely do this usually love to talk about it. Dinner or beers will usually be all the pay needed.

Here are some repairs and maintenance items just about anybody with a reasonable mechanical aptitude can do—and often without experience. Do all these things as needed and bank the money you save. After three years, you should have an extra $1,200 or more to put toward a new or used car.

Windshield Wiper Change

Wiper blades can last more than a year, but changing them annually is a good practice because they smear as they age. Replacement blades cost $10-$20 each at the parts store or online—about half of what your mechanic will charge if he replaces them. Your mechanic also will charge for labor. Sellers have information on which blades fit your vehicle. Figure on 5 to 10 minutes per blade the first time, and maybe 3 minutes after that.

TIPS: Video instructions show how easy this is.

TOOLS: Spray lubricant, pliers, maybe a flat-blade screwdriver.

Bulb Changes

Usually, no tools are needed. Bulb assemblies either screw off or snap off with a small metal holder. A few may require temporary removal of the battery or a cold-air intake box, or maybe the headlight assembly. All are simple to remove and reinstall. Taillights typically are easier yet. You’ll save about $10-$15 per headlamp just for the part and perhaps $15 for labor—about half that for a tail lamp. Your auto parts seller will supply the right bulb, with charts to consult in store or a fill-in selector online.

TIPS: Check your owner’s manual for instructions. You can also Google YouTube change headlight bulb (your year and model). Never touch the bulb itself with your fingers, which can leave oils that burn and shorten bulb life.

TOOLS: You may need a flat-blade screwdriver or pliers if some parts are too small for fat fingers or stuck fast from years of not being touched. Battery or cold-air intake removal and re-installation may require a quarter- or 3/8-inch ratchet with the right size socket, an adjustable wrench and/or a screwdriver.

Tire Rotation

If you have to pay for tire rotation, you’ll be charged $20-$40 every 6,000 miles or twice a year. You can rotate tires in under an hour. You’ll need a flat, paved surface.

TIPS: Check with the store that sold you the tires; some garages rotate tires free if you bought there. Read instructions before doing this. Never put any part of your body underneath anything that could fall on it.

TOOLS: A jack (a floor jack works best). Two jack stands to hold the car up safely while you have two tires removed. You’ll also need a lug wrench—the type that looks like an “X.” It’s easier yet if you have a compressor and an air wrench.

Oil/Filter Change

Do this every 5,000 miles (every 3,000 if you tow or drive daily in stop-and-go traffic for long periods). The surface must be level. You must capture the used oil, including oil in the filter, in a pan and recycle it. Many garages, including Autozone parts stores and Pep Boys, will take the oil free because they burn it as heating fuel. Call first and ask. Once the filter is empty, wrap it in a bag and place it in the trash.

TIPS: Look for oil-change packages at parts stores that save money, with oil and filter included. To get underneath your car safely, use car ramps, which are easy to make from wood if you have a circular saw and a hammer.

TOOLS: Wrench to fit drain plug, filter wrench, drain pan, plastic container for transporting oil, car ramps. You’ll also need oil and a filter, and one some cars, a new drain plug.

Washing and Waxing

This is an easy job and one that kids 10 and older can help you to do if you train them properly. You’ll save hundreds of dollars a year compared with several drive-through car washes. You’ll also spare your finish the tiny scratches that mechanical car washes can cause. 

TIPS: For surface tar spots and gasoline residue, spray on full-strength Simple Green and rub with a rag. Wand-type coin-operated car washes are great for cleaning the undercarriage of salt in snowy states.

TOOLS: Big sponge or sponge mitt. Bucket. Automotive car wash liquid or Simple Green. Hose with nozzle. Chamois (real or synthetic) for drying. Wax (high-quality soft waxes work well; muscle-straining hard waxes are no longer necessary).