The Car Maintenance Thread

[coffee]

Why a car maintenance thread?

I think that alot of techs would benefit from a new area about maintaining there vehicals. Although its not a real I.T subject it is important to maintain your vehical and you can do it yourself to save money.

This time of year is when business will slow down as clients are busy with vacations and such. This is a perfect time to donate some time to getting those annoying problems fixed with your vehical. Perhaps also posting links to money saving sites that offer a better price on parts, How to fix things your self and such. If you think about it, If you can get a 400 dollar repair done your self for only 75 bucks then its well worth it to try. Besides, You can even offer advice, pics ect... to others to help them out.

I have just this year started doing all maintenance on my vehical. It shouldnt see the inside of a shop unless its something really major that I cannot handle. With a small investment in tools I have already saved myself hundreds of dollars that can be funneled back into the business for advertising and parts for repair.

My take on the top tools to invest in for your DIY repair:

1. Hydraulic floor jack - This is not a very expensive item and I purchased mine from 'Harbor Freight'. The model is a 1.5 ton capacity and makes lifting the car pretty darn easy.

2. Jack Stands - Also from HF and should be considered a must
3. Impact Wrench - What a time saver! They range from inexpensive to expensive of course but for the weekend warrior like us a basic model will do. They are great for removing tires in a hurry and other things. I have a 18V model that will do 300fpt.

Also, What I recommend highly is http://www.ericthecarguy.com/

I find the ETCG has a wealth of videos on you tube that go into how to do repairs the right way, What tools are needed ect... What makes ETCG so unique is that its real hands on work in the real world, Very helpful tips and tool recommendations. Although its geared towards Automotive Mechanics, ETCG is great because he is like the 'Technibbles' of car repair and troubleshooting. I highly recommend his videos. Its amazing. Repairs that you never thought you could do - Bearing hubs, brakes, suspension, ect are actually not that hard on todays cars. I make it a practice to watch a video or two whenever I have some downtime. Eric also has a forum if you wish to join.

So, I say lets see if this thread can keep going. I think its worth it and its going to save you money.

coffee

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Firm believer in this. My dad taught me to work on cars since I was, oh...probably before 12 years old. He had me help him change the oil, do spark plugs, rotate tires, etc.

By the time I had my first car...I was able to do things like put in new valve covers, adjust the valves, replace the starter, replace alternators, change drive shafts, rear end, brakes, replace water pumps, replace radiators, change hoses, upgrade carbs, exhausts, etc.

Years ago I used to love Jeeps, had 3x of 'em, did lots of organized off road runs...some seriously heavy off roading. Did several lift kits myself, custom suspension parts, etc. Swap trannies.

My current motorcycle...have had the whole engine apart, took jugs off last summer, just over the past week I had the whole primary (inner too) removed, all new seals, disassemble and cleaned and reassembled the starter and solenoid, cleaned whole clutch, tonight doing rear brake.

I couldn't afford an old Harley if I had to pay some mechanic to work on it. I love doing it myself anyways.

A month ago I was running jackhammer in my backyard chiseling away at the 36" thick concrete deck to get to plumbing.

 

[frederick]

My father made sure I knew how to take care of a car as well. If I had the time, I'd love to be doing it to my truck. But I find it easier for me to drop the truck off and steal my wifes car.

So many little things can be done yourself: Oil, tires (rotating), most other fluids, some of the pumps, belts, etc.

Brakes...while I can do my own brakes, I prefer to take it to a mechanic. Since I had kids, I'm more paranoid in the car with them. And I trust my mechanic so...

But maintaining your car isn't just about money. It's about pride of ownership.

 

[coffee]

I come from a history of having some pretty old and beat up cars. The bolts were always rusted on and other typical headaches. So, I quit doing my own servicing and let others do it. Big Mistake! Its just you save so much money in doing things your self and yes - The pride of ownership is a big thing.

So far what I have done myself:

1. Oil Change - Switched to synthetic instead of regular oil.
2. Front and rear brake jobs - My car has disks all around. Saved big money doing that and could afford really nice pads.
3. Electrical repair - Installed aftermarket radio.


Things I am gearing up for:

1. I have a ABS warning that has been traced to the right rear hub assembly. So, I will be replacing that myself.

2. I have a 'klunk' when first turning the steering wheel in either direction. This is a one time klunk when turning it either way. Happens all the time in the beginning of the wheel even when not moving. Probably a famous steering gear issue. I dont know if that is something I will even think about fixing. Just annoying.

