Maybe I’m having a quarter life crisis, but I want to learn some DIY car maintenance. Fortunately, I’m in a position where my family really could get by with one car, and my partner’s old car, a 6th gen Ford Fiesta, mostly sits unused.
I figure that this might be the best opportunity for me to learn some new skills. I have to force myself to take occasional errands in this car just so it doesn’t rot in the driveway, so I’m pretty sure I can take my sweet time with any project I start on it. I’d like to think I have some mechanical aptitude and have half a clue on how basic systems work on a car. I already do some really basic stuff - air filters, wiper blades, windshield washer fluid.
What are some basic projects that I should look into? What are some essential tools to have on hand that may not be too obvious?
If you’re disassembling something complicated, take detailed pictures or video(s) and use that as a guide to reassemble. Also, a good way to keep your bolts/screws organized is to punch them through a piece of cardboard and label where they go with a permanent marker.
But, the absolute most important thing is to get a service manual (either OEM or a a Chilton/Haynes aftermarket manual) and torque wrenches (borrow/rent them from an auto store in the beginning). You need to know the torque specs and to be able to apply that specified torque. A lot of people get by with “the grunt system” where you just kinda wing it. My buddy learned the hard way about torque specs when five of his six wheel lugs on one wheel sheered off on the highway. This might sound scarier or more difficult than it really is, and you can surely find some YouTube video on how to do it.