DIY Car Maintenance Tips

Cars are a huge responsibility, though after the purchase, it can feel like smooth sailing, it’s good to remember that maintenance is everything!

Perhaps you bought a used car from a used car dealer in Calgary and want to give it a sprucing up without spending much. There are also countless tips to help you out in a pinch for when you have car trouble and don’t have access to a mechanic.

These are our top picks for the best Do-it-Yourself car maintenance tips that will have your vehicle looking and running smoothly for years. Whether you’re maintaining new cars or used cars in Calgary, these tips are great to have on hand.

Top DIY Car Maintenance Tips

These are the best car maintenance tips that will help you keep your car in its best shape; the best part is, you can do them all yourself!

Oil Change

Did you know you can change the oil in your car at home? It’s much easier than one would think. If it’s time for an oil change (at approximately every 5000 miles), put your overalls on and get to work!

All you have to do is prop your car up on a jack and locate the oil plug. Make sure to replace the oil plug before filling it with new oil. You don’t have to throw the old oil away; you can take it to an auto shop and have it recycled!

Air Filter Change

You can change your car’s air filters by yourself too! Here are what you need; new air filters. Locate the filters under your car’s hood and expect how it fits into its casing. Take out the old air filter and place the new one exactly as the older one was placed. And voila! That’s all you need to do!

Cleaning Headlights

Your headlights need to be cleaned every few months; dirty headlights can make your journeys difficult, especially at night. So car maintenance extends to headlights as well. Clean your car’s headlights using an at-home headlight restoration kit. You can purchase one and we assure you it’ll save you lots of time and money!

Battery Health

Maintaining your battery health is very important, especially if you have a used car. Chances are your car’s battery has been through some things already. All you need to do is remove the terminals from your car’s battery, starting with the negative one. When they’re released, you can use a cleaning solution or even coca-cola to clean the posts.

Wiper Blade Replacement

Your car wipers need replacement ideally every six months. Replace the wiper blades by carefully removing them and putting in new ones. Make sure to remove the old ones by pressing the tab at the bottom and pulling them by the same angle attached to the windshield.

Jumpstart Your Car

Everyone should know how to jumpstart their car in case of an emergency. For that, you need jumper cables that you attach to the battery terminals. Make sure you connect the red to the positive terminal and black to the negative one. Be very careful while doing this and ensure that the leads don’t contact one another. Start the engine of the working car and give the battery a few minutes.

Brake Pad Replacement

Brake pads can get worn out and need replacing every few years, depending on mileage. You need to put your car up on a jack. Remove the tires and the brake callipers but don’t let the callipers hang. Replace the old pads with new ones, and your job is done.

Tire Pressure

Make sure you regularly check tire pressure with a pressure gauge. Remove the air caps from the tires and place the pressure gauge inside. This is long-term maintenance that you can do to ensure your car (literally) runs smoothly!

Used Cars Calgary

Doing some research while you consider your next used car purchase? Our used car dealer in Calgary has a team of experts to help you find the right vehicle for your needs. Feel free to browse our used car inventory or come down and visit us today.