How to learn to work on cars?
Discussion
HustleRussell said:
I agree, curious comment from chryslerben there.
The procedure for getting a hub nut off, for instance, will differ quite significantly between a fully equipped workshop and a driveway mechanic... and neither method is more or less valid or effective than the other.
It's all about the "why's" gents, it's easy to monkey see monkey do and that's the issue. If you seen some of the general fThe procedure for getting a hub nut off, for instance, will differ quite significantly between a fully equipped workshop and a driveway mechanic... and neither method is more or less valid or effective than the other.
kwittery I've had the mispleasure to encounter over the years you wouldn't let your wife and kids out on the roads again. My advice to the Op is in the hope that if decides to do say one of these night courses at a college he will have the benefit of not only the theory being taught to him but the reasons why something is done in a particular manner.Try getting in as a Saturday lad somewhere Op is always a good in to get skills.
Actually where are you based Op?
chryslerben said:
carl_w said:
Do your local adult education classes offer a course? Check your local council's website -- often they're run in conjunction with local colleges.
This^^^^Don't for god sake take the word of a load of drive way mechanics, get yourself on an evening course and get some kind of tuition from some one thats been doing the job then look at buying tools and investing your money.
rambo19 said:
Spot on advice.
Hmm, about 20 years ago I had a peuegot where the accelerator cable snapped, I nursed it home and using a jack/removing the wheel, I bodged another cable on, took me all of 30 mins,meaning to get it sorted, about a month later the end nipple fell off my "bodge" outside the local main dealer,
what luck? they said they could fit me in to do it there and then, I saw the car on the ramp for 2 hours while they buggered about underneath,
a month later the subframe bolts fell out, as pro mechanic had put them back finger tight.
bobtail4x4 said:
Hmm, about 20 years ago I had a peuegot where the accelerator cable snapped, I nursed it home and using a jack/removing the wheel, I bodged another cable on, took me all of 30 mins,
meaning to get it sorted, about a month later the end nipple fell off my "bodge" outside the local main dealer,
what luck? they said they could fit me in to do it there and then, I saw the car on the ramp for 2 hours while they buggered about underneath,
a month later the subframe bolts fell out, as pro mechanic had put them back finger tight.
Whilst its a lovely story I'm not sure I see the relevance in it with regards to the Op's question or are we going off on a slagging off garages/"professional's" tangent?meaning to get it sorted, about a month later the end nipple fell off my "bodge" outside the local main dealer,
what luck? they said they could fit me in to do it there and then, I saw the car on the ramp for 2 hours while they buggered about underneath,
a month later the subframe bolts fell out, as pro mechanic had put them back finger tight.
However, I bet that was fun driving a car with a loose sub frame.
chryslerben said:
it's easy to monkey see monkey do and that's the issue. If you seen some of the general fkwittery I've had the mispleasure to encounter over the years you wouldn't let your wife and kids out on the roads again.
Fair enough I'm sure you've seen some horrors but there are good and bad DIY mechanics just the same as there are good and bad 'professional' mechanics.kwittery I've had the mispleasure to encounter over the years you wouldn't let your wife and kids out on the roads again. With the right approach and preparation I feel that it's quite possible for a good DIY mechanic to do a better job than a professional who is only getting paid 1.25 hours to change those disc and pads on this BMW before they have to put new brake pipes onto that Renault.
I don't disagree that a course would be beneficial, I just disagree that it's prerequisite to being a half decent mechanic.
Exactly. The key is careful application of good information. If you've a modicum of intelligence you can tell the experienced and trustworthy DIYers from the bodge-job monkeys, learn the proper approach, and apply it effectively. You'll struggle to refute my opinion on this because it's exactly what I've done with great success.As well as the obvious relevance of learning from people who work in the same way as you're planning to, there are plenty of little extras that a DIY mechanic will add to a job to make it more complete, easier next time round, or an efficient way to change several "worth doing" things at once. The huge majority of professionals under time pressure will do the job that's paid for, end of story, and it's not their car so the nice-to-have details can often fall away. In-depth knowledge of the type of car, its common failures and recommended upgrades is also often lacking compared to what an enthusiastic owner and maintainer can share.
One question - do you think that always looking stuff up on the internet for a solution helps develop the diagnostics side of things? What happens when you're working on something and the solution isn't posted somewhere.
I'm asking for a rounded view, not to be argumentative.
How have DIYers found learning electrics?
I'm asking for a rounded view, not to be argumentative.
How have DIYers found learning electrics?
Asterix said:
One question - do you think that always looking stuff up on the internet for a solution helps develop the diagnostics side of things? What happens when you're working on something and the solution isn't posted somewhere.
I'm asking for a rounded view, not to be argumentative.
How have DIYers found learning electrics?
