Whether you’re looking for affordable ways to fix your car or passionate about cars and vehicle maintenance, doing your own is a great way to save money and learn more about your automobile. When it comes to DIY projects, you must have the correct tools to ensure repairs go smoothly and as expected.
At Tractor Supply, we understand our customers are always looking for quality, abundant tool options to complete their own repairs and replacements. Browse this guide to discover the different auto maintenance tasks you can do with our products.
1. Change Car Oil
While it is convenient to have your oil changed for you, many people are enjoying the advantages of doing the task themselves. To begin, you’ll need the right supplies, starting with motor oil, which comes in conventional, synthetic blend and full synthetic blend options. Some cars will need full-synthetic oil, which is the more expensive choice, while other vehicles can operate optimally on conventional or synthetic blend oils.
To determine the type you need, you should always refer to your owner’s manual or speak with someone from your car dealership. This also helps you determine the viscosity of oil you need. Once you know the oil your vehicle uses, start oil changes by draining leftover substances and checking the oil filter, which is housed in the engine.
After removing the old one, slip your replacement oil filter into the same spot, giving your vehicle a fresh part. You also want to replace the drain plug as you complete this process. Next, you simply refill the oil and put components back together. Be sure to check oil levels and inspect for leaks to ensure a safe oil change.
2. Replace Air Filters
Many car owners forget about their air filters, which require replacing every once in a while to improve your car’s performance and fuel efficiency, as well as protect it from certain contaminants. Before switching out your air filter, you should make sure the engine is cool. After opening the air filter housing, start by removing the old filter, cleaning away any grime and debris inside.
Next, insert your replacement air filter, ensuring it fits correctly, and reassemble the housing securely. While this task can seem overwhelming, it’s actually one of the simpler DIY jobs for your vehicle. Not only is it essential for extending the life of your engine, but it also enhances engine performance while you use it.
3. Adjust Tire Pressure
The tire pressure of your tires is essential to keeping them evenly worn and long-lasting. Tires that are over- or underinflated may become worn unevenly, affecting their performance and potentially leading to accidents. Tire pressure measures the amount of air in your tires by PSI (pounds per square inch), and each make and model of vehicle have varying requirements for their tire pressure range. When adjusting your tire pressure, you want to check your owner’s manual so you can stay in this range.
To adjust the air pressure, you must use a tire pressure gauge to check how much air is in your tires – this will tell you how much air you need to fill them. Start by removing the valve cap from the tire, placing the pressure gauge onto it, and ensuring it fits well and tight.
Next, attach your tire inflator or air compressor to the valve, adding air in small amounts and frequently checking the pressure to ensure it’s not too high, until you reach your tire’s recommended pressure. To take air out of your tire, press down on the center of the valve stem, and air will begin pouring out.
4. Replace Batteries
Car batteries will inevitably become worn and stop working, even if you take the best care of your car. While you can bring them to an auto shop or dealership for replacement, you can also complete this at home. Replacing batteries on your vehicle is relatively simple to do and requires minimal tools.
Before replacing car batteries, make sure the engine is cool, and always wear the right protective gear, such as safety goggles and gloves, when dealing with hazardous battery acids and other debris. To replace the battery, disconnect the battery cables, starting with the negative terminal, which may require you to use ratchets to help loosen and remove clamps. Next, you should unplug the positive terminal.
Batteries may be held down by a restraint, which you can remove using a wrench. After taking off the restraint, simply lift the car battery out. You should be sure to clean the empty terminals using a wire brush before inserting your replacement batteries, working to remove all dirt and debris from components. This ensures your new battery connects properly and performs well after replacing. Once everything is clean and ready, insert the battery and reconnect the terminals.
5. Grease Joint Components
Ball joints are components in cars that connect steering knuckles to control arms, ensuring wheels move well and steering goes smoothly. Because these joints are exposed to much wear and tear during use, they can dry out and eventually cause problems with steering and driving. To revitalize ball joints, you must grease and lubricate them.
After using a jack or jack stand to safely lift your car off the ground, you should find the grease zerks, which are often on ball joints. Zerks typically have small holes, which let grease slide through for proper lubrication. Your first step is cleaning these parts, allowing grease to flow freely through them. Then, attach a grease gun to the zerk and pump slowly, releasing a steady stream until you notice the substance coming back out. Repeat these steps until all ball joints have been properly lubricated.
6. Replace Wiper Blades
We all know when it’s time to give our wiper blades a replacement, as windows become foggier and dirtier, and wipers do less to clear gunk and debris. Replacing them when they become worn is essential for giving you full visibility on the road, clearing away snow, rain and other elements so you can drive safely in any weather.
Start by extending the wiper arms and removing the old blades. It can help to compare the old size of your blades to your new set to ensure they’re correct and will fit well. You should also clean new blades before installing them, allowing for fresh windshield cleaning and easy installation.
Next, take the arm’s latch and fit to your new blade’s connector, installing them in reverse of how you took them off. After replacing them, you should test them to see how they work – that way, you can be prepared for the next heavy rainfall that comes your way.
7. Changing Spark Plugs
Spark plugs work by sending sparks between two electrodes. As they do this, the sparks naturally burn at and wear down metal components. But eventually, sparks will erode metal parts, so much so that they no longer reach the electrodes, leading to engine problems.
To avoid this, you should check your spark plug’s mile rating, with options ranging from 30,000 to 100,000 miles. As spark plugs reach this limit, you want to change them as soon as possible. It can help to check your car’s manual to see exact specifications for spark replacements.
First, remove the cover and air cleaner assembly, usually located at the top of the engine. Clean out the ignition coils and blow off any remaining debris from the engine. Next, disconnect the ignition coil electrical connector and remove the coil hold-down bolt, pulling out the whole boot and coil set. For cars without COP ignition, you can use a spark plug wire puller to pull boots off with ease.
You should then unscrew the plug using a spark plug socket. But before installing spark plugs, you must gap them. Using a wire gauge, place the material between electrodes – you should be able to slightly drag the wire. If not, your gap is too small, and you must pry it open. If the gap is too big, you can lightly tap on the side electrode to close it up.
Next, use a small amount of anti-seize compound on the threads, then thread the plugs into the cylinder heads by hand. Install the new spark plug into your vehicle using a torque wrench, and you’re ready to go.
Find Tools and Parts for DIY Car Repairs at Tractor Supply
From replacement fuel filters to tire and wheel care, we have everything you need to complete vehicle maintenance by yourself with safety and ease in mind. If you’re looking for specific batteries or replacement parts, we make it easy to find what you need with our handy automotive parts finder and battery finder guides, allowing you to search for components by vehicle make and model. To learn more about our selection of automotive parts, visit your local Tractor Supply store today or browse online.