Helping with a someone's repair when you aren't in charge.

[twinrider1]

Can you handle it? That area between being in charge and being a silent tool fetcher is rocky ground for me. Especially when you aren't a pro mechanic, but you're 99% sure you know more than they do, but it's their car.

 

[gorcorps]

Do you offer advice as you go, or do you stand there in silence and wait till they've wasted their time to tell them they should have done something different?

 

[twinrider1]

Offer as I go. It might be more about this particular person, as he isn't really into cars and has a temper.
And I guess I just don't feel like working on other people's cars as much these days, at least not their daily drivers. I know I'm slower than a pro, and I don't know everything (long on theory, short on experience), and I don't feel like fielding complaints if it isn't perfect.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I wouldn't mind being a tool fetcher if somebody knows what they're doing. I'm capable of being quiet. If it's clear my advice is welcome, I may say something, but often it's not.

But in general, I prefer to work alone.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Doesn't matter to me if I'm in charge or not. As long as the person is fun to work with it's all good. Sounds like this guy is an angry control freak who would find something to bitch about in Utopia.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I had a friend of mine help me adjust the valves on my Ducati a few summers ago. I had helped him (really just watched as he showed me what to do) once before and he offered to help when I did mine. His help was invaluable really and I welcomed it. Still, I did most of the work but he gave some good advice and a lending hand when it came to the really fiddly bits. He is probably more patient and methodical than I am and him being there helped remind me that that's a better approach to take when working on engines.

I did all the deconstruction myself and re-assembly and all the measuring and replacing shims. I was pretty methodical in removing stuff and labeling everything so I knew where it went back together. I also took pictures which was also helpful.

I wouldn't say there was a hierarchy but since it was my bike I guess I had the final say but we were both working toward the same goal.

 

[twinrider1]

I think part of it is me and part was him. Like I said, he can be an ass, and since I'm not a pro I didn't feel I had enough clout to take over. Plus it was at his house, I didn't have my tools, running out of daylight.

His Avalon wouldn't start. Click, click, click. Could jump it but it was really hard.
The day before I took him to get the battery tested. It was bad, got a new one. Still wouldn't start. I went home.
The next day he replaced the starter with someone else. Still won't start.
Gut is telling me it's a bad ground wire, maybe the supply wire.
I go over that night with a charger and a meter. Make sure the battery is fully charged. We still need a jump to get it started. He wanted to pull the alternator but it didn't sound like an alternator problem to me. I check the output real quick while it's running...14.5v....alternator is fine. It's dark, I go home.
Next day he takes it to the dealer and they replace the negative lead, back in business. We had looked at the leads as best we could, but there was nothing obvious to the eye.

So it was interesting. Good enough connection to show the right voltage, but not good enough to carry starting amps.

 

[sontakke]

Good enough connection to show the right voltage, but not good enough to carry starting amps.

This is where voltage drop test comes in to play. You need to measure voltage when the current is flowing. That tells you if the wire is capable of carrying the current without dropping the voltage.

 

[JCH13]

I only wrench with people who have enough humility and pragmatism to accept suggestions, consider that they may be wrong, and accept imperfect results. This is most of my friends who are into cars. Anyone else is not worth your time unless you're getting paid.

 

[WhiteNoise]

I rarely wrench with anyone other than myself. Over the years I have helped some friends with their cars, and bikes but it is usually me doing all the work and them supplying the beer and chit chat. Works well. I usually try to educate them while I fix their car.