When it comes to owning your car, it is absolutely imperative that you pay attention to its maintenance. Many people are convinced that, in order to do so, they will have to pay costly fees in order to have a professional take a look at their car. It is true that there are many instances where it will pay to have a professional inspect your vehicle, there are plenty of tune ups that you can easily do on your own, with very little in the way of help. Throughout the course of this brief article, you will learn about 4 DIY ways to tune up your car.

Change the Air Filters

Changing your air filtration system in your car is not a markedly hard job to accomplish and it can often be done on the cheap. Aftermarket air filtration systems do not normally work miracles on a new vehicle, but they can make it work a little better and help get a few more horsepower out of your old beater if that's something you desire. Cold intake systems are available from numerous companies and they tend to cost under $200; the installation requires very little in the way of any substantive work, and can usually be accomplished by popping open the hood and using a Philips head screwdriver to pop out a few screws.

Clear the Headlight Lenses

Many people find that they believe that they need to replace their headlights every so often. The fact of the matter is, the chances of them actually needing to replace the headlights are quite slim. More often than not, a simple cleaning job can fix any fogged over headlights or headlights that seem like they're dimming. Headlight restoration kits can be found at most auto stores for around $30 (many times under this amount), and they can have your old headlights running as good as new within a few minutes. Sometimes, all you have to do is clear the lens, which involves removing the lens of the headlight and cleaning it off with a dry cloth.

Clean the A/C

Like your home's air conditioning unit, your car's air conditioning unit can suffer from a number of different maladies, including but not limited to mold, mildew buildup, and bacteria proliferation. Cleaning your car's air conditioning system is not an incredibly difficult task and can be accomplished by yourself in most cases. Make sure that the air that is passing through your A/C system is not blocked by any leaves, debris or other forms of pollution. Then, much like you would with your home's air conditioning system, replace the filter. Top it off by using a deodorizer on your system. Your nose and lungs will thank you.

Rubber Strips

You might notice that the area around your car doors are surrounded by rubber strips. These rubber strips act as insulation so that no heat or air will escape your car when you're driving during inclement weather and will also protect you from any rain that might wind up falling on you during this time. Replacing these strips is usually a one-person job and is not entirely difficult, but it can be quite time consuming and it is recommended that are you are somewhat good with adhesives when it comes to reinstalling them. Thankfully, these strips are quite inexpensive and can be purchased at most auto shops the country wide.

When it comes to car maintenance, there are plenty of jobs that you can do on your own at home. However, for a more complete auto tune up you should visit a professional mechanic or repair shop.