Car mechanics make a living from working on cars. These tradespeople can inspect, maintain and repair your car when need arises to ensure optimal vehicle safety, comfort and performance. While car mechanics are available to handle all your vehicle needs, it is always a good idea for you as a car owner to have a clue about how your car works and what basic car fixes you can perform yourself. This can help you save time and money, but also the inconvenience of having to make a trip to the car mechanic shop every time an issue arises with your car.
With that said, here are some common car problems that every car owner should learn how to fix.
Flat tyre
When it comes to tyres, there is no way of telling when they will go flat on you. Calling for emergency roadside assistance in such a situation will help you get back on the road, but not as quickly as you may want, especially if you are stalled several kilometres away from the nearest emergency roadside service. For this reason, knowing how to change a flat tyre is a critical skill.
The good news is that performing the repair is pretty easy if you have the right tools with you! You start by using a wrench to get the lug nuts loose. If any lug nut is stuck, you should apply a bit of oil or lubricant on it to make it turn easily. Don't remove the nuts completely — just make sure they are loose enough to take off by hand. Thereafter, grab a jack stand and use it to lift the car until the flat tyre is raised off the ground. At this point, you can now remove the lug nuts and flat tyre completely.
Once the flat tyre has been taken off, place the spare one on and reinstall the lug nuts using the wrench. Lower the vehicle and ensure the lug nuts are tight enough not to become loose. Take the flat tyre to the car tyre centre for repair.
Faulty battery connections
If you realise that your car won't start when you are leaving home and you suspect that the problem is with your battery, the battery connections on the battery terminals could be loose, disconnected or covered with corrosion.
To fix the problem, you will need to open the bonnet of your car to locate the battery. If the battery contacts are simply loose or disconnected, you can fix the problem by simply tightening or reinstalling the connection with a socket wrench. If the battery terminals are covered with corrosion, you can clean off the buildup using a hard wire brush and a solution of baking soda.
If you run into any car problem you can't fix yourself, it is always best to get help from an experienced car mechanic.
