Author Topic: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?  (Read 2285 times)

AMandM

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How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« on: November 30, 2020, 06:41:36 AM »
In a thread on the AMWOSAC, someone said, "I can buy a jack, jack stand, brake pads, compressor, pneumatic impact wrench, and the special unnecessary tool to compress the caliper piston, then throw them all out when I'm done and still come out ahead of taking it to the dealer for a simple brake job."

Auto maintenance is an area where my Mustachian skills are decidedly weak. I tried to change my own oil once years ago (pre-internet), on a 1987 Civic, and I couldn't even figure out how to access the oil tank to drain it. What is the best way to learn these skills? Maybe someone can recommend a reliable book or online resource? Especially for something as important as brakes, I'm leery of just random YouTube videos.

My car is a Hyundai Entourage, which was only made 2007-2009, if that matters.

Thanks for any advice!

bradne

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2020, 07:06:25 AM »
Most of my life, I drove crappy, older cars.  I learned to do a lot out of necessity.  I made a lot of mistakes over the years, but I feel as I have learned from all of them.     

When I was in high school, I took two years of Auto Shop.  That was probably the best class I ever took in high school.  Cars have changed a lot since then but the basic skills that I learned are still relevant.   See if your local community college has a auto maintenance course you can take.  Sadly those types of courses are becoming fewer and fewer.  My kid's own high school does not offer auto shop any more. 

There are a lot of auto repair manuals out there.  Chiltons is one of the more popular publishers.  Look for one for your specific year and model of car. 

I know you said you were wary of Youtube, however anytime I take on something I have not done with a vehicle before (or any almost anything else for that matter), I look on Youtube.  Quite often someone has taken the time to do a video for the exact thing you want to do.    Brakes are pretty important though.  If you are wary of that, you may wish to wait until you are more comfortable with the basics of brakes before you refer to Youtube for that.  There are a lot of other good videos for other things though.   

 


APowers

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2020, 07:44:47 AM »
I grew up with my parents driving older models and watching my dad doing various auto repairs, and then my first car was a '71 VW that cost $350. My dad gave me the Idiot's Guide and let me borrow his tools to bring it up to speed.

But if you didn't have that privilege (or some form of auto shop) as a kid, it's not too late to learn. Nearly all of it is basic mechanical systems problem solving (generally something either moves like it shouldn't, or doesn't when/how it should).

There are three basic resources you can use to learn these skills:

A service manual. Ideally, this is the factory service manual, but in most cases, a Chilton or Haynes will do fine. You can buy these online or at an auto parts store. You can also borrow them from your local library.

Youtube. This is inordinately helpful, not because you want to follow their instructions (often they're missing the boring steps or give wrong/insufficient info about torque values, etc), but because they give you a way to see where to find the one fastener that's inevitably hidden behind some other part where you can't see it, or where to find the oil drain nut when it's not obvious, etc.

A friend who has these skills already. Seriously, I don't know anyone who is into cars who wouldn't be glad to walk a noob through how to work on his/her own vehicle. A simple "Hey, my car's due for an oil change, but I've never done it before. Can I bring it over and have you walk me through it?" And ask what parts/supplies you'll need to buy to do it. Then show up with those things plus some cold drinks and/or food.

Uturn

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2020, 08:10:49 AM »
Let's back up a bit.  Instead of focusing on car repair, how are your repair "things" skills?  These skills are transferable, bicycles, cars, lawn mowers....

A few years ago, a friend asked me to help his son fix his car.  The son (18 y/o) did not even know how to use a socket wrench, never even held one.  So we had to really start with the basics. 

I would start with finding some broken things on CL or FB and fix them. Or at least tear them apart and see if you can figure out how they work.  This is very low cost, and most importantly, low risk.  Who cares if you take something that is sort of broken and really break it?  It was cheap or even free, but you should have learned something.

Fishindude

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2020, 08:42:41 AM »
In a thread on the AMWOSAC, someone said, "I can buy a jack, jack stand, brake pads, compressor, pneumatic impact wrench, and the special unnecessary tool to compress the caliper piston, then throw them all out when I'm done and still come out ahead of taking it to the dealer for a simple brake job."

