When it comes to car problems, people generally fall into one of two categories. The first group prefers to fix the problem all on their own. They don’t care if it’ll take hours or even days, and it doesn’t bother them that they’ll have to use their own two hands to make things right again.

The chances are that this first group of people have so much hands-on knowledge, it’s almost as if they graduated from one of the best automotive college in Malaysia!

The second group of people prefer to call in a professional to fix it for them. They prefer hiring someone who can work fast and get the job done right.

Which category do you think you fall into?

No matter your answer, there are still some essential car maintenance skills that every Malaysian should know. Yes, it’s true, these days, there are services and smartphone apps that can help you fix any car problem in under an hour.

Still, you don’t want to be overly-dependent on those services. As a responsible car owner and driver, you’d be better off knowing these basic skills just in case you’re stuck by the roadside and can’t call anyone else for help.

So, in this article, we’re going to look at five basic car skills that all Malaysians should know.

1.Replace Wiper Blades

Alright, so let’s begin with something easy but often overlooked. Ask yourself this: do you know how to replace your wiper blades?

Sure, on the one hand, you can still drive perfectly fine even if your wiper blades are old. Your wiper blades will never be the reason that you have to stop by the side of the road and call for help.

However, if you ever want to replace your wiper blades, it would be a waste of time and money to drive to your workshop just to get it done.

Instead, you could just buy a pair of wiper blades at a car accessory shop or even the petrol station and fix it yourself.

The good news is that replacing wiper blades doesn’t require any tools at all. The only challenging part is to figure out how to unlatch your existing wiper blades so you can put in their replacements.

Take a few minutes out of your day (like once you’re done reading this article) and fiddle around with your car’s wiper blades. Practice removing and placing them back, and soon you’ll be able to change them any time you need to.

2.Change A Tyre

Here’s something that all Malaysians should have learned in driving school: how to change a tyre. Doing this will require some essential tools like a tyre wrench, a car jack, and a spare tyre.

The good news is that all of these items are readily available in the boot of your car (unless someone has removed them). Have a look around your vehicle to double-check that these items are still there.

Here’s what you need to know.

The Tyre Wrench: This is the tool that you’ll need to loosen the wheel nuts. Before you raise your car with the jack, you’ll need to loosen each of these nuts by just one turn.

The Car Jack: You’ll use the car jack to lift your car off the ground so that you can replace the tyre easily. Here’s the most important thing you need to know: there are specific parts of your car’s underside where you can place the jack.

Each car is slightly different. So, the best way to discover those parts of your vehicle is to refer to your car owner’s manual.

By placing the car jack only at the correct spots, you’ll raise your car safely without any worry.

The Spare Tyre: Once you’ve placed the spare tyre on and tightened the wheel nuts, you’ll be ready to drive again. But remember: the spare tyre is not a permanent solution. It's only temporary so that you can go to your workshop and get your other tyre fixed or replaced.

3.Jumpstart A Car

Suppose you discover that your car can’t start. There’s a significant chance that the battery is dead and needs replacing. Still, you can jumpstart that battery to get your car started, so you can drive and get a new battery.

Jumpstarting a car requires two things: jumper cables and another battery. The traditional way to do this would be to connect your battery to that of another vehicle.

However, these days you can also get a car jumpstart battery instead. It’s much like a power bank that you may have for your smartphone, though it’ll deliver enough of a charge to jumpstart your car instead.

3.Change A Car Battery

Suppose you can’t or don’t want to jumpstart your car. An easier option would be to purchase a new battery and replace it wherever your vehicle is parked. To do this, however, you’ll need to know how to change a car battery.

There are two things that you’ll need to remove to get the job done. Firstly, the connectors. Those are the parts attached to the terminals on the battery.

Besides that, you’ll also need to remove the clamp that holds the battery in place.

Seeing how cars are built differently, you may need a screwdriver, wrench, or another tool to remove the clamp and connectors. Once you’ve done that, you can simply replace the battery and reconnect it the same way as the old one.

4.Clean Your Vehicle Inside and Out

Okay, so this last one is probably the least technical of all car skills. Still, Malaysians should learn how to clean their own vehicles inside and out.

Sure, you could just drive to a nearby petrol station and have their car wash do it all for you, and at a very low price. But if you do it that way, you’ll be missing out on a lot of essential benefits.

Financially, you’ll be able to save quite a bit of money every year by washing your car. You could repurpose that money for more important things, like getting your car serviced regularly.

Besides that, cleaning the car yourself fosters a deeper appreciation for your vehicle, especially if you’ve paid for it yourself. That appreciation will also encourage you to take better care of the car overall.

5.Keep Yourself Up To Date

To learn more useful car tips, check out the TOC Automotive College website, the best automotive college in Malaysia. There, you can read about the latest news and stories from the automotive industry in Malaysia and beyond!