Serious Mistakes in Car Maintenance

When a car does what it's supposed to do, it's pretty easy to take it for granted. But things can (and do) go wrong with no notice at all. Sometimes parts fail without any kind of warning -- without a grace period that
would let you know something's wrong so that you might have a chance to fix it. But let's face it; most drivers are guilty of ignoring problems with their vehicles at some point or another. And that's the first (potentially) fatal flaw. But it gets even worse when the problem is "fixed" improperly. We've compiled a list of some common car maintenance problems to watch for, whether you service your car yourself or even if you pay a pro to do it for you. And don't worry, it's fine if you choose to outsource your car care -- we won't judge.

Roaming Around with Burned-out Lights

Compared to most other car maintenance, it's relatively easy and inexpensive to replace light bulbs. So do it. You should know pretty quickly if your headlights or high beams burn out since you won't be able to see, and the turn signal indicators on your dash should clue you in if something's wrong there. Running lights, taillights and brake lights aren't quite as obvious, so just take a look every now and then.
And when they do burn out, pull out your owner's manual and replace them. It's not hard; it's not dangerous. Getting pulled over for a burned-out light is just extra stress you don't need, and getting hit because another driver couldn't see you is just ridiculous. Both of these likely outcomes will be a lot more expensive, too.

Attempting a Jump Start Without Really Knowing How

Putting jumper cables in your trunk doesn't mean you automatically know how to jump-start a car, but at least you did it before your battery died, right? But if you don't use jumper cables properly, you can fry your car ... or yourself. Though the procedure is really simple, you should learn how to do it before you actually need to. Not standing on the side of the highway while reading this article on your phone. That's dangerous.

Here's the stuff a step-by-step guide might leave out: First, get out of the way of traffic. Common sense (or self-preservation instinct) should tell you not to smoke. Less obvious, but otherwise logical, you should wear eye protection, make sure the two cars are parked so they're close but not touching and ensure no cables or connector ends touch anything other than the correct terminals. Don't keep cranking if it doesn't fire up -- just give it a little more time. And make sure the ignition is switched off in both cars before you start attaching cables. Even the dead one.

Haphazard Electric Work

You wouldn't tackle a wiring project in your house without turning off the power at the source and then double-checking at the site of the problem, right? (Well, let's hope you wouldn't, anyway.) Same thing with your car. A little laziness might get you zapped.
Some automotive pros say that the current in your car isn't strong enough to really hurt you but it's always better to be on the safe side, which means assuming that you could sustain injury [source: AA1Car]. Even if you don't suffer an electrical shock, you could easily start an electrical fire, or possibly overload your car's wiring or other electrical components. So, you should know what you're dealing with ahead of time. Make sure your car is off when it needs to be off (which would be most of the time) and remember to disconnect (and then isolate) the battery's negative cable. And if you drive a hybrid car with a high-voltage battery, avoid touching the battery at all costs. Since hybrids are designed specifically for heavy-duty electrical power, the battery has much more shock potential than an average car and can cause injury on contact.

Assuming Bald Tires will last a bit Longer

It's always tempting to try to squeeze a few more miles out of your rubber, but it's certainly not wise. You need to give your car what it needs to maintain proper contact with the road. Think of all you ask your car to do for you, every single day. Now imagine picking up the kids from school in a snowstorm wearing flip-flops, or taking the dog for a run while wearing stilettos. It's all wrong. Your feet need better equipment to get the job done. So does your car.
If you don't know how old your car's tires are (you bought your car secondhand, or you're not a meticulous receipt- or record-keeper) chances are you're probably due for a new set. Even if the tread looks decent, rubber deteriorates over time. The damage might not be easy to see, but miniscule cracks cause loss of structural rigidity, which means the tire can't perform as designed. If the rubber disintegrates where the tread joins the tire, the tread can separate (yup, just like a semi-truck). Not really worth taking the chance, is it?

Sloppy Lube Job During Brake Repair

Even though brake jobs typically aren't (strictly speaking) all that difficult, a lot of amateur mechanics like to hire a pro for this kind of work. And it's understandable. Screwing up a brake job can have pretty serious consequences, for obvious reasons. Your car's brakes work because of friction. It's not entirely that simple, but that's the basic principle. When you press (or slam) the brakes, hydraulic pressure in the system makes your brake calipers and brake pads squeeze in, and this friction causes your wheels to slow down.
That's a lot of friction, and it depends on a lot of moving parts. Moving parts require lube, or else they'll seize. So when you're taking brake components apart and putting them back together, you'll need to use brake-system-specific grease to make sure everything's operating at top-notch capacity. And if you're working with the axles, there's a strong chance you'll be using oily substances in the brake vicinity. Either way, you'll want to be extremely careful with lube application -- it's crucial. It requires the precision of carving a really expensive steak, or giving someone a tattoo. If axle grease or caliper lube gets on the friction surface of the brake pads or rotors, your car's brakes won't work. Not at all.

Forgetting to Torque the Lug Nuts

Even though Popular Mechanics has this handy tutorial that explains how to achieve the proper amount of force for lug nuts, don't let that intimidate you. If you managed to change out a wheel (or rotate all four corners) without dumping the car off the jack, you should be able to handle simple lug nut installation. Just read your owner's manual for the proper specs and use a torque wrench. That's what they're made for.
But apparently, plenty of people can't seem to get this right. So, after going through all the effort of moving the wheels around for a tire rotation or replacement, they scurry off with the wheels insufficiently bolted on. Guess what -- they won't be on for long. Note also the very real possibility of over-tightening the lug nuts -- it may be a little less obvious than under-tightening, but it has similar consequences. Instead of a loose wheel simply wobbling until it works its way off, all the tension of driving compounds to further stress out the over-tense lugs. Improper amounts of metal-on-metal friction ensue, and over time, something's gotta give. The lug nut or the wheel stud, being the smallest parts of the equation (and likely damaged by over tightening), may eventually snap-off. Not good.