Of all the mechanical things you use in a day, your car or truck is probably at the top of your list in terms of how much you rely on it. So, to help you take good care of your vehicle without doing damage to yourself or your wallet, we’ve made a list of handy DIY car tricks and maintenance tips.
Just remember that your car should be, above all, safe and responsive on the road. That means none of the following DIY tricks should supersede a professional mechanic’s attention if your car is experiencing serious issues:
- Gas cap location: Too much on your mind when you get to the gas pump or driving an unfamiliar vehicle? We’ve all been there! But instead of having to get out and locate which side your gas cap is on, you can simply look on your dashboard at your gas level indicator. Look closely, and you’ll see a little arrow pointing left or right under the gas icon indicating which side your gas cap is on. Now you know — the answer’s been there all along!
- Change a tire with ease: If you do your own tire rotation or just need to change a tire at home, why not save your back from heavy lifting? Once you’ve removed all of the lug nuts, simply use a two-by-four as a prybar to lift off your tire. Then, all you have to do is place some shims or a small block of wood under the board and it will act as a fulcrum. Isn’t physics wonderful?
- Clean your tires: As an added bonus for those who like their tires nice and clean, try using an ordinary household cream bleach cleaner — like Vim® — and get the job done for far less money than expensive tire cleaners or shiners will cost you.
- Slow down rusting: Especially for those of us who live in areas where roads are salted over the winter, there’s no getting away from rusting issues. And while you’ll eventually need to get major areas of rust permanently repaired, here’s a little trick to slow down the process until you get it fixed. Just take a glob of mechanic’s grease and apply it to the rusted area. It will isolate the area and slow down the rusting process, giving you time to decide how and when you want to fix it.
- Windshield wiper saver: Here’s a little trick that can save you and your windshield loads of aggravation in a pinch. The next time you replace your windshield wipers, don’t throw the old ones away. Instead, save the old wipers and store them in your trunk or under your seat. Now, if a wiper breaks off in a storm or on the highway, you can simply pull over at the next rest stop and put an old wiper on until you get a new one. This prevents the wiper arm from scraping against your windshield and allows you to still use your wipers in the meantime.
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