Five Myrtle Beach Car Repairs You Can Do On Your Own

Myrtle Beach Car Repair doesn’t have to be difficult, or expensive. In fact if drivers keep these five simple things in mind they’ll stay on the road longer, have less car or truck issues, and save on their next trip to a mechanic.

Understand The Lights On Your Dash

Before you can even dive in to repairing your car or truck, you need to know when there’s a problem. And The best place to identify an issue is with the lights on the dash. Today’s modern cars have advanced sensors that will often alert you before you ever see or feel a problem. Don’t ignore those warning lights! Following their instructions and getting into a mechanic near you is a sure way to reduce your Myrtle Beach car repair costs.

Know How To Check Your Oil Levels

Most Myrtle Beach drivers don’t know how to check their car or truck’s oil level, aside from taking it in to the local mechanic. However knowing this one simple check can save you tons. When you see your oil light come on, there’s a good chance your oil levels are in-fact low. Though it is still a very smart idea to know how to use the dip stick, where it is located, and how to add a little oil if needed.

• Know where your dip stick is and how to read it properly
• Know where your oil fill port is and how to access it
• Consult your owners and maintenance manuals (likely in your glove box) for specific instructions
• Always keep a quart of your vehicle’s oil in your trunk or cab. If you’re burning oil or have a leak you will want to get into see us here at Turn Key Auto Repair, but being able to top off your oil in order to get into the shop and avoid costly damage is very important.
• It’s also important to never over-fill, which can be just has harmful as letting your oil run dry.

Know How To Care For Your Tires

The Myrtle Beach roads can be tough on your car or truck’s tires and knowing how to properly care for them is an important part of your car’s overall maintenance plan. This can be an easy task if you just pay attention to your tires are you walk to and away from your vehicle. Just getting used to how they look, the amount of tread and inflation levels will give you a heads up when something starts looking off.

• Pay attention to your tires when everything is good… so you’ll notice when it’s not
• Know how to do the penny test on your tires to check tread life
• Keep a can of fix-a-flat, or tire inflator in your car at all times. However be aware that fix-a-flat can cause damage if you have a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in your car.

Replacing Your Own Windshield Wipers

Replacing worn windshield wipers is one of the easiest car or truck repairs you can do on your own. It is also one of the best ways you can keep your vehicle safe on the road. When you start to notice streaking, missing wet spots, or bouncing blades it is very likely time to replace your wipers.

• Look at your current wipers or check out your owners manual for the right size/type of wipers and pick some up now.
• When you’re starting to see performance issues, replace your windshield wipers right away.
• Replacing wipers just takes a few minutes, improves your driving enjoyment, and just might save your life!

Know How to Jump Start Your Car

Getting stranded in a parking lot, or on the side of the road because of a dead battery can be pretty horrible. That’s why knowing this simple Myrtle Beach car repair trick is so important. Step one is to make sure your battery is in good condition, holding a charge, and within it’s useful life. If you have a healthy battery, you won’t need to jump your car at all, and that really is the best way.

However if you do find yourself stranded, or are helping a fellow traveler, having a set of jumper cables or a jump starter pack in your car can be a lifesaver. What’s even more important than having a way to jump a car is knowing how to actually do it.

• Make sure you have a good quality set of jumper cables or jump pack in your car (or both)
• Read the instructions and consult your owners manual to learn the proper way to jump a car
• If helping others, be aware that not all cars are the same and you may have liability if you damage their vehicle

Know Your Preventative Maintenance Schedules

The best Myrtle Beach car repair is the repair that never happens. That’s why knowing your service schedules and spending a little on preventative maintenance can save you a lot of money on emergency repairs. We have a complete guide to preventative car maintenance here. Follow the steps in this article and stay on top of your service schedule to have years of trouble free driving.

• Be sure to get into your local mechanic for your service every six months, or as defined in your manual.
• Pay attention to how your car handles and if things start to feel odd, check it out and get into the shop.

Know Where To Go For Myrtle Beach Car Repair

Keep an eye on the simple things now, and you’ll only need to visit us when there’s a more serious issue. When you’re ready to come in for either your routine maintenance or repair, check out our money-saving car repair coupons first, and then make your appointment by calling us at (843) 293-6793 or using our online appointment form here. At Turn Key, we specialize in Myrtle Beach auto repair for cars, trucks and everything in between. We’ve been your local shop for years and looking forward to being your trusted mechanic.