Car maintenance / repairs that you should always do yourself?

[fuzzybabybunny]

Just the other day I changed my front rotors and brakes for the first time as well as changed my oil. A buddy was willing to show me how to do it.

The price of parts for my 2006 Yaris was:

(in AUD, so multiply by 0.70 to get USD)

Two rotors: $50 a piece
Four brake pads: $60
C-clamp: $6
4L Synthetic 10W30: $50
Oil filter: $10

Total: $166 for rotors and pads, $60 for oil stuff

I borrowed a friend's 14mm and 17mm wrenches and borrowed a jack and hammer as well.

Just for giggles, I called around to see what mechanics were charging:

Pads and Rotors: $380
Oil: $190

This is in Australia.

Pads and Rotors was an hour of work and I saved $214.
Oil change was an hour of work (mostly waited around for the car to cool down and momentarily had a scare because I couldn't get the oil filter unscrewed and I didn't have the tool). Got all oily and had to drive the used oil back to the auto parts store for disposal. Saved $130.

Now, in the USA I can get oil changes for $70-80. Considering it costs $40-50 to buy oil at WalMart, I don't think that doing an oil change yourself is all that worth it.

But damn, the pads and rotors. That was easy and it saved heaps.

So this got me thinking - what other car maintenance / repair things are there that are so easy and non-intensive on expensive tools, where there really isn't any reason to go to a mechanic for?

 

[freeskier93]

Completely depends on the vehicle. Some are just a huge PITA to work on, even something as simple as the oil. I remember my parents used to have a '99 or so Infiniti QX4 and getting to the oil filter was terrible. I was the only one who could do it with my skinny arms.

In contrast I can do the oil/filter for my Jeep in 5 minutes flat.

My dad and I did the brakes on their old Mercedes once and that was also a huge PITA, whether it be the odd bolt sizes or the electronics that could cause the brakes to clamp your finger off.

 

[CA19100]

In many cars, like my 2006 Civic, the cabin air filter is unbelievably easy to change: Empty the glove box, squeeze it so it drops down, and the filter slides right out. Some shops want to charge significant labor for this, so you can save a ton doing it yourself.

It's not so easy in some cars, but definitely check yours to see if it's an easy one.

 

[z1ggy]

Yeah I'll go with it depends as well. But generally speaking:

-Oil & filter
-Brake pads and rotors
-Air Filters
-Hi and Low Beam Bulbs (if applicable)
-Battery replacement
-Tire Rotations
-Exterior & Interior Cleaning (Wash and detail by hand)

Depending how savvy you are and equipment at your disposal doing things like exhaust and suspension work is generally pretty straight forward, as are electrical things like replacing a head unit, putting it new speakers, etc.

 

[ControlD]

This thread reminds me that I really need to learn how to do my own brakes.

I tried to replace the cabin air filter for my Mazda 3 once. That is a job best left to a professional.

Changing the headlights in that same car is unbelievably tricky as well, but I manage somehow every time. I usually have bloody hands when I am done.

 

[dud]

Now, in the USA I can get oil changes for $70-80. Considering it costs $40-50 to buy oil at WalMart, I don't think that doing an oil change yourself is all that worth it.

But damn, the pads and rotors. That was easy and it saved heaps.

So this got me thinking - what other car maintenance / repair things are there that are so easy and non-intensive on expensive tools, where there really isn't any reason to go to a mechanic for?

OP, not sure where you are getting your prices from but your prices, even if AUD, are very high. In the US it can be cheaper to pay for someone to change your oil vice doing it yourself ($20).

That being said ... I've been working on my vehicles for almost 35 years and yes, have saved a lot of money. My last "project" was a water pump replacement on the wife's 2007 Civic. The dealer quote (including coolant) was over $600. I bought all of the parts/fluids and did the work (5 hours) myself. Bottom line savings was about $500 (not including my time). I also did some additional work while the WP was off, including replacing the coolant hoses and thermostat.

You are spot-on with brakes. They are very easy to do ... just avoid breathing the dust. Don't forget to bleed your brake lines every 3-4 years.

 

[gururu2]

Mechanics will generally charge 2-3x for any part and ~85 dollars an hour. In some cases its just better from a time perspective if you know the mechanic is going to do a proper, spotless job. If you can identify the problem yourself, it is definitely worth to do a cost benefit analysis to see if you have the time to tackle it.
I will always do: liquids, filters, belts, pumps, starters, plugs/wires, distributors, lights, brakes, alternators, sensors, and small miscellaneous stuff in the cabin (radio, buttons, etc).

