Hobby Mechanics - Manace or not?
Discussion
I would consider myself an average hobby mechanic, in the sense that I can do pretty much anything to fix a car barring deep engine, engine out work and transmission. Mainly due to lack of space, time and specialist equipment to do this (engine hoists etc and space to leave a car for a week while slowly working on it).
I have done head gaskets, timing belts, brakes, replaced all kind of parts from radiators to exhausts. All repairs I have done have lasted and I have very rarely had anything come back to bite me. This is all self learned with assistance from a mechanic friend of mine on occasions. I imagine a lot of people on this forum are at this level, if not way above it.
The reason I mention the above is...
I was having a debate with what you would call a professional mechanic recently. The argument started when he said my front brake discs and pads are low after an MoT (advisory not failure), and I replied saying "You are right, I have the parts at home and plan to fit them this weekend". This started with a whole nobody who is "untrained" should ever touch brakes, and that as I am not a full time mechanic there is no way I could know what I am doing etc etc. He seems to think that working on cars should be regulated with a "Part P" style thing from the electrical industry, making it illegal to work on your own car unless you are certified.
Interested in hearing the opinions on the forum regarding this, as there is a mixture of people that really know and work on there cars here, along with people that wouldn't even open the filler tank without assistance of a silk handkerchief and the main dealers telephone number
Do you think "people like me" are a menace and killing the motor trade, or should we go legislation and prevent anyone from working on their cars / motorbikes?
I have done head gaskets, timing belts, brakes, replaced all kind of parts from radiators to exhausts. All repairs I have done have lasted and I have very rarely had anything come back to bite me. This is all self learned with assistance from a mechanic friend of mine on occasions. I imagine a lot of people on this forum are at this level, if not way above it.
The reason I mention the above is...
I was having a debate with what you would call a professional mechanic recently. The argument started when he said my front brake discs and pads are low after an MoT (advisory not failure), and I replied saying "You are right, I have the parts at home and plan to fit them this weekend". This started with a whole nobody who is "untrained" should ever touch brakes, and that as I am not a full time mechanic there is no way I could know what I am doing etc etc. He seems to think that working on cars should be regulated with a "Part P" style thing from the electrical industry, making it illegal to work on your own car unless you are certified.
Interested in hearing the opinions on the forum regarding this, as there is a mixture of people that really know and work on there cars here, along with people that wouldn't even open the filler tank without assistance of a silk handkerchief and the main dealers telephone number
Do you think "people like me" are a menace and killing the motor trade, or should we go legislation and prevent anyone from working on their cars / motorbikes?
Carrot said:
I was having a debate with what you would call a professional mechanic recently.
...He seems to think that working on cars should be regulated with a "Part P" style thing from the electrical industry, making it illegal to work on your own car unless you are certified.
Apart from the rampant protectionism in his attitude, perhaps he ought to note that Part P has not been exactly the most successful legislation in the history of mankind....He seems to think that working on cars should be regulated with a "Part P" style thing from the electrical industry, making it illegal to work on your own car unless you are certified.
I've really only got one word for him. Kwik-Fit.
I've always maintained all my cars and motorcycles apart from when they were in their warranty period. Going by the issues I had when these vehicles were worked on by main dealers, I will always work on my own cars, just so I know that the job has been done properly and that I'm not another job card that's running out of time.
Of course your MOT guy is not going to want people working on their own cars, that'll mean the possibility of more business for his garage. Oddly all my vehicles get MOT'd at a local garage that is owned and run by enthusiasts and they love the fact I work on my cars. MOT time can take all morning on a quiet day when they can share their progress on the latest restro project
Of course your MOT guy is not going to want people working on their own cars, that'll mean the possibility of more business for his garage. Oddly all my vehicles get MOT'd at a local garage that is owned and run by enthusiasts and they love the fact I work on my cars. MOT time can take all morning on a quiet day when they can share their progress on the latest restro project
chrisxr2 said:
Untrained?? Surely read the haynes manual makes you as qualified as some mechanics who only know how to plug in a computer for fault diagnosis nowadays. Ask him if he shoddily paints and decorates his own house or does DIY jobs he has no "training" for.
Thankfully I won't be having contact with him again Does bring back the question of what you have to be in order to be "Qualified". If there is a guy working on cars for 30 years generally at an indie unqualified because he doesn't work on one make of specific car despite being an excellent mechanic? Is someone who has only ever worked on Peugeots then completely unqualified when working on a VW despite a lot of the general principles being the same?
Tough one.
I think he was more pissed that he couldn't charge £190 to do the discs and pads
Parts cost me £58... (both sides discs and pads)
Having seem some work DIYers have done it is no worse than some of the professionals I have seen.
There is a movement to get car repairs regulated as clearly if you do the electrics at home wrong in blows a fuse or an individual gets killed. Do it wrong on a car and the potential for loss of life is higher.
The big problem is that at present there is nothing in place to regulated garages let alone individuals, so whatever this guy thinks it will not happen.
As a mechanic by trade I can understand where he is coming from as if there was such a law, mechanics would be valued more and their wages would rise as there would not be enough to do the jobs.
There is a movement to get car repairs regulated as clearly if you do the electrics at home wrong in blows a fuse or an individual gets killed. Do it wrong on a car and the potential for loss of life is higher.
The big problem is that at present there is nothing in place to regulated garages let alone individuals, so whatever this guy thinks it will not happen.
As a mechanic by trade I can understand where he is coming from as if there was such a law, mechanics would be valued more and their wages would rise as there would not be enough to do the jobs.
Two sides to this - I prepare my own car for track days and would consider my "amateur" skill, attention to detail and understanding of my particular cars to be way beyond your average low-end spanner monkey.
On the other hand, a friend who turned up at Spa on Monday had driven from Scotland having fitted a brake-pad the wrong way round (yes, backing plate touching disc)
I can see both sides of this argument.
On the other hand, a friend who turned up at Spa on Monday had driven from Scotland having fitted a brake-pad the wrong way round (yes, backing plate touching disc)
I can see both sides of this argument.
Thing is, when us 'untrained mechanics' do a job at home, we spend a good chunk of time reading say the manual, internet research etc. Then spend plenty of time on the job, double checking things making sure it's right. Whereas some 'proper' mechanics would do a half arsed job as quickly as possible leading to occasional mistakes. Yes there are many good garage mechanics and many DIY fools, but for some more basic jobs it's fine to do it yourself in my eyes.
BFG TERRANO said:
AndyS2 said:
How old is this mechanic? Just interested to see if he's a 'plug it into the diagnostic machine to see what's wrong' type or a proper old school mechanic who really can fix things?
Exactly this. Ask some of these lads to balance carbs or set points!He really didn't understand what the heck was going on when I set these up with a length of rubber water pipe
To his credit he is starting to rely less on a computer and more on common sense and sensible diagnostic processes as his daily drivers are not brand new BMW's
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff