Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Road Hog Mad]

You are an exception mr. Tunnie  8-)

 

When i first joined the forum, i had to have help doing an oil change!

Previous cars i never even lifted the bonnet in 20k except for windscreen washer fluid, learned everything through here!

Unlike a garage you can post up a noise, picture, video, description of an issue, and instead of a mechanic sucking air through his teeth and saying, ohh that sounds expensive.

You get people telling you exactly what the problem is, and exactly how to fix it for the best price!

[Lizzie_Zoom]

(with my ex, as well.........)

think we'll draw a veil over that, Lizzie, I'm too young to understand!!

  8-) 8-)

[Auto Addict]

Having just serviced the Astra, and discovering what had not been done, and what had been overtightened, I'll carry on doing basic servicing myself.

[vic]

Spent 40' odd years doing what I could for myself and the bits I couldn't do, I paid to have done. The personal centre of gravity has long since gone 'south which limits the time I can spend bending over a hot engine. Even though I may have my bus pass I still have the same insatiable appetite to know how things work that I had when I started out. My latest educational quest is to understand engine management systems. Yes, I do indeed envy those who understand more than me. I just have this in built 'need to understand and I hope I still have that thirst for knowledge in twenty more years.
Yes I could pay, but how do I learn doing that? I'd give my right arm still, for an invitation to 'look over someone's' shoulder whilst they do a job if I thought I could learn. Even bought the V6 cambelt video from the OOF shop recently. I drive a 4 potter but now I know how to do a V6. Perhaps that makes me sad, but i'm still learning and it feels good!
VC

[Abiton]

Tunnie's hit the nail on the head really, with taking your time and not taking shortcuts.

Quite a few jobs like breather cleaning, or diagnosing electrical faults for example, are simply not economically viable to get a garage to do for you.  If they did do a thorough job, you wouldn't want to pay the amount they'd want to charge, if they don't do a thorough job, the problem(s) will return or maybe not even have been solved.

I'm very slow at all car jobs, but I'd far rather spend time with my head under the bonnet than watching TV.

The only jobs I will ask a garage (or others on here) to help me with are ones I don't have the tools for, or the experience of.  Happily, over time, this is getting to be fewer and fewer things.

 

[plym ian]

when it comes to big jobs i take it to the garage but small jobs i do my self nothing more satisfing than swearing and taking a big hammer to it only to hit yourself on the knuckles and swearing some more. Garages rip you off i should know worked in one for 3 years plenty of scams to be had on unsuspecting old ladys £300 job for 10p fuse not right.

[barclay03]

For some people, yes... others, no.

Im lucky in the sense i have a garage full of tools, and in some cases, i even have tools that my mates garage dont have 

I do everything myself except MOT's (they go to a mate and done at employee price). I've been brought up to do everything myself, ranging from cars to fitting kitchens, bathrooms and windows. I grudge paying someone for something i can do myself  granted i cant always be bothered to do them, but i save a bundle 

[PhilRich]

Spent 40' odd years doing what I could for myself and the bits I couldn't do, I paid to have done. The personal centre of gravity has long since gone 'south which limits the time I can spend bending over a hot engine. Even though I may have my bus pass I still have the same insatiable appetite to know how things work that I had when I started out. My latest educational quest is to understand engine management systems. Yes, I do indeed envy those who understand more than me. I just have this in built 'need to understand and I hope I still have that thirst for knowledge in twenty more years.
Yes I could pay, but how do I learn doing that? I'd give my right arm still, for an invitation to 'look over someone's' shoulder whilst they do a job if I thought I could learn. Even bought the V6 cambelt video from the OOF shop recently. I drive a 4 potter but now I know how to do a V6. Perhaps that makes me sad, but i'm still learning and it feels good!
VC

Well said Vic, my sentiments exactly   

[waspy]

The only time i take my car to the garage is if i don't have the equipment for the job, if the equipment isn't expensive i'll buy it with the money i would have spent on labour.
As Tunnie says, take your time & alot can be achieved.
I saved Liz £142.50 by removing her exhaust & welding it, it'll now last until she sells the car.
It took me a couple of hours to do the job, but well worth it
I'll keep on doing my own repairs for as long as i can.
I like to change my oil very regular & it would cost me dear at a garage

[Lazydocker]

I simply don't trust garages... I worked in one

Having said that, my neighbour is a right PITA, which makes me want to do more!

See here for details

[cem_devecioglu]

I can do some of servicing in friends shop when there is a lift and the necessary tools.. and somebody handy when there is extra that I dont know where it comes from 

but seriously on messy jobs like heater matrix change or jobs that needs guarantee after, like cambelt change (which will cost a fortune in cases of disaster) or jobs that require tech 2 and some tests  I prefer the opel/vx service.. the fact is even a whole day job in service costs 100 £ and thats nothing compared to parts prices 

but if labor costs were 50-75 £/ hr I would deffo be a mechanic

[barclay03]

but if labor costs were 50-75 £/ hr I would deffo be a mechanic

average garage in my area charges £40-60/hour... their average wage for their mechanics is probably between £7-14/hour 

[mudflap]

Finding a reliably honest reasonably priced garage can be difficult, no wonder people do their own repairs and good luck to them, but bad news travels fast and surely any garage relies on good a reputation to stay in business?

My chosen establishment is efficient, clean and tidy, has their own web site, answers email queries straight away and tells you almost exactly what you will pay before they start work. 50 pounds an hour +vat  is average rate, they did a lovely job on my service, so hopefully will continue to do my jobs  - MOT next....

http://www.westharrowgarage.com/aboutus.php

[bob.dent]

I think it depends entirely on individual knowledge, confidence and circumstances. As others have said, during the 60's and 70's car maintenance was relatively easy as the engines and mechanics of the cars were nowhere near as complex as todays cars and you didn't need to plug in a computer to find out what was wrong. Special tools are needed for most jobs and obviously you need to have somewhere half decent to be able to work on them.
Unfortunately, I have very few of the the above attributes so have to rely on my garage (who do actually do a very good job at a reasonable price). It certainly has nothing to do with laziness or unwillingness to "have a go", it's just a necessity for some of us.

[Kiksomass]

I think confidence is the issue for me. Since joining the forum,I have attacked the prop.diff seal which was a pig. A few other minor jobs and have just watched JamesV6CDX do my cambelt twice now.Only because after the first time I had HG failure. I don't mind getting my hands dirty, but there are certain things which are crucial to get right. Having a bash at something is ok, IF the end result is a success. I will always try to DIY where possible and where confident.Having just paid out a large chunk of my hard earned,me and the car have fallen out . Yeah it's working,but I can still be seen sticking my two fingers up at it. Irrational maybe,but the love has gone.