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And this is why I avoid going to the dealership or mechanics at all cost. There are so few competent mechanics/technicians out there that I'm not going to waste my time or money dealing with them. Thanks to the wealth of knowledge on youtube and online forums I've done a lot of work on my own. I've saved a ton of money and I have peace of mind that the job was done correctly.
I would STRONGLY caution you against this, unless you have prior automotive experience. In this business, it's what you DON'T know that comes back to bite you (and you don't know what you don't know until you experience it firsthand). I was like this when I was 16 years old, I'd watch a YouTube video on a repair and thought I was an expert, when in reality I was doing more harm than good in a lot of cases. Have seen lots of greenhorns get way over their head think "that looks easy I can do that", but they can't because they lack the proper tools or the knowledge and experience that comes with doing this everyday.
Do what you want, it's your vehicle after all. But I'd advise against it, as YMMV. And please don't be one of those people that thinks "Mechanics are just a bunch of grease monkey con artists who just plug a computer in and it tells them what's wrong." You're not just going to walk into a repair and execute it perfectly just because you watched a YouTube video. What sounds like a simple thing in a video or in your head can quickly turn into a nightmare if you don't know what you're doing, or don't have the proper tools and skills in order to do it.
(snip) I'd watch a YouTube video on a repair and thought I was an expert, when in reality I was doing more harm than good in a lot of cases. Have seen lots of greenhorns get way over their head think "that looks easy I can do that", but they can't because they lack the proper tools or the knowledge and experience that comes with doing this everyday.
Do what you want, it's your vehicle after all. But I'd advise against it, as YMMV. And please don't be one of those people that thinks "Mechanics are just a bunch of grease monkey con artists who just plug a computer in and it tells them what's wrong." You're not just going to walk into a repair and execute it perfectly just because you watched a YouTube video. What sounds like a simple thing in a video or in your head can quickly turn into a nightmare if you don't know what you're doing, or don't have the proper tools and skills in order to do it.
I agree with you on this, with one major exception:
I find that a lot of industry "pros" (by definition, folk who are paid to do this type of work) ... are also not competent. Even when they have the benefit of pro automotive service info (Mitchell, Motors, etc) and a you tube video to follow ... they still screw up basic diagnostics and what should have been simple repairs, let alone the more complex stuff requiring higher level hand skills & tooling.
Love it when I get to charge a premium for fixing the stuff that others can't or won't do properly.
I find this topic very enlightening because about 10 years ago I was a younger less informed college kid that took automotive classes, but suddenly realized that in order for me to make a great living being a mechanic I would most likely need a bunch of ASE certificates, and at least a decades worth of experience just to make somewhat of good living in an expensive city like San Diego.
I'm glad I didn't go down that path because unfortunately many mechanics don't make much money, even very experienced ones unless you work at a reputable dealership. Mom n pop shops aren't going to pay what a dealership can, simply because they barely make ends meets. I know this, since I used to deliver auto parts to shops all across town and for most part, repair shop owners they are hardly making a profit since parts keep getting more expensive, including labor.
If you really think about it, owning a car/truck is a very expensive investment. A lot of repair bills I have seen are insanely pricey that could make your jaws drop. For a good amount of owners, it's a matter of either paying the rent/mortgage/ putting food on food on the table this month, or getting their car fixed because that's there only means of transportation.
Cars are getting more expensive to repair and own the newer they are. This is why it's my belief that it's best for people to get rid of their car once they start needing a bunch of repairs. Once small things start to fail (especially electronic) the domino effect kicks in.
At least on older cars, like pre 2005, the ecu's werent as advanced and engines seems more accessible to work on without dealer only tools. As time marched on, it's getting even more difficult and complex for even best techs to work on these newer cars and trucks without having to remove a thousands different things just to access one part.
The more complex something is the more they cost to fix. As cars become more technically advanced it's probably better just to dump them once the warranty expires and go buy another new one as they are becoming more disposable by the year.
For all you techs out there that have a lot of experience in the field, do newer cars have more problems because of their complexity and have you notice the cheapening of certain models in terms of the quality of parts that cause them to fail at higher rates than in the past?
I'm asking because with automakers looking at ways to cut cost, making their vehicles lighter and more fuel efficient, that efficiency has to come at the cost of durability am I right?
So have their been an increase in repairs in newer cars or not so? And what are your thoughts on vehicles today vs the old stuff from 10-20 or even 30 plus years ago?
I only buy new cars and while under warranty, I use the dealer for everything. Once off warranty I have a great local, independent mechanic for repairs and I use a national chain for oil/lube jobs and I ignore their upsells.
