#learning as we go

“if you’re driving a vehicle you should be responsible enough to know your tire size, oil type, how to change a tire, etc etc etc

Fuck that noise. 

YouDONT need to have all that shit memorized. It’s a lot. Cars are made of metal magic and Go juice. You can learn as you go. Google that shit.

When you own a car, you SHOULD know how to look up parts and basic fixes to save yourself spending $80+ at an auto repair place for what’s actually a $18 part, 10 minutes following along with a video, and no tools aside from your own fingers. There’s a handy list below the cut. 

Mechanics ALSO don’t have every fix for every car memorized. They know generally how cars work, and I’ve SEEN them watching how-to youtube videos for cars they’ve never worked on before. You can, too!

How to learn how to fix your car:

#1: Know your car’s Make(the company who made it like Honda, Ford, Toyota or Hyundai) 

Model(The name of the car’s type, like ‘Civic’ ‘Camry’ ‘Accent’ or ‘Explorer’ - sometimes these are longer, like ‘Explorer Max XL’, which are different from the base standard ‘Explorer’

AndYear(The year that model was released. A Toyota Camry 2003 and a Toyota Camry 2021 may have a few similar parts, but many different ones, since car makers tend to make changes to the car’s design every year)

If you don’t have your make/model/year memorized, the car’s VIN - Vehicle Identification Number popped into google will tell you that information. Find the VIN in one of the locations below. It varies for each kind of car. 

Once you know the Make/Model/Year, google it followed by ‘How to X’

For instance: “Toyota Camry 2013 How to change headlight”

There’s instantly a step-by-step video and several text-and-picture how-to guides on how to access the headlight port, how to change it, and how to screw it back in.  Changing a lightbulb on most cars DOES NOT require any tools - just your fingers and knowledge of what to unscrew, in what order.

To find what parts I need, I’d google “Toyota Camry 2013 replacement headlight bulb” - and bam! I’ve got a bunch of websites telling me the serial number of the bulb I’d need! Easy enough to walk into an auto parts place, find that serial number (or ask the front desk to find it for you) buy it, then follow along to the guide to install it.

I could also go to Autozone’s website. At the top you can enter what car you’re working on, and the site will tell you what part goes with that particular car.

Car Fixes that are VERY easy to DIY, are hard to fuck up, and don’t require any tools for mostcars:

Changing a headlight, taillight, or blinker< - accessing the bulb depends on the car, but it’s usually behind a panel that pops or twists into place. Rarely, a car will ask you to loosen a nut, which may require a $4-$6 spanner. After that it’s just a fat light bulb. A single bulb usually costs between $10 and $30, depending on which one you’re replacing.  (A mechanic would add an extra $50-$70 to that cost, in labor)

Replacing windshield wipers/ Wiper blades <– They wiggle on and off. Just buy the replacement blades and pop ‘em on with your hands. No tools needed. Windshield wipers are usually between $10-$40   (A mechanic would add an extra $10-$15 to that cost, in labor)

Replacing Air Filters<– If you know you won’t be using your car overnight, you can usually re-use air filters by hosing the gunk off until the water runs clear and then THOROUGHLY drying it in front of a fan overnight. Plus there’s no special tool to access them, usually. They’re behind a panel that pops off, or has a small lever that you pull. There’s engine air filters, for air going into your engine, and cabin air filters, for your AC/heat system. Replacing either of them yourself should cost between $20-$40  (A mechanic would add an extra $20-$35 to that cost, in labor)

Refilling Windshield wiper fluid<– make sure you’re putting the correct fluid in the correct spout! Putting windshield wiper fluid into your oil pan or radiator can fuck up your car pretty good. Double check this one. A gallon jug of it should cost like, $5-$10. You should top up your wiper fluid every 5k miles or so, since letting the reservoir get ENTIRELY empty can damage the motor. Getting the motor replaced is way more expensive. One $3 gallon lasts you a couple fluid fill ups. A mechanic may charge up to $40 for a single fill-up.

Refilling tire air - You’ll need a couple quarters to pay the air pump at a gas station or car wash, but after that it’s all in your hands. Mayyyybe $3 in quarters if you’re topping up all four tires. Some air pumps have a minimum $1.50 before it’ll start. Some gas stations offer free air!

Checking your car’s motor oil (aka engine oil) <– Free! CHANGING your car’s oil does need several tools and a way to jack up the car, but checkingthe engine oil’s status is really easy - The oil should be between the 2 dots on the dipstick. If it’s near the bottom dot, or below it, you should add more Motor Oil  (Not gasoline. Motor oil is something different) If the oil is dark brown, black, sludge-like, or frothy, you should get it changed.

 It’s generally cheaper to get your motor oil changed at a shop than to do it yourself, as long as you don’t get ANY other fixes while you’re there, because they upcharge on everything aside from oil changes. For perspective, if I already owned all the tools needed and just needed to buy the oil filter andmotor oil, it’d cost me about $40. My local valvoline will give me an oil change for $25, because they can buy oil in bulk and assume I’ll be getting one of the other overcharged services. The cheap oil change is their loss-leader, or something they accept they’ll make no profit on because it attracts customers.

Change Car battery <–requires 1 adjustable wrench (aka a spanner) - small adjustable spanners can cost as little as $4.  A car battery usually costs between $75 and $125.  It’s literally a battery brick bolted into place. be careful with the order that you remove cables, but if you can replace the batteries in a child’s toy, you can do this. Please drop the used/dead car battery at a recycle center or other proper disposal place (google “car battery disposal near me”)  Mechanics often charge an extra $80-$100+ in labor to switch out a battery.

Check what your check engine light means: FREE! Sometimes a car’s alert light means something is terribly wrong. Sometimes it means a sensor has wiggled loose. You can check what those dash alerts mean FOR FREE by going to Autozone and asking to use their Diagnostic Reader. - It plugs into a port and tells you what code the car’s computer is yelling about. You can then google that code to find out what’s going on in the engine and decide if you need a fix RIGHT NOW, or if it can wait. (How to locate the port to plug it in)

About Jacking Up/ Raising a Car:  Jacking up a car just means you’re making the underside of it safely accessible. You can do this by driving your car half up onto a curb and engaging your parking break so that sucker can’t roll off onto your head.  Don’t use cinderblocks, since they can crumble under a car’s weight, and make sure the ground is HARD, not soft - you don’t want the car sinking into mud or soft earth while you’re under it or when the tire is off.

A proper Car Jack (if you don’t want to use the ‘find a curb’ method) costs $50-$100

Being able to jack up a car gives you access to more complex stuff, if you decide to pursue more work-and-tool intensive DIYs, like flushing your radiator fluid, changing your brake pads, changing tires, replacing oil, etc.

Once you have your car jacked up safely on your wood, curb, or proper jack, all you need to change a tireis

1) the replacement tire, (Google “Car’s Make Model year Replacement Tire” to find which one you need) A regular replacement tire costs about $50-$150. Some cars require low-profile tires, which are ‘sportier’ and more expensive - can be closer to the $200 range.

2) a lug wrench to remove the funky bolts that hold the tire in place. A universal Lug Wrench costs about $15-$20

Have fun!