Of course, not everybody wants, or can afford to pay for a professional garage or main dealer to pay for their car repairs when things go wrong. But Auto National can recover your car back home for you if that’s what you prefer, and you can then do your own repairs there. But, most of us won’t have a garage set up, or designed like that of a professional outfit, and with kids, pets, family members and other distractions, it can be a potentially hazzardous environment when attempting even a simple repair. In fact, younger kids and pets shouldn’t even be allowed near the working area and should be supervised by another adult whilst you are otherwise distracted.
The first thing to advise would be to ensure family members know that you are going to be working on your car. If something happens to you whilst working on a car and you aren’t seen for some time, close family members will at least know to check on you.
Before you even wheel out the trolley jack, you may want to consider how you are dressed. You are going to probably get a little messy, and at the very least, you want to protect yourself from burns, scolds, sharp edges and heavy weights. So, if you have overalls, it’s advisable to wear them. If you have strong sturdy boots, these will help take a fall from a heavy object on your feet a lot better than a flimsy pair of trainers. And don’t forget your hands. Mechanics gloves are available which are thin enough to allow you to hole spanners etc, but they will help in the prevention of burns and scratches, as well as keeping your hands clean.
If you are working under the car and are jacking the vehicle, NEVER rely solely on a car jack. These can fail. Axel stands can be place in support positions on both sides of the car and metal drive on/off ramps are safer still. But even then, always assess the risk before crawling under a car, particulary if you are removing parts from below as these can drop, splash or spray dust and grim on you below…so a pair of safety goggles would also be a worth investment.
There is a saying about using the right tools for the job and this saying will not only make the job easier, but it’ll also save a lot of cursing. A rounded off bolt head for example is a case in point. If you don’t have the right tool, and know it, think twice about using something that may slip and fail, causing damage to you, and/or the vehicle.
And finally, smoking whilst working on a car is never a good idea. With highly flamable fuel, plus other fluids in an enclosed environment like a closed garage, even the smallest of leaks could cause a lot of flammable vapour over time.