There's a distinction to be made between people who fix cars themselves to save money and people who do so because they want to. I'm asking for a rounded view, not to be argumentative.
How have DIYers found learning electrics?
People with an inclination towards fixing and maintaining cars, hobbyists, are likely to want to know how the thing actually works. Knowing how it's supposed to work is the first step towards understanding why it doesn't.
I wouldn't advocate just taking questions straight to the internet forums every time, but as I said in my previous post it comes down to the approach. A cerebral approach whereby one seeks to understand is better than the more direct 'this doesn't work, how do I make it work' approach.
HustleRussell said:
There's a distinction to be made between people who fix cars themselves to save money and people who do so because they want to.
People with an inclination towards fixing and maintaining cars, hobbyists, are likely to want to know how the thing actually works. Knowing how it's supposed to work is the first step towards understanding why it doesn't.
I agree with that - I've always been curious and stripped down and often broken stuff (in a non-critical scenario) just to see what the inner workings are like.People with an inclination towards fixing and maintaining cars, hobbyists, are likely to want to know how the thing actually works. Knowing how it's supposed to work is the first step towards understanding why it doesn't.
Asterix said:
One question - do you think that always looking stuff up on the internet for a solution helps develop the diagnostics side of things? What happens when you're working on something and the solution isn't posted somewhere.
I'm asking for a rounded view, not to be argumentative.
How have DIYers found learning electrics?
I've never been in such a situation. When I dod struggle do find online resources then I just refer to my copy of the factory workshop manual which can always be found online.I'm asking for a rounded view, not to be argumentative.
How have DIYers found learning electrics?
I purchased a Maxidas just to have a rounded diagnostic scanner as a backup to my factory scanners which can always be purchased without an issue.
BMW - DIS INPA no issue
Jag - SDD no issue
Merc- Maxidas is very comprehensive no issue
VAG cable no issue
Electrics in themselves are pretty straight forward. Everything about a car is usually very straightforward to work on. It's just mechanics like to big it up to make it sound really complicated to justify their worth IMO.
When I was 17 I was terrified of touching a car as I thought it was complicated. Now I'm immune to this BS.
HustleRussell said:
There's a distinction to be made between people who fix cars themselves to save money and people who do so because they want to.
People with an inclination towards fixing and maintaining cars, hobbyists, are likely to want to know how the thing actually works. Knowing how it's supposed to work is the first step towards understanding why it doesn't.
I wouldn't advocate just taking questions straight to the internet forums every time, but as I said in my previous post it comes down to the approach. A cerebral approach whereby one seeks to understand is better than the more direct 'this doesn't work, how do I make it work' approach.
This sums it up nicely for me too. My above posts aren't intended to suggest you should rely entirely on other people writing about their experiences, but that you can use that sort of thing in conjunction with your own understanding to form the complete picture.People with an inclination towards fixing and maintaining cars, hobbyists, are likely to want to know how the thing actually works. Knowing how it's supposed to work is the first step towards understanding why it doesn't.
I wouldn't advocate just taking questions straight to the internet forums every time, but as I said in my previous post it comes down to the approach. A cerebral approach whereby one seeks to understand is better than the more direct 'this doesn't work, how do I make it work' approach.
Several years ago my approach might have been to find general DIY advice for a particular job, and if I'm lucky maybe a walkthrough from someone doing the job on the same car. That would give me a clear idea of what I was meant to be doing and how things should look while the job's in progress, and is usually plenty to take something on for the first time. If not, time to call upon a friend who has more experience and can help out. Now it's more like having a quick look at the workshop manual and appropriate forums to see if anything needs specialist tools or a particular aspect is reported as being a ballache, otherwise crack on. I use the internet and DIYs people write as learning tools, not as instructions, I think that's the distinction.
robinessex said:
Build a kit car. Then you'll have something nice at the end to drive. Pick a simple one that just need painting, and bolting together, u can do it easily in your garage then. Buy a cheap engine of e-bay, strip and rebuld it.
I think I'll eventually get to a kit car but I just don't have the money at the moment.Edited by robinessex on Tuesday 21st April 10:17
Asterix said:
One question - do you think that always looking stuff up on the internet for a solution helps develop the diagnostics side of things? What happens when you're working on something and the solution isn't posted somewhere.
I'm asking for a rounded view, not to be argumentative.
How have DIYers found learning electrics?
Depends if you're looking stuff up and slavishly following it with no understanding of why, I suspect the majority of people (certainly the case for me) get a better understanding of how things work by looking stuff up/I'm asking for a rounded view, not to be argumentative.
How have DIYers found learning electrics?
Here's a prime example
https://www.electrosport.com/media/pdf/fault-findi...
Once you've gone through that you've got a pretty good idea of how the charging system works, as well as finding out what's broken.
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