Basic Vehicle Repair Skills That Everyone Should Know

For many people, the idea of doing any type of repair or maintenance work on their vehicle seems like a daunting task. They would much rather just bring the car in to the mechanic and have them take care of it. While there’s nothing wrong with that, there are still some essential skills that everyone should know how to do, if for no other reason than for safety’s sake. In this article, we’ll discuss some basic car repair skills that anyone can easily learn.

In This Article

How to Change a Flat Tire
How to Jumpstart a Vehicle
Replacing your Wiper Blades

How to Change a Flat Tire

While more and more of today’s vehicles are coming equipped with run-flat tires that will allow you to travel some distance after a puncture, the majority still come with standard tires. As a result, the knowledge of how to change a flat tire is still incredibly useful. Luckily, the process isn’t that complicated. In general, you’ll only need a lug wrench, car jack, and a spare tire. Bridgestone provides a comprehensive guide on how to change a tire here, but a few key points that you’ll want to remember is to always make sure that you are in a safe location before you begin, make sure the vehicle is in park in order to prevent it from rolling, and be sure to loosen the lug nuts prior to jacking up the vehicle, otherwise you’ll be greeted by a spinning tire when you try to remove them from the wheel.

How to Jumpstart a Vehicle

Nearly everyone has had the unpleasant experience of arriving to their vehicle only to find that, for whatever reason, the battery is drained. So what should you do? If you have roadside assistance at your disposal, the easier solution would be to give them a call. Unfortunately, response times can vary and you may be left waiting for a while. Another solution would be to jumpstart the vehicle yourself and be on your way. To do this, all you’ll need is a set of jumper cables, and another vehicle. Check out this step-by-step guide from Meineke Car Car Center on how to safely get your vehicle up and running again.

Replacing your Wiper Blades

Often forgotten about, windshield wiper blades are one of the most underappreciated safety features on your vehicle. When the weather is bad and precipitation is falling, your windshield wipers are the only thing that stand between you and obstructed vision. But how do you know if your blades are in poor condition, and how do you go about replacing them? Aside from the obvious streaks left behind, Allstate Insurance gives you some things to look for as well as an easy rundown on replacement steps.