Last week we talked about the various kinds of maintenance that you should never do on your own. It’s not about you, it’s about safety, and having the necessary equipment. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t easy tasks that you can manage on your own. Below we have listed the top 5 things you can handle all on your own.

Air Filter
You need a new air filter for your car every 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. This is a fairly easy job that would take probably 10 minutes to do on your own.

Windshield Wipers
You’ll need new wiper blades after about six months or a year of use. It depends on how much you’ve had to use them that year. Driving with a streaked windshield is unsafe for you and those on the road around you, so it’s not worth the risk to ignore something as simple as this.

Headlights
Replacing your headlights is fairly simple and should only take you ten minutes. The only cost with this maintenance task is the cost of the new headlight, which can run anywhere from $20-$100 depending on what kind of bulb you need.

Spark Plugs
Changing your spark plugs can take anywhere from 20-30 minutes depending on how many plugs you have. It costs around $15 to do this yourself (the price of new spark plugs).

Oil/Oil Filter
Your oil is typically changed every 3,500-5,000 miles depending on your vehicle. If you aren’t sure, check your owner’s manual. Your engine keeps everything in your engine running smoothly and acts as a temperature regulator, so it is vitally important that you keep up with your oil changes. It takes about 45 minutes to change your own oil and will cost around $20 (the price of oil and a new filter).

Over the next few weeks we will cover how to do each of these tasks so that if you all want to do them on your own, you’ll know how to do it. In the meantime, if you are thinking to yourself, “Well, that seems like a lot of work. Can’t I just get this done for me??” You definitely can. Stop by Destination Kia and we’ll be more than happy to get your vehicle in tip-top shape!