Car maintenance is an additional expense that you will incur for your car. However, if money is tight, and if you are not afraid to get your hands dirty with the maintenance of your car, there are Do It Yourself methods for you to process your own car maintenance. Not only will you save money and use the extra cash for something else, but you get the chance to get to know your car better, and have hands-on training on car maintenance. And if you’re one of those passionate car enthusiasts who love their cars and even have names for their cars, then you will definitely enjoy taking care of your car.

You need to remember that the air filter in your car needs to be replaced every year, or if your car has reached 12,000 miles. Replacing the air filter is quite easy, and it will take only ten minutes to do without any tools, compared to leaving your car for the day in a car shop. All you need to do is look for the filter under your car’s hood. It’s the one with metal clips on the side and has a rectangular box. Open the box and take note of the arrangement of the air filter, then remove it, and put in the new one. And close tightly the metal clips after the installation. That’s it. Done.

You would need to replace your car’s spark plug after running a total of 30,000 miles, and you can do it yourself with the use of three simple tools, which are a ratchet or socket wrench, spark plug socket, and 12” socket extension. The replacement process will take 20 to 30 minutes only, and you just need to exert a little patience in order to process the installation in exact order. Check your car’s manual before this process, and so you will not get lost in looking for the thick rubbery wires where the spark plugs are attached to. Depending on how many cylinders you have in your car, you may find four, six, or eight spark plugs. You need to first remove only the wire connected to the first spark plug, and never remove together all the wires. You need to replace the spark plugs in order. Utilize the spark plug socket and extension on the tool ratchet in order to take out the first spark plug. And then insert the new spark plug by screwing it tightly using your hand first followed by the use of a wrench to achieve a snug fit, but remember not to over-tighten the screw. Then you can now re-connect the spark plug wire. After the success of the installation of the first spark plug, repeat the same process for the second and succeeding wire and spark plug combos.

Your car’s windshield wipers need to be replaced every six months to a year, and though you may think that is a difficult task that needs a car mechanic’s expertise, the changing of the wipers is actually fairly easy, and you don’t need to have any tools to do so. The replacement will only take 15 minutes as you do it on your own. Just remember that the setup of the wiper blades varies from car to car, and so you need to consult your car’s manual first. However, the process of replacing your wipers is simple. All you have to do is lift the blades, like the way you lift it when you are washing your windshield using your hands, and take out the old blades. Take note of how exactly the old blades are attached to the metal arms. Mostly, car windshields have a tab located in the underside of the windshield’s wiper. When you find the tab, push it in order to release the old blade. And then connect the new blade without bending the wiper arms or scratching your car’s windshield. Carefully line up everything and double check if the new blades are tightly connected and secured. Repeat the same process to the other windshield wiper. And the new blades will come with clear instructions of the installation, so you will surely not get lost with the process, especially with the diagrams showing you what to do.