Being a teen with a car is like having a special medal of honor. The teen’s friends will not only look up to him or her, but they will also increase their invites to important events. Teens can also count on being asked to give their friends rides everywhere from school to the other end of the country. There are some basic repairs that every teen should know how to perform just to ensure that they can get out of a jam. Battery replacement is probably the simplest repair. They will need to know that and some repairs that go beyond that. Some of these repairs are preventive or maintenance repairs and others are necessary to perform to revive a broken down vehicle.
Changing a Flat
Thousands of flat tire incidents occur on the road, and they all require immediate assistance. A teen should know how to change a flat, and he or she should also know how to inspect the tires for possible issues. The teen should have on his or her vehicle a doughnut or a spare tire, a jack and a lug wrench. It is also wise to have gloves in the car. Checking for issues before one goes on a trip is crucial to avoiding major incidents. The teen should reconsider going on a trip without changing the tire if he or she notices bubbles, tears or a ridiculously low amount of tread on a tire.
Spark Plugs and Wires
Bad spark plugs and wires can cause a wealth of problems such as loss of power, poor fuel efficiency and the inability to start the car altogether. These items are not expensive, but the teen must know how to replace them according to the diagrams. The tools that one may need to change spark plugs and wires are tools such as a spark plug socket and a socket wrench. It is good to have dielectric grease, as well. The grease gives the spark plugs and wires a better connection, which can boost the power significantly.
Serpentine Belt Replacement
If the teen’s car has a serpentine belt, then he or she will need to learn how to replace it. Breakage of the serpentine results in the loss of power and everything else. The belt controls items such as the AC condenser, alternator, water pump and the like. The teen may be fortunate enough to have a vehicle with a fully accessible belt and a diagram. The belt itself costs about $20-$30, but the work can be cumbersome depending on the model. The tools are available in a kit for about $20. The teen can save a lot of time and money by having the tools on hand.
Paint Touch-Ups
Paint touch-ups may be necessary if someone slightly rubs some of the paint off the car. Bigger jobs will need a reliable company such as Cascade Collision Repair to handle the paint, dents, and other blemishes that surface during severe incidents. A slight dime-sized chip, on the other hand, may just need some touch-up paint and a paint brush. Touching up the paint can be fun for the artistic types.
Alternator Swaps
Finally, an alternator swap may be necessary. Many alternators only have three 10 mm bolts in them. However, the placement of the alternator and the condition of the bolts determine the labor time. A person could spend two or three hours on an alternator because of a rusty and oddly placed alternator bolt, or the person could be done in 45 minutes.
Those are just a few repairs to learn. If the teen can learn how to do the above-stated repairs, then he or she can extend the life of the vehicle and improve the overall quality of life.