Some people aren't mobile enough to get underneath a car and do the change, and some can't be bothered to properly dispose of the fluids. I change my own oil, but to the factory spec and still take the car in when I need a second opinion.
JulesMaximus
No Lifer
- Jul 3, 2003
- 74,586
- 986
- 126
Those people should NOT be working on their own car. If you can't dispose of oil properly then you're too stupid to even own a car IMO.
1. Not everyone is you. Get over it.
2. Not everyone wants to/can jerry rig something together and buying tools is expensive, especially decent tools.
3. Flushing an automatic transmission is impossible without the right tools, hell just about every car has some thing that requires a SST at some point.
4. You don't save all that much time and money.
5. It's frustrating, it's annoying, especially when diagnosing electrical problems
6. It requires specialized tools to diagnose anything on some cars like Mercedes where the ECU is locked down.
2. Not everyone wants to/can jerry rig something together and buying tools is expensive, especially decent tools.
3. Flushing an automatic transmission is impossible without the right tools, hell just about every car has some thing that requires a SST at some point.
4. You don't save all that much time and money.
5. It's frustrating, it's annoying, especially when diagnosing electrical problems
6. It requires specialized tools to diagnose anything on some cars like Mercedes where the ECU is locked down.
Are there shops that RENT equipment? This way the equipment problem is eliminated. Users pay a flat monthly fee to use the tools in the shop (people bring cars to the shop and work on them there).
Is there something like this set up? Would it work if one was set up now?
I know similar stuff is working in California/Silicon Valley - a friend of mine paid a flat monthly fee and had access to a wide array of wood working tools (including power tools).
edit: I realize it's hell of a lot tools to work in ALL cars, but how about like this:
-All tools for European cars
-All tools for GM cars
-All tools for Japanese cars (toyota/honda/nissan)
or even further, like
-This shop only has tools for Volvos and Audis
-This shop only has tools for Dodge and Chevy
..etc?
Is there something like this set up? Would it work if one was set up now?
I know similar stuff is working in California/Silicon Valley - a friend of mine paid a flat monthly fee and had access to a wide array of wood working tools (including power tools).
edit: I realize it's hell of a lot tools to work in ALL cars, but how about like this:
-All tools for European cars
-All tools for GM cars
-All tools for Japanese cars (toyota/honda/nissan)
or even further, like
-This shop only has tools for Volvos and Audis
-This shop only has tools for Dodge and Chevy
..etc?
- Oct 28, 1999
- 62,484
- 8,345
- 126
Yeh, because when my alternator sh!ts out on me on my way to work the next thing I really want to do is have a tow truck haul it to a shop rental where I have to go to and fix the thing myself.
My wife and I both work full time. On top of that plus a kid and a dog, I don't want to dick around with things that somebody else could do in a few minutes to hour vs. me putzing around with it for 2 or 3 times longer. I drop it off at the dealer in the morning, I get myself a free cup of Starbucks coffee and a Krispy Kreme donut on my way out the service door, get shuttled to work, and then picked up when I'm done and get my car.
What you propose is fine for somebody that is into aftermarket tuning. But for break/fix stuff it's just not worth the time & effort.
That is done in some places, but usually they run into liability issues when a car falls on somebody's head.
Then there's training. I can tell you the layman is going to have absolutely no idea what he's looking at when he stares at a Mercedes KTS scanner screen. Dealerships send techs to school all the time.
Then there's training. I can tell you the layman is going to have absolutely no idea what he's looking at when he stares at a Mercedes KTS scanner screen. Dealerships send techs to school all the time.
I live in a condo with no garage. Rules of the neighborhood would land me with a fine for opening the hood.
Squisher
Lifer
- Aug 17, 2000
- 21,204
- 66
- 91
I try to do as much maintenance on my vehicles as I can, but right now I'm debating whether to have a garage swap out my fuel filter or do it myself. I could go out and buy a pressure tester that will allow me drain the pressure in the system or have them do it. I've swapped out many fuel filters, but I usually just throw a rag over my hands as I do it. With this truck the filter is half way back to the tank along a frame rail. Which means I'll be laying just about under it. Not the time to get a gasoline Jheri curl.
The Boston Dangler
Lifer
- Mar 10, 2005
- 14,647
- 2
- 0
Not everyone has the time to work on their car. And some of us would rather just pay someone to do the work. Personally, I don't have the time; and if I did have the time, I don't think I'd trust myself enough to change anything other than the headlights, brake lights.
