DIY Electric Vehicle Maintenance What You Can Do Yourself

17 Easy Car Repairs and Maintenance Projects You Can Do Yourself

Perform do-it-yourself car maintenance to save money!

As much as most of us wish our cars would just remain forever perfect, that is not likely to happen. Much like having children (that just happen to guzzle gas by the gallon), owning a car means youll have to dedicate your time and money to maintaining it. While it certainly seems easier to drive to a dealership or a mechanic, sit and wait around playing Angry Birds on your smartphone while they service your car, and then give them gobs of money in return, it is so much cheaper, and sometimes less time-consuming, to do the maintenance yourself. Not to mention you may trust your own hands a little more than some random mechanics.

So if youre feeling bold enough, try out some easy car repairs and maintenance on your own or with a buddy next time around, instead of relying on a service technician. But what kinds of easy car repairs and maintenance can you actually perform? Anything and everything, as long as youre comfortable. If theres ever something that you

feel confident doing, however, be sure to leave that to the car professionals. Novices can replace their own wiper blades and even change their oil, but only attempt things like brake maintenance if you know a fair amount about vehicle maintenance and repair.

Check out some of our easy car repairs and maintenance how-to articles to get started!

With fall comes the changing of the color of leaves, and so too comes the need to change your windshield wiper blades. With rain and snow and muck ahead, a clear windshield is never more necessary; but fear not, for changing your windshield wiper blades is quick, easy, painless, and (Read more)

As the seasons change, youll needtoaddress nagging maintenance needs, including everything from batteries and tires to fluids and brakes. One of the more obvious and pressing needs is to change your oil at regular intervals. But who has the time or the money for that? The shop always seems to be opened when (Read more)

Rife with the possibility ofrogue grocery carts, uncontrollable car doors and inattentive purse carriers, a parking lot can become a war field for any new car owner. Its common knowledge that other people dont often worry about your cars paint job(Read more)

Weve all been there at one point or anotherthe second you turn on the car, a little bell chirps and a light on your dashboard flashes telling you that the cars tire pressure is a bit on the low side. If you get to this stage and feel a little lost with no clue as to what you need (Read more)

For most of us, getting our tires rotated is a simple add-on at every otheroil change, but for the particularly industrious individual who changes their own oil, that opportunity never presents itself since they arent going to their local mechanic very so often. For this group of people, knowing how to rotate (Read more)

Lets take a moment and reflect on how many scary movies begin with an innocent coed stranded on the side of a deserted road with a flat tire. Can you just imagine how the movie might have turned out if she had known how to change a tire? That scary guy with an axe she decided to ask for help probably (Read more)

While we all hope for the best, we should still plan for the worst. That means making sure youre prepared for the unexpected. Whether you left a light on, the key in the ignition, or your car battery is just plain old, all car owners are likely to be faced with a dead car battery sooner or (Read more)

Possibly one of the easiest car maintenance tasks besides topping off fluids is replacing the air filter. It is a quick and easy task (it takes only about five minutes at most), and economical, too, since labor costs at a mechanics would double the expense. So, to save yourself a trip and a few dollars(Read more)

Think of the spark plugs under your cars hood as the magic that makes your car go. As an essential part of your motor, these plugs use the electrical current from the ignition to ignite the fuel that powers your car. Like anything in your car, they can wear(Read more)

It might surprise you how much of a beating your car battery can take, especially after a long, hard winter like the one currently sweeping across the country. If youre looking to get as much life out of your battery as possible, make sure you follow these car battery maintenance tips to keep(Read more)

If you want to keep your vehicle operating at optimum levels, youll want to consider performing a regular radiator flush every two years. Over time, sludge and rust will build up in your radiator, leaving your vehicle less efficient. (Read more)

Brakes are a pretty important part of your car. Some might even say theyre life-saving (by some we meaneveryone). So should you really be messing around with your brakes? You definitely should. Not only will you save a lot of money, but (Read more)

While you should replace your fuel filter at the normal manufacturer recommended interval, you may also need to replace it if you notice your vehicle stalling when climbing hills. Over time, dirt builds up and clogs the filter, causing the vehicle to operate less efficiently. (Read more)

Car dents happen to the best of us, whether a rogue cart named your car as its prey at the grocery store or you just didnt see the pole behind you while you were backing out of your friends driveway. While you might think youre going to have to spend some big bucks at (Read more)

So, youre a do-it-yourselfer, are you? We agree that sometimes theres just no need to pay someone to do something you can do yourself. Occasionally, you might have a headlight (or two) that goes out, and its handy if you know how to fix the problem yourself. (Read more)

_{Photo by Ralph Masoner}

Maybe it was something you thought was funny, or you were really pulling for Ralph Nader all those years, but now, youre trying to sell your car and youve realized Nader is never going to win. So, how can you remove that ill-advised bumper sticker without it ruining your car?(Read more)

Plasti dip is a product that is easily applied and temporarily protects elements of your car. Using colored plasti dip will change the look of your car. Some people use black to color their emblems and rims, or a different color to change the color of the car temporarily. Plasti dip can be used on(Read more)

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DIY car maintenance checklist: how to save money on servicing

Our top 10 best car screen washes product test will help you pick the best product.

