#Cars45DIYTips
That Car maintenance and the stress therein might look daunting, but as you start small and work up the car repair ladder, you might not know how close you are to the brink of being a pro at the DIY handyman when it comes to automobile repairs and hacks. In this post, we will be highlighting a number of car maintenance you can do yourself.
1. SHAKE YOUR PCV VALVE
This might sound complex but honestly, it’s not. If your car has a pcv valve (Some late-model cars don’t) pull it out every other oil change. In most cases, you’ll find the valve on the top of the engine, connected to a vacuum hose. Some late-model cars don’t have PCV valves, so don’t beat yourself up trying to find it. Slide the vacuum hose off the valve and unscrew the valve. Then perform the world’s easiest diagnostic test: Shake it. If it makes a metallic clicking sound, it’s good. If it doesn’t make noise or sounds mushy, replace it. But don’t replace it on appearance alone—all used PCV valves look dirty.
2. REPLACE NON-HEADLIGHT BULBS
To access burned out license plate bulbs and or fog light bulbs, firstly you have to remove the retaining screws with a screwdriver, pry off the lens and then pull the old-burnt bulb out of the socket. Handle the new bulb with gloved hands or hold it with a paper towel to prevent skin oils from depositing on the thin glass that can cause premature bulb failure. Then push the bulb into the socket until it clicks. Reinstall the lens and you’re done.
3. FIX SMALL DENTS AND DOOR DINGS
If you can patch a wall in your home or if youre the run-to guy when it comes to house maintenance, then you can patch a dent in your car. To get this done, there are a number of things needed to get this done: Sandpaper grits, a small can of autobody filler and cream paste and plastic applicators.
Start by sanding the dent down to bare metal with coarse grit sandpaper, then feather the edges.
Clean the dents with wax and grease remover, then mix the body filler and apply a very light skim coat to fill in the sandpaper scratches. Allow the filler to set up and then build up the repair with additional layers not more than 1/4-inches thick per application. Feather the final coat so it levels with the painted areas. After it cures, sand until smooth, then apply a cream filler to the entire area to fill in any pinholes. Let it cure and do a final sand. Then you can paint the area with a touch up paint.
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