3. Have to replace the coolent. Im sure its getting kinda ripe.

coffee

 

[Moltuae]

2. I have a 'klunk' when first turning the steering wheel in either direction. This is a one time klunk when turning it either way. Happens all the time in the beginning of the wheel even when not moving.

My guess would either be a front suspension arm bush or a track rod end (aka tie rod end) ball joint. You can sometimes find the offending joint by getting under the car and inspecting each for any play. You may need to raise the wheels off the ground though (depending on your suspension setup) and you may need to use a pry bar.

 

[Steve202]

My attitude to fixing my car is generally like this.

1. Spot a problem.
2. If I know the fix, do it. If not Google it.
3. Find problem on Google, think yep I can fix that no problem.
4. Get someone else to do it.

I used to do everything on my cars but got lazy with it.

 

[jbartlett323]

Yup, working on your own cars is definitely a great thing!

I claim a PHD in "Backyard Mechanics". I can fix just about anything that ails a car, except strangely the electrical systems. Gettin better with em, but electronics are such a PITA that it takes me a really long time...

My cars have only seen a paid mechanic for new tires and alignments. Well, there was that one time that I traded an onsite diag for a few minutes of rack time, to find out that I had forgot a washer on my stabilizer arm when I replaced my '02 Nissan SE-R Spec-V's front bushings. But that don't really count, I didn't really pay for it, and the diag was "No Problem Found".

Most recent project was the rear trailing arm bushings on my wife's 03 Mazda. Turned into replacing all 14 bushings... which required replacing a couple of stabilizer arms on both sides, pressing out bushings, pressing in bushings, lots of cussing, one stuck bolt that had to be cut and replaced, some more cussing, and new sway bar linkage. Yeah it was a good time!
This weekend I get to replace the fuel lines in a '01 Seadoo. Also gotta remove the carbs are clean the internal carb filter without screwing with any adjustments, else I'll be re-tuning too. All before I can ride it

Anyway, www.rockauto.com is a great site for ordering your parts! Always cheaper after shipping than my local parts stores. I usually buy the big items there, then get the piddly stuff locally.

 

[mr m]

I also do my own wrenching. Air tools rule. My tool boxes are taller than my wife!

To the OP. Jack up your front end (I see you have jack stands) and have a helper turn the wheel back and forth. No need to start the engine yet. Watch your fingers! Listen and watch all the steering/suspension components. Check for any looseness. Grab each front wheel at 12 and 6 o'clock. Rock it. Repeat at 3 and 9.

Make sure you inspect the ball joints and upper/lower control arm bushings. If you have front wheel drive also check the CV joints. They are notorious for clicking/clunking when you are turning. The boot gets torn and the grease oozes out.

 

[coffee]

Well, Now that I have my own trusty new impact wrench Im ready to take on the beast! Actually, My IW purchase was based on availability. I couldnt find the one I wanted which was a DeWalt 20V 1/2 impact wrench. Settled on a lesser brand but it seems to work ok. Used it to put a new serpentine belt on my girlfriends Malibu. Had to remove one of the engine mounts.


@jbartlett323 - ROCK AUTO - Yep, That does seem to be a good parts site. I found my rear bearing hub for 98 bucks there. At Autozone they want 150 bucks. So, I will be ordering that soon .


Good comments everyone.

coffee

 

[jbartlett323]

Yeah, I order from RockAuto all the time. Shipping is fast, pricing is great, and they send you a fridge magnet with a cool car on it too!

I always try to pay attention to the items with the "heart" beside it, as those are there most popular part, and therefore mainstream. Depending on the part, I will also scroll past the economy parts. Little more expensive, and sometime more than local, but local is gonna be economy. Some parts (like ball joint and tie rod ends) need to be a little better quality, and they give you that option without breaking the bank!

 

[Geek007]

Very good idea Coffee, perhaps Bryce could create a separate section on the forum for this lol.
I think generally these days people are fairly financially aware and obviously don't like being ripped off by various garages. Me personally, since I was born I've had a fascination (for want of a better word), for finding out how various things work, and due to circumstances, decided that I wanted to know how cars functioned, and so it went from there.....
Basically, if I can do it myself, I usually will.
Got various tools, socket sets, spanners, trolley jack, impact gun etc etc.
And yes, I love the satisfaction of knowing that I've done the job myself, and done it right and saved a little bit of money in the process.
Oh, and before I forget, yep, the likes of ETCG and Scotty Kilmer have certainly helped.
Thanks guys.

 

[Kitten Kong]

Completely off topic here.. In a way anyhow.

Question re insurance.

do you guys in the US have to insure each vehicle separately?. Or is it one certificate covers all your cars?

