We don’t have an emergency fund because all of our income is going towards the credit cards. So the recent sound of grinding brakes while driving my car could have been a sign of troublesome consequences for our family. We have been working hard to be as frugal as possible and make extra money to pay off our debt. Fortunately for us, we have handy Mr. Smith and he has YouTube.
It turns out that my car needed a new caliper (according to Wikipedia, it is “the assembly which houses the brake pads and pistons”). This repair could have cost us at least $500. Although Mr. Smith can be a reluctant frugalist, he was anxious to tackle this DIY project. He did his research, got a little dirty, and successfully installed a new caliper. Thanks to him, the total cost was only $130.
I am not going to provide you with a tutorial on how to install a caliper. I did ask the hubby to provide his tips on DIY car repairs and this is what he said:
- Use YouTube to watch as many videos as possible about the specific repair job. Watch videos from different sources, because everyone has different tricks and techniques. Also, some of the videos have better camera angles so you’ll have access to different and/or more detailed perspectives. One source that he liked in particular was Eric The Car Guy. He provides straightforward instructions with quality video. He will let you know if he makes a mistake or if he’s taking a shortcut. Also, he seems to be quite responsive to viewer/reader questions.
- Have access to a variety of tools. Cars can require both standard and metric tools and it’s hard to know what you’re going to need until you start working on the repair (although the videos should provide you with a basic list).
- Give yourself plenty of time to complete the project. You might need to find a friend with a different tool. You might need to run out for a different and/or forgotten part. Don’t expect that the repair will take a specific amount of time. You don’t want to rush things trying to get your car back together before you have to be somewhere.
- When you’re disassembling your vehicle, take your time looking at everything. Mr. Smith even suggested taking some pictures so you know how it all goes back together.
- When purchasing parts pay attention to any “core charges.” This means that you can return the old part and recoup some of your expenses. Just make sure that you return all of the pieces in order to receive the refund.
While Mr. Smith cautions that caliper replacement wasn’t the easiest vehicle repair, he did want to mention that anyone can do their own oil change. The average driver should change their oil three to four times per year. If you have more than one vehicle, those costs add up quickly. The only thing standing in your way to doing it yourself, is finding access to the tools that you need: jack stands and a jack, a wrench for the oil plug, and an oil filter wrench. A funnel and oil pan are helpful and will cut down on the mess.
One of the biggest advantages to DIY car repairs is that you can use better-quality parts and still save money. These parts will last longer and improve your vehicle’s performance. For example, Mr. Smith uses synthetic oil on our vehicles instead of conventional oil and purchases a better-quality oil filter. Although these products cost more, they are good for the vehicles and we can go longer between oil changes. Mr. Smith says that a change with conventional oil and a cheap filter runs about $40, but he could do it for $19. A change with a premium filter and synthetic oil would cost roughly $60 to $70 in a shop, but he spends only $32 on the materials that he needs to do the job.
Mr. Smith’s Oil Change Tips
- Make sure you get right oil, because there are several different types. You can look in your owner’s manual or sometimes it’s on the oil cap for the engine.
- Figure out how many quarts your engine takes (my car takes 6 quarts, lots of others take 5 quarts).
- Save some cardboard boxes to lay down on your driveway.
- Bonus Savings: If you have access to four jack stands, rotate your tires. It’s an easy way to save $15 to $20, several times per year.
Finally, with all car repairs and/or maintenance – Please Be Safe! Make sure that jack stands are used properly, chalk the wheels, take your time, and wear safety glasses.
What was your last DIY project?
This is so awesome! Honestly my car is one thing that I’m willing to pay someone else to do. For me I save on DIY on other home projects. I plan on rebuilding (and redesigning) a retaining wall that’s on it’s last leg this Summer. The planning process has actually been somewhat “fun” and very educational. While I will still have to pay the material costs, I will save at least a couple grand on labor (if not more). I plan on taking some PTO from work so I’ll still be making money those days PLUS I’ll be saving money on the project. I plan on doing something similar with our bathroom, flooring, and who knows what else.
DC @ Young Adult Money recently posted…10 Productive Things to Do When Bored
Thanks – I agree, he did an awesome job 🙂 Not everyone can do every type of DIY project; you have to know your own skills and abilities. Good luck with your summer project, it sounds like you’ve got it all planned out. I hope that you do a post about it, with before and after pictures!
That’s impressive!
Funny enough I just had my first go at some car repairs and wrote a big post about it also! 🙂
theFIREstarter recently posted…Car Maintenance Tips for Newbies
It`s always tough to find out you have to spend a lot of money on your car repairs. Knowing how to avoid spending a lot of money when you need to repair your car can always come in handy.
Richard recently posted…5 Tips You Have to Know about RockAuto Discounts
I know how you can avoid spending more money than you should on car repairs….and that`s to have a close friend or a relative as your mechanic. What can I say? I`m kind of lucky that way. 🙂
Lucky you! That is probably the best way to save money on car repairs.