I would STRONGLY caution you against this, unless you have prior automotive experience. In this business, it's what you DON'T know that comes back to bite you (and you don't know what you don't know until you experience it firsthand). I was like this when I was 16 years old, I'd watch a YouTube video on a repair and thought I was an expert, when in reality I was doing more harm than good in a lot of cases. Have seen lots of greenhorns get way over their head think "that looks easy I can do that", but they can't because they lack the proper tools or the knowledge and experience that comes with doing this everyday.
Do what you want, it's your vehicle after all. But I'd advise against it, as YMMV. And please don't be one of those people that thinks "Mechanics are just a bunch of grease monkey con artists who just plug a computer in and it tells them what's wrong." You're not just going to walk into a repair and execute it perfectly just because you watched a YouTube video. What sounds like a simple thing in a video or in your head can quickly turn into a nightmare if you don't know what you're doing, or don't have the proper tools and skills in order to do it.
I do almost all of my own work and I also use the wealth of information that is on YouTube and the "net" in general. All the answers are out there, you just have to know how to word your questions.
It's very easy to see what jobs will require specialty tools and then decide for yourself at that point if it's worth the purchase of such tools.
I'll admit that some of the modern electronics can be very intimidating, especially tracking canbus problems, those are the types of issues I'd be most inclined to take to a "professional".
I've had a few jobs that looked easy on YouTube turn into nightmares pretty quickly but I've found that if I keep my cool, don't get flustered, stand back and take my time and use my brain as I should that most everything can eventually be figured out.
I started working on cars when I was younger doing the basics but stopped over the years because of other life demands but now, years later have jumped full force back into it because of what has already been mentioned, the supposed "professionals" that have little to no competence despite having schooling, factory training etc.
Personally I hate to be dependent on others, being at the mercy of their expertise and having to make time allotments to fit someone else's schedule who may or may not be able to adequately repair my vehicle correctly the first time.
If I knew of a truly good and honest mechanic I would probably be more inclined to take some of my work to them but unfortunately I don't. There is a local mechanic with whom I became friends with because I used to always go to him for oil changes (which I didn't do for lack of an area to do them at the time) that I started to feel comfortable with and so I had my wife take her car to him for a sticking ignition switch.
Well he destroyed the plastic covering the steering column trying to diagnose the issue and when I meet my wife there later he's convinced her that she needed brakes all the way around because the pads were "dangerously" worn and only had a few weeks left, which I thought was strange because I replaced the pads all the way around less than six months prior.
I asked to look at the brakes myself while the car was in the air as he was getting ready to replace the pads... he got quickly irritated and reluctantly let me by to see perfectly good brake pads about to be replaced with cheap Chinese made brake pads which he'd just had delivered. I was pissed, I would never have thought this guy to do something like that. I told him he could just lower the car, let me settle the bill and we'd be on our way.
I ended up a week later replacing the ignition module in my wife's car myself as well as having to buy new plastic for the steering column that my "buddy" destroyed. It was then and there that I decided I would make an effort to do as much of my own mechanical work as I could.
Jimmy you sound like a good guy and an excellent mechanic and if I knew someone like yourself in my area I'd definitely utilize your skill set and take my vehicles to you, providing that you'd work on them of course!
Honestly my biggest deterrent to working on my own vehicles is where I live. I live in a gated apartment community where working on vehicles is prohibited. We have a pretty cool manager though and she hasn't said anything to me the many times that she's seen me with hood open, car on jack stands, tools out and pieces everywhere. Probably because I've done work on her car saving her tons. Some of the biggest problems I encounter as a diy guy are rusted and stuck bolts and lack of (sometimes) certain specialty tools to do some jobs... however my specialty tool collection is increasing as I have bought quite a few to this point.
The more you do something the better you get at it, whether it's auto mechanics, playing pool, computer programming, cooking, whatever. I would never let fear of initial failure stop me from doing anything, everything is a learning experience if you treat is as such and approach with the correct mindset and a little common sense.
I would STRONGLY caution you against this, unless you have prior automotive experience. In this business, it's what you DON'T know that comes back to bite you (and you don't know what you don't know until you experience it firsthand). I was like this when I was 16 years old, I'd watch a YouTube video on a repair and thought I was an expert, when in reality I was doing more harm than good in a lot of cases. Have seen lots of greenhorns get way over their head think "that looks easy I can do that", but they can't because they lack the proper tools or the knowledge and experience that comes with doing this everyday.
Do what you want, it's your vehicle after all. But I'd advise against it, as YMMV. And please don't be one of those people that thinks "Mechanics are just a bunch of grease monkey con artists who just plug a computer in and it tells them what's wrong." You're not just going to walk into a repair and execute it perfectly just because you watched a YouTube video. What sounds like a simple thing in a video or in your head can quickly turn into a nightmare if you don't know what you're doing, or don't have the proper tools and skills in order to do it.
