This is very sexist of me but I can’t abide a man I can outwrench.
People really need to know the basics.
I know a guy whose car was running lousy for the last couple of months.
We’ve had these fires going on for a few weeks recently, putting out lots of smoke and ash that could clog up an air filter.
I told him to check the air filter which doesn’t cost anything-you open the thing up and look at it for goodness sake.
He was refusing to do this because the check engine light was on and wimmen were telling him to check the air filter.
I sent him an article, which explained why a dirty air filter can throw a code like that and cause performance issues.
Only then did he check the filter and replace it and what do you know? His car is back to normal.
I always tell people to start with the little easy stuff first.
So many problems can be solved by simply cleaning and/or lubricating which usually don’t cost anything.
I think people are afraid to do things on their own. So they toss stuff and buy new.
You can fix just about anything with youtube tutorials, the right parts and tools and time and patience. People are so afraid to try. I really don’t understand that.
“You can fix just about anything with youtube tutorials, the right parts and tools and time and patience. People are so afraid to try. I really don’t understand that.”
I love taking on the challenge of doing things myself. Years ago my daughter’s head jack went out on her i-pod music player. Looked on-line, got the part for $5 on ebay and found a few youtubes and picked the one that made the most sense.
I told her that we can try to fix it, or she can wait until her birthday, or spend her own money to buy a new one now. She opted for the fix-it, with me reminding her not to get too upset if we broke the thing.
We both worked on it together. Heat gun to get the screen off, a few screws, more heat gun and then desolder. Put in the part and reverse the process. It worked fine and looked like it had before we took it apart. (Horror stories of idiots trying to do it and breaking the screens mainly. “But some clear packing tape wound around it keeps it all together still!”)
The one reason I can understand why people don’t do it is time. By the time you watch numerous videos to figure out which ones know what they are talking about, and then doing the process (going back to the videos periodically) - it can be a bit time consuming.
But - if you find it enjoyable like I do - so what?
Just last Sunday during the football game I sewed on a bunch of buttons on all the shirts that were missing some. Between my fat finger, poor eye-sight and drinking beer and eating chips - it took me almost the entire game! Got to say though - that wasn’t enjoyable - but getting to wear the shirts in public again is!
absolutely you tube and mechanics who share their learning and experience are great! I recently had a radiator hose get a hole in it and couldn’t get a new one right away..used duct tape didn’t work good enough-checked you tube-there it was super glue and baking soda..it really works check it out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXaWEAPtqD8
Heh, I love it. And one of the girls could probably have outwrenched all of the boys. She was racing shifter carts, and her dad was a serious Corvette guy, had 3-4, and was one of the ones who put together the class with me. The third dad had a 1960s Morris Mini. He’d have gone broke hiring mechanics with a hobby like owning a vintage Mini, if he weren’t a good wrench.
I’m an old school DIY mechanic for the modern age, meaning that the computer diagnostics you need now don’t scare me, I have software and cables. And have done timing belts, water pumps, and similar stuff on modern cars. Current home DIY project is normal and switched power outlets for my largish deck, with the switches for two 50’ of string lights. 6 outlets, 4 switches in 3 locations, two of the locations being new, the other adding into a current 3-gang => 4-gang. Nearly 100’ of 1/2” PVC conduit.
And I strongly agree, people need to know the basics. We need shop class back in middle school, even for the college track kids.