Maintenance

A Check Engine Light(CEL) is a yellow warning engine symbol or the words "CHECK ENGINE" that appears on the dash board, during driving or even while starting the car. First thing is do not panic.The major events - like low oil, temperature or battery have their own separate warning lights, so do not panic.

    First thing you need would be a jumper cable. If you don't have one, ask a nearby car , a lot of folks carry that cable.  Jump basically is supplying electric power from a good battery to a battery that is discharged or weak.

In this section we have listed the requirements to have a minimum in-expensive setup for your home ‘garage’. First thing is a location or a flat (preferably shady ) level area  to park your car. For those with garages and decent drive- ways this not a problem. For those  living in apartments, most of the time it is ok to do minor DIY repair and maintenance in the parking lot itself.

Tools and important items to be kept in your car at all times :

Here is a list of Optional Tools for Repairs if you want to get a bit serious with maintaining cars :

Battery Charger: - Something to charge your battery, if it gets discharged or if it nears end of life.

Battery Charging How To :

The basic idea here is that your car needs regular maintenance. If you plan to give it a blind eye, it will cost you far far more to fix an issue. There is a timeline for changing oil,air filter,spark plugs,brake pads, transmission fluid, coolant flush and such. This information is in your user/service manual

The good thing about modern day cars is that they are loaded with computers and sensors. These basically take most of the guess work out of the diagnosis and troubleshooting process.

It is important to maintain your antifreeze/coolant at the proper concentration to provide good corrosion protection as well as prevent freeze-ups and boil overs. That is when the car is parked out in the cold , the coolant can freeze up and expand and crack the engine block causing permanent damage.

Engine Air Filter is usually at the input of the air-intake system.  Air intake system in turn provides the necessary air (some times below atmospheric pressure) to the Fuel System's intake manifold. To put it simply , the engine needs air for burning and this is the filter it uses to make sure the air is free from dry leaves , dead insects and other debris. A good vs bad filter is shown below :