Zen and the Art of Car Maintenance Part 1
Since I bought my 2013 Prius - named Jarvis after the Ironman comics - I have done all the maintenance work on him myself. I want to share how I went from never having owned a car before to being comfortable with doing basic maintenance tasks.
But first, a quick disclaimer: none of the information here is intended to replace the directions of your own vehicle's owner's manual and if you have real car problems stop reading this post and find an auto mechanic you can trust.
Now that that's out of the way, here are the things I have done since buying Jarvis:
Change the oil
Rotate the tires
Adjust tire pressure
Change cabin air filters
Added coolant fluid
I entered car ownership determined to do all the routine maintenance myself despite having zero auto experience. So my first message to you is this:
1. All you need to do to start doing your own car work is to start doing it.
Your owner's manual is your first resource. It will list the things you need to do for each 5,000 mile maintenance check. Most of these items will be explained in the manual - for example, it tells you what pattern to follow when you rotate the tires, and what kinds of coolant and oil to buy. If your manual is like mine, though, it won't have everything. There are a couple places to go next.
The internet is obviously an enormous resource and you will probably be able to find YouTube videos, forums and detailed DIY instructions for your particular make and model. My advice would be to make sure the information is appropriate to the make, model and year of your car, and to consult multiple sources before acting to make sure they agree on the fundamentals. Then there are Chilton's manuals, which are the standard for mechanics and amateurs alike. These manuals are specific to the make, model and year of a particular car. They contain detailed information on how to do all kinds of typical maintenance tasks. Just be aware that they are a couple years behind so if you have a newer model they might not have a manual for your car yet. Finally, mechanics, vendors and shop owners are all incredibly knowledgeable and like to share their opinions. I chatted with the salesman at my dealership for 30 minutes about engine oil - I learned about synthetics, how often you should really be changing your oil, which major brands are the best - he had opinions on everything.
Once you have done your homework and you're ready to start doing some maintenance, you need to get all the equipment. If you don't want to spend money, the best thing to do is to rent your tools from an AutoZone for a small or no charge. They'll have the wrenches, jacks and chocks that you'll need for oil changes and tire rotations. I wanted to own my tools outright because I'm a nerd, but I am also cheap, so I mainly go to Harbor Freight for my tools. Harbor Freight's inventory is always the cheapest but you also get what you pay for, so be wary. I would recommend that if you're going to rely on Harbor Freight for the bulk of your tools, you should still be willing to go to AutoZone or Home Depot and spend decent money on tools that are critical to safety, such as jacks and jack stands. This leads us to my second and most important message:
2. Do everything you can to maximize your safety while you work on your car, from buying your supplies to setting up your car.
Lastly, if you need to buy replacement car parts, purchase directly from your OEM or from a credible supplier. This will be more expensive than finding a knockoff version but if it is an important part, or something that should have a long life span, like an air filter, then you should be willing to shell out the extra money to get that part. You don't want to buy something that doesn't fit, do you? That being said, if you are strapped for cash or having a hard time finding the right part, check eBay. If you have a popular car you will find it particularly easy to get the replacement parts you need online.
In my next post, I will give you some pointers on how to prepare yourself mentally before trying a new task for the first time. I know it sounds hokey, but there really is an art to getting in the right mindset to do car maintenance, so stay tuned.