5. Tyres

Check tread depths with a 20p piece. If the coins outer band sits below the tread, the depth is satisfactory. This tyre is getting close to replacement. While the coin method is fairly accurate, dedicated tyre depth gauges are cheap and readily available. Check the tread across the width of the tyre to ensure its wearing evenly. And look for cuts, bulges or gouges while youre there.

If you need to fit the spare, our how to change a car tyre guide can help.

6. Battery

While changing modern car batteries is not for a novice, investing in a smart charger with testing abilities will help you plan for getting a replacement battery. It also makes your battery last as long as possible. To change a battery, loosen and remove the black negative terminal first, then the red positive one. Remove the old battery and keep it upright. Reverse the process to fit the new one.

More information on how to change a car battery can be found in our guide.

7. Handbook

Choosing the correct modern engine oil can be difficult. Always prioritise the car makers specification number within the handbook. The book will also contain a wealth of other information, such as tyre pressures, jacking points and the location of fluid reservoirs. The handbook may even contain relevant troubleshooting advice to help solve problems quickly.

8. Diagnostics

Should you service the car at home, turn off the service light. Not doing so can prevent certain functions from operating, such as active particulate filter cleaning on some diesel models. You may need a fault- code reader, which plugs into your cars on-board diagnostic (OBDII) socket. Our current favourite is the Scanex Auto Fault Code Reader, but other brands are also available

Read about the best fault code readers here...

9. Glass

Just a quick visual check every so often will highlight any chips before they can turn into more expensive MoT-failing cracks. But, you can also keep the glass in tip-top condition by investing in a quality glass cleaner.

The best car glass cleaners are reviewed in our product test.

If your car is due for an MoT, it might pay to undertake a more thorough inspection than the one detailed above. Our MoT checklist guide has everything you need to knowor find out how to check your engine coolant level

10 DIY Engine Maintenance Tasks You Can Do At Home

There's nothing worse than getting ready for work early in the morning, only to go out to your car and find the battery has gone dead. (Except for finding your car has been stolen. That is objectively worse.) But if your battery is wasted, do not fret. You can replace it yourself with minimal basic tools.

With the exception of a few particular models, replacing the battery is easy. However, if you own a Dodge Journey, you may need a tow, as the battery is located behind the fender liner in front of the left wheel and takes more than an hour to replace. Otherwise, most cars these days either have the battery prominently located under the hood and easily accessible, or in the trunk. A few models, such as some Buicks, put the battery under the rear seat. These are all relatively easy positions, as long as you can gain access with minimal effort. It is important to always remove the negative cable first and replace it last this prevents accidentally starting a fire by grounding the positive battery post with your wrench.

You will also want to research your car, as some models can have ECU issues when swapping a battery. I used to work at a Volkswagen dealer where usually (once a month), someone had to tow their Beetle to the dealer because it lost programming for the keys. Late-model BMWs also need to have the ECU updated to tell it the battery is new. With a cursory search online, you should be able to avoid any of these issues.

Electric car repairs, servicing and maintenance: a complete guide

There are many benefits associated with electric cars, and one of them is that they generally require less and less frequent maintenance than a diesel or petrol vehicle. The main reason for this is that EVs have much fewer moving parts under the metal.

They do still require maintenance, however, and it's just as important to ensure your EV gets its regular check-ups, in order to preserve manufacturer warranty cover, as well as for safety and peace of mind. Read on for our full guide to electric-car servicing and maintenance.

Electric car servicing: general information

If youve previously owned a petrol or diesel car, the idea of having your vehicle serviced on a regular, predetermined basis will feel very familiar. Youll have a similar experience running an electric car, but thats not to say the servicing schedule is the same.

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In general, electric vehicles require less maintenance and less frequent servicing, and in many cases should be cheaper to run as a result. There are fewer moving parts and theres less to check on an annual or even biennial basis. Careful, though; just because your car requires fewer services, you shouldnt take your eye off consumables like tyres, lights and wipers. These should be checked on a regular basis.

Service schedules are available from your local dealer or direct from the manufacturer. Generally, all cars require servicing after a certain period of time or a given mileage. Keeping on top of this schedule will keep your car in top condition, and will ensure any remaining warranty is kept intact.

Which parts of an electric car need servicing?

While an electric vehicle has fewer moving parts, its still important to get your car serviced regularly. Internal-combustion engines (petrol or diesel) are complicated, potentially including hundreds of separate parts all working in unison, and some of those, like spark plugs, engine oil, oil and air filters, and coolant will need checking and changing on a fairly regular basis.

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Electric cars are generally much simpler in terms of what they need to start and go, but since they still need to roll, turn, and stop, there are also a lot of service items they share with conventional vehicles. The parts that are generally covered by an electric car service include items such as brakes, suspension, tyres, steering (and tracking essentially, the parts that keep your car driving straight and true), plus lights, wipers and cabin filters. This list is by no means exhaustive, and a comprehensive service will cover this and much more.

