Fixed my own car!

[UncleJak]

I normally take my cars to the dealer for any repairs they need. Yesterday on my way home, my check engine light came on and the car started running really "choppy". I was only a few miles from home so I continued on and stopped at my local auto parts store. They checked the code for me and it showed I was having a cylinder 4 misfire. I knew it would be okay to drive to the dealership if needed, and I knew that most likely it was the ignition coil gone bad. I have a warranty, but the deductible is $100 and the dealership is a hour away and takes time to get repairs and diagnostics. So I decided to try and repair it myself. For $117 I got a ignition coil, a new set of wipers, and a set of wipers for my wife's car. 45 minutes later, I had a repaired car with new wipers! There is nothing quite as satisfying as fixing your own car and not relying on someone else to do it for you!

 

[ironsniper1]

I don't really trust shops or dealers for repairs so I do all the repairs myself or get my mechanic uncle to help me much cheaper imo

[cgun86]

True, but when the zombies come there won't be mechanics to go. So wear them out, I say. lol

[mikegideon]

I've done lots of repairs over the last couple of years to avoid taking it in the shorts by Mr. Goodwrench. Just saved $600-$700 on an HVAC repair. It was like jabbing myself in the face with an ice pick, but at least I didn't get screwed.

[TNcitizen22]

I try to avoid taking my car into a shop unless there is just no way for me to access the area of the car I need to repair or maintain.  I just have never found an auto shop that i really trusted.  Each one has always burned me in some way.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Caveat emptor!

[Raoul]

I've had a private mechanic that's worked on my vehicles for 20 years. he's as grouchy as I am and likes guns as much or more than I do. I'm happy to pay him for most things.

[peejman]

I do all the routine maintenance stuff.... tune-ups, brakes, oil changes, etc.  I also do minor repairs that don't require a lift or other specialized tools to do, mostly because I'm too cheap to pay someone to do it.  Most of it is really pretty easy though newer cars can be a real PITA for some seemingly simple things. 

 

And for those that insist cars are designed to be hard to work on.... as a former design engineer in the auto industry... no, they don't do it on purpose.  However, they give little regard for serviceability.  All they care about is ease of assembly and meeting their packaging constraints.  The "service" group and the "design" group don't talk.  The service guys just have to figure it out after the design is done.

[kckndrgn]

I try to do the work myself, and I usually can.  But a few years ago the AC compressor went out on the wife's van.  I had neither the time or desire to fix it.  Got a couple quotes from "chain" stores, then called a local shop in Collierville, came in around the same price as the chain guys so I decided to keep the money local.

 

When I went in to pay, I started counting out 100 dollar bills.  The owner stopped me short of the total (by a little more than $200) and said "That's close enough, here are your keys and you better get a sweater cause that AC is COLD!  Have a great day!"

 

And I did cause after that cash discount the bill came in under everyone else and came close to what it would have cost me in parts and material alone.

[Volzfan]

I'm no mechanic so I'm blessed to have a good friend who is a mechanic. I met him in 1991 when I started to work for a company where he was responsible for their fleet. The only thing that I let anyone else do any work is for oil changes.

[KahrMan]

You are right, uncle Jack.  It is quite satisfying.  My daughter had the same issue with her Jeep Liberty.  I changed the plugs and three coil packs and it worked perfect again.  Since I am good with tools but not a mechanic, youtube comes in real handy.  You can usually find a video from someone who has done what you are needing to do.  It is a great way to pick up tips and tricks so things go smoothly.

[Mdunntn]

I don't think making all repairs on my vehicle is rewarding (blood sweat and tears). But it does save a lot of money lol

Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk 2

[RED333]

I've had a private mechanic that's worked on my vehicles for 20 years. he's as grouchy as I am and likes guns as much or more than I do. I'm happy to pay him for most things.

I used to work for mine, real good guy, like firearms as well.

He is very fair, and in Mt Juliet.

[Mechanic_X]

Working on my own cars makes my blood boil. But unlike the stereotype--all mine are well kept.

[Mike.357]

the days of fixing my own cars is long over.  I hope to never even change oil again.

[2.ooohhh]

Working on my own cars makes my blood boil. But unlike the stereotype--all mine are well kept.