Only reason I ask, is I watch Storage wars (as an example), and there is one guy on there called Barry. Who must have the strangest collection of cars, I think I have ever seen!.

Also when I watch programs such as Garage Monkey etc, they always seem to buy cars, where there are a large number around..

Over here in the UK, we have to insure each car singly, which as you can imagine costs us a bomb in premiums.

Cheers guys

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Private owners...yup, individual.

Garages such as you may see on TV....they have a "dealership" policy (same with registration plates)...sorta umbrella like.

 

[Kitten Kong]

Thanks for that stoney. Pretty much the same as over here.

Makes me wonder then, when you see all these classic car collections (private) how much they actually pay for insurance then.

Especially when you see old decrepit cars, which haven't been ran for over 20 years, or these barn finds.. :/

 

[jbartlett323]

Thanks for that stoney. Pretty much the same as over here.

Makes me wonder then, when you see all these classic car collections (private) how much they actually pay for insurance then.

Especially when you see old decrepit cars, which haven't been ran for over 20 years, or these barn finds.. :/

Most of those dont pay insurance. You only need insurance if your driving the car, or its parked in a public location. If its parked on your private lot, dont waste money on insuring it, outside of property insurance. Most of those classic cars are trailered to their shows, not driven. And obviously the decrepit ones dont need no stinkin 'surance!

Also, in most cases if you want to drive it, then you can get insurance on it that day, provided you have valid registration, which on classic cars can be purchased in 20yr or lifetime increments, depending on state.

 

[mr m]

A couple of tips for you guys. Buy the shop manual for your vehicle. Not the Chiltons or Clymer wannabees but the factory manuals. I paid $115 for a two book set for my wifes car and I found a free service manual for my truck online. They are invaluable.

Also consider an online subscription to Alldata. You don't need what the pros buy but they will sell you access for one particular vehicle. All the mechanics in my area subscribe.

 

[Moltuae]

Over here in the UK, we have to insure each car singly, which as you can imagine costs us a bomb in premiums.

You can group-insure vehicles over here too, usually with a trade policy.

On such policies, it's common to have 'named' vehicles and/or 'named' drivers, depending on who you want to be able to drive what.

Because of my numerous links to the automotive trade, I'm insured through a trade policy (when I'm not repairing computers, I develop/design vehicle ECUs). Both myself and my car are 'named', which allows me to drive any vehicle, or for anyone to drive my car, fully insured.


EDIT: Just to add though ... trade insurance policies aren't cheap!

 

[mikeroq]

Sadly I let my car run low on oil so yea. But before that I:
- Changed the water pump
- Changed Thermostat

General:
- Changed / rotated tires

On my cousins car:
- Spark plugs, wires
- Oil change
- Radiator/cooling system flush
- Thermostat (one bolt rusted broke off, finally got it out)

I'm currently in an apartment, hopefully in a couple months I can rent a house hopefully with a two car garage and I can tool up and pull my engine and work on getting my car running. Finances are a little tight but I've reduced some bills so that will get me some cash finally.

 

[SilverLeaf]

A couple of tips for you guys. Buy the shop manual for your vehicle. Not the Chiltons or Clymer wannabees but the factory manuals. I paid $115 for a two book set for my wifes car and I found a free service manual for my truck online. They are invaluable.

Also consider an online subscription to Alldata. You don't need what the pros buy but they will sell you access for one particular vehicle. All the mechanics in my area subscribe.

Good advice. Also, don't overlook internet forums for your specific model or platform of vehicle. There are online forums dedicated to specific vehicles for all three of the models I currently own, and they have been great sources of information in tracking down and troubleshooting problems that were particular to these vehicles, including an A/C problem that turned out to be a bad solder joint in the circuit board of the ETC unit in the dash. No way I could have tracked that down had someone on the forum not mentioned that they had come across the issue before.

Often these forums will be populated by retired service managers and mechanics, as well as other enthusiasts. They are great resources.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Thanks for that stoney. Pretty much the same as over here.

Makes me wonder then, when you see all these classic car collections (private) how much they actually pay for insurance then.

Especially when you see old decrepit cars, which haven't been ran for over 20 years, or these barn finds.. :/

I'll ask a friend of mine that does insurance, he's in my BNI group, I heard him say one day he has a special package for collectors of classics. I believe it's a greatly reduced rate if you setup a car under one of these deals, under the premise that you drive each car < [some low number} of miles/annually. Like...you car goes out maybe 3 weekends per year...less than a thousand miles per year total. Something like that.