have you got to that stage...?
Discussion
got in the m3 this morning and the abs light is staying on.
a couple of years ago i'd have had it up in the air, all wheels off, checking sensors and mucking around, looking up diagnoses and whatnot. i just rang the specialist and booked it in instead.
i think i've got to an age/attitude with the car now of really, really not enjoying spannering on it anymore. if i have to do anything involving jacking it up or lying under it i don't want to know and yet i used to love all that.
has anyone else got like this and if so, where do you draw the line in the sand regarding what you will and wont attempt on your own car anymore?
a couple of years ago i'd have had it up in the air, all wheels off, checking sensors and mucking around, looking up diagnoses and whatnot. i just rang the specialist and booked it in instead.
i think i've got to an age/attitude with the car now of really, really not enjoying spannering on it anymore. if i have to do anything involving jacking it up or lying under it i don't want to know and yet i used to love all that.
has anyone else got like this and if so, where do you draw the line in the sand regarding what you will and wont attempt on your own car anymore?
if it involves more than taking a few plastic covers or a wheel then im out. Im more than capable, just detest working on cars.
cramped, cold, sweating, swearing, dirty, bleeding, cant reach, dont have right tool. Just stresses me out and because theres more than 1 car to choose, book the fooked one in and use the other.
simples.
cramped, cold, sweating, swearing, dirty, bleeding, cant reach, dont have right tool. Just stresses me out and because theres more than 1 car to choose, book the fooked one in and use the other.
simples.
Y282 said:
got in the m3 this morning and the abs light is staying on.
a couple of years ago i'd have had it up in the air, all wheels off, checking sensors and mucking around, looking up diagnoses and whatnot. i just rang the specialist and booked it in instead.
i think i've got to an age/attitude with the car now of really, really not enjoying spannering on it anymore. if i have to do anything involving jacking it up or lying under it i don't want to know and yet i used to love all that.
has anyone else got like this and if so, where do you draw the line in the sand regarding what you will and wont attempt on your own car anymore?
Yes, it is an age thing. At 17, my car was washed, polished and tinkered with every weekend. Now, I pay the Turks to wash it every 4 or 5 weeks and for everything else, there's the local garage. The older I get, the nicer my cars get and the less bothered I become about getting my hands oily. a couple of years ago i'd have had it up in the air, all wheels off, checking sensors and mucking around, looking up diagnoses and whatnot. i just rang the specialist and booked it in instead.
i think i've got to an age/attitude with the car now of really, really not enjoying spannering on it anymore. if i have to do anything involving jacking it up or lying under it i don't want to know and yet i used to love all that.
has anyone else got like this and if so, where do you draw the line in the sand regarding what you will and wont attempt on your own car anymore?
I've also started shaving less despite grey bits appearing in my chin, picking my nose at work and not caring who is watching and referring to anyone under the age of 30 as a "young un".
:-)
I have reached this point. Life, for me at least, is too short and whilst I could while away hours tinkering, its not worth the price of annoying my wife and family.
I guess its down to how much you value your time. In my case I'm lucky enough to have a good reliable and honest local garage who will do a better job than I ever could.
I guess its down to how much you value your time. In my case I'm lucky enough to have a good reliable and honest local garage who will do a better job than I ever could.
Y282 said:
got in the m3 this morning and the abs light is staying on.
a couple of years ago i'd have had it up in the air, all wheels off, checking sensors and mucking around, looking up diagnoses and whatnot. i just rang the specialist and booked it in instead.
i think i've got to an age/attitude with the car now of really, really not enjoying spannering on it anymore. if i have to do anything involving jacking it up or lying under it i don't want to know and yet i used to love all that.
has anyone else got like this and if so, where do you draw the line in the sand regarding what you will and wont attempt on your own car anymore?
Most definitely. To be fair spannering was never in my mindset but I was very car proud. Work and life just seem to beat that enthusiasm out of you - I find it hard to find 1/10th the motivation I had just 5 years ago! a couple of years ago i'd have had it up in the air, all wheels off, checking sensors and mucking around, looking up diagnoses and whatnot. i just rang the specialist and booked it in instead.
i think i've got to an age/attitude with the car now of really, really not enjoying spannering on it anymore. if i have to do anything involving jacking it up or lying under it i don't want to know and yet i used to love all that.
has anyone else got like this and if so, where do you draw the line in the sand regarding what you will and wont attempt on your own car anymore?