 

I'm the same way, I've been known to spend 3x the money and double the time to not have to fool with something that shouldn't need frequent changing. BMW can't seem to make a PS hose that doesn't weep after 30k and the plastic PS reservoirs are crap.

 

Problem Solved.(shouldn't have ever been a problem to start though)

Edited May 15, 2013 by 2.ooohhh

[smithra89]

I've had a private mechanic that's worked on my vehicles for 20 years. he's as grouchy as I am and likes guns as much or more than I do. I'm happy to pay him for most things.

 

I've used the same mechanic for 23 years....he's definitely grouchier than I am and likes guns as much or more than I do...granted, the guy is my father, haha :rofl:

[cflatt]

I'm the same way, I've been known to spend 3x the money and double the time to not have to fool with something that shouldn't need frequent changing. BMW can't seem to make a PS hose that doesn't weep after 30k and the plastic PS reservoirs are crap.

 

interestingly enough I am replacing those wonderful hoses tomorrow in one of ours. In the last year I have learned how to become much more of a mechanic than I ever imagined. BUT, it's at my own pace.

Edited May 15, 2013 by cflatt

[daddyo]

Auto mechanics is something I wish I had learned, but I never took the time. I'd like to be able to not only work on my car, but to restore classic cars as well.

[Ramjo]

The worst thing I've done so far is replace the heater core in my 97 olds

[Sam1]

I try to avoid taking my car into a shop unless there is just no way for me to access the area of the car I need to repair or maintain. I just have never found an auto shop that i really trusted. Each one has always burned me in some way.

Same here, my wife's Benz was draining the battery dead overnight and it was isolated to the issue to the seat control modules... Shop wanted between $700-900 to fix.

After some research, I was able to fix it by snipping one wire and putting a vampire tap on, took 10 minutes and 50 cent worth of parts.

[peejman]

The worst thing I've done so far is replace the heater core in my 97 olds

 

 

Heater core in a friend's girlfriends '89 Camaro.  We had to take the whole dash out of the car.  In the school parking lot.  In the summer.  It took 4 of us 9 hours.  Never again.

[10-Ring]

I despise dealerships and will not set foot in one if I can keep from it.  I've always done all of my own work.  Once I was rebuilding an engine and had to go to the Ford dealership for a dipstick tube I think it was.  (crushed mine because I failed to remove it before removing the engine.)  As I pull up in my beat up old truck that had to be started with a screw driver I'm immediately bombarded by sales people trying to sell me a new vehicle.  I just looked at them and said "New truck?  Three more payments and this baby is all mine!"  Seriously most car salesmen rank somewhere on my hierarchy of humanity somewhere between personal injury lawyers and child molesters.  Seems that a lot of the good ones are ex cons, it's one of the few jobs that they can get, plus if they are willing to lie and screw people over they can make a lot of money, so many already have what it takes to do well in the profession.

[mikegideon]

Heater core in a friend's girlfriends '89 Camaro.  We had to take the whole dash out of the car.  In the school parking lot.  In the summer.  It took 4 of us 9 hours.  Never again.

 

Yep. I just replaced the temperature door actuators in my Trailblazer. The factory procedure was to pull the dash, console, steering column, and the metal structure that supports the dash. Fortunately, some DIY guys on the Trailblazer forum came up with a surgical procedure to "go in thru the anus". Took me about 3 hours because I kept running out of cuss words, but still took probably 5 hours off the procedure. It also required some minor cutting. Half blind and tedious work.

 

Thank God for the Internet.

[peejman]

Yep. I just replaced the temperature door actuators in my Trailblazer. The factory procedure was to pull the dash, console, steering column, and the metal structure that supports the dash. Fortunately, some DIY guys on the Trailblazer forum came up with a surgical procedure to "go in thru the anus". Took me about 3 hours because I kept running out of cuss words, but still took probably 5 hours off the procedure. It also required some minor cutting. Half blind and tedious work.

 

Thank God for the Internet.

 

 

I'll hope I don't have that problem with mine.  If your front diff starts leaking at the output shaft seals... TRADE IT!  :-\

 

And yes, the internet and youtube is wonderful.  It's extremely unlikely that you've got a car problem that someone else hasn't already posted a solution for on the web.

Edited May 15, 2013 by peejman