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Remember when you could change the air filter in your car/truck in under a minute? Now you have to remove a dozen plastic pieces just to get to the intake box. And good luck finding your spark plugs if you have more than 4 cylinders. How I miss the days when you could actually sit inside the engine compartment and work and any piece of the engine you wanted.
I have tore engines down and did a rebuild. Now I am afraid to even change the spark plugs. Congrats to mechanics. You earn every dime you make.
I have tore engines down and did a rebuild. Now I am afraid to even change the spark plugs. Congrats to mechanics. You earn every dime you make.
Thank you sir. And it's not getting any easier to keep up with technology. Not to mention the investment in tools. By the way, what part of Ky are you from? I'm just outside of Louisville, out in the country.
Thank you sir. And it's not getting any easier to keep up with technology. Not to mention the investment in tools. By the way, what part of Ky are you from? I'm just outside of Louisville, out in the country.
I am just outside of Murray on the WAAAY western side of KY.
How much is it for one of those diagnostic computers from Snap-on? I mean, what happened to listening to the engine to diagnose the problem? On top of that, they charge you out the rear just to hook up the computer diagnostic machine. Are we really making progress for the better?
I am just outside of Murray on the WAAAY western side of KY.
How much is it for one of those diagnostic computers from Snap-on? I mean, what happened to listening to the engine to diagnose the problem? On top of that, they charge you out the rear just to hook up the computer diagnostic machine. Are we really making progress for the better?
Anything from Snap-on is outrageous. A handheld scan tool will set you back a good 8 grand with all the cables and diagnostic link adapters.
When I first saw the engine of our 2004 4-Runner, that was the first time I said I'm not going to be changing the spark plugs. I think I know where they are, but they sure don't look "normal" to me. The salesman said about all you can touch under the hood is colored yellow, which amounted to the dipsticks.
Real DIY guys like me are still coping just fine, thanks.
I'm not working on anything newer than the 92 Subie since we don't own anything newer, which is fine by me, I don't need a late model with a value that's dropping like an anvil in a Bugs Bunny cartoon.
Air filters have got a lot harder since the days of carburators, and central point FI, but, hell, they are still not *hard*, just not a 1-minute job anymore. More like 3 minutes, maybe 5.
The dealerships are making a fortune. Say Goodbye to your local mechanic. Your new mechanic's job isn't to fix your car--it's to give you the customer a lube job.
I think many forget how LITTLE maintenance modern cars need. They start perfectly 99.99% of the time. They idle flawlessly. The plugs last 100K miles. They develop enormous power with better economy and vastly lower pollution. None of this would be possible if the cars had carburetors, points, and an air filter on top.
Our 2006 Honda Pilot has 86,000 miles on it and has never required unscheduled maintenance. It is on its 3rd set of tires and wiper blades. One air filter change. And it runs perfectly.
You can still own and drive a nice, simple and reliable old vehicle that was built to last. Both of mine are older than I am.
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