While some car problems require heading to the auto mechanic shop for professional diagnosis and repair, others can disappear with easy DIY fixes done right in your home garage. Here are a few common car issues that you can easily fix yourself.

Dirty Engine Oil

Your car's engine heavily relies on engine oil to keep running smoothly and efficiently. However, engine oil gets dirty over time from all the contaminants it picks up while the engine is running. When this happens, you may start experiencing a range of problems with your engine.

If you have dirty engine oil, you can fix the problem without going to the mechanic. All you need to do is to remove the old oil and replace it with fresh oil of equal or better quality.

Battery Problems

The battery is the auto electrical component that provides the power needed to start your car and keep all electrical and electronic components working properly while driving.

If too much corrosion builds up on top of your battery over time, the battery may not supply enough power for your car to start or operate properly. If you open the hood of your car and see that the battery terminals are corroded, you should brush out the corrosion with a hard-bristle brush and a white vinegar solution. Check the battery cables. If they're excessively corroded, replace them. 

Once the battery terminals are clean, reconnect the battery cables and try to start the car. This should help restore the normal power supply to your car's starter motor. If the problem persists, you may have a dead battery, which will need a replacement.

Blocked Engine Air Filter

All fuel-powered cars work by burning a fuel-air mixture in the correct ratio. How they do it is what differs. 

A clogged engine air filter will hurt the performance of your car by resulting in a lean mixture. A car runs lean when the concentration of air to fuel is higher than is required for achieving optimum combustion within the engine.

Fortunately, you should be able to easily replace a clogged engine air filter with the right tools and instructions.

Clogged Engine Oil Filter

Besides the engine air filter, your auto engine features an engine oil filter that traps all the dirt and debris picked up by the engine oil during car operation. This helps to keep the engine oil as clean as possible.

Since they catch contaminants present in the oil, engine oil filters get clogged over time and need to be replaced. An appropriate time to check if your car's engine oil filter is due for replacement is when doing engine oil changes.

Knowing when to see an auto mechanic and when to fix a problem yourself will help you avoid spending more than is necessary on car repairs. This can make all the difference to your vehicle's life cycle cost. That said, never hesitate to contact an auto repair service if you have a car problem you can't fix on your own.