When you first bought your car, it ran smoothly and required only routine maintenance.
But now that you’ve driven it for several thousands of miles, it’s starting to need frequent repairs — and those repairs are getting costly.
You’re looking to save some cash on your vehicle’s maintenance and repairs, but you don’t have much experience. Can you really handle it on your own?
Read on to learn how to fix a car even if it’s the first time you’ve ever picked up some tools and looked under the hood.
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Know the Signs of a Problem
If you have to fix your car yourself, you first need to teach yourself the most common signs of a problem to watch out for.
If you’ve noticed that your car isn’t driving as it normally does, there’s likely an issue. The same goes if your car is making odd squeaking and squealing noises.
Is your engine check light on? You definitely have an issue if so.
If you’re not sure what’s wrong, look underneath your car for signs of fluid or fuel leaks.
Finally, if your car smells strange and even slightly sulfuric, it’s clear that you have some sort of a problem on your hands.
Follow Along With a Tutorial to Learn How to Fix a Car
If you’re trying to learn how to fix a car on your own, the Internet is definitely your best friend.
YouTube has plenty of beginner-friendly car maintenance and repair channels (check out this list to see some of the best options.)
It’s generally better to follow along with a video than attempt to decipher your owner’s manual or online instructions.
If you’re stuck on and issue and need advice, but don’t want to pay for a mechanic, online forums like reddit and Quora are two great places to crowdsource opinions.
Often, professionals will take the time to answer your questions because doing so helps them get more business from other readers.
What If You Just Can’t Fix It?
Sometimes, in spite of your best efforts, you’re just unable to fix a car.
You’ve done the math, and it will be much more than you’re willing to spend — and more than the car is actually worth — to have it repaired.
Your best bet here is to sell your car to a junk car buyer for cash.
Click on this link to learn more about who buys cars that don’t run and to learn how to get the highest possible offer on your old vehicle.
Want to Learn Even More About Fixing Cars?
Now that you know the basics of how to fix a car, you’re ready to get a bit more experience.
Who knows?
You might enjoy understanding how to repair cars so much that one day, you decide to become a professional mechanic. And even if you only use your skills for your own benefit, you’ll still save tons of money and frustration.
Ready to take your repair skills to the next level?
Bookmark our blog for more of the latest and greatest car repair advice that even those with minimal experience can master.
