Fix my own car or get a professional to do it? Please offer some advice.

[atourlimit111]

I'm motivated to fix my own vehicle. I lack the funds to purchase all the tools I need. I just have a 50 piece tool set from Home Depot and some other tools. I don't even own a torque wrench. I also own a metal vehicle ramp that was free. Given to me by a distant relative and two jack stands. I have been watching youtube videos on how to fix my vehicles. My wife and I have two vehicles.

First vehicle is a 2008 Mazda Tribute with 126,000 miles on it. I use this vehicle for Lyft and soon Uber to make some more money to pay off our debt faster. I was recommended from a mechanic to replace the struts and the shocks. Parts for both is around $350. Since it has over 100,000 miles they recommended it be replaced. Also due for a coolant flush. Everything else is good on the Mazda.

On the other hand my second vehicle has a few more issues. Our 1996 Ford Taurus. This car was given to us from my wife's grandparents. Very generous of them. They bought a brand new 2014 Ford Edge by the way. The Ford Taurus has 137,000 miles on it.  It needs a new radiator and a new thermostat. It's leaking oil and needs to have the oil  pan gasket replaced.  My wife's grandpa told us that the heater core needs to be fixed. He thinks it's clogged up. It was leaking water near the passenger seat but it hasn't done that to us. Also needs a new alignment. It currently has a check engine light but I'm figuring out what needs to fix that check engine light.

We have thought about selling it. But my wife and I worry if we replace the Ford Taurus that the next used vehicle will have issues too. We don't want that to happen.

We both are leaning to getting it fixed from a professional mechanic. There are a lot of mechanic shops around our house. Which brings up my next question.
How do you pick a mechanic? I would love to have an honest mechanic that is also affordable. We asked a few neighbors on what they recommend. We got some recommendations.
I wish they had an app on your smartphone that you state what you need fixed on your car and the mechanics all competed to fix your vehicle. LOL

We are not sure on what to do at this point. Thanks for reading.

[tccoastguard]

You can fix everything that is wrong with the Ford with a socket set and a Haynes manual. Borrow a torque wrench from a auto parts store for the oil pan gasket. These are all easy. Same for the radiator flush on the Mazda. The struts on the other hand can be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing. Leave that to a pro for now.

[Woodshark]

The Mazda is so new I would keep it in good shape.  The shocks are easy, the struts not so much. I would buy pay to have them done.  As for the Ford, I would fix the easy stuff but since it has some age on it, I would not bother with the harder and/or expensive items.  Start saving now and drive it till it won't go any more then buy a newer used car.

[Marvel2017]

I've worked on my own cars for 25 years, so here is my opinion (what I would do if it were my car).

First off: SAFETY FIRST. I've known many people killed when a vehicle they were working on fell/rolled on them so always make sure you're aware which wheel of your vehicle is attached to the drivetrain and which is the "free rolling wheel". So that you don't put the wrong wheel up on a ramp and have it move on you. And try to put the car on as level of a surface as possible. Putting the parking brake on and wheel chocks is good practice (even parking another car close to the end of the direction the car "might" move (overkill but you never know). Also make sure you're putting the stands under something that will support the weight and not damage something (don't put it under a suspension component for example).

Tribute: Needs struts/shocks? Is it riding weird, bouncy? Are the tires showing signs of bad suspension (cupping, irregular wear)? Replacement recommendation of suspension based on mileage is kind of dumb, oil, fluids etc YES. But suspension wear can vary greatly depending on how/where you drive so if it drives fine I would let that go. I don't know what kind of suspension your Tribute has but ball joint/control arm wear would be a greater concern to me since if that breaks your wheel will change directions quickly and can cause you to wreck. Does the car shake, etc? 126k miles isn't really a huge amount of miles for a car with a lot of highway miles but city miles yes. If the car is not exhibiting any adverse driving characteristics and not wearing the tires oddly I would just keep driving it and not worry about it until those things happen. But do put the car on stands and move the wheel around and check the "play" in the suspension links and bushings just for reference.

Coolant flush can be tricky if you don't know the proper way to bleed out the air for your particular vehicle (which I'm sure you can find online somewhere), but measuring how much coolant you drain (compare this to the fill spec but keep in mind that you won't always drain out what the "capacity" is because a lot gets left in various parts of the engine) and make sure the same amount that you removed goes back in can help ease your mind when doing a job like this (to make sure you aren't low on coolant). Normally you turn the heat on full blast to open up the channels, just look for the proper procedure for your specific vehicle online-I'm sure there is a Mazda/Ford board (I think the Tribute is the same as is it the Explorer or Escape? can't exactly remember, but some Mazdas are rebadged Fords so procedures should be the same)-what I'm saying is since there are more of the Ford models sold than the Mazda equivalent so if you find the same Ford procedure on a Ford forum you can probably just use that.

