A car is something that most of us rely on for daily use. It can be for going to work, shopping or for traveling from one place to another. Whatever you use your car for, you need to ensure that it is kept in the best condition and running smoothly. With high costs of maintenance, car owners prefer performing simple repair works on their cars in order to save some bucks.
As usual, one needs different tools and to learn some skills. But before you start working on your car, you need to ensure that it’s safe and secure. So, it’s crucial to follow all the safety precautions so that you don’t end up being injured. Follow our auto repair safety rules below in order to stay safe and sound during repair works on your car.
- Perform repairs that you can manage. If there is a repair that you are doubtful about, don’t do it but get a professional. Some parts are very sensitive and just a small mistake will cause you more harm than good.
- Stay focused. The moment you feel that you are not at your best, you should not proceed with the repair work. This includes when you feel that you are sick, tired, under medication, intoxicated or when tipsy.
- Understand your physical limits. There are jobs that you can do and those that you can’t do. This is true especially if you are not physically fit to perform them. Replacing some parts of the car need heavy lifting. Other activities include bending, crawling under, jerking, bending, and pulling, among other duties.
- Have a fire extinguisher close. This is vital in case there is a fire outbreak. The fire extinguisher should meet the standard ratings.
- Avoid smoking. Smoking isn’t only bad when working on your car, but is well bad for your health. Avoid smoking if you are working on any fuel-related part such as fuel injectors, fuel filter, fuel lines, carburetor, and fuel pump. Also, avoid smoking when working near a car battery as it contains hydrogen gas which is explosive.
- Avoid crawling under a vehicle that isn’t well supported. One of the common mistakes made by car repair enthusiasts is that they don’t support their cars well. A jack alone isn’t enough to support the car and it is vital to get extra support.
- Watch out for the airbags. If functioning on the steering wheel column or under the instrument panel, constantly disconnect the battery and wait at least for some minutes before proceeding with any disassembly or wiring tests. Activities like jumping, crossing, or shorting wires in the airbag circuit could make the airbags accidentally deploy and possibly harm you.
- Disconnect one of the battery cables when performing electrical repair work
- Don’t disconnect or unplug any electrical connector when the engine is operational or when the key is in position.
- Watch out for hot stuff and moving parts. When the engine is running or the car has been driven within the past half hour or so, the radiator, engine, catalytic converter, muffler, exhaust manifolds, and pipes will be boiling. For moving parts include a fan, drive belts, pulleys, and other moving parts when functioning under the hood if the engine is operating.
- Keep off electrical shocks when working around the ignition system. The typical battery voltage in passenger car and light truck electrical systems is just 12 volts and will not hurt you. But the ignition system bumps the primary voltage up to 25, 000 to 40, 000 volts which can give you a nasty shock.
- Wear eye protection. This will protect you from dirt, dust, and debris from falling into your ears during working.
- Wear ear protection. To prevent permanent hearing loss, you should put on ear protection. This is true when using loud pneumatic tools, or when hammering, grinding, drilling, or even pounding.
- Wear breathing protection. When spraying or using chemicals, it’s a great idea to wear a mask on your nose so that you don’t inhale dangerous chemicals.
- Use caution when opening any fuel lines
- Avoid distractions and let a person know if you are going to work outdoor.
- Avoid shock hazards with extension cords and electrical tools