Ford Parts You Can Replace Yourself

Want to keep your Ford in pristine condition? Car maintenance can be a real pain and an expensive one at times – especially if you’re new to it. Unfortunately, parts aren’t built to last forever, and there will come a time when your car will have to go into the shop. But what if we told you that there are some repairs that you can do from the comfort of your own home?

Say, for instance, you have a little Ford Fiesta sitting in the garage. It needs new brake pads and an oil change, or maybe you need to replace the headlights. Before you head off to a mechanic and pay a fortune, first check if it’s possible to do it yourself.

In this article, we’ll take you through the Ford parts that, if you’ve got the confidence experience, or are keen to learn, you can replace yourself instead of taking them to a mechanic.

Why do it yourself?

Many people take their cars to mechanics because they don’t have the know-how or the time to fix them themselves. Not having the time is understandable. Life is busy, and sometimes it’s just easier to pay someone else to get the job done, right?

Mechanics charge for the part and labour, though. Making this the more expensive choice. But when it comes to the know-how part, these issues are so easy to fix yourself that you’d marvel at the money you can save by doing it. That’s why we’d suggest replacing these parts yourself; it’ll save you money.

What Ford parts you can replace yourself?

Some of the replacements we are about to mention will require specific tools and might be a little complex, but the others are fairly simple. Here are some Ford parts you can change in your garage:

1. Windshield-wiper blades

Every six to twelve months, you might notice that your windscreen wipers start leaving smear marks on your windshield when you use them. This means that the rubber strip on them has perished, and you need to replace it. This process is simple and easy. All you need to do is select the right windshield wiper blades, unclip the old ones, and clip the newer ones.

2. Oil change

The oil keeps the engine lubricated so it can function well. After a while, it loses its ability to lubricate the engine effectively, which can cause damage to your engine. That’s why it needs to be changed. Many people think that this is a pretty complicated process. But it’s actually fairly simple.

Under your car, you have something called the sump. It’s where the oil is stored. The sump has a plug on it. To change the oil, you need to get rid of the old oil first. Pull the sump plug and let all the oil run out into a bucket. Once it’s out, plug it in again. Now, at the top of the engine block, there should be a lid with an oil cap on it. This is where you’ll pour the new oil in. Replacing the oil filter is also usually done with this.

3. Oil filter

The oil filter will be attached to the side of the engine block. Its main role is just to ensure your oil stays clean as it flows through the engine. Usually, to get the oil filter off, you’d use an oil filter wrench because of how tight it sits on the engine. These tools are pretty affordable, too. Taking the filter off is as simple as screwing off a bottle cap and putting on a new one.

4. Air filter

The air filter is probably the easiest part to replace out of the whole lot. In your Ford, you’ll see a pipe that runs from your car grill or fan to a box. This box will either have clips or screws to hold it closed. Open it, and inside, you’ll find an air filter. All you need to do is take that one out, put a new one in, and close the box again.

5. Headlight and taillight bulbs

Ford designs their headlights and taillights to be easy to change when they burn out. Usually, all you need to do is unclip or unscrew the attachment holding the light, unplug the bulb and put another bulb in. Go to your local automobile store and tell them what Ford you have. Mention its year, model, and bulb, and they’ll sort you out with everything you need.

6. Spark plugs

Spark plugs are responsible for helping your car start. You’ll see several cables plugging into your cylinder head on your car. These are the spark plugs. To unplug them, remove the cable (they usually just pull off the plug) first. To remove the spark plugs, you’ll need a spark plug wrench. Spark plugs can sometimes be embedded in sockets that are difficult to get to with other tools. Remove the spark plugs and replace them with the appropriate new ones.

7. Battery

Your car’s battery will also start giving you issues over time. But this is also an easy fix on a Ford. Simply purchase a new battery that’s appropriate for your car, unscrew your battery and screw in the new battery.

8. Brake pads

Finally, brake pads. Changing your brake pads will require the most amount of work out of everything on this list. This also depends on what breaks your car has. But, with traditional brake pads, you’ll need to remove your wheels, have your car jacked up, remove the bolts that hold the calliper in place, remove the old pads, press the piston back into the calliper, and then install your new pads, replacing the calliper bolts and putting the wheel back on.

Usually, when you do this you’d have to do both brakes so their responsiveness remains the same. For this job, we’d suggest having a pair of clamps to assist in getting the piston back into place, and some trustworthy jacks to keep your car up.

Final Thoughts

These parts are some of the easiest to replace on a Ford. A bonus is that most of these Ford replacement parts are also fairly available, so you can get them from your local auto parts store. Take the time to learn how to sort out these repairs for yourself and you’ll save a load of money.