Ford: I once had a 92 Ford Taurus that I changed the radiator on. It was an automatic so you'll need to unhook the fluid lines that run through the radiator (just make sure you replace any lost fluid). The radiator change wasn't that hard if I recall correctly. Thermostats are pretty straightforward usually, just make sure you put it in there the correct direction (there is usually some kind of index on the part so it will only go in one way but just make sure to compare it to the orientation of the current part).

Oil pan gasket, hmmm I'm pretty sure if it's front wheel drive this means dropping the cross member or raising the engine to get the oil pan off to replace the gasket. Look under there to be sure (I can't recall exactly). Probably an expensive job if you can't just easily remove the whole pan without moving other things out of the way. How much oil? Depending on how much someone wants for this, I might just get under there and clean the area real good with brake clean or similar to get as much oil off the area that is leaking and seal it up with some kind of caulk or just something to slow it down (JB weld might work-I've tapped an oil pan for a turbo drain line and sealed it with JB Weld with no leaks). Or cardboard under the car. But I'm cheap like that.

Heater core, if it's not leaking I wouldn't worry about it.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. YOU CAN GO BROKE TRYING TO CHASE THIS DOWN. My Taurus CEL came on from about 25,000 miles to 225,000 Miles, yes a Ford Taurus that actually lasted that long. My philosophy on CEL: Check all the fluids, monitor the MPG you're getting. If you have to go through inspection get a cheap scan tool to reset the thing. I've had CELs come on and off on multiple vehicles I've had and reset them and it passed. CELs are a PITA. Good luck.

Of course, get quotes for all of this stuff and see what you think is worth doing.

[gt7152b]

I agree with utgrad on the shocks. Mechanics love to drum up work by suggesting replacement of parts that don't need it. If the car drives fine leave it be. If you really do need to replace them it can be a DIY job if you study the procedure and safety precautions carefully. They loan out spring compressors at auto parts stores like Autozone to help you get the job done. They probably have torque wrenches for loan as well.

A coolant flush shouldn't be necessary, just a drain and replace. It will leave some of the old coolant in there but you'll get mostly fresh coolant which should be fine.

The Taurus shouldn't be too tough to work on. Replacing the radiator might be a bear but I'm sure there are youtube videos that will walk you through it. Stay optimistic and just focus on tackling one problem at a time.

How much oil is it leaking? You might be able to put this off awhile if it's not much. Just keep a catch pan underneath and top off when needed. Don't be so sure it's coming from the oil pan. It could be from the rear main seal or a number of other places.

How do you know the Taurus needs an alignment? Is it wobbling at higher speeds? This is usually a tire balance issue but it could also be worn suspension parts. Cars don't really need alignments unless they have been in a collision, had the tire hit a curb hard, or major work has been done on the suspension.

[Zoe]

When we had a garage we did several repairs ourselves. YouTube was a life saver and money saver for some of the repairs. You can borrow specialty tools from auto stores.

But now that we've moved, we don't have a garage (concrete surface to put a jack & jack stands) so we really can't do any lifted repairs. If we know exactly what's wrong and it doesn't involve a lift, and it looks pretty easy, then we'll do it ourselves. But, we use a repair shop right down the road for repairs where we can't figure out what's wrong or more involved repairs. They are honest, quick, and very nice. One of the mechanics always talks with me about the repairs. That is huge for me since I am female and I have had not so nice encounters with male mechanics/auto parts salesmen. This shop serviced my dad's F150 for many, many years until he'd finally had enough and bought a new truck (he bought it in May and it'll be paid off by the end of this year. And he'll drive it 'til he dies.) and they treated him right. Word of mouth is HUGE.

[miked]

I just did front shocks/struts on a 2005 Mazda 3. I bought the parts new for $240 from PartsGeek.com and it took about 4 hours on a Saturday to replace. I used all hand tools, the most 'specialty' tool was a break bar.

[Sid Hoffman]

Auto parts stores will scan the codes for your check engine light for free.  At least then you know what it is for and can look up that code online to see what the common causes are for your make/model.

[BlueMR2]

I just did front shocks/struts on a 2005 Mazda 3. I bought the parts new for $240 from PartsGeek.com and it took about 4 hours on a Saturday to replace. I used all hand tools, the most 'specialty' tool was a break bar.

This is how it usually goes if you go the "quick strut" route.

If you choose to save even more money at the expense of more labor, you can replace the strut inside the assembly, but you'll need to also buy the boots/mounts (as needed, sometimes reusable, sometimes not).  This route can also take a lot longer.  I've had it take as long as 14 hours due to rusted strut assemblies, but 6-8 hours is more typical.