Whoever claims this to be true this is full of B.S.

APowers

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #5 on: November 30, 2020, 09:38:55 AM »
Let's back up a bit.  Instead of focusing on car repair, how are your repair "things" skills?  These skills are transferable, bicycles, cars, lawn mowers....

A few years ago, a friend asked me to help his son fix his car.  The son (18 y/o) did not even know how to use a socket wrench, never even held one.  So we had to really start with the basics. 

Also this. It's one thing to start at zero knowledge of car repairs when you already know the basics of "how to use a tool", and it's another thing entirely to start at zero tool skills AND zero knowledge.

trygeek

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #6 on: November 30, 2020, 09:41:11 AM »
While I was in college the cars I drove you kinda had to learn auto maintenance because you didn't know when they would start or whatever not to mention I was broke so there's that. I also had my father and brothers to ask for advice. Now there is youtube though so you can look anything up on there.

lthenderson

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #7 on: November 30, 2020, 09:53:24 AM »
I learned car maintenance by buying a Haynes manual and going through all the steps listed in the owner's manual for maintenance and using the Haynes manual for pictures and step by step directions. That was how I did it until YouTube. I haven't bought a manual since. I usually never watch just one video and go do something off that. Instead I watch several to get a good sense of the steps in case one video omitted steps to save time. I then save the best video so that I can easily find it on my smart phone when I am out in the garage and can't remember the specific step. This doesn't work just on car maintenance but about anything in life I want to try and DIY it.

To add to Fishindude's reply, DIY isn't just adding up the costs of the materials to do a project. One also needs to count for the labor needed to do a project. Even if you could buy all the stuff needed to do a brake change for cheaper than paying for it done elsewhere, you still need to value that day that it took you to buy all the various parts and tools, unwrap them, set them up, read the directions to know how to use them properly, etc. If you added all that time up and what you could have earned by doing something else during that same amount of time, it would probably have been cheaper to pay someone else to change your brakes.

I think the reason to DIY stuff is not because it is cheaper, though it may be in some cases, but because you learn how things work by fixing them, you guarantee that they are fixed to your satisfaction and it is just pleasurable to fix things rather than throw them in the trash can and buy another.

Sibley

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #8 on: November 30, 2020, 09:59:17 AM »
As a female who wasn't really forced to learn much in the car maintenance realm, YouTube. I changed the air filters on my car. It involved about 2 hours of watching videos, trying something, swearing, watching videos, calling dad to vent... you get the idea. But I did eventually change the air filters (engine and cabin). And I haven't done it since.

I can check and add fluids, might have to stare for a while to find what I'm looking for or check the manual. I can check and add air to the tires. I frankly don't want to get all greasy, and I don't really have the tools, etc. I know how to change a tire though having the physical strength to do it is debatable.

I do change the air filter and oil on the lawn mower. Haven't figured out the spark plug yet, but I know I have the tool because dad did it. I just wasn't around to watch.

Edit to add that I also watched youtube videos to learn how to change the oil and air filter.
« Last Edit: November 30, 2020, 10:04:38 AM by Sibley »

AMandM

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #9 on: November 30, 2020, 12:33:09 PM »
Let's back up a bit.  Instead of focusing on car repair, how are your repair "things" skills?  These skills are transferable, bicycles, cars, lawn mowers....

They're decent, I'd say. I've done repairs (including a fair amount of dis- and re-assembly) on the furnace, the washer and dryer, my stand mixer, the dishwasher, and the stove. I've done smaller car jobs: removing the headlight assembly to replace the bulb, repairing the washer fluid tank. I've done plumbing and electrical repairs.

Reading the responses and typing this has made me realize that brakes, specifically, are the car job I feel like I "should" do myself, since they're expensive and you have to do them repeatedly.  (I generally only attempt new DIY jobs if I think the time invested in learning will be paid back by doing the same or a similar job again later on.) But they're really intimidating because getting them wrong can be fatal.

