From kitchen remodels to sewing your own sweaters, do-it-yourself culture is all the rage. However, as much as some people like to try doing DIY fixes on their cars, some jobs are just too complex or dangerous for anyone but the pros to tackle.
While simple jobs like changing a flat tire or replacing spark plugs are fairly straightforward, when drivers attempt more complicated jobs it can lead to more harm than good. That is where the auto technician steps in and saves the day. Here are three types of car repairs that you should advise clients during your auto technician career to let you—and not them—fix.
1. Leave Fixing a Vehicle’s Transmission to a Mechanic
A car’s transmission needs to be fixed by a mechanic for a number of reasons, not the least of which is because of how many parts it’s comprised of. Changing and/or fixing the transmission’s parts is complicated, and even one part being dirty or in the wrong place can throw the entire system out of whack and necessitate a replacement.
As one of the most important components of a vehicle, the transmission is full of thousands of small parts that need to be calibrated and placed in the correct order to function properly. Whether the problem is the transmission leaking, popping out of gear or the fluid needing a change, any job involving the transmission is best left to a mechanic.
2. Fuel Pumps Can Be a Risky Repair for Anyone But Auto Technicians
Fuel pumps are one of the more sensitive components of a vehicle and they supply fuel at a certain pressure to the car’s injector. They are also another repair best left to those with an auto mechanic career, especially since operating and servicing fuel injection systems is something you will learn about during auto mechanic training.
Fumes from a car’s fuel system can cause unconsciousness and headaches, and they are also a fire hazard. As a result, fuel pumps, injectors, tanks, and other related parts need to be done by a professional. A fuel pump may be fairly small in size, but it has numerous parts within it that work to bring fuel to an engine, and a botched repair can lead to major problems.
3. A Car’s A/C Should Also Be Left to an Auto Technician
There’s not much worse than being stuck in a car on a hot day with a malfunctioning air conditioner. However, it isn’t wise for the driver to try fixing the vehicle’s A/C unit on their own. Because the air conditioner involves complex steps to fix, it’s a job best left to an auto technician.
For example, fixing an air conditioner may require dismantling the dashboard, which can be a difficult task for anybody but a seasoned professional. Similarly, if the compressor fails it can send many small shards of metal through the system. This affects parts like the evaporator and condenser, requiring numerous parts of the system to be replaced. Not only is it incredibly tedious, complex and expensive for a driver to attempt on their own, it’s also very dangerous and is a task only a trained auto technician should undertake.
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