Pingback: How to Save Hundreds of Dollars on Car Repairs - The Global Dispatch
This post was awesome! I know everyone looks for best and most cheapest tips for repairing their four wheelers, i am also looking for my brand new Audi. I have did so many thing for my Audi but i am not satisfied with the work. You have posted a very well ideas about repairing. Nicely explained. I am really satisfied with your post.
Albo Davis recently posted…Different Types of Car Suspension Systems
I’m so glad that you enjoyed the post – Mr. Smith deserves a lot of credit.
I love to watch YouTube videos on car repairs. You can always find something new to learn there. After watching a few hundred videos over the years I can now see I`m ….almost a mechanic! :))
Mr. Smith is getting ready to tackle another car repair, this time for his father. Another tip is that many car parts store will scan your car for you if there is some type of “check engine light.” They will give you the code which can be checked online to identify the specific problem.
Great tips! I never thought to take a few pictures before starting to work at my car, just to be sure I`m able to put everything back it used to be.
Edward recently posted…5% RockAuto Discount Code & Coupon Shipping Tips
Wow, I never would have thought about using YouTube to help with car repairs. My transmission has been acting weird lately, and I know that that is a ton of money to get fixed. I’ll definitely have to follow this tip and see if YouTube would be able to help me understand how I can fix it. Thanks a ton for giving me this great idea.
Youtube is always a online good resource for pretty much any field, even car repair and tips on how to change auto parts. I know because I constantly use it and it really helps. You can`t always find what you are looking for, you sometimes need to be lucky enough to have someone else being in the same situation in the first place, but you`ll often find many car repair tips and additional information.
Learning how to change my own oil was the best decision I have ever made. I save a killing not having to pay someone to do a job that a monkey could learn to do. Great advice.
Hallo there Harmony, that was one great post. I landed here while I was looking for some DIY car repair tips and its really informative. After receiving a shocking $800 about a year ago from my mechanic I swore to do basic repairs on my own and Youtube has played a major role in helping me master these basic tasks. So far I can fix some things and proud to say I have saved some money. Thanks for sharing!
Cindy
I think that the first tip is the best one! I have used YouTube videos for a lot of car repair needs. Like you say, you have the opportunity to watch videos from different sources. This can help get an overall idea of how to repair something.
Wow, it sounds like your husband is really good with cars, or at least with understanding YouTube tutorials! Does he typically buy his parts new or used? I almost always go with used parts when I’m getting my car fixed by my usual mechanic because of how much cheaper it is.
I usually help him scour the internet for the best prices on new parts. He’s found that a little better quality parts will last a lot longer.
My car needs to go into the shop and get some parts updated. The problem is that I don’t have a ton of money to do this. I’m grateful that I was able to find this and get some insights on how I can save some money whenever it is I do take it in to get it fixed up.
Harmony, great explanation that you gave about the caliper and how it houses both the brakes pads and pistons. That to me was quite helpful to know because of a tip that my brother gave to me about taking a look at my brakes. Somehow he saw that the brakes of my vehicle was not installed properly and that he could hear screeching sounds every time I break.
My husband often tries to do our auto repairs himself, too. One thing that I have learned is that, like your husband says, you need lots of time to do it yourself. One thing I like about taking my car to the auto repair shop, if I am able, is that I know it will get done in a timely manner. So for more complex or important repairs, I always go to the professionals.
I take a few months to learn to be able to fix the basic error on my car. With the engine fault, I still spend a lot of costs for mechanics. I decided to buy a scanner, self-check for errors and then brought to the repair facility. It saves me a lot of money.
We thought about buying a scanner, but the supply shop near our house will read the codes for free.
I agree that you should inspect your vehicle while disassembling it. That way, you’re more likely not to miss anything. If you don’t do that, you may end up finding out later that you missed a really big issue.
Having a car gives you more responsibility that you should really attend to every time. Being able to take care of your car in the right way makes it lasts longer than what is intended.
I like your idea to perform some of the easier maintenance on your car. However, beyond surface-level repairs, like transmission issues, it is probably a good idea to hire a professional. For me, it is not worth the risk to mess up my car to save a hundred or two hundred dollars!
A lot of great tips here. It will really help a lot on people who wanna save. Good job. Constant maintenance on your vehicle is also a must and goes a long way.
I would definitely rather repair my car myself, and save some money. You have some great advice here to do that, I have never heard of “core charges” before. I will have to remember that when I go to buy parts!
I like your tip to watch Youtube videos! I have friends who do that and save a lot of money on repairs. I am going to do it for small things that I think I can do. For the big car repairs, I’m still going to go to a shop so I don’t mess things up.
A well-maintained car has a higher selling value which will help you acquire a better return on your investment if you decide to sell it.
It’s great that you were able to fix the problem with your car’s brakes on your own. I would never have tried to do that repair on my own! I have so little car knowledge that I probably would have made the problem worse. However, I will try to be better about changing my own oil, because that’s something more on my level. Thanks for the tips!