Yup i have totally reached this stage. Had many an old banger over the years and really enjoyed diy mechanics when younger. These days i also have an M3 and know a very good specialist, i try not to get my hands dirty unless stuck on the side of the road - which buying Munichs finest i certainly never hope to do!!
Cold wet weekends taking the skin off my knuckles does not appeal anymore...
Cold wet weekends taking the skin off my knuckles does not appeal anymore...
I'm going the other way, the older I get the more I'm prepared to tackle. I think though that's a combination of having a workshop with an ever expanding selection of tools and just enough free time in the workshop to do jobs on my own cars.
Some things though I do still leave to my local garage as they are very competent and charge me very little for what they do. Stuff like changing the clutch they can do massively faster than I can and it's not really a job I'd get much satisfaction out of doing.
I think my outlook might differ if I had more modern cars though, a lot of the new stuff is so tightly packaged that it's just no fun to work on whatsoever and everything seems to have an ECU that can malfunction.
Some things though I do still leave to my local garage as they are very competent and charge me very little for what they do. Stuff like changing the clutch they can do massively faster than I can and it's not really a job I'd get much satisfaction out of doing.
I think my outlook might differ if I had more modern cars though, a lot of the new stuff is so tightly packaged that it's just no fun to work on whatsoever and everything seems to have an ECU that can malfunction.
I gave up after trying to do the cam belt on a mk2 mondeo. The wheel had to come off, the arch liner out, and an engine mount off. I fought with it for a couple of hours in the baking sun, the called a specialist.
They quoted £90 if I was supplying a ford belt. I was with them 20 minutes later
They quoted £90 if I was supplying a ford belt. I was with them 20 minutes later
I use to do everything but modern cars have got a lot more complicated. The girlfiends got a T plate Fester so I tend to do most of the work on that (although I've wimped out of doing the valve clearances due on the latest service), but on the Octavia I'll probably do stuff like pads and oil changes but let the local dealer (who has a good reputation according to the owners forum) do the rest.
I do all the work on our bikes, and over the alst few years have done stuff like piston rings and valve stem seals, but I did have to visit a shop to get one of the head race bearings out that I couldn't budge.
I do all the work on our bikes, and over the alst few years have done stuff like piston rings and valve stem seals, but I did have to visit a shop to get one of the head race bearings out that I couldn't budge.
BliarOut said:
Would you pay another man to f
k your wife?
k your wife? M3333 said:
Yup i have totally reached this stage.
If you put up some photos I'm sure we can work something out depends what it is. i am pretty handy with the spanners but there's certain jobs i just know are gonna be more trouble than they're worth. most of us will, at some point, been outside in the cold at 10pm with the floodlight on because the job has taken wayyyy longer than expected and you need the car for work in the morning.
however, working environment and the right tools make a huge difference. if i had a garage, a 2 post lift and a fully stocked tool chest things would be easier.
however, working environment and the right tools make a huge difference. if i had a garage, a 2 post lift and a fully stocked tool chest things would be easier.
shirt said:
depends what it is. i am pretty handy with the spanners but there's certain jobs i just know are gonna be more trouble than they're worth. most of us will, at some point, been outside in the cold at 10pm with the floodlight on because the job has taken wayyyy longer than expected and you need the car for work in the morning.
however, working environment and the right tools make a huge difference. if i had a garage, a 2 post lift and a fully stocked tool chest things would be easier.
dead on.however, working environment and the right tools make a huge difference. if i had a garage, a 2 post lift and a fully stocked tool chest things would be easier.
powwerr said:
if it involves more than taking a few plastic covers or a wheel then im out. Im more than capable, just detest working on cars.
cramped, cold, sweating, swearing, dirty, bleeding, cant reach, dont have right tool. Just stresses me out and because theres more than 1 car to choose, book the fooked one in and use the other.
simples.
cramped, cold, sweating, swearing, dirty, bleeding, cant reach, dont have right tool. Just stresses me out and because theres more than 1 car to choose, book the fooked one in and use the other.
simples.
my dad does this. Years ago he'd tackle all sorts on his cars...... Servicing, paint work, anything really (depending on which vehicle).Now, changing a wheel if he's got a flat is pushing the boundaries. He ran the XK8 with a slow puncture for 3 weeks before even bothering to get it plugged.
And as he's out of practice, anything he tries to do, results in bad mood and bad job done
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