What You Shouldn’t Fix Yourself on Your Car
When you own a car, it can be tempting to do some car repairs yourself. After all, owning, operating and maintaining a vehicle is expensive, and the last thing you need is to pay hundreds more dollars to the mechanic for a repair that you could feasibly pull off on your own for a lot less money.
However, there are some car repairs that should always be done by a professional, regardless of whether or not you think you can do it yourself. Sometimes, the upfront cost savings in do-it-yourself repairs can end up costing you much more in bigger repairs down the road, or in the loss of insurance coverage because you didn’t go to a professional. Below are a few situations in which you may find yourself better off seeking a good mechanic.
Removing the engine
If your engine is beyond fixing and has got to go, replacing it is a huge undertaking. To do it, you will need a crane and lots of other specialised tools, equipment and knowledge. So if you’ve never replaced an engine before, either take a course to learn how to do it correctly and safely, or get someone with know-how to do it for you instead.
Brakes
Unless you?re extremely confident in your mechanical repair skills, you should get a certified professional to make any adjustments or repairs to your car’s brake system. Any error or oversight in this area could be fatal to you or someone close to you. Plus, if you were ever at fault in an accident and it was discovered you did your own brake job, your liability in that situation may skyrocket and possibly negate your insurance coverage.
Spark plugs
Spark plugs may seem like a simple fix-it problem, but faulty spark plugs can melt your catalytic converter or lower your mileage, both of which can add be huge and unnecessary expenses. For a comparatively cheap price, an experienced mechanic can save you hundreds in repair or replacement costs down the line by making sure your spark plugs are in proper functioning order and installed correctly.
Seat belts
Like brakes, seat belts are not something you want to cheap out on; the consequences of a patch-it job on your seat belts can be dire. If you suspect that your car’s seat belt system is malfunctioning, becoming weak, or becoming worn or frayed, get it inspected by a mechanic right away and repaired as soon as possible. You don’t want to wait to find out that your seat belts aren’t working when it is too late to do anything about it.
Even if you?re a mechanical whiz and have routinely repaired your vehicle in the past, consider having your car checked by another professional mechanic on a regular basis. This accomplishes two things: it gives you a second set of eyes to assess the condition of your car and the quality of your repairs, letting you know if you missed something or made a mistake; and it covers you in case something does go wrong with your car and you need to prove that it wasn’t due to your DIY efforts.
