DDIY - Don't Do It Yourself

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Doing automotive repairs and maintenance yourself can save you money and time. However, there are some jobs that are better left to a professionally trained mechanic. So instead of DIY, we've put together a list of DDIY (Don't Do It Yourself) auto repairs.

1) Transmissions- Modern automatic transmissions contain thousands of small parts and are operated in conjunction with the car's computer. There are many parts that are calibrated based on this computer which is why many highly trained shops will not even do transmission work themselves. Take your car to a transmission specialist if it needs repairs as doing this type of work incorrectly will cost you much more than you could possibly save by doing it yourself.

2) Major Electrical Modifications - Just like hiring an electrician to do the wiring in your home, it's best to have a professional work on your car's electrical system. Matt Connor at Autobahn Imports tells of one customer who brought in his BMW with some aftermarket headlights that he had attempted to install himself. The lights were haphazardly attached using incorrect wiring and even duct tape. Mismanaging electrical work can have far-reaching consequences for your car as modern cars have very complicated electrical systems where one wrong move can affect the rest of the car. Don't risk it.

3) Timing Belt Replacement - Replacing your car's timing belt is expensive. If your car does have a timing belt and not a timing chain, it's recommended that you perform this replacement between 60k and 100k miles. A job like this is cheap on parts and expensive on labor, a seemingly perfect project for the frugal DIY'er. But this is another job better left to the experts. Timing belt replacements are no joke, and require an extensive disassemble of your car in order to complete. Many people have ruined their engine trying to change out their timing belt just to save a few bucks. Not worth it.

4) Parts Requiring Computer Calibration - Once again, unless you have the advanced computer equipment that most mechanics have in their shop, avoid replacing parts on modern cars that require calibration with the car's computer system. Some examples are your manifold pressure sensor, power-train control module, and throttle position sensor. Unless you have the computer equipment sitting in your garage, it's worth paying a few extra bucks to have someone install these parts correctly without any negative repercussions.