Avoid These Common Mistakes When Handling Your Own Car Repairs

Automotive Blog

Making your own minor auto repairs can be a great way to save money and ensure they get done quickly without having to wait for an appointment at a repair shop. However, when you are ready to handle some DIY car repairs, you want to ensure you stay safe and properly handle all the parts and tools you'll be using. Note a few common mistakes that many car owners make when handling their own repair work, so you can then avoid them yourself:

Disconnecting the battery

When you disconnect the battery to clean it, charge it, or replace it, always disconnect the negative terminal first, and then the positive terminal. The negative terminal creates an electrical circuit throughout the entire car; the positive terminal is what grounds this circuit. With an electrical current that has no grounding running through the car, if you drop something on the car, even on the car body, you can get create a short in the electrical system, which is very damaging and dangerous. Disconnect the negative terminal and then the positive to avoid this risk.

Checking coolant

When checking the coolant in the radiator, never remove the radiator cap and look inside to do this. That fluid and the radiator are under pressure from steam that builds up in the coolant system, and this steam could cause a burn if you were to put your face over this opening. Instead, check for a fluid indicator on the radiator itself; this is a tube with markings on it to indicate if the radiator is full or if the coolant has become low. You should also see the level of coolant through this tube; if it's reached the mark for needed refilling, wait until the car is fully cool and then add fluid to the radiator.

Headlamps

Changing out headlamps or headlights is not very difficult, but when unwrapping or installing the new lights, don't touch them with your bare fingers. This is because headlamps are usually filled with halogen, and the glass is then treated with a special coating to allow that halogen to shine brightly, to help reduce glare, and to keep the glass strong. Oils and dirt from your fingers may trap heat in that area of the glass, which can react with the halogen and cause the glass to eventually break. Wear clean rubber gloves when replacing these headlamps and only use a new, clean rag when cleaning them, to ensure they last as long as possible.

30 May 2017