There was a time not so long ago when being a weekend mechanic was a much more popular pastime, when if you were handy with a screwdriver and wrench, you could consider servicing or repairing your car yourself over the weekend.
The current design of all modern cars means that this prospect is not as appealing to most DIY enthusiasts. New models are increasingly stuffed with more and more computer based electronics and sensors that automatically determine engine parameters and performance. Things like engine speed, camshaft position, vacuum pressure, oxygen content of air intake manifold, CO2 content, plus a host of other statistics are measured every few milliseconds or so.
Based on these measurements, the car’s engine control unit, ECU (or power train unit, PTU) makes appropriate adjustments to valve timing, Ignition timing, fuel Injectors and fuel mixture and other key adjustments to ensure the desired performance is achieved. The result could be optimized fuel economy, speed or power.
It may now seem as though most of the inner working of your car is now beyond your control!
However there is much that you can easily and safely do yourself if you follow three simple steps before you begin:
1. Know your Limits
This may sound obvious but the last thing you want to do is to embark on repairs or servicing your car when it involves the use of equipment that you do not have or that is beyond your ability to use.
Some diagnostic procedures require the use of computer based jigs and attachments that are beyond the scope of the average the weekend do-it-yourself-er.
So don’t be too ambitious and embark on procedures that you can’t complete or worse that can cause damage or injury! Start slowly and get familiar with the tasks that you can do, and those that you should leave to the experts.
2. Acquire and have on hand Appropriate Tools
This follows naturally from the previous tip, and is also vital.
Many projects can be brought to a premature and frustrating end by the fact that you do not have a particular spanner size or socket for your wrench.
For electrical troubleshooting you will also need a digital multi-meter for checking wiring continuity and voltage, and the know-how to use it.
3. Get Accurate Information
This is probably the most important bit of advice, since unlike cars of the last generation, you will not be able to “figure it out” as you go. Ensure that you get a Manufacturer’s Service Manual for your model vehicle.
There are many places you can acquire these and most are in digital format and can be downloaded in the form of a pdf file, which will work on almost any Windows or Apple computer. This method of acquiring ensures that your manual cannot get lost or pages get torn and smudged with greasy finger prints.
You can search your file for keywords, and print out only the parts of the manual that you really need.
Once you take these three simple steps, you will have the confidence to service or perform basic and even some advance maintenance tasks on your car, get allot of personal satisfaction and even save yourself some money in the process.
