A photo of gearheadus fixityourselfus in its native habitat.

There are some people who practically grew up underneath the hood of a car, were baptized in grease, and celebrated their 16th birthday not by getting a new car, but by building one practically from scratch. For these rare individuals, there isn't an auto repair that they couldn't do themselves.

But if you're like the rest of us, you probably need a little guidance when determining which car repair jobs can be done in the driveway versus the neighborhood auto garage. Granted, you're not a gearhead - but you're not an idiot either.

Here are some of the dos and don'ts of do-it-yourself car repairs:

Simple repairs that everyone ought to know how to do

• Changing a tire. You never know when you'll be stranded on the side of the road with a flat. Every car comes with a jack and spare, although you can buy better equipment if you wish.
• Changing windshield wiper blades. Usually, no tools are required. Under normal conditions, you should swap them out twice a year.
• Checking/filling fluids. This includes engine oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, windshield wiper fluid, and engine coolant/antifreeze. The owner's manual will tell you where these spots are located under your hood.
• Changing air filter. This should be changed once or twice per year. As with windshield wiper blades, you won't need to use any tools.

DIY repairs which require a little more skill

• Bulbs. When your headlights, taillights, or other exterior lights burn out (or are broken), you can buy the bulbs and replace them. This can be more difficult on some cars than others.
• Fuses. These fuses are located underneath the bottom of the dashboard in most vehicles. But you'll need a reliable diagram to figure out which fuse powers which control.
• Changing your oil. The actual task is pretty easy; just unplug your oil plan, drain the oil, then replug and refill. The difficult part is getting under the car to do it, as well as finding an environmentally-safe place to dispose of the old oil.
• Using an OBD scanner. This is the machine that repair shops use to plug into your car's diagnostic port and identify what's wrong (like when your Check Engine light comes on). If you don't want to buy a scanner, some auto parts stores or car repair shops may let you use theirs. But beware: the scanner tells you what the problem is, but not how to fix it.

Ohhh, dear!

Jobs which you probably trust professionals to handle

• Changing the serpentine belt. Replacing the large belt in your engine probably looks easy. But if you do it incorrectly, everything will spin backwards. (Not good.)
• Changing spark plugs. Today's newer cars require special tools to remove spark plugs and/or partially taking apart your car to access them.
• Fix your brakes. The mechanism is too complex, and the stakes for incorrectly doing the job are too high.
• If you want to explore more difficult DIY auto repairs, look to the web for manuals, parts lists, and instructional videos to aid you. But don't let your pride keep you from throwing in the towel and getting the job done by a pro. After all, a broken car caused by DIY mechanic ignorance is probably not covered by your auto insurance.

Image credits: jalopnik.com, bannination.com, billthe3.net.

If you live in America, then you probably drive. And if you drive, then you’ll have to get your vehicle repaired at some point. Hopefully you have car insurance!

But, even if you don’t, you know that every mechanic is going to treat you fairly and bend over backwards to fix your vehicle for the lowest possible price. Right?

Okay, maybe that’s not the way you see it. And you may be right.

"Sure, I can fix your car. Trust me!"

Here’s another fact: car repairs in one part of the country may cost more than in other areas. CarMD.com is reporting that the average car repair can vary from $265 (in the District of Columbia) to $420 (in Arizona). Is there a good reason for that? Or are Americans just getting hosed? Let’s examine the report a little more closely.

First, the study focused on the monetary amounts of the average repair (not the actual mechanical problems being repaired), so there’s no apples-to-apples comparison data to scrutinize (like, say, the cost of a brake job in New Orleans compared to New York).

Plus, the study is limited to the repairs which resulted from the “Check Engine” light appearing on a car’s dashboard, and many drivers simply ignore this notification.

"Is my Honda ready yet?"

When you look at the costliest car repair states (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, California, and Nevada), you notice that they are all in the southwest U.S. This region generally has higher numbers of miles driven, because people rely less on mass transit. Also, the dry, warm climates in parts of these states can take a toll on vehicle engines and jack up labor costs.

On the other end of the spectrum, six of the ten least costly auto repair states are located in the Midwest. This region is home to many mechanics who earn lower hourly wages than their counterparts on either coast. But why D.C.? CarMD.com notes that a significant number of repairs there were either extremely simple or required little or no out-of-pocket expenses (perhaps because of warranties or auto insurance).

The bottom line? You shouldn’t necessarily assume that you’re getting screwed at the repair shop simply because your brother in the next time zone paid less for the same repair to his car. To ensure that you are getting a fair price, consider obtaining more than one estimate for the specific repair job you need. Or seek out someone you know in your area who has undergone a similar vehicle repair recently.

Everybody has their own opinions about auto mechanics and their scruples (or lack thereof), but varying prices at the repair shop may have more to do with geography and less with unscrupulous business practices.

If you need car insurance, check out SafeAuto.com.

Image credits: worldcaredition.blogspot.com, 1950vagabond.com,