I think I'll borrow a manual from the library and watch some Youtube to learn what fixing brakes entails. On the basis of more knowledge I can then decide whether I actually want to learn how to do it myself, or whether I'd rather put my time elsewhere (following lthenderson's thought process).

I love the idea of learning from a friend, but I don't know if any of my friends can work on cars. They're practically all lawyers or professors.

Thank for all the responses!

draco44

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #10 on: November 30, 2020, 12:56:33 PM »
As others have said, Youbtube or car-handy friends are very helpful.

If you are willing to spend a little bit of money upfront, you may also want to consider taking a structured hands-on class, likely offered by a community college or parks department or extension service where you live. One of the high schools in my area has a fantastic autoshop, and they offer classes on nights and weekends to members of the community. It's nice to not have to be afraid of screwing something up on your own or a friend's car the first time you try something.

Uturn

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #11 on: November 30, 2020, 01:06:10 PM »
If you are just replacing pads, do one side at a time.  That way you have the other side as a reference.

When you bleed the brakes, you can have someone pressing down on the pedal while you open the bleed valve, but a good pump is less hassle. 

Jacks are NOT jack stands!!  Wheel chocks are very cheap insurance.

APowers

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #12 on: November 30, 2020, 01:09:16 PM »
Let's back up a bit.  Instead of focusing on car repair, how are your repair "things" skills?  These skills are transferable, bicycles, cars, lawn mowers....

They're decent, I'd say. I've done repairs (including a fair amount of dis- and re-assembly) on the furnace, the washer and dryer, my stand mixer, the dishwasher, and the stove. I've done smaller car jobs: removing the headlight assembly to replace the bulb, repairing the washer fluid tank. I've done plumbing and electrical repairs.

Reading the responses and typing this has made me realize that brakes, specifically, are the car job I feel like I "should" do myself, since they're expensive and you have to do them repeatedly.  (I generally only attempt new DIY jobs if I think the time invested in learning will be paid back by doing the same or a similar job again later on.) But they're really intimidating because getting them wrong can be fatal.

I think I'll borrow a manual from the library and watch some Youtube to learn what fixing brakes entails. On the basis of more knowledge I can then decide whether I actually want to learn how to do it myself, or whether I'd rather put my time elsewhere (following lthenderson's thought process).

I love the idea of learning from a friend, but I don't know if any of my friends can work on cars. They're practically all lawyers or professors.

Thank for all the responses!

Ah. Nearly everything you do on a brake job is "replace the old piece with a new piece", and as long as you pay reasonable attention during the disassembly process, and make sure you put back the new pieces in the same orientation as the old ones, it's pretty hard to screw up.

StashingAway

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #13 on: November 30, 2020, 01:21:45 PM »
I think I'll borrow a manual from the library and watch some Youtube to learn what fixing brakes entails. On the basis of more knowledge I can then decide whether I actually want to learn how to do it myself, or whether I'd rather put my time elsewhere (following lthenderson's thought process).

I used to buy the Haynes manual for any vehicle that I purchased. They often have great tips in them and it's a little easier to walk through step-by-step. Plus you can get it greasy and not worry about returning it. They're typically $20ish on ebay. I don't so much anymore because after a handful of vehicles the skills are pretty transferable between cars. And youtube has come a long way in terms of function. There are a load of good channels out there; I like ChrisFix' and still default to his stuff when doing a new job (for example, recently recharging AC lines after a compressor/condenser replacement).

EricEng

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #14 on: November 30, 2020, 01:27:10 PM »
Youtube.  Typically you can even find the work being done on your Make and Model and approximate year.  I knew nothing to start off, but just used a tablet or phone nearby while I worked to walk me through (after watching fully once inside).  Anything short of requiring engine removal can be done pretty reasonably.  First time will take longer, but quicker after and you'll feel proud of yourself in addition to spending so much less.

