If you're not a car expert, you could be left stumped at even the smallest sign of trouble. While it's generally a good idea to take your car into an automotive repair expert if you don't know what you are doing, there are some simple fixes that almost anyone can take care of because all it really involves is a little bit of cleaning. Here are three common automotive issues that you can repair yourself with just one new part or some basic cleaning tools.
Your Car Won't Start Because Your Battery's Terminals Have Too Much Corrosion
You turned the key in the ignition or pushed the ignition button and maybe you heard the engine for a moment, but then the car didn't actually startup. Your day is not off to a great start. While there could be a variety of alternator or battery issues that would cause this to happen, one of the most common is that your battery just has a little bit of corrosion on the terminals and that's stopping it from doing its job. Open your hood and check the battery for anything that looks green. With the key out of the ignition, use a toothbrush and baking soda to scrub the corrosion away. If this happens to you in the middle of nowhere, you could even try slowly dripping a can of cola onto the terminals, as some types of soda include an acid that will wipe corrosion away. Who needs a mechanic when you can repair your car with your favorite sugary drink?
Your Car A/C and Heating System Struggles to Keep the Cabin Cool in the Summer or Warm in the Winter
If the cabin of your car never seems to get as cool as you want or as warm as you want despite you having the A/C or heater on full blast, one possible problem is that the air filter is dirty or clogged. Just like the air filter in your HVAC system at home, your car has one too, and your car's heating and cooling system won't be able to get the job done very well either if it's not replaced from time to time. Changing an air filter is straightforward as it's about the same concept as replacing the filter in your heater at home. In a worst-case scenario where you can't get to an auto parts store, you could try washing or cleaning the filter, allowing it time to dry again before you put it back in.
Your Headlights Don't Seem as Bright As They Used to Be
Your headlights aren't getting dimmer or fading as they get older, they likely just need to have the headlights casing cleaned. You can get a headlight cleaning kit at any auto part store and restore your headlights to like-new condition once all of that grime is wiped off.
Share29 March 2022
Owning a 4-wheel-drive SUV comes with more expense and doing things a bit differently. When you put tires on your 4-wheel-drive vehicle, you will have to replace all four at once. The tread-wear must be even to protect the 4-wheel-drive elements of the vehicle. When you have a 4-wheel-drive vehicle towed, you cannot simply hook it up to any tow truck and have it delivered to your local mechanic's shop. This blog will show you what needs to be done when your 4-wheel-drive vehicle needs towed and the other differences of owning a vehicle that goes beyond the basic 2-wheel-drive.