Do-It-Yourself Matrix
How do you know if a certain repair is right for you?
Great question.
In our opinion, there are three factors to consider:
- How dangerous is the repair to life and limb if something goes wrong during or after the job?
- The risk that you might cause permanent, unalterable damage to your car.
- The degree of complexity of the repair, or the need for very special and expensive tools.
To help you decide whether to attempt a specific repair, we've ranked many of the most common repairs in each of these three categories.
| Car Talk's Do-It-Yourself Matrix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Each of the repairs listed below is assigned a risk ranking of Low (green), Medium (yellow) or High (red). Green signifies the least-risky DIY repair with red being the riskiest. For more on these rankings, click here. | |||
| Repair | Personal Safety | Car Damage | Complexity |
| Replace windshield wipers |  | | |
| Replace spark plug(s) | | | |
| Change oil | | | |
| Change air filter | | | |
| Change a belt |  | | |
| Change a battery |  | | |
| Change a headlight | | | |
| Rotate tires | | | |
| Rotate an alternator | | | |
| Replace a starter motor | | | |
| Replace a radiator | | | |
| Replace a water pump | | | |
| (if timing belt runs pump) | | | |
| Change a timing belt | | | |
| Change fuel pump | | | |
| Replace brake fluid | | | |
| Replace fuel filter | | | |
| Replace fuel hoses | | | |
| Replace radiator coolant | | | |
| Replace automatic transmission fluid | | | |
| Replace brake linings (drum brakes) | | | |
| Replace disc brakes, pads | | | |
| Replace brake rotors | | | |
| Replace brake master cylinder | | | |
| Replace brake line | | | |
| Replace CV boot | | | |
| Replace CV joint | | | |
| Replace wheel bearings | | | |
| Replace muffler | | | |
| Replace exhaust pipe | | | |
| Replace struts or shock absorbers | | | |
| Replace ignition module | | | |
| Replace front-end components (tie rods, ball joint, etc.) | | | |
| Replace steering rack | | | |
| Replace head gasket | | | |
Posted on 3/31/05