car repairs are so suck

[chucK]

The thing about fixing cars using the manual is that: you can do it, but it's a steep learning curve. The first time you take that stuff apart on a car it can be pretty confusing, but you'll learn a lot about that area of the engine. So, if you ever have to do that exact repair again, it's easier. But usually you don't have to fix the exact same thing twice. Doh! (Brake components are complicated! Make sure you leave one intact while fixing the other so you have a model of how to put it back together.)

 

When you learn more about your particular engine (and in fixing engines in general) it gets exponenentially easier. But it's still usually a tiring, dirty, PiTA job that will take two to ten times as long for you to do than the "professionals".

 

It's nice to be self-sufficient, but sometimes it's just more efficient to pay through the nose.

[thelawgoddess]

It amazes me how awestruck people are about cars. "Oh my car is broken... what do I do". FIX THE FREAKING THING!!!

I don't have an engineering degree and I do a vast majority of my own work.

For the price of a few biners and a few brews you can get some screw drivers/pliers/wrenches/etc and do quite a bit yourself and save tons 'o $$$. Definitely invest in a book on your car if you don't know your ass from a hole in the ground though.

i definitely know my ass from a whole in the ground, but working on a car is a whole 'nother story. i would be down with learning how to do stuff like change the brake pads myself but i think it would be better if i had someone there to sort of talk me through it and make sure i didn't screw up!

[griz]

kind of helps if you have a heated garage too. it's like 10 fricking degrees here in denver right now...