 

[JulesMaximus]

I'll change wiper blades but that's about it.

I have done far more extensive repairs on my cars and bikes over the years I just don't want to anymore.

a) I don't want to.
b) Storing and disposing of old parts/chemicals is a PITA.
c) I don't get that much satisfaction out of it.
d) I'm not poor and can afford it.

 

[brainhulk]

i've had two performance shops do brake bleeds on my cars and both times they were meh. I don't know if they just did a rush job and didn't get all the air bubbles out or what.

but whenever I do it myself, nice and firm baby!

 

[evident]

Yeah I'll go with it depends as well. But generally speaking:

-Oil & filter
-Brake pads and rotors
-Air Filters
-Hi and Low Beam Bulbs (if applicable)
-Battery replacement
-Tire Rotations
-Exterior & Interior Cleaning (Wash and detail by hand)

Depending how savvy you are and equipment at your disposal doing things like exhaust and suspension work is generally pretty straight forward, as are electrical things like replacing a head unit, putting it new speakers, etc.

i'll add in spark plugs, ignition coil, o2 sensors if they're easily accessible.
radiator fluid if you have the kit to do it, otherwise just take it to a place because it can get messy

 

[Scarpozzi]

Things I won't do are radiator flushes, tire balances. Everything else is game on.

 

[pauldun170]

I'll change wiper blades but that's about it.

I have done far more extensive repairs on my cars and bikes over the years I just don't want to anymore.

a) I don't want to.
b) Storing and disposing of old parts/chemicals is a PITA.
c) I don't get that much satisfaction out of it.
d) I'm not poor and can afford it.

That answer pretty much satisfies all requirements.

This response is hereby protected by law from all internet slap fights concerning auto maintenance.

For me it comes down to the vehicle and the amount of time I have available that week

 

[Tidekilla115]

I'm a mechanic so I do everything on mine

 

[Yuriman]

Had a timing belt break on a car I owned a few years ago. New belt was $60 and it took me something silly like 4 hours to break the damn bolt free from the 24 year old crank pulley, but following a youtube video over the period of an afternoon I saved myself the better part of $1,000.

 

[razel]

-Oil & filter
-Brake pads and rotors
-Air Filters
-Hi and Low Beam Bulbs (if applicable)
-Battery replacement
-Tire Rotations
-Exterior & Interior Cleaning (Wash and detail by hand)

+1, including:
- cabin air filter (hardest part is not breaking plastic/metal clips)
- brake fluid (bleeding by pushing the calipers isn't much more difficult than pads and makes putting in new pads easier, you must extend the calipers anyway)
- coolant drain at peacock
- transmission bolt drain (easier than oil changes, recommend doing every other oil change after ~60k)
- power steering fluid (turkey baster the reservoir, refill)
- belts (if your car uses a tensioner, many do, this is ridiculously easy)
- paint scratches (Meguiar's Ultimate Compound or their M205 with a their Power DA drill attachment is like performing magic)

 

[olds]

When I was younger, I did everything but transmissions (I have swapped them) and rear ends.
Now, I don't do anything but drive it.

On my motorcycle, I do everything but valve adjustments. But, I am getting to the point I'd rather farm everything out. Have brakes coming up and I want to replace throttle cables as preventative maintenance but I'll probably farm it out.

 

[eng2d2]

I'll change wiper blades but that's about it.

I have done far more extensive repairs on my cars and bikes over the years I just don't want to anymore.

a) I don't want to.
b) Storing and disposing of old parts/chemicals is a PITA.
c) I don't get that much satisfaction out of it.
d) I'm not poor and can afford it.

It really doesn't have anything to do with being poor. Majority of the time when someone works on your car the care is not there. Finding a good mechanic that cares about your car is unicorn rare unless you want to pay 2x what they are asking for even that is not a guarantee. I trusted few mechanics before. I compensated very well and they got very greedy. I paid them their rate. Then after a year I started tipping them for peace of mind. After that they start over charging me. Happens all the time. First they start off with good customer service then overcharging and not doing good work follows.
Automobile is second largest purchase next to home. It's better to take care of the investment personally.

To the OP anything you can access you should do it yourself. Building an engine is not diy.

