With the rising cost of car fixture , a grow number of people are take matters into their own hands and ready their vehicles themselves . They are helped by countless “ do it yourself ” video posted on YouTube and other websites . While this makes sense in certain position , it is not always advisable for people to repair their own railcar . It really comes down to what the problem is and what location is involve . surely , most people can replace a spark ballyhoo or install their own wintertime tires . Heck , most of us can even alter a auto battery or remove the rust from our brakes . But the truth is that some repairs should be carried out by a licensed and qualified mechanic . For safety reasons , if nothing else . Here is a list of 10 car repair you should never ever do yourself .
10. DVD Player or Upgraded Radio
A lot of hoi polloi will count at this one and think “ Please . I can install my own radio . ” The job here is that installing either a videodisk player or a radio receiver demand electric wiring . And if you ’re become to take this task on yourself , you had better know what you are doing or risk doing some serious damage to your vehicle . Dangers admit short circuiting the electrical organization in your car or causing an electrical fire in the fomite . There ’s also the frustration of wiring the whole system up and then finding out it does n’t work . get hold of your railway car to a mechanic and getting them to sort out the mess will be more expensive than if you just had a dependant mechanic install an raise radio or DVD role player for you in the first place — usually at a cost of between $ 500 and $ 1,000 . Or , you could simply go to Walmart and buy a portable DVD system that your Kyd can apply in the railroad car for around $ 100 .
9. Timing Belt
If you own your car long enough , eventually the timing smash will need to be replaced . And while many people seek to do this replacement themselves , it is never advisable . That is because A ) the timing belt ammunition is an essential element that keep on your engine operating , and B ) it will require about one-half of your car ’s locomotive to be disassembled to get to the timing belt that needs put back . Even if you pull off to successfully supersede the timing belt , the chance of you reassemble the engine perfectly are slender at best . The slightest mistake could do long - term and irreparable harm to your car ’s engine . exchange a timing belt before it breaks ordinarily costs $ 500 to $ 1,000 . replace a timing whang after it breaks could be $ 2,000 or more if it has go to damage with the valves , pistons or water heart under the elevator car ’s bonnet . The cost to fix an engine you have it off up while replacing the timing belt yourself could be importantly more money .
8. Shock Absorbers
A flock of “ do it yourself ” types wish to think they can mend the interruption on their car and replace the shock absorbers themselves . Do n’t do it ! First of all , if you get this repair wrong it could be a serious safety hazard for your vehicle and make it unfit to labor . secondly , climbing underneath your gondola to replace the shock absorber can be grievous in and of itself . Many a person has had their handwriting beat trying to remove old shock absorbers or establish fresh one . Also , a lot of people climb under their car and get into this repair only to realize that they ca n’t tell a jounce absorber from a prance . recollect that caution should always be exercised when a repair on a car need jacking the fomite up and creep underneath it . The price to have novel daze absorbers install at a service department is typically about $ 750 , include taxes and labor . That is money well pass .
7. Windshield Repairs
The television commercials make it look so easy . You just force out a little epoxy glue or other guck into a splintering or crack in your car ’s windscreen and it as if by magic look brand name new again . Anyone can do that by themselves , right ? haywire . A crack or chipped windshield is a serious issue and refuge hazard . People who experience a whirl or chip in their windshield should get it fixed immediately and by a professional . And take action mechanism quickly can save the windscreen from needing to be put back entirely , and save the proprietor big bucks . However , attempting to fix a chip or crack in a windshield oneself could make the crack or micro chip larger and require that a whole new windshield be installed . for certain , buying a can of poppycock off the shelf at a hardware store and trying to set up a chipped or crack windshield yourself will be only about $ 10 . But repairing a scrap or crack in a windshield at a licensed service department cost only about $ 75 , and you know it will be done properly . Replacing the full windscreen costs around $ 500 . Do the maths and take the appropriate action .
6. Engine Diagnostics
When the baulk engine light pop up on the fascia of our machine , it station many of us into police detective mode . unpaid sleuthhound love to try and visualise out why the locomotive light has do on and what trouble may be lurking under the strong-armer . But a lot of wrong can be done poking around under the punk of a cable car . And the reality is that unless you own very expensive automotive diagnostic equipment , the chances of you getting to the bottom of the mystery story are svelte at best . true statement is that the engine light could be on simply because your gasolene cap is not screwed on nasty enough , or because your railway car is overheating and the locomotive is about to blow . The range of reason is that large and dramatic . Best to get a auto-mechanic to plume your car up to a symptomatic machine and source the problem for you . A diagnostic trial on a car typically runs about $ 100 to $ 130 .
