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I have plenty of money and plenty or time but I still do most of the mechanical work on my cars. Over the past 5 - 10 years I have stopped doing some mechanical work and now just do the easier stuff , mostly because of my age (67).
There was a time when there was nothing I wouldn't do.
I don't see how being a girl really makes a difference here unless you are stereotyping yourself. Changing oil filter and pouring new oil is not that difficult just you need to know the steps and have the right tools.
I often ask my wife to help me change the light bulb in the car because her hand is smaller to get in between the tight spaces and swap the bulbs.
Stereotyping myself?
Yes, yes I am... because it's true... and I'm gay.
Females often lack the strength needed to wrench and turn and hoist stuff... and it's a grimy mess, so yuk.
Of course there are exceptions, but I never knew even ONE woman who ever changed the oil!
I do have a portable tire inflator that I find easy to use, and I did a superb job ceramic coating my Lexus, but that's it.
I do a lot of maintenance items, I've got the tools and the space so why not!
Part of it is job satisfaction, part of it is knowing it was done right with the right parts and the bonus is saving time/money (dropping it off at a shop/paying for it/picking it up). That being said my Yukon needs a tire rotation and oil change and I'm not exactly racing to go do it!
Youtube is priceless when you want to do something new, but always watch a few different ones before you start the job because some people are idiots and just want to do it the hard way! Case in point, battery swap on my Yukon: there is a fuse block on top of the battery (snaps on) and one youtuber actually removed each individual cable before pulling the battery. Next guy, snapped the lid off and pushed it to the side then pulled the battery.......way way way easier! Another guy removed the coolant overflow tank, even more stupidity.
I do all maintenance on my cars...even the bigger stuff like clutches, timing chains, water pumps, etc. I'm going to have to replace the water pump in my 328i soon which will require dropping the front subframe. Is it something that I love to do? Not really, but I get a sense of satisfaction when I put everything back together and it my car is fixed.
Stereotyping myself?
Yes, yes I am... because it's true... and I'm gay.
Females often lack the strength needed to wrench and turn and hoist stuff... and it's a grimy mess, so yuk.
Of course there are exceptions, but I never knew even ONE woman who ever changed the oil!
I do have a portable tire inflator that I find easy to use, and I did a superb job ceramic coating my Lexus, but that's it.
That's because you have no knowledge of how to do it. Almost all pro mechanics uses a power wrench. I've seen a lot of women lately working the auto tire center change tires, wheels, brakes, and servicing oil changes. It can be done easily with the right tools you barely have to use much strength. It's all in the knowledge and use of tools and machinery.
Oil change is by far the easiest to do in any garages. With just a power wrench, gloves, and a oil pan. IF you have a oil drain faucet installed it is almost as easy as filling up gas for most newer cars the oil filter is on the top vs being on the bottom nowadays.
The only thing that's difficult is the transmission fluid, as many newer cars they've removed the dipstick completely and requiring a complete drain and fill.
.....The only thing that's difficult is the transmission fluid, as many newer cars they've removed the dipstick completely and requiring a complete drain and fill.
The reason some things are difficult to get to for a repair is the vehicles are built on an assembly line, and each phase of that building process is done while many of the components are added as the vehicle moves along the assembly line.
Once a particular phase of assembly is finished, the vehicle moves down the line to the next phase of it's building, which "hides" access to some components.
they have always been built on an assembly line. However they have not always been so absurd and poorly thought out when it comes to working on them. The shortcomings are too many and too extreme to be anything but intentional.
Let's face it. Some of the stuff is pretty easy to do no matter what your age and motivation is for working on your car.
Your car is due a new air filter. Assuming you have mechanical skills and at one point in your life have done tasks such as this, DO you:
Drop it off at the dealer. Pay ~$200 for the filter, and have to deal with getting a ride back from the dealer, and then a ride to the dealer when the car is done.
or,
Go to your local auto parts store, buy a $15 air filter, pop the hood and be done with it in 10 mins.
That's an easy example. How about one a little tougher. Your car needs front brakes.
Local independent repair shop charged $300 plus parts per axle. Assuming moderate upcharge on the parts, lets call it $500 per axle. Drop off car, get rides, wait for call to go pick it up. $500 out of your pocket
or
DIY. Order the parts off Rockauto for $150 for rotors and pads. Bang it out on a nice Sat AM in 2 hours. Save $350 and have use of your car for the rest of the day.
Again, this assumes you are DIY saavy and have done jobs like this before. As much as you'd like to kick your feet up and let someone else handle it, i want to assume most also want to save money/time when it's something in their scope of ability.
I realize not everyone will think this way, but that's sorta how I look at it.
they have always been built on an assembly line. However they have not always been so absurd and poorly thought out when it comes to working on them. The shortcomings are too many and too extreme to be anything but intentional.
And they haven't been trying to "downsize" the cars, to the degree they do today, as well as pack more components in what little space there actually is. It's the old saying, 10 pounds of "you know what" in a 5 pound bag.....
After I retired from full time work, I worked part time, for Advance Auto Parts, as a delivery driver. I used to make a lot of deliveries to the area's new car dealers, and saw a lot of the frustrations that the techs had to deal with. For instance, I was in the Nissan dealership, and they had a fairly new car with the entire dashboard pulled out of it. I asked why, and the reply was that some small controller had failed, and it was buried deep in the make of wiring harnesses. That was a job that a DIYer could not do at home....
I'm 66 and other than mounting/balancing tires and a couple of new car recalls, I have never had any of my vehicles in for service. I did install a lift in my garage so that certainly is a plus for jobs like clutch changes.
It would be great to have a lift! I’m not crazy about using a creeper.
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