The other thing is that when I might have a little bit of time to work on my car, that might be on the weekend, and there are other things I'd rather be doing.
alkemyst
No Lifer
- Feb 13, 2001
- 83,769
- 19
- 81
Almost anything in the world should be able to be done by anyone.
People can't even make it to the first day on the job without coming in stoned or sleeping through it. Also mechanical ability is not inherent. A lot of people think they are doing themselves a favor by doing it themselves, but they are simply setting the stage for future problems.
I frankly don't know, I'm the only person in my family who likes working on cars. My dad, who is lazy about them, wonders why his car runs like crap always asks for my advice on them. It's just some things are better left for you to do yourself to save money and learn how they work. But I feel the same way about computers so...
Siddhartha
Lifer
- Oct 17, 1999
- 12,505
- 3
- 81
My dad thought that knowing how to do basic car maintaince was an important part of my education. I learned how to change oil, filters, alternaters, starters, spark plugs, transmissions, etc on rear wheel drive full sized Fords.
When I got my first Acura, I looked under the hood and thought "we'll let the dealer's mechanics deal with this". The dealer mechanics do an excellent job and the dealer provides pick up and drop off service and loaners.
alkemyst
No Lifer
- Feb 13, 2001
- 83,769
- 19
- 81
It's really metric vs standard. The handful of specialty tools one would do on a case by case basis for home use.
I have all standard and metric from tiny to well over 1"/25mm. I think my biggest socket is 38mm.
Unless you have a tool collection to start or plan on using tools a lot, it makes no sense to do it yourself much of the time. I have been buying tools before I was 16 and had a 'first set' given to me. Now I rarely need to buy a tool.
At lot of homeowners I know go out and drop $5000-15000 on the shinest Snap On, Mac or Craftsman combo they can...get all covers and accessories and then proceed to never use them expect to put together stuff like sauder furniture or hang a picture
.
- Oct 28, 1999
- 62,484
- 8,345
- 126
He never said he worked 12 hours, simply that getting ready for work, and getting there and back took that much. Which for a lot of people isn't that far off.
Figure an hour to get ready, half an hour to an hour to get in and settled. Half an hour to an hour for lunch, and then another half an hour to an hour to get home.
That's 11-12 hours right there with only putting 8 hours per day on the clock.
Yeah, he's living in his own little world or something. He must have recently been screwed by a mechanic.
Hey, try it with two kids at home and both parents work. Yeah, there's a lot of extra time left over...
Hey, try it with two kids at home and both parents work. Yeah, there's a lot of extra time left over...
This thread is based on a myopic opinion that everyone "should" be able to work on their own car, and everyone "ought" to make time for it.
Not everyone is in that position, and it is very ignorant to assume that we are. Some of you are master mechanics who love and know their automobiles. Others of you may have plenty of free time and/or need to save the money you might pay a mechanic. Those are perfectly legitimate reasons to work on your own car.
Some of us enjoy our automobiles, but make a pretty good living and/or have limited free time. If you can't see the legitimacy of that position as well, you are simply closed-minded.
Not everyone is in that position, and it is very ignorant to assume that we are. Some of you are master mechanics who love and know their automobiles. Others of you may have plenty of free time and/or need to save the money you might pay a mechanic. Those are perfectly legitimate reasons to work on your own car.
Some of us enjoy our automobiles, but make a pretty good living and/or have limited free time. If you can't see the legitimacy of that position as well, you are simply closed-minded.
Zenmervolt
Elite member
- Oct 22, 2000
- 24,514
- 44
- 91
I don't work 12 hour days. However, I am not magically dressed, showered, and teleported to work the instant I wake up. I work 8:00am to 6:00pm typically, with a 1 hour lunch. And even though I technically try to stop working at 6:00, 90% of the time there's someone who stops me in the hall or one last urgent E-mail that comes in, and it's 6:30 by the time I'm in my car. Salaried folk (believe it or not, most adults are salaried) don't get to just stop as soon as the clock hits 5:00.
Of my collection of friends, my hours are on the low side for the professionals because I don't work on weekends or at night from home.
ZV
haha who even turns their rotors/drums anymore? Most people can have a new set put on for what it cost to get them turned, Flywheels on the otherhand....
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