8 Ways To Maintain Your Car Without Breaking The Bank

Taking care of your car is an essential aspect of safe and responsible driving. Maintaining a healthy car can be extremely expensive though. Here are 8 ways you can take care of your car on your own without having to break the bank.

1. Change Your Own Brake Pads

The brake pads are the parts of a car that apply friction to stop it from moving. So when you start hearing unusual noises coming from your brakes, it’s time to give them a check. Even if they show no signs of trouble, be sure to change your brake pads every 25,000 miles. This can be done on your own and can save you hundreds of dollars.

Estimated cost of doing it on your own: $40
Estimated cost of having a mechanic do it: $140 and up

2. Perform Your Own Oil Change

Changing your car’s oil is an integral part of maintaining a healthy car. On average you’ll want to change your oil every 3,000-7,000 miles depending on your car’s age. No need to have a mechanic do it, you can do it yourself in the convenience of your garage.

Estimated cost of doing it on your own: $20

3. Manually Replace Your Windshield Wipers

There’s nothing more dangerous than driving without a clear sight of the road. Despite local body shops offering you “deals” on free wiper installations, you’ll save yourself some money by doing it yourself.

Estimated cost of doing it yourself: $10-$20
Estimated cost of having a mechanic do it: $90 and up

4. Check Your Tire Pressure Regularly

Low tire pressure can lead to irreversible tire damage. You don’t want to let it get to that point though. Make sure to check your tire pressure once a month so you don’t wind up having to buy a new tire. If you’re not exactly sure how to do this, we’ve got it covered.

Average price of a tire pressure gauge: $10
Average price of a new car tire: $50-200 each

5. Perform A Radiator Flush

A car’s radiator and cooling system is there to keep the engines from overheating. Over time though, radiators can build up residue and eventually clog the cooling system. You’ll want to perform a radiator flush every other year or so to prevent this from happening. (See car’s owner manual.)

Estimated cost of doing it on your own: $25
Estimated cost of going to a mechanic: $100 and up

6. Change Your Car’s Fuel Filters

A fuel filter’s main purpose is to keep dirt and rust out of the car’s fuel. And changing a filter is much cheaper than repairing a damaged engine. So you’ll want to replace the filter every year to two years or 24,000 miles.

Estimated price of a new fuel filter: $20
Estimated price of a damaged engine: Varies but always more than $20

7. Change Your Car’s Air Filter

Your car’s air filter serves to keep as much dirty stuff out of your car’s engine as possible. A dirty air filter can hurt your car’s acceleration and ultimately make it less efficient. So it’s important to change your air filter every once in awhile. All it takes is 15 minutes of your time and can easily be done with a little direction.

Estimated price of a new air filter: $15-$25
Estimated price of damaged combustion chamber or engine failure: Varies depending on damage

8. Replace Your Own Flat Tire

Sure you could go to a mechanic to get this done, but why spend the money when you have all the tools you’ll need right in your car? If you’re not entirely sure how to do it, we’ve got your back. Check out how you can change your own tire with our step-by-step guide here. (https://www.honkforhelp.com/explore/2015/change-a-tire-in-10-easy-steps/)

Price of doing it on your own: $0
Going to a mechanic: $20

Bonus tip

Getting an estimate from a mechanic every time your car needs to a little bit of fixing can seem overwhelming, not to mention be extremely expensive. The truth though, is that there are a lot of ways to maintain your car on your own. A little bit of patience, some elbow grease and the ability to follow directions can go a long way and will help you to save hundreds if not thousands of dollars every year.