Remember, hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars have engines, and therefore require many of the same checks as a conventional petrol or diesel model.

Many car manufacturers also offer updates for the software and firmware on electric vehicles. A great number of these can be done wirelessly over the air (OTA) but some may still require a physical connection at a dealer. While being serviced your car may not only get a check-up, but come back to you with some improvements even including greater range or performance, in some cases.

Where to get an electric car serviced

If you buy a brand-new hybrid or electric vehicle, chances are youll be offered an all-inclusive service plan thatll take care of many of the costs and concerns associated with running a car fresh off the forecourt. Of course, the best place to get your new car serviced is with your registered main dealer; with your warranty intact, theres likely to be little chance of retribution from the manufacturer should anything go wrong.

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But what are your options if you buy a used car, or youd like to use an independent electric-car specialist? While not all garages are qualified to work on electric or hybrid cars, an increasing number are. The best place to check local garages near you is via the Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Repair Alliance (HEVRA), which has a list of facilities available allowing you to search by town or postcode.

All of the garages have been vetted for the right tools and qualifications, and receive ongoing training and unlimited technical support from HEVRA. A quick search around DrivingElectrics central London office shows three EV-friendly garages in Swanley, Sunbury and Hampton. There are plenty to choose from, in fact, including several in Scotland, Wales, and even the Channel Islands.

Electric-car servicing plans

Like many petrol or diesel cars, electric vehicles are often available with all-inclusive service plans. These will rarely cover consumables like tyres or brakes, but should look after other essentials like brake fluid and battery health as well as checking items like the suspension, steering and electrics.

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Manufacturers offer a variety of deals, most of which will last for between two and five years. Theyll normally allow you to pay up front or on a monthly basis, depending on which you prefer. One thing to note is that you may find your new electric car has longer service intervals (see below), thanks in part to its less complex powertrain.

Of course, you can also pay for a one-off service, though this is likely to cost you slightly more per service than if you were to take out an annual or pay-monthly plan.

Electric-car service intervals

Electric cars often have longer service intervals than their petrol or diesel equivalents, due largely to the fact they have fewer moving parts. This not only helps reduce cost, but relative wear and tear should be minimal, too.

Take the Vauxhall Corsa Electric as an example: this electric small car only requires a check-up every two years or 16,000 miles; buy a petrol version and youll find yourself popping by your local dealer for a service every 12 months or 12,500 miles.

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On the other hand, Europe's best-selling electric car, the Tesla Model Y as well as the Model 3, S and Xdoesn't have a fixed service schedule. Instead, the car will notify you via the infotainment screen when the car is due a service; you can schedule and alter an appointment all via the Tesla app, with the option of going to your local Tesla Centre, or having the technicians come to you.

Electric-car servicing vs hybrid servicing

Electric car servicing is slightly different to petrol or diesel car servicing. An electric motor is much less complex than a petrol or diesel engine, with fewer wear and tear items attached to it that need checking or replacing come service time. That generally means that servicing an EV is cheaper.

By their nature, blending both combustion and electric power, hybrids are typically more like regular petrol cars than electric cars even if they share a few components with EVs, such as their batteries and motors. They still require spark plugs, engine oil and coolant, plus various belts and pulleys to work as intended so servicing is more complex, and you should expect the cost to generally mirror that of regular petrol and diesel vehicles, rather than EVs.

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Thats not universal however some manufacturers, like Vauxhall, group hybrids in with electric cars, making these models cheaper to service than the equivalent petrol or diesel version.

Electric-car service costs

Its often the case that servicing an electric car is cheaper than it is for an equivalent petrol or diesel model. This is thanks largely to the less complex powertrain, but also due to the fact that there are fewer consumables and moving parts. Make sure you do the sums, however, as the longer intervals and less frequent services may mean that these plans actually work out costing a similar amount over time.

Electric-car servicing: exclusions

Like with any car, there will be things that arent covered in an electric car service. However, what is and isnt included isnt all that dissimilar; consumables like tyres will be checked, but will only be replaced at the owners cost, while all the necessary fluids will be subject to a visual inspection.

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Of course, if a major problem is detected and this is true for petrol, diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars the garage carrying out the service will flag this and offer you options to have the fault rectified. Depending on what the issue is (and what caused it), will depend on whether this is covered by the service plan or warranty or whether youll need to fork out for repairs.

Electric-car batteries and servicing

Most electric cars come with an independent battery warranty, many of which last much longer than the standard manufacturer warranty for the rest of the car. For example, every Nissan Leaf comes with a five-year/60,000-mile manufacturer warranty, but the battery is covered separately for up to eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes soonest.

In this case, the battery will be replaced free of charge if the maximum capacity drops below nine bars, out of the 12 that are displayed on the Leafs screen. Normally, an electric cars battery will be subject to a health check at each service, with a report on its state of health (SoH) offered at the end.

Richard is editor of DrivingElectric, as well as sister site Carbuyer.co.uk,and a regular contributor to Auto Express. An electric and hybrid car advocate, he spent more than five years working on the news and reviews desk at Auto Express and has driven almost every new car currently on sale.