5. Radiator
The radiator in your railcar fall into the category of “ of the essence factor . ” Without the radiator , your car will overheat and this can lead to major engine malfunction and expensive repair bills . The radiator is the substance of your automobile ’s cooling system . When not work on properly , you ’re hooped . There are a net ton of video and blogs online that explain to citizenry how they can substitute the radiator in their car like the professionals in anywhere from 11 to 16 loose step . Be heedful . exchange a car radiator is not as easy as the online community would care you to believe . The biggest problem encounter with these home repairs is that the hose connecting the radiator to the railway locomotive are not inviolable enough and come lax , leading to meaning trouble . Also , if you screw up a radiator substitution it could cause your locomotive to blow , and a fresh engine costs between $ 5,000 and $ 7,000 in most railway car today . have a mechanic interchange your radiator typically be between $ 750 and $ 1,000 . Not cheap . But cheaper than a new locomotive engine .
4. Fuel Pump
The fuel pump in your gondola supplying fuel at the correct pressure to the injector in the engine . This is an passing raw and precise piece of equipment , and , as such , it is very expensive to recompense or supervene upon if it break . A fresh installed fuel heart typically costs $ 1,500 to $ 2,000 . With such a hefty damage tag attach to it , it is not surprising that many people attempt to repair or interchange the fuel pump in their car on their own . But get this repair amiss can conduct to a catastrophic failure in a fomite and the cable car may need to be completely scraped . If you want to maintain onto your cable car for a lot longer , it would be best to get a mechanic to do this hangout or replacement . Keep in mind that a fuel ticker can be keep in dear condition simply by using character fuel in the fomite .
3. Brakes
To be fairish , you may supervene upon your own brake . Many people have done this , and it is by no means the most complicated self-propelling repair on this list . That said , if you do replace the brakes on your machine yourself , you had better get it veracious . Few safety problems with a vehicle are as frightening as malfunctioning brake system . And keep in mind that a brake job does not just postulate brake pad . It also involves calipers , rotors , bike bearings and brake fluid . Get any one of these legal injury and you could be put yourself and the other occupants in your car in jeopardy . If you find confident to guarantee this problem yourself , that ’s okay . But for peace of creative thinker alone , it might be serious to have a professional modification your brake . In most areas , it be about $ 500 to replace the brake launch pad and rotors in a vehicle . Not the most expensive repair , but one of the most important in terms of safety .
2. Head Gasket
A short-winded head gasket is as bad as it gets for most car owner . It can take 20 to 25 hours of labor for a dependant mechanic to replace a gasconade capitulum gasket in a car . That ’s half a week or more spent working on one head gasket . The cost for this haunt can well top $ 3,000 . But the top dog gasket is critically significant as it seals in the internal burning process of a gondola locomotive engine , and keeps coolant and oil from mixing together as the two fluid move around from the engine block to the piston chamber question . When a head gasket blows , you will not be able to operate your fomite . Trying to situate this major repair on your own is never a good idea . If it takes a professionally trained mechanic half a week to harness this trouble , imagine how long it will take you in your dwelling garage ? Also , this is one of those repairs that , if you get it wrong , you could for good damage your motorcar ’s engine . Be like most the great unwashed and trust you never bump this trouble .
1. Transmission
The transmission is , arguably , the most complex part of a car . It is the Rubik ’s Cube of most vehicles . Containing thousands of complex parts , a transmission serves a very important character to occupy the car in forward drive or reverse . Owing to its complications , a transmission can almost never be reanimate or replaced by the average backyard auto-mechanic . Yet , many people seek to repair the contagion themselves — usually with disastrous final result . Even changing the transmission fluid in a car is complicated and a specialized procedure must be undertake by a machinist . Repairing a transmittance can be $ 2,000 to $ 3,000 . While put back the transmission costs anywhere from $ 4,500 to $ 6,000 . But undertaking this complicated repair or replacement oneself is rightfully the Kamikaze delegacy of home automobile mending . Do yourself a favor and either take the car to a licensed service department for the fixing or quarrel your car tout ensemble and get a novel one .
