Driving in a brand new car sure feels good, but the occasional flat tyre, scratches and the stress of the being stranded on a busy street are part and parcel of owning a car.  While paint scratches pose no threat to your safety, a flat tyre and a dead battery must be fixed in order to get from A to B.  When faced with any of these situations, what’s a person to do? Fortunately, one need not be MacGyver to save money and handle the operation alone. Here are the top 4 DIY car fixes  that every car owner should know. Why pay an exorbitant emergency service for something as simple as a dead battery when you could save?

HOW TO CHANGE A TYRE

It could take up to an hour to wait for a superhero (or in our case, the AAM tow truck) to fix a flat tyre at the highway.  So why not be prepared for the lemons in life and learn how to change a tyre before the catastrophe occurs?  In fact, it is recommended for car drivers to try changing their tyres at home at least once. This way, one might eliminate the need to scratch one’s head in agitation when stuck at 2am on the highway on a misty night. Here’s how:

Step 1: Park your car at a solid, level surface to stop the car from rolling away.

A sudden flop of a tyre on the road could send a driver to panic mode. If this situation occurs, immediately turn on your hazard light and park at the side of the road. Also, try to find a solid level surface if possible and double check that you have applied the hand brake and set the gear to the parking mode. This may not be possible if you’ve got a completely busted tire and the car just isn’t budging but if possible; do try.

Step 2: Place a heavy object such as a rock, concrete, spare wheel in front of the front and back tyres.

For those who are stranded by the roadside, always keep a lookout of the traffic before exiting your car. Safety first! Next, place a heavy object in front of the wheels to stop the car from rolling away.

Step 3: Take out the spare tyre and the jack

Here’s where a prior practise will be handy! When purchasing a car, do inspect where the tools are hidden. These tools are usually hidden in the trunk and usually bolted to the car. So it’s best to learn the skills of removing the tools beforehand. Also, it is very important find out the correct way to place and use the jack. Many Malaysian cars have molded plastic along the bottom, and if you don’t place the jack at the right spot, the plastic might just crack when you start lifting.

Extra tip: Check the air in the spare tyre at least once a month to avoid further frustration.

Step 4: Raise the jack until it is supporting (but not lifting) the car.

The jack should be firmly in place against the underside of the vehicle. Check to make sure that the jack is perpendicular to the ground.

Step 5: Remove the hubcap and loosen the nuts.

If you tyre has a hubcap, remove it so you’ll see the lug nuts (see image above for what these are!). To loosen the nuts, use the lug wrench that came with your car or purchase a standard cross wrench (this type of wrench will provide more leverage). Loosen the nuts by turning counter clockwise; you don’t actually need to remove them all the way, it is sufficient to break the resistance. Those nuts could be really hard to bulge even for a person with super Hulk strength; so if all else fails, use your body weight or stomp on the wrench.

On the first step, the jack has yet to lift the car – by keeping the wheel on the ground, you’ll make sure that you’re turning the nuts instead of the wheel. Also, don’t lose the nuts!

Step 6: Crank the jack to lift the tyre off the ground.

When cranking up the jack, be sure to lift high enough to remove the flat tyre and replace it with a spare. As you lift, make sure that the car is stable. If the car starts to wobble, lower the jack and fix the problem before fully lifting the car. Additionally, if you notice the jack lifting at an angle or leaning, lower and re-position it so that it can lift straight up.

Step 7: Remove the nuts completely and remove the flat tyre.

Place the flat tyre under the vehicle so in the event of a jack failure the vehicle will fall on the old wheel, hopefully preventing injury.

Step 8: Place the spare tyre and replace the nuts.

Tighten the nuts until they are all snug. To ensure that the tyre is balanced, tighten them in a star pattern around the tire, one nut across from another, give each nut a full turn until they are equally tight. There’s no need to go crazy and upset the jack, there is plenty of opportunity to tighten those nuts once the spare tire reached the ground.

Step 9: Lastly, lower the car to the ground.

Remove the jack and finish tightening the nuts and replace the hubcap. Drivers, don’t simply leave your old tyre on the side of the road! Place it on your trunk and immediately visit your mechanic to inspect to cause of the flat tyre. The fee to cover a small puncture (‘tampal’) will usually cost RM5 to RM10. However, a more severe problem might require a complete tyre change which could cost a minimum RM200 – RM300 per tyre. You’ll want to replace this so you’ll always have a spare for the next untoward tire deflation.

HOW TO JUMPSTART A VEHICLE

Uh oh, your car won’t start? There are several factors as to why your car decided to quit on you, and a dead battery is usually the main culprit. No doubt, it will cost a lot of money to call the mechanic or a tow truck to jumpstart the dead car. Instead, get a friend or even a stranger to help you out for free! After all, all you need is a running car with a good battery and a set of jumper cables.

First things first, it is important to store a jumper cable in your car trunk – this also makes it easier to beg for strangers to help you out (especially in a parking lot).  Most people realise the importance of storing a jumper cable in the car, and yet don’t. Generally, it costs around RM25 – RM55 to purchase a cable from your local mechanic. Then again, although getting a boost is a fairly easy task, it can be a dangerous process if the correct guidelines are not followed.

Step 1: Hold on! Check your battery

Before calling a friend or a stranger for help, make sure that your battery can actually take a jump-start. There are several ways to check for this.

