14 Days Free

Doing the maintenance on your own vehicle can be a long term money saver but at the same time this type of skill takes practice. Every type of vehicle has its own unique moving parts that require different kinds of upkeep. If you are someone who is thinking about possibly doing all of your own work for a while and save on some costs, just know that it’s a bit harder than it looks. Before you physically start to maintenance a vehicle, it’s always a good idea the parts book so you know what you looking at. If you don’t have the owner’s manual, you can go online and view countless images of the parts you have interest in. Just about every make and model vehicle has how to videos on the internet. If you have read what’s needed, now you need to think oil and tools.

Before you even start to begin any type of maintenance on a vehicle, it’s always a good idea to start with the owner’s manual. If you don’t have the owner’s manual, you can go online and do a search for whatever type of vehicle you’re going to be working on. Most owner’s manuals can be printed off the internet with not problems. Once you have read through the manual and decided that this is something you can do, the next step is to gather the tools and fluids that you may need.

If you have a steady foot and have spare ramps, then this should be no problem for you. Ramps are easy to maneuver your way up and don’t slide easily. There are very similar risks involved in doing any kind of maintenance to a vehicle so be aware. The reason it is critically important to be aware because if your not and something goes wrong you could really hurt yourself or damage your car. Or worse, both could happen.

If you would like to use ramps to raise your vehicle you can do that too. Ramps are used whereas you basically just drive up them so that your front two tires are raised off the ground by about one foot. This one foot in addition to the normal height of the front bumper should be ample room to maneuver under the hood so that you can complete your oil change. When using these ramps, you must be very careful as there are a few things that can go wrong. For starters, if you drive your front two tires too far on the ramps, your front end will fall off the front of the ramps down to the pavement. On the way to the pavement, your paint or ground effects could be scratched, dented, or worse, have a hole punched in it. This is rare but does happen.

So you have been to the auto store and learned a bit about raising up a vehicle. Now, we are going to discuss a few things you would be doing while it’s up. Before you do any unscrewing of bolts go and get something to act as an oil catcher. Then put on some cheap gloves and take off the drain bolt. Also, a quick point, your engine oil will run most smoothly when it is at least warm. For this reason you should let it run for 3 minutes before starting. Once you get the drain bolt off you already need to have the catcher placed accordingly to catch falling oil. Wipe up any excess that spilled with a towel of some sort or paper towel.

Once all the oil has drained, wipe the area with some of your towels. Then wipe your drain bolt and washer. Once you have wiped them off well, simply put them back on. Don’t make the bolt too tight though because remember it will have to come off for the next time you change your fluid.

Now take a chill pill as you have taken care of the most difficult part of the job. The next easy step will be to also remove and replace the old oil filter with a new one. The oil filter will be a small wide can-looking canister very similar to a fat or overweight can of soda. While your under the vehicle taking off the drain bolt you will probably see the oil filter and not recognize it. Either way, when you lie flat on your back under the larger part of the engine you will see it because of it typical bright coloring.

Once you see the oil filter, go ahead and wrap a towel around it to give you more of an anchor when you squeeze. Don’t be surprised if a bit of oil comes out towards you. It will not gush because it’s not filled with oil, it’s only the oil filter and not a big container. Like I said, all the hard stuff is over. Now you just have to place a couple drops of fresh oil around the mouth of the new filter for an air tight connections.

At this point you are done with screwing and unscrewing any from the bottom of the vehicle. Now is when you poor the new oil into the appropriate reservoir under the hood. You will want to poor it in slowly and stop about 1 quart short of what the vehicle calls for. Then, if you are using ramps, you want to back down the ramps at a careful pace until you have driven off of them and you can see them in front of the vehicle. With the vehicle being level, you can get a more accurate measurement of how much oil is now in the vehicle.

Now use the long dipping tool to measure the oil. If it reads just under full, your done now. If it is too far above full you will want to take it to a shop for draining. Some people pick up maintenance as a necessity and not by choice because of the economy but don’t be a fool, if you have attempted to do this on your own and are struggling badly, be smart and call professional to ask for guidance. Depending on what they tell you, it might be best to drive to the nearest repair shop for some quick help.

Get some great savings on maintaining your vehicle with Oil Change Coupons or even a a valvoline instant oil change coupon.

Using seat covers to your vehicle can prevent from wearing and tearing it your vehicle easily. It can also be considered as additional accessory to your vehicle depending on how you choose its material and color and how stylish it is done.

The interior of your car is as important as the exterior. How it looks will reflect on you so if you frequently car pool with your neighbors and friends, it’s important to invest in car seats to improve the overall appearance of your car. When you have car seats, you won’t have to stress about the dog scratching that oh-so-expensive leather or perhaps worry about what your friends will think if they see your shabby car seats.

If the car seats get torn while your child is playing or because your dog decided to chew on it, you can simply replace the seat covers and your car interior will look as brand as new.

Seat covers is clearly of great help in maintaining your vehicle clean and tidy. As mentioned awhile ago, their main function is to protect your upholster from getting damage. It protects upholster from moisture, dirt and even from ultraviolet rays.

They come in different sizes and shapes. In general, there are two kinds, custom made and universal fit. Unlike custom made, the universal fit can be used for most of the seat styles without little or no changes at all. One can choose either high-back bucket or low-back bucket seats.

Custom made, on the other hand, are tailored exactly for a specific seat based on an identified material. This technique can also be used for bench seats.

Maintaining seat covers is simple. They are washable preferably based on maker’s direction like medium cycle, washing inside-out and machine dry. Once cleaned, seat covers are easy to put on with buttons, hooks and straps to fasten them on the seat.

Prices would depend on the materials or fabric used such as nylon, fabric or leather and the style they have either custom made or universal fit. Finally, car owners decide to purchase seat covers based on their choice to protect themselves from getting to buy another seat which is costlier.

Aside from vehicle maintenance, the author additionally frequently gives advice regarding metal alphabet stamps and teacher stamps.

categories: autos,trucks,advice,reference,travel,personal finance,finance,product reviews,education,society,free,crafts