Car Repair Skills Everyone Should Have

[garbon]

It also just helps to save money / avoid being ripped off. Do you know how complicated it is to change an air filter? It takes 5 minutes - that that assumes you will need 2 to find a screwdriver. The shops I've seen will charge ~$20 for that. You can pick up your own filter for a lot less than that.

A whole 20 bucks?

[crazy canuck]

CC is funny. In a sad way.

It is true that it is sad that I have owned cars that did leak oil.  I have not always been fabulously successful.

[Jacob]

It also just helps to save money / avoid being ripped off. Do you know how complicated it is to change an air filter? It takes 5 minutes - that that assumes you will need 2 to find a screwdriver. The shops I've seen will charge ~$20 for that. You can pick up your own filter for a lot less than that.

A whole 20 bucks?

[11B4V]

Interesting.  Did you realize you were buying cars that had the potential to leak that much?

Cars don't leak oil, they eat oil.  Well, bad cars do.

Yeah, in that case the blue smoke would be the dead give away that you need to check the oil.  But we were talking about new cars.

Maybe if the valve seals or are the piston rings bad.

Cars don't leak oil, they eat oil. 

Incorrect

[sbr]

I know how to do the basics listed, I rarely do them myself though.  Growing up my dad always had more money than time so he didn't do it, so I didn't learn from him and never had the desire to really get into it myself.

I did have to change a tire out in the middle of nowhere at 5:00AM in the dark with no flashlight a few years ago.  I have also installed a new battery and troubleshot an electrical/starter problem on the truck.  It is a complete piece of shit though and I refuse to spend more than $100 for anything on it anymore.  The next time it requires more than that I am selling it for parts and moving on with my life.

I also changed a power steering line in an old '76 Buick Skylark I owned in the early 90's but that is when cars were self-servicable.

[sbr]

I'll crawl on the ground for you if you change my oil filters. 

How's that tough?  You strap on the little tool thingy and give it a turn.

That was the part I hated the most as the filter never quite drained enough.

Maybe I had bad luck or the wrong tool but I in the 2-3 times I have done it myself I had problems getting the stupid thing off.

[11B4V]

I'll crawl on the ground for you if you change my oil filters. 

How's that tough?  You strap on the little tool thingy and give it a turn.

That was the part I hated the most as the filter never quite drained enough.

Maybe I had bad luck or the wrong tool but I in the 2-3 times I have done it myself I had problems getting the stupid thing off.

Did you lube the gasket on the filter? I always go hand tight plus a half to 3/4 of a turn on the oil filter. I never use the filter tool

[alfred russel]

It also just helps to save money / avoid being ripped off. Do you know how complicated it is to change an air filter? It takes 5 minutes - that that assumes you will need 2 to find a screwdriver. The shops I've seen will charge ~$20 for that. You can pick up your own filter for a lot less than that.

A whole 20 bucks?

Now by doing it yourself you will save less than that, because you have to buy the part. But you may be overestimated how complicated this is...it really isn't much more difficult than changing a light bulb.

[11B4V]

It also just helps to save money / avoid being ripped off. Do you know how complicated it is to change an air filter? It takes 5 minutes - that that assumes you will need 2 to find a screwdriver. The shops I've seen will charge ~$20 for that. You can pick up your own filter for a lot less than that.

A whole 20 bucks?

Now by doing it yourself you will save less than that, because you have to buy the part. But you may be overestimated how complicated this is...it really isn't much more difficult than changing a light bulb.

It's Garbon, he doesnt understand.

[garbon]

It also just helps to save money / avoid being ripped off. Do you know how complicated it is to change an air filter? It takes 5 minutes - that that assumes you will need 2 to find a screwdriver. The shops I've seen will charge ~$20 for that. You can pick up your own filter for a lot less than that.

A whole 20 bucks?

I mean I know it is playing into my persona, but I'm unconvinced that I should buy my own parts (I guess maybe $10?) and then spend time figuring out how to put that in.  A savings of $10 just doesn't seem worth it.

[crazy canuck]

Meh, if there is a chap I can hire who knows how to do it better than I do, and the job isnt trivial, I get the chap to do it.

If some of you guys enjoy doing those things yourselves then have at it.  But really, I can think of a lot better ways to spend my time.

[11B4V]

It also just helps to save money / avoid being ripped off. Do you know how complicated it is to change an air filter? It takes 5 minutes - that that assumes you will need 2 to find a screwdriver. The shops I've seen will charge ~$20 for that. You can pick up your own filter for a lot less than that.

A whole 20 bucks?

I mean I know it is playing into my persona, but I'm unconvinced that I should buy my own parts (I guess maybe $10?) and then spend time figuring out how to put that in.  A savings of $10 just doesn't seem worth it.

I dont really have any problems with what your saying. IMO persona doesnt even factor in. You dont want to, you dont have to.

[Admiral Yi]

Grabon, do you know how to change a light bulb in your apartment? 

[11B4V]

Meh, if there is a chap I can hire who knows how to do it better than I do, and the job isnt trivial, I get the chap to do it.

If some of you guys enjoy doing those things yourselves then have at it.  But really, I can think of a lot better ways to spend my time.

Time vs money. Each to his own.

[Jacob]

Meh, if there is a chap I can hire who knows how to do it better than I do, and the job isnt trivial, I get the chap to do it.

If some of you guys enjoy doing those things yourselves then have at it.  But really, I can think of a lot better ways to spend my time.

It's sort of funny when hobbyists insist that their preference and knowledge base should be shared by everyone. Though, of course, most of us do it with our own hobbies.