Last week we talked about the repairs that you can totally do on your own. They are relatively simple and it’s not likely that you will cause serious damage if you mess them up. The following list, however, is comprised of the things you REALLY REALLY should not do on your own. Not because we doubt your mechanical prowess, but mostly because they require very specific machinery, or you could actually get seriously hurt trying to accomplish them. It’s not you...it’s safety. So before you decide to do some home repairs on your car, check out this list: 1. Wiring Harness Repair Wiring harnesses send electrical signals to make your vehicle run. So the big question to ask yourself before messing with the equivalent of your car’s brain is: Is this a vehicle you plan to drive? Or is a vehicle you’re just working on a home to learn more about cars? If it’s just a fun learning project, you'll likely learn a lot, and carry on with playing around here, but be careful, you’re still working with electricity. If however, you will need to drive this car in the near future, don’t do it, man. For real, wiring harnesses are notoriously temperamental and when something's wrong in there you’re gonna need to call in a pro at Zappone Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Granville. 2. Air Conditioning Repair There are 3 levels to air conditioning repairs, and even the most basic of those is pretty complicated. If you don’t have experience working with hazardous materials like that found in a DIY refrigerant top-off kit, this is not a project to tackle on your own. This is more of a health risk, than damage to my vehicle and risking your health for the sake of replacing your own AC is not worth it. The next 2 levels would require specialized parts like a vacuum pump to remove existing refrigerant before charging the system back to factory specs, or even having to dismantle the dashboard to check for leaks or a malfunction. That’s a bit more than I’m willing to take on as a project, and is best left to the professionals. 3. Body Work Unless you happen to be exceptionally good at moulding putty, this is not a task you’ll want to take on. You will definitely save money, but if your goal is to bring your vehicle back to its former glory, DIY is not the way to go. It’s usually best to leave these sorts of issues to the professionals, it will look significantly better than if you tried to fix it on your own. 4. Spring Removal Unless you have access to an industrial-grade spring compressor, taking a spring out of its housing is not going to happen. Yah, I didn’t think so. Even if you did, keeping that spring tamed and secured in a safe way is not easy. If the spring let loose and you were in its way you could be seriously injured. People have even died this way. Please leave this one to the safety of professionals. 5. Ignition System Repair If you want your car to start, you’ll need your ignition system in tact. So if you mess this up, you can end up doing more harm than help. The risk of failure and subsequent damage here has only grown with the creation of modern electronic ignition systems. It's no longer as simple as pulling a spark plug wire and looking for a spark. 50,000 volts of electricity is no laughing matter. So if you’re not super interested in being electrocuted, I strongly recommend not tackling this job by yourself! if your vehicle is in need of service, stop by Zappone Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Granville today and we’ll be happy to get you all sorted out. Have Your Vehicle Serviced Today
