Mechanics Are Dead-Set Against These DIY Repairs
While you can change oil and replace wiper blades yourself, some jobs are best left to the professionals. There are many DIY repairs that mechanics warn against doing yourself because they're too dangerous. Keep reading to discover 35 car repair jobs to leave to the experts.
Transmission Repairs
No matter how fast your car is, it’s worthless if that power can’t reach the wheels. However, faulty transmission should always be repaired by a professional because if you do it wrong, the transmission could completely cut out while driving, causing an accident.
Brake Pad Changes
We need brake pads to make our cars stop, but they’re not easy to identify with an untrained eye. Even worse, trying to change them without enough experience could disrupt your vehicle’s essential braking system and send you right off the road.
Clutch Replacement
Most people wouldn’t attempt a DIY clutch replacement, but even those who’ve thoroughly researched it should leave this job to a mechanic. It’s easy to install essential parts incorrectly, which can cause a ‘slipping clutch’ that won’t operate safely while driving.
New Fuel Filters
Unlike air filters, fuel filters are a little more complicated to change. If you make a mistake, the fuel could ignite when you start the car and cause it to catch fire! This is incredibly dangerous and one of the main jobs mechanics advise against ever doing yourself.
Wheel Realignment
Wheel realignment is one of those repair jobs that sounds easy to DIY, but don’t be fooled! You’ll need to jack up the car and unscrew the tie rods, and if you don’t know what you’re doing, you could end up with unsecured wheels.
Electrical Work
Unlike mechanical work, electrical repairs don’t require much physical labor. However, that doesn’t mean you should do them yourself! Most cars use high-voltage electrical systems, so you could get an electric shock or spark a fire while working on the repair.
Battery Replacement
It might seem crazy, but some people really do try to replace car batteries themselves. However, mechanics advise against this because of the risk of potential acid burns or electric shocks. Don’t risk your safety to save money; go to a mechanic.
HVAC Upgrades
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are simple but essential car systems. But what you probably didn’t know is that they’re actually pretty complex to repair and require taking off the dashboard. Improper handling of parts could harm the person doing the job or damage the HVAC system.
Windscreen Repairs
You might have seen DIY windscreen repair kits in stores, but you should always entrust this repair job to a professional. If you try it yourself and cause further damage, you could end up having an accident on the road due to reduced visibility.
Power Steering Alterations
We love any feature that makes driving easier, and that includes power steering! But sometimes, power steering needs to be altered, and this isn’t a simple DIY job. Even the smallest mistake could cause you to lose control of the wheel while driving.
Painting
Painting is usually an easy job to DIY, unless it’s on a car! You need a perfectly clean and dust-free environment, plus property safety gear to avoid breathing in the paint fumes. Inhaling toxins is no joke, so don’t compromise your safety.
Engine Diagnostics
Any engine repair job should take priority, but not if you’re planning to do it yourself. Mechanics have the knowledge needed to diagnose issues and fix them, and you could end up cutting or shocking yourself by trying it without the appropriate training.
Rust Removal
Ask any driver, and they’ll tell you that the worst repair job is rust removal. But most don’t know that it can also be quite dangerous. You could easily inhale a potentially toxic chemical from paint or primer, and your car won’t look any better for it.
Timing Belt Repairs
The timing belt is an underrated but crucial engine component that keeps everything in full working order, so you need to take care of it. But employ a mechanic instead of doing it yourself, unless you want to potentially endanger yourself with a faulty engine.
Tire Changes
Any job that requires a car jack is probably best done in a mechanic’s shop. There are a number of reasons why changing tires yourself can be dangerous, from the car jack failing to the nuts not being screwed back in properly. Save yourself the trouble on this one.
Suspension Overhaul
Sometimes, small repairs aren’t enough, and a full suspension overhaul is necessary. Mechanics warn against messing with the suspension yourself because if you can’t fix the problem, your vehicle could become very difficult to handle, which will likely cause you to crash.
Water Pump Replacement
For such a simple part, replacing a water pump is a lot of work! It’s also quite dangerous to do it yourself because you could end up getting scalded by hot fluid or have something spray into your eyes. It’s not worth the risk.