In either case, be aware that you *may* end up breaking swaybar endlinks during the process.  It's only happened to me a couple times, but some cars have weaker links to begin with...

[CatamaranSailor]

I don't think there is a one size fits all answer to your question. All I can do is tell you what's worked well for us. I am pretty mechanically inclined and have worked on cars my entire life. That being said, I do look at each job individually from a ROI point of view. For example oil changes & fluid flushes. Anyone can change their own oil, however there is the time, the mess and the questions of what to do with the old oil or fluid. You can't dump it in the backyard like my grandfather used to do. I look for coupons and go the Jiffy Lube route (just oil and filter mind you). I spend about $30.00 which is only about $5.00 more than what I'd save doing it myself...but I come out ahead on the time / oil recycling question.

For larger more complicated jobs I will YouTube the repair. Chance are excellent somebody has filmed themselves making the same repair you are contemplating. If I am 100% confident, have all the tools, can save a significant amount of money, then I'll tackle it. I've done complete frond end rebuilds and saved thousands.

I would also suggest you look around and find a decent mechanic who works on the side. I am friends with the husband of our HR lady. He is ASE certified and has 20+ years experience as a mechanic. He works in a shop, but also does repairs at his house on the side. He's a great mechanic and can fix anything. I've used him for jobs I didn't feel confident doing myself OR don't have the proper tools.

The best way to find a guy like that is ask around. Lot's of mechanics do side jobs. I would suggest doing some type of due diligence...references, checking on certifications, etc. because while you can save a ton of cash this way...there isn't a shop manager you can go to if the job gets botched. Try he/she out on some small jobs and trust your instincts.

In your particular case (if it were me) I would do anything I felt confident doing and then have my friend do the rest. Going this route has saved us tons of money and our vehicles are in great shape. Short of buying a bunch of tools I may only use once or twice AND learning everything about fixing cars, I'm pretty confident I'm spending far less than most people on car maintenance without sacrificing reliability or safety.

Just my $.02. The fact that you're even thinking a long these lines is awesome! You really can learn to fix anything and you can always get online if you get stuck. If you have a car...there is an owners group where people have most likely already solved any problem you may run into.

[miked]

I just did front shocks/struts on a 2005 Mazda 3. I bought the parts new for $240 from PartsGeek.com and it took about 4 hours on a Saturday to replace. I used all hand tools, the most 'specialty' tool was a break bar.

This is how it usually goes if you go the "quick strut" route.

If you choose to save even more money at the expense of more labor, you can replace the strut inside the assembly, but you'll need to also buy the boots/mounts (as needed, sometimes reusable, sometimes not).  This route can also take a lot longer.  I've had it take as long as 14 hours due to rusted strut assemblies, but 6-8 hours is more typical.

In either case, be aware that you *may* end up breaking swaybar endlinks during the process.  It's only happened to me a couple times, but some cars have weaker links to begin with...

Yep, it was $20 more expensive per side for the fully assembled strut (with mounts/springs) than springs alone. I figure it was worth it to save the time finding the right parts and replacing the strut in the assembly. I almost stripped one of the sway bar link ends, but managed to get it off (and back on) with no issues.

[atourlimit111]

I agree with utgrad on the shocks. Mechanics love to drum up work by suggesting replacement of parts that don't need it. If the car drives fine leave it be. If you really do need to replace them it can be a DIY job if you study the procedure and safety precautions carefully. They loan out spring compressors at auto parts stores like Autozone to help you get the job done. They probably have torque wrenches for loan as well.

A coolant flush shouldn't be necessary, just a drain and replace. It will leave some of the old coolant in there but you'll get mostly fresh coolant which should be fine.

The Taurus shouldn't be too tough to work on. Replacing the radiator might be a bear but I'm sure there are youtube videos that will walk you through it. Stay optimistic and just focus on tackling one problem at a time.

How much oil is it leaking? You might be able to put this off awhile if it's not much. Just keep a catch pan underneath and top off when needed. Don't be so sure it's coming from the oil pan. It could be from the rear main seal or a number of other places.

How do you know the Taurus needs an alignment? Is it wobbling at higher speeds? This is usually a tire balance issue but it could also be worn suspension parts. Cars don't really need alignments unless they have been in a collision, had the tire hit a curb hard, or major work has been done on the suspension.

UPDATE:

I love these forums! Thank you all for the advice. I have read them all. Great advice!!!

What you said is so true! I'm referring to what I highlighted in bold.