Not sure why that poster would need a pneumatic wrench or compressor for a brake job though.  Full brake replacement in a shop is easily $600-1200.  Parts to do it yourself are $50-300 and all you need tool wise is Jack, jack stands, wrenches, and the caliper compressor tool (best $9 from Amazon).

secondcor521

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #15 on: November 30, 2020, 01:34:48 PM »
Good advice so far.  A few things to add:

1.  Start with what you feel mostly comfortable doing.  From adding fuel, to changing the oil, to replacing an alternator, to replacing an engine, it's all one big spectrum.  As you go, you'll figure things out and gain confidence.  Between confidence and experience and the right tools, you'll eventually be able to tackle as much as you want.

2.  Another advantage to learning, even if you don't do the repair, is that you'll be able to accurately assess what repair people are telling you and quoting you if you choose to outsource something.  As an example of this, my daughter's car had a failed blower motor.  I told her I would either pay to have it repaired or buy any parts and tools and help her repair it herself and she could have the difference in cash.  She decided to fix it herself, but in the process of getting quotes someone told her she needed to bring it in so they could look at it in order to give her a quote.  Utter BS, and she knew it.  She could also see that the charges for a job like that were 3x what the parts and tools were; as a poor college student the ROI on doing it herself was pretty good.

3.  Not always, but usually there are multiple ways to doing things.  Once you gain experience, you'll be able to figure out the essence of the job (OK, to replace the alternator I just need to disconnect everything, pull the old one off, put the new one on, and reconnect everything).  You'll see what has to happen and where the variations are.  Like painting, you can use a brush, roller, or sprayer, but the essence is to get the paint spread on the wall smoothly, completely, and of proper thickness.  Or in cooking a quiche, the main thing is 50/50 on eggs and dairy, whether that's milk, heavy cream, or half and half.  This is why watching a bunch of YouTube videos is helpful - you can see this variation.

Oh, and I wouldn't pressure yourself to DIY everything.  There's stuff on my car that I'll do, and stuff that I won't do.  I don't beat myself up or guilt myself about it.  I'm getting to the point where I'll take my car into change the oil in the winter sometimes just because it's due and there's 4 inches of snow on the ground.  I know I'm providing profit to the Einstein's oilery, but I know they'll do the job right and I don't have to lay on my back in the snow and cold, even if I know how to and could do so.

Good luck!

P.S. - I use Chilton for my car, which I can get online for my specific car year/make/model via my library.

StashingAway

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #16 on: November 30, 2020, 03:41:37 PM »
Not sure why that poster would need a pneumatic wrench or compressor for a brake job though.  Full brake replacement in a shop is easily $600-1200.  Parts to do it yourself are $50-300 and all you need tool wise is Jack, jack stands, wrenches, and the caliper compressor tool (best $9 from Amazon).

I don't think that quote was meant to be taken as seriously at it has, lol. Sounds kind of tongue-in-cheek, uphill both ways kinda speak to me.

EricEng

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #17 on: November 30, 2020, 04:20:02 PM »
Not sure why that poster would need a pneumatic wrench or compressor for a brake job though.  Full brake replacement in a shop is easily $600-1200.  Parts to do it yourself are $50-300 and all you need tool wise is Jack, jack stands, wrenches, and the caliper compressor tool (best $9 from Amazon).

I don't think that quote was meant to be taken as seriously at it has, lol. Sounds kind of tongue-in-cheek, uphill both ways kinda speak to me.
I too suspect they were being a bit creative and sarcastic, but their point does stand that buying the parts + basic tools is cheaper than hiring it done.

chemistk

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #18 on: December 01, 2020, 08:05:08 AM »
Great replies in this thread!

I will throw a wrench into things (pun intended) - depending on the age and type of vehicle, climate, or complexity of the repair, there are just some things that it's best for even the more experienced home-mechanic to not DIY.

I have attempted many DIY repairs on vehicles over the years, most were successful but not all. I'd say you can do 2/3 of most repairs without anything more than some jack stands, a jack, a good quality set of sockets, a good set of combination box/open end wrenches, a hammer, a breaker bar, some screwdrivers, and clamps. Helps to have a OBD2 scanner tool and a multimeter as well. WD40, penetrating oil, and brake cleaner are also borderline essential.

Nearly all of the failed repairs have been the result of either corrosion, tight spaces, or a lack of the right tool. Many times, it's a combination of all 3.