• If your batter has vent caps, look inside to see if the electrolyte solution has frozen. Additionally, check for cracks in the battery casing or if there is a whitish residue around the battery terminals. If you tick yes on any of these problems, it is safe to say that a jumpstart will not revive your car to life (doesn’t hurt to try though!)

• After establishing your battery’s conditions, check to make sure that the battery of the other driver’s car is of a voltage that is higher or matches yours.

Step 2: Turn everything off

Make sure that everything is turned off in your car or the car with the dead battery. This includes ignition and lights.

Step 3: Park the cars at an appropriate angle

Get the car with the good battery to park near your car, at a distance where the cable would be able to connect these two vehicles.

Step 4: Identify the red positive terminals and black negative terminals on both the batteries.

Here’s how you connect the cables:

• Red cable to positive: Connect the red cable to the positive side on BOTH cars.

• Black cable to negative: Connect the cable to the negative side on the GOOD battery. DO NOT attach the other black cable to dead battery. Instead, attach the last black clip to an unpainted metal surface on your car that isn’t near the battery (you could use one of the metal struts that holds the hood open).

Step 5: Start your vehicle

First, start the car with the good battery. Wait a minute or two to give the dead battery a chance to charge. You may need to rev both cars at some point to increase the charge. How do you know if it’s time to turn on the engine? Try turning on the lights on the dead car. If it works, voila! Your car is good to go.

Extra Tips!

• Most car batteries last between 4 to 5 years, but could only last up to 3 years in hot climate countries (that’s us).

• Ask your mechanic on ways to preserve the battery longer such as cleaning steps and more!

HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR WIPER BLADES

Wiper blades are one of the most important parts of the vehicle. Despite this, many car owners pay little or no attention to these unsung heroes. Typically, good wiper blades will set you back between RM40 to hundreds of ringgit. However, you could minimise the need to change your wiper blades with these easy to do maintenance process!

Tip 1: Always check the wipers

First, make sure that the arms of the wipers are as tight as possible. This will ensure that the blades are not loose and the surface of the windshield can be cleaned at ease!

Tip 2: Don’t forget to clean them

Clean them! As a rule thumb, tend to your wiper blades every 3 months with a clean wet cloth to remove any dirt or debris. Every six months, dip a cloth in vinegar and run it down the length of the blade to thoroughly clean the blade and preps it for any dressing you will put next. After cleaning with vinegar, dab some rubber protectant onto a cloth and rub lightly onto the rubber blades. If you’re feeling a little frugal, Vaseline or any other petroleum jelly will suffice (a light dab will do – don’t go overboard!)

HOW TO FIX A MINOR CAR SCRATCH

Let’s face it, even the most experienced driver is bound to endure a minor scratch on the car. Sometimes it might not be your fault, but the road is filled with reckless drivers and psychopaths with a key in hand. So what’s a car owner to do? The most obvious option is to visit the mechanic and pay hundreds of ringgit to fix a tiny scratch on one’s car door. However, for those who don’t have hundreds of ringgit to spare, you could always try to fix it yourself!

Anatomy of a Scratch

First things first, it is important to know the depth of your scratch. Sometimes, they might not even be scratches at all! Sometimes, you can find these when you brush against an object while driving – the object doing the rubbing may be softer than the paint, thus depositing its materials onto your car.

To determine this, these marks are usually raised above the paint, not sunken into it. A simple test could determine this – Try to gently dig at the scratch, if it goes deep, then you’re in trouble. However, if it’s raised and the mark seems to be from a rubber, plastic, or paint,  it may come off easily with an aerosol tar or adhesive remover. Stubborn marks often can be removed with acetone or lacquer thinner on a soft rag.

Oh no, it’s a scratch!

But lo and behold! It is a scratch, and now you’re slumped at the thought of the repair cost. First, you need to determine the severity of the scratch. A scratch that appears thin and white that only goes through the clear coat is relatively easy to fix, while a deeper scratch that penetrates into the primer (scratch is usually body coloured or show the steel colour) are harder and require more steps.

Most car wash companies in the Klang Valley offer to diminish the scratch at a monumental cost of up to hundreds and hundreds of ringgit! However, there is actually a cost-friendly way for you to be rid of that pesky scratch (Tip: Try on a very small area of the scratch if you’re unsure of what you’re doing!).

Fix the scratch

Minor scratches, ones that don’t go through the clear coat of a car paint can often simply be polished out with compound. Yes, this removes some of the clear coat, so polish the minimum area necessary or you’ll have to re-paint some of that protective top layer.

Step 1: Clean the scratched area!

Thoroughly clean the panel after you’re done to remove the abrasive compound. First, clean the surface to remove surface dirt.

Step 2: Polish

Apply a small amount of polishing compound to the pad that comes with it, or even to a terry cloth or microfiber cloth and slowly polish only a small area of the scratch. After a couple of dozen strokes, use a clean cloth to buff the area dry and check on the scratch. Go slowly to avoid sanding through the clear coat, and check often to see if the scratch is still visible. Aside from polishing the car, you could also try products like Fix It! Pro pen which is actually a clear coat resin packaged like a marker pen (priced at around RM8 in Malaysia). Additionally, those who are brave enough to fix a base-coat or primer scratch could head on to popular mechanics for the complete DIY steps!

Safety first, folks!

an article in Malay Mail by Balkish Rosly, savemoney.my