There is nothing worst than bringing your car into the mechanic and being met with a surprise bill when you return to pick it up. Nobody likes to pay for something that they should be able to do at home. However, there are certain repairs that you should not try yourself and leave up to those individuals with the proper skills and training.
Your dad (or mom) may have taught you some car maintenance skills like how to change the oil in your car or rotate your tires and there are some simple fixes that most people can do with ease in comfort of their own garage; however, there are certain reparations that are beyond the skills of even the most skilled at home car guy.
Car mechanics are professionals who received proper training in order to conduct car reparation, especially those listed here, and it is an important skill to have to know what your limits are and when to bring your car to the pros.
The issue with trying to do harder repairs on your own is that you can potentially do more damage than good which can result in a larger than expected bill. Moreover, sometimes the added stress of trying to figure out first where exactly the alternator is before being able to diagnose a wonky diode rectifier is just not worth the money.
Sure you could likely deal with a sprained ankle at home, but if you broke your leg, you likely wouldn’t try to rectify the situation on your own. Using this logic it just makes sense to seek help when you are in over your head. Find our list below of the situations where you should put the wrench down and give your local mechanic a call.
Body work and paint
This one should seem like a no brainer but you would be surprised by how many people attempt to do body work and paint jobs on their own. Not surprisingly, do it your selfers who take this approach are almost always left with shoddy work.
The main issue with these attempts have to do with the fact that these processes often use toxic products that need proper ventilation (let’s be real, most of us don’t happen to have industrial size fans and proper masks lying around).
Moreover, it takes practice and the right tools to end up with a car that does not appear to be painted by a kindergartener. Another issue that many DIY guys have is what’s known as “Bondo bubbles:” unsightly bubbling that occurs when Bondo, the most popular body filler, is used inefficiently and air gets stuck underneath. Arguably as unattractive is what is referred to as “orange peel” paint, which occurs when imperfections in a car’s paint job resemble the bumpy and rough peel of an orange. Most people would prefer that their car does not look like the peel of a citrus fruit, but power to you if that is what you would prefer.
Although professional paint jobs cost a pretty penny, using improper techniques can result in double the work as you would first need to sand off the poorly put on paint and then re-apply. Therefore, we would definitely suggest thinking hard about whether or not you have the skills and the tools to perform your own body and/or paint work.
Hit NEXT for more Car Repairs That You Should Leave for the Professionals
Comments
0 comments