Most recently, I had a shop change out the front control arm bushings on my car. They were shot and failed state inspection. To remove them, I needed to take off a whole slew of suspension components - many of which were probably corroded on. I figured it would have taken me the better part of 6 hours to swap everything - and that's even if I could remove everything in the first place. For that job, having the car up on a lift makes accessing everything 100x easier.

A few years ago, same car, I needed to swap the rear bearings. The shop manual made it look like a breeze. It wasn't - all the bolts had stupid male Torx nuts on them, and they were all so corroded that even with penetrating oil and heat, none of them came off. I couldn't put it back together and drive to the shop, so I had to get a sawzall and cut all the bolts off and custom order new bolts to put back on. My car was out of commission for 5 days.

Longer ago, the thermostat in my dad's car went bad. Under normal circumstances, this is accessible and an easy job. On his car, there were two options to replace - remove the entire exhaust between the manifold and the catalytic convertor (or something similar), or loosen all the motor mounts, jack up the engine, and turn a 13 year old bolt 1/4 turn at a time, blind. He had the shop do it.

Even longer ago, we were swapping the serpentine belt on my then-car. We got it all off, only to find that the tensioner pulley was stuck and to swap it we would have needed tools we didn't have at the time - for that one, we charged the battery and drove to the closest shop.

Even longer, I had a car that had a busted rear shock. I was ready to replace it myself (my dad and I had done a few shocks/struts), but we had an uneasy feeling about it and not too much free time to work on it. Turns out the shock had been so badly damaged by whatever pothole it hit, that the guy at the shop we took it to said when the piston flew out of the shock and clean across his shop the moment it was unbolted. If we had been doing it in the driveway, there's a strong chance one of us would have ended up in the ER.

None of this is meant to scare anyone away from DIY repairs, just to illustrate that it's perfectly reasonable to pay someone else to repair your car even if the parts and tools required cost less than the shop quote - sometimes that price you pay for the expertise of the people working on it (and the tools they have at their disposal) far outweighs the savings on the job.

« Last Edit: December 01, 2020, 12:15:15 PM by chemistk »

Car Jack

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #19 on: December 01, 2020, 10:21:29 AM »
I'd recommend South Main Auto on youtube for how to do brake jobs the right way.

That said, there will be a difference if you live in "we don't even have weather" places like Arizona or Florida vs upstate NY, the upper midwest and New England where "salt all the things" is the motto of winter and absolutely everything gets rusty and stuck.

I would recommend that for the first time, have someone who knows how to do it watch you, help if needed and explain what's going on.  I helped a coworker who needed to do his brakes.  He bought all the parts.  The fact that I had about 8 different 14 mm wrenches and sockets helped on his very difficult car.  There's also the "what ifs" that can go wrong.  What do you do if you pull the caliper and the pins are absolutely stuck and don't move?  You will need to address this.  How are you going to retract the caliper pistons?  The fronts are easy.....old brake pad and a big C clamp can work even with 2 pistons.  But what about the rears with an integrated parking brake?  You'll need a tool to screw in the piston and press it at the same time.  Those little, cheap cubes are useless.  A good kit is all of $25 and well worth the price.  But if you have no tools, you'll need to buy that.

So the answer to what to do if things go wrong?  Worst case, put the old parts all back in as it is and bring it to a mechanic to do a brake job.  The not as easy answer for stuck caliper pins....look for the price for a new caliper bracket and if not included, the pins and boots.  A mechanic will likely be replacing this anyways.

I guess what I'm saying is that there are always ways to do mechanical stuff.  But you do need to try it and be willing to do things unfamiliar and have a way out if things go wrong.

For me, I do everything I can.  My dad knew that you put the key in the ignition and it magically started the car.  I learned all on my own.  I'm an engineer now (electrical), so I'm sort of built that way.  To figure out things and solve problems.  If you don't have any aptitude in this way, you might not ever figure stuff out.

