Anytime you want to perform some car maintenance you have to raise it up on a car jack. The most common reason you do this is to change the tire, but in any case, you have to be safe. While there is a lot of common sense to raising a car on a car jack, you should at least follow these six things:
1. Work with a Friend
Much like lifting weights at the gym you should always have a partner. This is just in case something bad happens. We don’t like to think about it, but if there’s an emergency your friend can call 911. At the very least, they can help by handing you any tools you need while performing any car maintenance.
2. Park on Level Ground
Car jacks only function when the ground is near vertical. If you’re parked on a slant and you jack your car up it could slide down the slope and slip off the car jack. Not only will that cause damage to your car, but also you could get hurt in the process!
3. Lift your Car in the Right Spot
This one requires a bit of brainwork (albeit a little). Depending on what you need to work on is where you should put the car jack. For example, if you’re trying to change the wheel you’ll want to jack up that corner of the car. Putting the car jack in the right position might seem like common sense, but it can save you time and money.
4. Checking your Car Jack
When you jack up your car, you want to make sure that your car jack is locked and secured. Once you start jacking it up try wiggling it. If there is movement, jack it up to a point where there is no movement and it’s securely locked.
5. Support Your Vehicle When using Car Jacks for Maintenance
The best thing to do when working on your car by yourself is to make sure that you have a proper amount of jack. Something like changing a tire might only need one jack, but if you’re checking for holes in the machinery beneath your car you might need a few more jacks. No matter how many jacks you use be sure to check that all are safe and locked, to guarantee that you won’t be injured.
6. Shake Your Car
Safety is the most important thing when working with cars. Cars weight thousands of pounds, so making sure that they’re secure is very important. When you’re done jacking up your car give it a gentle shake to confirm it’s secure. Once your car passes the shake test it is safe to work on!
These tips help you do DIY work because here we want everyone to be safe while working on their own vehicle. However, some jobs should be left to the professionals, and professionals alone. Here at A Plus Transmission, we have a valuable team of mechanics ready to help you with whatever you need. Get in touch with us by visiting here or dialing 810.229.7878.