People who don’t maintain their cars regularly usually pay more for repairs once their vehicles break down. Putting off maintenance will reduce your car’s lifespan, and repair bills of a failed engine, failed emissions test, and bad brakes can be hefty. And while there are some adjustments you can do yourself, like getting the best sound quality in your car, there are certain situations in which you shouldn’t try doing repairs yourself, because they require a certified and licensed mechanic to carry them out. These are 7 situations in which you should decide to cough up the money and let an experienced professional tackle the repair.
Transmission
A car’s transmission plays a very important role, and it’s engineered with thousands of small and complex parts. It’s a complicated maze of rods, bearings, tensioners, and gears — and they all have to fit right there where they belong. This is why an average mechanic is usually not skilled enough to attempt the repair, and even changing transmission fluid requires a very specialized procedure (even though it may seem simple). If your car’s transmission needs to get repaired or replaced, you need to find serious assistance in order to get a new gearbox.
Fuel pump
The fuel pump is a precise and very sensitive piece of equipment, which means that it’s quite difficult and expensive to replace or repair. Its role is supplying fuel at the right pressure to the injector in the engine. With a large price tag attached to it (a newly installed fuel pump costs around $1,500-2,000), many people try to replace or repair it themselves. This can lead to a catastrophic failure in the car and it may need to be totally scrapped. Thus, the best thing to do is to get a mechanic to do the job for you. Also, use quality fuel, so your car’s fuel pump is kept in good condition.
Head gasket
Fixing a blown head gasket is one of the most difficult car repairs, as it can take about 20-25 hours of work for a licensed mechanic to replace it, with the repair costing up to $3,000. The head gasket seals in the internal combustion process of a car engine and keeps oil and coolant from mixing together while traveling from the engine block to the cylinder head, which makes the head gasket a critically important part of any vehicle. Once it blows, you won’t be able to use your vehicle at all, and fixing it yourself is never a good idea because if you do it wrong, you could damage your car’s engine permanently.
Engine diagnostics
People often try to figure out why the check engine light has popped up on their car’s dashboard. What is the potential problem under the hood and why has the light come on? If you start poking under the hood, you can do a lot of damage to your vehicle, unless you own automotive diagnostic equipment (which is quite expensive). The engine light can be on because your gas cap is not tight enough or because the engine is about to blow due to overheating. Instead of poking around yourself, you can call a certified mobile mechanic to come to you, hook your car up to a diagnostic machine, and detect the problem.
Car polishing
Having a sparkling car is a cherry on top, but you should be aware that polishing your own car without previous experience can be dangerous, as some chemicals can damage the paint and your health alike. Therefore, if you’re looking to make your car shine, it’s best to opt for waxing a car by a professional team as then you will be sure that everything is in order. Even though doing things on your own can save you money, hiring a team will surely be of great help in the long run.
Windshield
Windshield repairs cost around $200-300, which makes all drivers dread them. However, it will cost you much more to get a windshield of a donor car from your local junkyard, pay for all the fresh clips, adhesive, and window trim pieces. Instead, get yourself a brand-new windshield from a car repair shop, and have it professionally installed.
Brakes
Brake replacement is also one of the most complicated repairs on this list. To be fair, you can do this yourself, but you better get it right, because there are few safety problems with a car that is as dire as bad brakes. A typical brake job involves brake pads, rotors, calipers, brake fluid, and wheel bearings. Just by getting one of these wrong, you can put yourself and other passengers in your car in danger. Thus, having a professional change your brakes might be best. To replace brake pads and rotors in a car costs about $500.
Air conditioner
Even if you’re right in the midst of a heatwave and your air conditioner has broken down for good, you shouldn’t try to fix it on your own. Air conditioning systems in a car are as complex as those in your home. First, your car’s dashboard needs to be dismantled, so you could access the air conditioner, but there are many other costly problems you could cause if you don’t know what you’re doing. Instead of risking a hefty air conditioner repair bill, call a professional at the beginning.
Even if you’re an ambitious DIYer and feel confident enough to perform the repairs on your car yourself, there are situations when you should know when to swallow your pride and ask for a professional’s help. If you lack the experience to do any of these jobs, call your qualified mechanic to be sure that the repair will be done professionally, minimizing the risk of any further problems or a complete car breakdown.