WSUCoug1994

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #20 on: December 01, 2020, 11:44:01 AM »
I have spent my life rebuilding cars, boats, tractors, motorcycles, you name it.  As others have mentioned, a lot can go wrong with your braking system during routine maintenance.  It also can be very dangerous if done improperly.  I would agree that YouTube videos are great - especially for those items unique to your own vehicle but if given the option I would love for you to find a friend/neighbor/colleague that knows what they are doing to walk you through it the first time. 

I am sure you can work your way through it - especially if there aren't any unexpected challenges that come up but brakes are a fairly advanced routine maintenance task especially as the vehicle gets older.  Depending on the vehicle and the age of the brake components - you could be dealing with seals, bearings, torque wrenches for axel nuts (replacing rotors), might need to replace the fluid (brake bleeding), seized pads, seized bearings, blown seal, compromised master cylinder, the list goes on an on.  So many things can go wrong on a "simple" brake job.

Artem_F

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #21 on: December 02, 2020, 01:01:37 PM »
there are a lot of useful advices in this thread, and here are my two cents : a homebased mechanic can do everything with the right tools and a good manual, but be prepared to the fact that some things will be broken while unmounting old/stuck parts. Be prepared to face with some unusual situations linked with the actions of some talented servicemen (a friend of mine could not remove the stuck oil filter no matter what until we made a special jig with a big lever). Don't even think to remove something which requires a puller without a puller, and so on - good quality tools cost money, but I recall that one could "rent" a set of tools at some autostores in the US (they officially tell you that if you buy the tool they'll take it back if it's not broken, and they had an inventory of these tools used just a couple of times).
As for the brakes - the most important thing to have when changing the brake pads is the C-clamp (or a special tool), which should be used to move the pistons prior to removing the pads - do it right and the new pads will jump in. If you don't change the brake disks, be aware that the brakes will not be that effective for the first time because their surface will have to adjust to unevenly worn surface of the old disk.

AMandM

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #22 on: December 02, 2020, 06:02:34 PM »
Wow, so many more replies! Thanks again, everyone. I really appreciate the mix of encouragement and limits. I'll ask around among my friends to see if there's a car guy among them. You never know. Probably most of them don't know I can take a washing machine apart.

soslo92fo

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #23 on: December 06, 2020, 02:25:40 PM »
there are a lot of useful advices in this thread, and here are my two cents : a homebased mechanic can do everything with the right tools and a good manual, but be prepared to the fact that some things will be broken while unmounting old/stuck parts. Be prepared to face with some unusual situations linked with the actions of some talented servicemen (a friend of mine could not remove the stuck oil filter no matter what until we made a special jig with a big lever). Don't even think to remove something which requires a puller without a puller, and so on - good quality tools cost money, but I recall that one could "rent" a set of tools at some autostores in the US (they officially tell you that if you buy the tool they'll take it back if it's not broken, and they had an inventory of these tools used just a couple of times).
As for the brakes - the most important thing to have when changing the brake pads is the C-clamp (or a special tool), which should be used to move the pistons prior to removing the pads - do it right and the new pads will jump in. If you don't change the brake disks, be aware that the brakes will not be that effective for the first time because their surface will have to adjust to unevenly worn surface of the old disk.

I learned this the hard way, same with some seals and gaskets. If you're replacing a front/rear main seal for example, even pressure, means EVEN PRESSURE. any slight bend or nick in it means you're buying a new one and doing it over.

I bought my first car at 16; took it home on a trailer, and before I could even see the engine turn over, had to pull the engine, and transmission, rebuild the bottom end, replace the clutch and whole assembly, do a full front end service, and replace all the struts. My only experience to that point was from my nitro RC cars, and the skills do transfer over from one thing to the next. But I learned how to all of it from youtube videos and forums. Some repairs I promise never to try again are: fix an air conditioning system, rebuild a power steering rack, and change spark plugs on a subaru.

two tips I've learned by experience. First before you open a "drain" plug, make sure you can open the "fill" plug. I had the transmission completely emptied, then went to open the fill plug, only to give up, and drill and chisel the plug out, then wait a week to get the new plug in the mail. Second, a blow torch is your best friend when it comes to siezed nuts and bolts. I found this particularily useful for my 30 year old, untouched suspension hardware.