You have some great tips here for saving money on car repairs. I don’t know much about cars at all, so I’m not sure how helpful these would be for me personally, but I think I can watch some YouTube videos and see. I might just have to stick with going to a mechanic instead.
I think the advice is well thought out. But I have two issues with it. One: I am modern-car phobic. I have a two big, rolling tool chests with everything I need for motorcycle repair, general repair, simple fabrication, and even simple automobile repairs. But all of those panels in the interior and all of the parts buried under layers of other parts under the hood just makes me shudder and walk away and call for help. Two: the bigger problem is when the problem happens and towing is required. It’s not feasible to get multiple estimates. If you don’t have a dealership or independent mechanic to have the car towed to, you’re really in trouble. My starter motor went out away from home. AAA got the car started, I drove to my mechanic (excellent work, I think fair prices, and only 3 blocks from my apartment), and he had a new (well, rebuilt) starter motor installed in less than 2 hours. I don’t know if $275 was a good price, but what else could I have done? The dealership would have definitely been more expensive (although they would have given me a far-newer loaner car).
There are definitely some problems that we won’t even try to fix at home. For those, good mechanic is probably going to be a better choice than the dealership. Also, we’ve been lucky in not running into towing issues. If Mr. Smith thought he would be able to fix it, he’d probably get it towed to our house. Anything else (including unidentifiable issues) would go to the mechanic.
Don’t be too scared of your car – start with an oil change 🙂
Having your car go in for its normal check up is just like what we do when we have our yearly physicals. It makes sure that nothing is wrong, and if there are issues, you can then proceed to get them fixed. It will make your car reliable over the long haul because the maintenance will help diagnose any problems your car may have.
Good cars need to have better engines and parts. It would be easier if the car that you have is also common and easy to fix.
If you feel confident enough to DIY a car repair, more power to you. It can definitely save you a lot of cash. Thanks for sharing your advice!
There’s a lot about here that is really helpful. Owning a car is not a joke. You should take care of it. It is an investment.
Even if you are not knowledgeable about taking your car to the mechanic, there are several ways that you can save money on car repairs. If you educate yourself a little bit about the process and different ways to save money on car repairs, then you will feel better about taking your car to the mechanic and confident that you are receiving the best value on your repairs.
tie rod end adjusting sleeves recently posted…New F Body Coil Overs From Viking
A well-maintained car has a higher selling value which will help you acquire a better return on your investment if you decide to sell it.
Thanks for these tips! YouTube definitely has a lot of great resources for DIY car repairs, and there’s basically a channel for every issue.
Thanks for the tip to leave a failed transmission to a mechanic to fix. I agree they are not easy to repair.
The oil change should be a right of passage for any teenager and their first car. I think it “breaks the seal”, and shows youngsters that their car isn’t some magical being that only a certified repairman can fix. Sure, some things should be left to the pros, but too many people leave EVERYTHING to the pros, no matter how easy it is.
Did the same thing on my car, well slight different. I had to replace all the discs and brake pads on the car. The price for parts was just as expensive as the labour so I watched youtube videos and did it all myself. Only money I spent was on the parts so I saved half of what I would of spent. Only problem was on one wheel one of the bolts was rounded so I had a very hard time getting that out.
I do agree that regular maintenance of the vehicle could be very helpful in reducing the overall cost of repair and could save a sizable amount of money. Properly maintained vehicle could run smoothly for considerable longer periods. Inspection and replacement of different types of fluids used in the vehicle is key maintenance aspect. Such fluid plays very important role and in the absence of such fluid the performance of the vehicle could get affected. Apart from this, the condition of different types of components used in the vehicles including the engine also needs to be inspected at a regular interval. Oil change and car service should never skipped. Because, car is nothing but a machine and lack of proper maintenance could cost us a lot of money.
It is a very important factor for repairing our car by to right tools. I think torque wrench can be one of the best sources to repair the car. So it can save your money.
My father has been wanting to restore an old foreign sports car he had when he was in college. Your tip about making sure you give yourself plenty of time is a great point. I know he’ll want to find a good company that can provide auto parts for his foreign vehicle.
You make a great point about how cars will require a variety of tools and can use both standard and metric tools on the same vehicle. My wife drives a European vehicle that seems like it would be complicated to work on yourself. Because we don’t have tools or experience, finding a reputable mechanic will be our best option.
It is a very amazing and unique post. And very helpful to lots of people to how to save money on car repairs.
I am planning on getting my first car soon. It is good to know that changing the oil at the right times will help me save a lot of money on the car’s maintenance. That is good for me to know because I don’t want to worry about having a huge maintenance bill.
Car repairs are one of the most expensive things we all have to go through on either monthly bases or at least in quarterly bases, to be honest, it sucks, thanks for some pro tips 🙂
All the tips are true. Youtube is such a holy grail. Without it, surely I already spent most of my pay in different repair shops. There may be a lot of trials and errors but the time and efforts spent are priceless.