Car care: things you need to know to perform a car service

Car owners know that besides the ever rising cost of having your vehicle serviced, the reliability and overall effort put into your car by mechanics may vary due to any number of reasons. Common issues such as delays and poor service may discourage you and make the whole experience unsatisfactory. This should not be the case as certain elements of car servicing may be done at the comfort of your own home with a few DIY tips. However, there are some things you need to know to enable you to service your car the right way.

Having the right tools and parts for the job: First and foremost, you need to know and have the right tools required to perform a service. The basic car service requires a socket set, a few screwdrivers, an oil drain try, Allen keys, oil filter remover, sparkplug remover and possibly a rag for cleaning up. Getting decent quality tools may be expensive at first but they'll practically last forever.

You will also need to know which parts require replacement. The most basic parts are the oil filter, air filter, spark plugs and variety of engine fluids such as oil, coolant and transmission fluid. You may visit an auto shop to acquire these while using your car's registration as a reference to help them give you the right parts.

While saving a few dollars may seem like a good bet, avoid buying the cheapest parts you can find an auto shop as it may go a long way in ensuring your car runs smoothly, especially when it comes to safety components such as brakes. Genuine, quality parts also increase the time between services, saving you money in the long run.

Planning and preparing for the job beforehand: Although it may sound easy on paper, car servicing does have complications that people tend to overlook before performing the service. This could be anything from extra parts needing to be removed so as to reach the required part to parts that are hidden but are vital for the completion of the job. Such complications may frustrate the whole process and make it harder than it actually is. While cars include owner's manuals that have specific instructions on how to remove, replace and test parts, doing a bit of research through online videos before working or taking photos as you go along  so as to recall which parts go where can make the process efficient. 

In the event that you are stuck or experience difficulties at any point, calling in a professional to take over is advisable.