moneypitfeeder

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #24 on: December 07, 2020, 04:44:21 PM »
If you have any friends or family that can teach you some basics that would be great. I'm a (former) helicopter mechanic, but I know my limitations, some things with cars I will bother, some things not. For some, mechanics comes almost intuitively, my hubs can look at a fully built machine and realize that widget A makes widget C turn...me not so much. I like ideas, concepts, rules, best practices, and instructions. Here's a link for some really good general maintenance guidelines, yes they are geared toward aviation, but there are many good shop practices from torquing to using hand tools. (Technical Manual (TM) 1-1500-204-23 volumes 1 thru 11) https://armypubs.army.mil/ProductMaps/PubForm/TM_1_8.aspx

edit to say: If you do learn, and can pass on, teach your kids or younger family/friends. My dad wouldn't let me get my license until I could change my own oil, tires, and jump start the vehicle. Priceless information.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2020, 05:13:47 PM by moneypitfeeder »

zolotiyeruki

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #25 on: December 09, 2020, 10:43:10 AM »
I may have been the poster referenced in OP.  I'm late to join the party, but here's my two cents:

Like many others, Chilton/Haynes, plus Youtube.  I didn't have a mentor when I started doing my own car work, but I'm pretty mechanically inclined, so it came pretty easily.  Replacing front brake pads was my first car repair other than fluid changes.  Do it right, and you only need a handful of tools.  My second repair was an A/C compressor/filter/evaporator.

Almost all car repair comes down to "unbolt and remove stuff that's in the way of part A, unbolt part A, bolt in new part A, re-attach stuff removed in step 1."  I started off with a pair of jack stands and wheel chocks, a set of combination wrenches, and a cheap socket set, plus normal household tools (screwdrivers, pliers, hammer), and that got me through a lot of repairs, including my first timing belt.  Since then, I've added a bunch more tools--a breaker bar, impact sockets, an impact wrench, a few specialty tools that I couldn't borrow from Autozone, ratcheting box wrenches--but these are more for convenience and efficiency than necessity.

I justify tool purchases by looking at how much I'm *not* paying a mechanic :)

thesis

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #26 on: December 10, 2020, 12:12:45 PM »
Learning to work on your car is an iterative process. The more you come back to the parts, the better you understand them. The more you work on other cars, the more you understand yours, too.

You change an outer tie rod. Great! Now, when you need to change an inner tie rod, you know the first step. So take it slow and learn the easiest things first, then you'll be ready for the larger challenges.

Also note that the steps in a Chilton's manual may look easy, but things can go wrong along the way, so remember to invest in tools that help get you out of sticky situations. I've never had to re-thread anything, but I've occasionally needed to use a bolt-out socket, and boy are those handy when you need them. Over time you learn little techniques here and there, really just ways of thinking about how to use the car's leverage to your advantage.

An important suggestion I have, too, is to spent time at junkyards, especially if you can find your model of car, within a year a two. I helped a friend prepare for a big job he was doing with another friend once, and all we really did was go to the junkyard, find his model and year of car, and go about removing one of the valve covers, which was part of the job. He said that gave him a lot of confidence. Junkyards are great to practice in because you don't have to worry about screwing things up :D. The ones I go to charge a $2 entry fee, you pay more if you want to buy parts, but there's nothing against just going to pull things apart or check out the variations in different cars.

Tip: especially with suspension parts, it doesn't hurt to spray the bolts with PB Blaster or WD40 the night before you start your project. Would have saved me lots of headaches just letting the chemistry fix some of my rust problems for me :)
« Last Edit: December 10, 2020, 12:14:46 PM by thesis »

Model96

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Re: How do you learn to DIY car maintenance/repairs?
« Reply #27 on: December 27, 2020, 09:38:20 PM »
Working on cars is a joy and can save a lot of money, but it is worth the effort to have an experienced person to guide you when you are first playing with critical safety systems such as brakes and steering where a mistake can be more than costly or inconvenient......
I took an afternoon course at a community college for a few weeks, it was a great way to start!
« Last Edit: December 27, 2020, 09:41:08 PM by Model96 »

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!