Cars · Lesson 14 of 15Beginner5 min read

Doing Your Own Work

Doing your own car work saves money and teaches you how your car is put together. Start with simple checks, build skill one rung at a time, and know which jobs belong to trained professionals.

A basic tool kit

You don’t need a full shop to start. This kit covers the first two rungs of the ladder below:

  • Your owner’s manual, and later the service information for your car
  • Safety glasses and nitrile or mechanic’s gloves
  • A tire pressure gauge (keep it in the car) and a tread depth gauge
  • A flashlight or headlamp, clean rags, a funnel and a drain pan
  • A socket set and wrenches in the sizes your car uses, screwdrivers and pliers
  • A torque wrench, for lug nuts and other bolts with a specified tightness
  • A jack, jack stands rated for your car’s weight, and wheel chocks
  • A digital multimeter and an OBD-II scan tool

Garage safety

  • Exhaust: never run a car or truck inside a garage attached to a house, even with the door open; carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless and kills without warning. In a detached garage, open the door to let fresh air in before running the engine.
  • Lifting: a jack is for lifting, not holding. Before any part of you goes under the car, set it on jack stands at the lift points your owner’s manual shows, on firm, level ground. OSHA’s workplace rule puts it simply: once a load is raised, it must be blocked or otherwise secured at once.
  • Eyes: wear safety glasses around batteries, fluids, and anything under the car.
  • Batteries: keep sparks and flames away; charging batteries give off hydrogen, which can explode. Battery acid is caustic.
  • Heat: engines, exhaust parts and coolant stay hot long after you park. Never open the radiator cap on a hot engine.
  • Brake dust: no compressed air, no dry brushing; use EPA’s wet-wipe method.
  • Fluids: antifreeze is sweet-tasting and poisonous; keep it closed and away from children. Take used oil to a collection site; never pour it on the ground.
jack stand at a lift pointjack: lift onlywheel chocksThe car rests on stands before anyone reaches under it.Firm, level ground; lift points from the owner’s manual.
A jack is for lifting; stands are for holding. OSHA’s workplace rule says a raised load must be blocked or otherwise secured at once. Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.244.

The skill ladder

Climb one rung at a time. Do each new job with an experienced adult the first time, with the service information open. The fourth rung is not a challenge to work up to: those jobs need training, equipment or certification.

  1. First jobs

    Checks and simple swaps. No lifting the car, few tools.

  2. Next steps

    Basic tools, the owner’s manual, and an experienced helper the first time.

    • Change your own oil and filter
    • Replace the engine air filter
    • Replace the cabin air filter
    • Replace a headlight, taillight or turn-signal bulb
    • Clean battery terminals; replace a 12-volt battery
    • Replace a blown fuse with the same rating
    • Rotate the tires (if your manufacturer recommends it)

  3. Intermediate jobs

    Service information, torque specs, jack stands, and a mentor. Mistakes here can be costly or unsafe.

    • Brake pads and rotors
    • Spark plugs and ignition coils
    • Drive belts
    • Coolant drain and refill
    • Shock absorbers (not struts with springs under load)
    • Simple sensor replacement after diagnosis

  4. Leave these to professionals

    They need training, certification or equipment a home garage doesn’t have.

    • Airbags and anything in the airbag system (NHTSA: never take apart the steering wheel or airbag yourself)
    • High-voltage hybrid and EV parts: battery, orange cables, inverter (NHTSA)
    • A/C refrigerant: EPA requires certified technicians and approved equipment for paid service, and venting refrigerant is prohibited
    • Wheel alignment (special equipment and a qualified technician)
    • Mounting and balancing tires
    • Internal engine and transmission repair; timing belts and chains
    • Struts with coil springs, steering racks, brake hydraulics and ABS units
    • Fuel system leaks and fuel-line repairs

Getting the right information

Your owner’s manual lists fluids, capacities, tire pressures, maintenance intervals and how to do the simplest jobs. For anything more, use the vehicle’s service information: it has the procedures, torque specifications and diagrams for your exact car. Check NHTSA’s recall site with your VIN before you buy parts; a recall repair is free. And when a job turns out bigger than you expected, it’s fine to stop and take the car to a shop.

Check yourself

Tap an answer to check it, or open “Show the answer.”

  1. Why is running a car in an attached garage dangerous even with the door open?

    Show the answer

    Carbon monoxide can build up and kill without warning. CO is odorless and colorless; the CDC says never do it, even with the door open.

  2. What should hold the car up while you work under it?

    Show the answer

    Jack stands at the lift points. A jack lifts; rated jack stands at the manual’s lift points hold.

  3. Which job belongs to a certified technician?

    Show the answer

    Recharging or recovering A/C refrigerant. EPA requires technicians who service vehicle A/C for pay to be certified and to use approved equipment.

  4. How should you clean brake dust?

    Show the answer

    Mist it with water and wipe it clean. EPA suggests home mechanics use a wet-wipe method because some brake parts may contain asbestos.

Go deeper

Sources

Saved on this device only.

A free course from Teddy Rook Book. It explains how cars work in general and follows U.S. sources; your owner’s manual and your vehicle’s service information are the final word for your car, along with state and local rules.

@teddyrookbook GitHub