 

[jlee]

It really doesn't have anything to do with being poor. Majority of the time when someone works on your car the care is not there. Finding a good mechanic that cares about your car is unicorn rare unless you want to pay 2x what they are asking for even that is not a guarantee. I trusted few mechanics before. I compensated very well and they got very greedy. I paid them their rate. Then after a year I started tipping them for peace of mind. After that they start over charging me. Happens all the time. First they start off with good customer service then overcharging and not doing good work follows.
Automobile is second largest purchase next to home. It's better to take care of the investment personally.

To the OP anything you can access you should do it yourself. Building an engine is not diy.

I built my own engine for those exact reasons.

 

[Torn Mind]

Wiper blades. Lug nuts. Light bulbs. Cabin air filter. Battery. Testing and replacing fuses. These things typically require no investment in tools like wrenches, sockets, etc beyond the bare minimum screwdriver and 8/10 mm wrenches.

Assuming that these things are easily accessible. Some car batteries are tough to replace.

 

[JulesMaximus]

It really doesn't have anything to do with being poor. Majority of the time when someone works on your car the care is not there. Finding a good mechanic that cares about your car is unicorn rare unless you want to pay 2x what they are asking for even that is not a guarantee. I trusted few mechanics before. I compensated very well and they got very greedy. I paid them their rate. Then after a year I started tipping them for peace of mind. After that they start over charging me. Happens all the time. First they start off with good customer service then overcharging and not doing good work follows.
Automobile is second largest purchase next to home. It's better to take care of the investment personally.

To the OP anything you can access you should do it yourself. Building an engine is not diy.

Automobiles are consumable items you generally only keep for 5-10 years at most. In 35+ years of car ownership I've never had a car fail due to shoddy repair work either at my own hand or someone else's. I've also never owned a vehicle for more than 10 years with 5 years being the average.

I always check their work to make sure parts they say they replaced were replaced. Never had a problem with it quite frankly.

I built my own engine for those exact reasons.

I had a friend who did that once on a Suburban he owned. He spun a bearing towing out in the desert and he was trying to save a few bucks and do it himself. Ended up with a main bearing failure within the first 75 miles after he put the engine back in. Took it to the dealership and they charged him a couple grand to fix it.

 

[Midwayman]

Yah, brakes are super simple and a good savings. Oil can be a hassle and there isn't that much of a premium to have someone else do it.

Maintenance stuff like filters and other fluid changes are usually super simple and not difficult.

If I can find good info online on what I need to do and am fairly confident what what is wrong I'll usually attempt it. However I won't crack open the transmission or engine internals. Well, maybe other than the heads. I've changed cam shafts.

 

[JulesMaximus]

When I was younger, I did everything but transmissions (I have swapped them) and rear ends.
Now, I don't do anything but drive it.

On my motorcycle, I do everything but valve adjustments. But, I am getting to the point I'd rather farm everything out. Have brakes coming up and I want to replace throttle cables as preventative maintenance but I'll probably farm it out.

Yeah, I did a valve adjustment on my Ducati Monster a couple summers ago but I doubt I'd do that again. It's a crap load of work and very fiddly.

I have a great dealership here so I'll just take my bike there for the routine maintenance. I did bleed the rear brake recently and I do clean and adjust the chain. When I took it in for the 7500 mile service they commented on how clean the chain was and that no adjustment was necessary as it was adjusted perfectly. You really can't take a bike in every 600 miles for chain maintenance. It's just not practical so that I will do myself.

 

[jlee]

I had a friend who did that once on a Suburban he owned. He seized a bearing towing out in the desert and he was trying to save a few bucks and do it himself. Ended up with a main bearing failure within the first 75 miles after he put the engine back in. Took it to the dealership and they charged him a couple grand to fix it.

Sounds like he didn't do a very good job.

Mine has a few thousand miles and numerous dyno pulls on it. But..yeah, it can definitely backfire if you're not careful!

 

[JulesMaximus]

Sounds like he didn't do a very good job.

Mine has a few thousand miles and numerous dyno pulls on it. But..yeah, it can definitely backfire if you're not careful!

Ya think? :sneaky:

He seemed confident enough when he started the project and he had done this before apparently (successfully).

I stopped by and hung out with him during a couple phases of the project and he seemed to know what he was doing. FTR-I wasn't there when he put the crankshaft or main bearings in.

 

[zerocool84]

Now that I live in an apartment with a parking space just barely big enough for my car, doing anything other than basic car maintenance is out of the question.