3 ms·

You might want to pick up the Chilton's or Haynes manual for your vehicle and start from there. Most of these manuals will have a section describing how you pe

You might want to pick up the Chilton's or Haynes manual for your vehicle and start from there. Most of these manuals will have a section describing how you perform basic maintenance on the vehicle. It's how I learned.

bdamm 11y ago
What they don't teach you is the "tricks". Looking for an air leak using a spray bottle, putting anti-seize on engine bolts as you are reassembling engine parts (like an alternator attachment bolt!) or just how important correct torque and new fasteners are. And that doesn't even begin to touch the true magic in having a large collection of chemicals. Know when to use DC-4, WD-40, 33MS, brake cleaner, contact cleaner, and of course, GOJO.
- djrogers 11y ago
  I don't think any 101 classes going to get to that level of detail...
- abawany 11y ago
  I got into auto repair when I was swindled by an incompetent/unscrupulous mechanic in Austin in the 90s. Haynes/Chilton were quite reasonable starting points to learn the basics. I also spent a lot of time on automotive newsgroups and forums, which is how I absorbed the tribal knowledge such as the anti-seize tip above. E.g. if you own a Honda, you can get excellent help troubleshooting its quirks on honda-tech.com. It is where I learnt how to troubleshoot a failing input-shaft bearing on a transmission and how to find a very cheap interchangeable replacement that got me going again. It has been a fun journey and it is very nice to see through the utter nonsense most auto repair places spew. I would repeat that a community college course and/or Haynes is a good starting point and then it is off to the forum that caters to your car :).
  - lfowles 11y ago
    > I would repeat that a community college course and/or Haynes is a good starting point and then it is off to the forum that caters to your car :). To me, this is one of the most fascinating aspects of the internet. No matter your make or model, there is a dedicated forum for your car. And it's got plenty of active accounts.
    - abawany 11y ago
      Case in point - TIL that even Bristol Motors has a forum: http://www.bristolcars.info/forums/ http://www.bristolcars.info/forums/ .
macintux 11y ago
The photos in those things are awful. Tiny black and white pictures with little context or detail. Why do we not have tablet apps which allow you to see how everything fits together, how the drivetrain redistributes energy, etc?
- Gravityloss 11y ago
  There are actually lots of very informative car repair videos on youtube.
  - macintux 11y ago
    I agree, found some content I really like. I'd still love a wireframe view of my Jeep I could manipulate on my iPad.
    - peejaybee 11y ago
      I think that's a neat idea, but I personally would be nervous about smearing grease all over my tablet, or spilling fluids on it, or dropping it -- something that happens to almost every other tool at one point or another. As a reference away from the garage, it would be cool, but I would still want something I would feel safe having by my side as I work on the car.

bdamm 11y ago

What they don't teach you is the "tricks". Looking for an air leak using a spray bottle, putting anti-seize on engine bolts as you are reassembling engine parts (like an alternator attachment bolt!) or just how important correct torque and new fasteners are. And that doesn't even begin to touch the true magic in having a large collection of chemicals. Know when to use DC-4, WD-40, 33MS, brake cleaner, contact cleaner, and of course, GOJO.

djrogers 11y ago
I don't think any 101 classes going to get to that level of detail...
abawany 11y ago
I got into auto repair when I was swindled by an incompetent/unscrupulous mechanic in Austin in the 90s. Haynes/Chilton were quite reasonable starting points to learn the basics. I also spent a lot of time on automotive newsgroups and forums, which is how I absorbed the tribal knowledge such as the anti-seize tip above. E.g. if you own a Honda, you can get excellent help troubleshooting its quirks on honda-tech.com. It is where I learnt how to troubleshoot a failing input-shaft bearing on a transmission and how to find a very cheap interchangeable replacement that got me going again. It has been a fun journey and it is very nice to see through the utter nonsense most auto repair places spew. I would repeat that a community college course and/or Haynes is a good starting point and then it is off to the forum that caters to your car :).
- lfowles 11y ago
  > I would repeat that a community college course and/or Haynes is a good starting point and then it is off to the forum that caters to your car :). To me, this is one of the most fascinating aspects of the internet. No matter your make or model, there is a dedicated forum for your car. And it's got plenty of active accounts.
  - abawany 11y ago
    Case in point - TIL that even Bristol Motors has a forum: http://www.bristolcars.info/forums/ http://www.bristolcars.info/forums/ .

macintux 11y ago

The photos in those things are awful. Tiny black and white pictures with little context or detail. Why do we not have tablet apps which allow you to see how everything fits together, how the drivetrain redistributes energy, etc?

Gravityloss 11y ago
There are actually lots of very informative car repair videos on youtube.
- macintux 11y ago
  I agree, found some content I really like. I'd still love a wireframe view of my Jeep I could manipulate on my iPad.
  - peejaybee 11y ago
    I think that's a neat idea, but I personally would be nervous about smearing grease all over my tablet, or spilling fluids on it, or dropping it -- something that happens to almost every other tool at one point or another. As a reference away from the garage, it would be cool, but I would still want something I would feel safe having by my side as I work on the car.