I got a hold of a mechanic I used to work with. He's a diesel mechanic but before that he worked on cars. I drove by his house two days ago to have him to look over the struts, shocks and sway bar links. Great news! I don't need new struts, shocks or sway bar links! He jumped on the vehicle. Also inspected underneath. No leaks from the shocks. Asked me how's my car driving. Fine I told him. When he jumped on the vehicle it was firm and not bouncy. He looked at the sway bar links and twisted them. Everything is fine. Everything is firm. He just saved me a lot of money!! He didn't charge me to look at my vehicle either!

He did spend 15 minutes looking at it too.



I told him I have an oil leak on my Ford Taurus and also a check engine light. I also will tell him to look at the radiator too. The last shop told me my radiator is "blocked" and it's not running as efficiently as it should. They also told me it's the original one on the Ford Taurus so it's old and need to be replaced. It's not leaking by the way and it currently has 137,000 miles on the Ford Taurus. They gave me a quote of $870 for parts and labor for both the thermostat and the radiator. The Ford Taurus was a gift from my wife's grandparents. My wife's grandpa told us the heater core is plugged. I will tell my mechanic to look at it too.

It's really aggravating and sad at the same time that mechanics take advantage of people like this. I just was at a auto shop getting an oil change a while ago. A woman with her two kids was there before me. The manager at the shop told her to replace this and this and that. Based on what the manufacturer recommends. She couldn't do it all but did a few things. She told the manager she will wait till she gets paid again.

If I was rich I would have walked up to both her and the manager and tell them both that I will pay the full amount. Seriously I would.

How does the average consumer expect to save money at these auto shops?

Oh by the way I was also offered a few weeks ago. To do the fuel injection cleaning on my Mazda Tribute. Again the manufacturer recommends based on how many miles I have already on it. The service cost was $100 dollars!!! That's just irritating.

[ScorpDX]

You can do a fuel system cleaning yourself with a $6 can of "Sea Foam". Just pour it in with a full tank of fuel. Fuel filter is ~$10 if that was included too.

[MrFancypants]

I just did front shocks/struts on a 2005 Mazda 3. I bought the parts new for $240 from PartsGeek.com and it took about 4 hours on a Saturday to replace. I used all hand tools, the most 'specialty' tool was a break bar.

This is how it usually goes if you go the "quick strut" route.

If you choose to save even more money at the expense of more labor, you can replace the strut inside the assembly, but you'll need to also buy the boots/mounts (as needed, sometimes reusable, sometimes not).  This route can also take a lot longer.  I've had it take as long as 14 hours due to rusted strut assemblies, but 6-8 hours is more typical.

In either case, be aware that you *may* end up breaking swaybar endlinks during the process.  It's only happened to me a couple times, but some cars have weaker links to begin with...

I replaced the struts on my wife's car last weekend and it took about seven hours using a spring compressor I borrowed from AutoZone.

I spent about $500 to do it (new rubber insulators front and rear, new top mounts for the rear), but the struts I purchased have a lifetime warranty so I'll never need to worry about spending money on them again.

Quick struts are a good product, but the thing to keep in mind is that frequently they aren't screwed together as well as they should be.  You should also remember that you get what you pay for, with certain brands you're getting the lowest quality product because they're built to be cheap.  I've talked to several people with them that have noises and clunking issues because of poor fitment.  Typically all they need is to have the top nut retorqued, but sometimes the problems are more difficult to diagnose.

[MrFancypants]

Regarding general auto repair...

Aside from maybe rebuilding a gearbox or an engine, there aren't many jobs that are genuinely challenging if you have the time and inclination to learn.  With the internet working on cars is easier than ever.  For jobs that occur frequently there's a lot of "how to" material on YouTube as well as step by step, with pictures, DIY posts on various enthusiast forums.

If you have a Harbor Freight nearby that is quite possibly the cheapest place to go to for tools.  My only recommendation is that if you intend to use your tools with any regularity you purchase a couple of items from brands that offer lifetime warranties.  Craftsman is pretty good for this.  Good items for this are things like breaker bars or ratchets, because you're guaranteed to come across a stubborn bolt that's too tight that you need to grab a cheater bar for (a cheater bar is basically whatever metal pipe you have laying around that you put over a ratchet or breaker bar to get more leverage).  Cheater bars break tools, but unfortunately there are times when there's no other way.  It's really nice to be able to walk into a Sears/Lowes/whatever with a broken ratchet and walk about with a not-broken one with no more out of pocket.

As others have said, SAFETY FIRST.  Do NOT skimp on jack stands and at the *first* sign of rust or corrosion, replace them.  *Never* get under a car supported only by a jack.  Wear safety glasses and nitrile gloves, especially when dealing with chemicals.  I usually have a few pairs of padded gloves laying around to protect my hands from cuts or scrapes; a cut mixed with grime/oil/chemicals/grease/whatever can quickly lead to an infection.