Drivers who fix their cars rather than go to a mechanic end up saving a lot of money. As this video explains, mechanics charge about $80 per hour for labor. And that's not all; the parts they sell usually have a 25% to 50% markup. That's why car owners ought to consider DIY auto repairs to reduce the cost of car ownership. One great safety tip for working on any vehicle is to secure it properly.
Many auto repairs require that the vehicle be lifted off the ground, which means using a jack. However, relying on the jack to hold the vehicle is unsafe as it could fail, causing the car to fall and severely injuring whoever is underneath. To avoid this, car owners should add jack stands and/or wheel chocks to support and hold their vehicles in place.
Another great tip is using penetrating lubricants to release the threads on hard-to-turn nuts and bolts. Stubborn fasteners can also be leveraged by using breaker bars. The third tip is that car owners should shop around for the parts they need since prices differ among various sellers. Using Amazon is also a good idea that can yield significant savings.
