Some car repairs are more significant than others. That’s why you can generally categorise them as minor car repairs and major car repairs. Still, some minor car repairs tend to lead to significant issues later on if you ignore them for too long.
Minor car repairs like brake pad replacements, oil changes, and engine air filter replacements might not seem important to some people. However, ignoring them for too long can lead to major issues that’ll immobilise your car or make it too dangerous to drive for you.
In this quick guide, we’ll look at minor car repairs that are easy to ignore but can lead to major issues if not resolved soon enough.
Let’s get started.
What Are Considered Minor Car Repairs?
There are no fixed definitions for what’s considered a minor car repair, but most of these maintenance tasks share similar traits in terms of time, expertise, effort, and cost.
For starters, minor car repairs are the kinds that you can get done in a small amount of time. They’ll take a few minutes or, at the most, a few hours to complete.
On top of that, minor repairs don’t require much expertise. They’re simple enough that you could probably get them done yourself at home if you prefer to do so. You’d probably need to watch a couple of YouTube instructional videos to figure out how to get the job done correctly.
In other words, you don’t have to leave your car at the workshop overnight for a minor car repair.
Naturally, minor car repairs like scratches are also those that won’t cost too much for parts, materials, or even labour charges.
Nevertheless, some minor car repairs can become major problems if you neglect them for too long. We’ll get to that in a minute.
What’s Considered a Major Car Repair?
A major car repair affects your vehicle’s overall functionality and safety.
It’s the kind of repair that you can’t afford to delay or ignore because it stops your car from working as it should, or it’ll threaten the safety of anyone in or around the vehicle.
As you might have already guessed, a major car repair also involves higher costs for things like:
- Specialised mechanic skills
- Special equipment that only a workshop would have
- Several hours’ worth of labour charges
- New parts and materials
Whether you choose to take it on as a DIY repair or leave it at the workshop, a major car repair will take you a significant amount of time.
What Are the Most Important Minor Car Repairs That You Should Never Ignore?
#1 Brake Pads
What’s needed:
You see the brakes on your car work using friction. When you press on the brake pedal, your brake pads will press up against the rotors on your wheels and slow them down. Unfortunately, all that friction also means your pads get worn down just a tiny bit every time you hit the brakes.
For that reason, you’ll have to remove worn-out brake pads and replace them with new ones.
How often replaced:
Depending on the thickness and quality of your brake pads, you’ll have to replace them after about every 45,000 kilometres of driving. Depending on how often you drive, you could need brake pads replaced sooner rather than later.
What happens if you ignore it:
When you ignore your brake pads and let them wear down, you’ll have some unpleasant grinding noises to deal with. But that’s not the worst part. Worn-out brake pads affect your ability to stop your car, and that can lead to accidents and expensive repairs. Read this if you’re not sure how to check your brakes.
#2 Car Battery
What’s needed:
The battery under your car’s hood is there to help you start the vehicle and power its electrical system. Many people opt for maintenance-free car batteries these days, but even those need to be replaced at some point.
That’s because these batteries eventually lose their ability to hold a charge and can’t do what they’re supposed to do.
How often replaced:
You should replace your car batteries approximately once every 2.5 years. You should pre-emptively change the battery immediately once you start seeing signs of battery failure.
What happens if you ignore it:
Many people think that they can squeeze out just a bit more juice from their car batteries despite years passing since the last replacement.
Worse yet, people may ignore clear signs of battery failure, inviting more serious problems. This negligence can leave you immobilised at home or in some random parking lot, requiring a pricey call-out battery replacement service to save you.
#3 Oil Change
What’s needed:
Engine oil, or motor oil, plays a crucial role in keeping your engine components running smoothly. At the same time, it also ensures the insides are clean and held at an acceptable temperature.
After a certain number of kilometres, you’ll have to drain and change the engine oil, whether you do it yourself at home or take your car to a mechanic or shop for servicing.
How often replaced/changed:
As a rule of thumb, you should take your car in for an oil change every 4,500 kilometres or so.
The precise number will depend on the engine oil you used at your last oil change, as some last longer than others. That's why some mechanics typically mark a sticker with a reminder for when your following oil change should occur.
What happens if you ignore it:
When you delay performing a simple oil change for too long, the oil will start to get thicker than it should be. That will create a chain reaction that leads to some unpleasant results.
First, the thicker oil can’t reach all the engine’s components. That means some parts will grind against each other without any lubrication, causing internal damage.
At the same time, these parts will overheat since there’s no engine oil available to absorb some of that excess heat.
Needless to say, any repairs or part replacements for the engine’s internals is going to cost you an arm and a leg.
#4 Engine Air Filter
What’s needed:
There are at least two air filters in your car – one for the engine and one for the cabin. Here, we're focusing on the one for your engine. That's the one that removes impurities and unwanted particles from the air before it enters the engine.
As time goes on, the air filter becomes increasingly saturated with dirt, dust, and other impurities. A bad air filter will cause engine performance issues for your car.
Cleaning the filter is a short-term fix – a better solution is to replace it with a new one whenever possible.
How often replaced:
Generally, you should change your air filter once a year or every 20,000 kilometres.
However, most people change the air filter whenever they change their engine oil. That way, there’s not much effort needed to remember when to replace the air filter.
What happens if you ignore it:
When ignored for too long, a compromised air filter can let dirt and debris into your engine's combustion chambers. In a worst-case scenario, that could suffocate your engine and prevent it from running.
Even though you can perform minor car repairs at home, there’s nothing wrong with outsourcing it to a qualified mechanic.
Check out the Directory over at CarpartAU to locate automotive businesses in your area. It provides contact information, so you can ring them up to find out more about what they have to offer.
By Ray Hasbollah