Transmission Removal
Like transmission repairs, transmission removal is a job best left to a mechanic. It’s a big job that could go very wrong, especially if you aren’t used to lifting heavy parts. In some cases, you may also be burned by hot parts, plus cause further damage to the car.
Head Gasket Changes
Everyone knows about gaskets, but not everyone should be changing them! If you do it yourself and do it incorrectly, you’ll be faced with a series of potentially dangerous situations, including an overheated, leaking engine that may fail while you’re driving.
Turbocharger Installation
Daredevils, listen up! While it’s perfectly fine to install a turbocharger in your car, you should always get a mechanic to do it. You could hurt yourself lifting the part if it’s heavy, and even if you do install it, any mistake can seriously compromise the engine’s integrity.
Fluid Flushes
Yes, we really did put fluid flushes on this list. The reason we class them as a dangerous repair job to DIY is because of how badly they can damage the system if you do it incorrectly. Not to mention, the not-so-insignificant risk of a potential chemical burn.
Exhaust System Repairs
Car exhausts are absolutely disgusting, so why would you want to DIY that repair? Not only that, but you could also unknowingly expose yourself to harmful fumes or gases. Luckily, trained mechanics know how to safely repair car exhaust systems.
Body Panel Upgrades
If you think upgrading exterior body panels is a cosmetic job, think again! It’s actually difficult work that can easily go wrong if you don’t know what you’re doing. Removing and lifting the panels alone is heavy work that could cause strain or injury.
Mending Seatbelts
Seatbelts are the number one safety feature in a car, so you should never attempt to DIY any repairs. Incorrectly mending seatbelts could cause them to come loose while driving, or, even worse, during a crash. We don’t need to tell you how dangerous that is.
Replacing Coil Springs
Don’t be fooled by their harmless appearance! Coil springs contain a lot of compressed energy, so attempting to remove one yourself could cause it to shoot out and injure your face or body. Leave this job to someone who knows what they’re doing.
ABS Repairs
The anti-lock braking system stops your wheels from locking up while you drive, so this is a pretty important repair job. Unfortunately, it’s not one you should try yourself, unless you’re willing to risk your safety on the road by potentially damaging your brakes.
Fixing Brake Rotors
Speaking of brakes, mechanics also advise against fixing brake rotors yourself. Again, this is because you could put your entire braking system in jeopardy and increase your risk of crashing the car while out driving, putting yourself and other drivers in danger.
Engine Block Machining
You’ve probably never heard of engine block machining, and that’s because you shouldn’t be doing it yourself! Mechanics know how to refine engine parts without inhaling metal dust or spilling fluids onto their skin, so we recommend leaving this repair to them.
Heater Core Repairs
In case you didn’t know, you have the heater core to thank for warming up your car during winter. But don’t show your gratitude by trying to remove the dash and repair it yourself, or you’ll risk ingesting toxic coolant or getting it on your skin.
New Spark Plugs
This one might surprise you, but every mechanic will warn against trying to replace spark plugs yourself. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you’ll end up with a myriad of dangerous issues, including engine failures, compression leaks, and loose engine parts.
Oil Pan Replacement
The humble oil pan is an essential reservoir that holds oil while the engine is off. But don’t make the mistake of trying to replace the pan yourself because you could cause an oil leak that sparks a fire, risking your safety and your car.
Airbag Installation
Anyone can watch a video on how to DIY an airbag installation, but it’s one of the most important repair jobs that mechanics warn against trying yourself. If you mess up the installation, you won’t have working airbags in the event of a crash, risking serious injury.
Automatic Transmission Rebuild
Though they’re simpler than manual cars, automatic cars still need some love. Sometimes, that means completely disassembling and rebuilding the transmission system. This can be dangerous because one wrong move and your car will be left without a working transmission during transit.
Seat Adjustments
Unfortunately, this repair isn’t as simple as sliding the seats backwards and forwards. You need well-adjusted seats to ensure your safety while you drive, so it’s best to leave all of that unscrewing and tightening to somebody with more expertise.
Brake Line Replacement
Brake lines are another important component that keeps the braking system in full working order, so why not entrust this important repair to a professional? A botched DIY job could result in harmful brake fluid corroding your skin, on top of faulty brakes.
