Easy Auto Repair Jobs for the Car Owner

Auto repair jobs do not need to be complicated procedures that require the use of expensive tools. There are many different Do It Yourself tasks pertaining to vehicles that an owner can do by himself, with or without any prior experience in doing so. Basic household tools may suffice for some of the easier auto repair jobs.

Light Replacement
Vehicle lights are a very important part of using the car. Laws require that both headlights and all other rear end lights be fully functional when the vehicle is being used. Auto repair shops can do this job easily for those who have no inclination of doing it by themselves. Car owners who think they might be able to do so may actually find it quite easy, depending on which light is out and what kind of light it is.

Usually, more recent vehicles use bulbs for their headlights instead of the entire headlamp assembly. Locating the area is easy because it is directly behind the headlights under the hood. The same goes for the other lights in the vehicle’s body. The bulb should be attached to three different colored wires which will be visible under the hood. There are three ways to remove the bulb from the assembly, depending on how it is attached, either by releasing the plastic catch that holds it, pulling the metal clip or unscrewing the cap. Make sure that the new bulb is clean; do not touch it with dirty fingers.

Striped Screw Head
Auto repair can also include mangled screws. Screws come in different types of heads and sometimes we do not have the right drivers to manage these. Using the wrong kind of screwdriver can damage the head and make it difficult to remove. Getting the screw out involves using a drill. Without this, it may be difficult to actually remove it. Make sure that the drill bit in the drill is actually smaller than the head to ensure that drilling will not damage the casement. Position the drill and the drill bit in such a way that it is at the center of the head. The car owner should make sure that he or she drills a little at a time since high speed drills can damage the casement. Hand taps can also be used for this predicament. These are drill bits that spin the other way and by doing so releasing the mangled screw.

Flat Tire
Changing a flat tire should be a piece of cake for most vehicle owners. This auto repair procedure can be tiresome and may need some strength. For it to succeed there has to be a spare tire with which the driver can replace the busted one with and tools to use. Without a spare tire, it is irrelevant to even try to take out the busted tire and one cannot work without the necessary tools. The first thing to do is to position the jack in a safe location. When the needed lift is achieved, use the tire wrench to unscrew the lug nuts in the wheel. Be careful in handling the flat tire because it may be heavy and the same goes for the spare tire. Once the spare has been positioned, tighten the lug nuts into place and lower the jack.