3 Simple Car Repair Tips That Make a World of Difference
Whether you are trying to save a few bucks or just enjoy the process, more and more people are doing their own car repairs these days. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. In this article, we look at some basic tips that can make a world of difference in getting the job done.
The following tips work with every vehicle. They are not so much applicable to the fixing of a particular problem as they are applicable to just working on your car. That being said, they can make an absolutely huge difference between a successful repair and time spent throwing things and creating new cuss words!
Map It
Repair guides are full of tons of helpful information. The one thing they will rarely tell you is that you need to map the parts. Lay out a rag near where you are working. As you take things off the car, place them in a particular order across the rag. I go left to right and top to bottom like reading a book. The particularly mapping technique doesn't really matter so long as you have some order. By doing this, you'll know what order the parts go back on when you starting putting things back together. This sounds like a simple thing, but trust me when I say it will save you endless headaches.
Break Time!
If you start getting tired when doing a car repair, it is time for a break. Tired, cranky DIY mechanics nearly always make mistakes. Back away from the vehicle if you are getting tired or frustrated. Go grab an adult beverage and a bite to eat in the kitchen. Clear your mind and then come back and finish the job. This simple act will cut out about 90 percent of the "frustration" errors people commonly make.
Neutral!
Place the car in neutral when working on it. Use the parking break and a tire barrier to keep the car from moving. Why neutral? A couple of reasons. First, some engine components will only unlock when the car is in neutral. Second, you won't start the car after a long repair while it is in gear! The longer the repair, the more likely you are to flip the starter and have the car jump forward. It is just the way things work!
After years of working on cars, these are three bits of wisdom I can impart to you. Follow them and even the toughest DIY auto repair can be done with a minimum of fuss.
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