I DIY basic stuff and have an indy for the bigger jobs. I know my limitations and am not going to pull an engine based off a YT vid anytime soon.
Your speech sounds like what a dealership service advisor says when trying to con somebody into a $99 air filter. "You know, the engine is a very complicated thing. You need dealer special tools when changing the air filter. We use genuine factory trained & authorized ASE mechanics only." The owner then hops on YouTube and realizes they can do it themselves in 30 seconds without any tools
I DIY basic stuff and have an indy for the bigger jobs. I know my limitations and am not going to pull an engine based off a YT vid anytime soon.
Your speech sounds like what a dealership service advisor says when trying to con somebody into a $99 air filter. "You know, the engine is a very complicated thing. You need dealer special tools when changing the air filter. We use genuine factory trained & authorized ASE mechanics only." The owner then hops on YouTube and realizes they can do it themselves in 30 seconds without any tools
Ive experienced that before.
I was quoted $76 for my air filter and when I went to the parts department to check what a filter cost, they said it was $56 for the filter, so I ordered one on Amazon for $20 and did it myself.
The other was the, we can clean your throttle body for $60....we will spray it and wipe it clean. When he saw the look on my face, he pretty much knew I wasnt a sucker, so he stopped.
Your speech sounds like what a dealership service advisor says when trying to con somebody into a $99 air filter. "You know, the engine is a very complicated thing. You need dealer special tools when changing the air filter. We use genuine factory trained & authorized ASE mechanics only." The owner then hops on YouTube and realizes they can do it themselves in 30 seconds without any tools
When it comes to basics like wipers, air and cabin filters, oil changes, and other simple things like that I say go for it. The knowledge I've accumulated over the years is not secret (although some guys treat it like that), nor am I out to BS anyone or sell them work they don't need. I'll gladly explain to you how I came up with my diagnosis, show you the old parts that are bad, the course of action needed to repair it, and the parts and labor necessary to complete the job. Or, using your example, I'd gladly explain how to change that air filter and the tools required (if necessary).
I'm not a con artist and have no intention of lying or deceiving people, and I'm not going to pretend like everything on a car is a big, complex ordeal that only a "professional" mechanic can do. I take pride in the work I do and can't stand the guys out their that give the industry a bad name by ripping people off or butchering a car because they don't know what they're doing. I'm just warning against people with no mechanical inclination doing their own repairs because of an attitude of "mechanics are just out their to rip me off" or the desire to save a buck. YMMV.
Last edited by jimmy12345678; 09-07-2017 at 03:10 PM..
To add to my previous comment, I personally work on my own cars and do all the basic maintenance stuff (fluid changes, belts/hoses, plugs/wires/coil packs, brakes, and so on).
Ive also replaced major components on an engine, such as water pumps, alternators and harmonic balancer, oil pumps and other parts of the steering and suspension components on my cars.
So I know a thing or 2, and saved thousands of dollars in repairs, especially in diagnosis fees for my classic cars. It takes a lot of research online and a bunch of question asking on forums which helped me tremendously in order to fix certain problems I had with a specific repair. I can even rebuild a carburetor and diagnose what's wrong with it, how many 30 something year olds out there can say the same thing?
I'm basically self taught and have learned how repair cars from simply reading up "how to's" online and in books. Working in a parts store for 3 years also help me understand and gain more knowledge in this field.
I chose this kind of work strictly for hobby reasons and not as a career. I just believe people out there could easily save themselves so much money if only they would take it upon themselves to learn how to do basic maintenance related items which would in turn save so many mechanics and technicians from having to do low margin jobs that don't pay jack.
Brake jobs are tremendously expensive and aren't hard at all, but see that is where some of that bread n butter comes from. Charging $600-800 for a brake job is insane when the parts alone are probably $300 at the most depending on quality and grade. But I knew a ton of shops that constantly used the cheapest pads, yet charge the customer double or even triple the amount of what they paid for them all the while the pads are crap that won't last 6 months without making noise..
Customers should always be well informed and ask the shops where they are sourcing there parts from, because with the quality of many parts brands going down the toilet, it's getting even harder for us mechanics to trust and rely on what's on the market these days.
One last thing, I believe there's going to be a massive shortage of qualified mechanic/technicians in the near future as the older guys retire, so small shops and dealerships could have their asses handed to them when it comes to paying their employees better wages as the shortage will create better pay for all as the need will always be there.
In the Chicago area there are mechinacs at dealerships that are unionized and have been on strike.
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