Car Problems That Are DIY & Which Ones Definitely Require A Licensed Mechanic

By The Manolith Team on October 8th, 2009

Unless you’re a mechanic related to one, or an old-fashioned dad, you’re probably not an expert on cars and their problems. That’s ok, that’s why mechanics exist.

At the very least though, you should know which troubles you can manage yourself and which you should have a mechanic handle. This will save you lots of money, headaches, and you might even be able to hardball with a mechanic a little bit once you’ve learned a thing or two.

Most work of a car is simply maintaining it. If you keep your car in pristine (or just decent) condition, you can avoid seeing a mechanic for the majority of the life of your car.

The most obvious thing you can do yourself is an oil change and tune up. This needs to be done every 3,000 miles. All an oil change entails is draining the existing oil in your car and replacing it. It’s really that simple. Also check all the other fluids of your car: radiator fluid, anti-freeze, window washer fluid, brake fluid and power steering fluid. Be sure to check the oil filter, belt, air filter, brakes, tires, battery and clutch (if necessary). If any of these need replacing they should be fairly simple except the tires, brakes and clutch.

There will eventually come a time when you need to replace your tires, brakes and clutch (if you have a clutch). Tires last 25,000-50,000 miles, depending on driving conditions. These are quite simple to change if you have the right tools (car jack and tire iron). Slightly more complicated to replace are the brakes, break pads, and clutch. These processes are a little more detailed, but nonetheless, simple enough to do yourself, also given that you have the proper tools. Just keep in mind that the average lifetime for a set of brakes is anywhere from 20,000-40,000 miles, depending on your driving style and the driving conditions. A clutch can last on average 90,000 miles, but this also depends on the way you drive (how much you use the clutch) and the driving conditions (city or highway). Mostly, all work that can be considered routine maintenance, you can probably take care on your own. Having these done for you by a mechanic will cost significantly more, and, chances are that you will only have to do these 1-3 during your ownership of the car.

Most work that is not routine and that cannot be done with basic tools that any guy owns, should be handled by a mechanic. This entails all body work (exterior), any holes, leaks and cracks in the engine, lines, wires and God only knows what components are involved (which could be caused by a number of things). These complications are definitely safer to be diagnosed and repaired by a mechanic.

If you happen to ride your car a little too hard, have an accident, or want an upgrade to your car, then you need to see your mechanic. Otherwise, it is best to try figure out the problem on your own.