Motivation lost

[wavinwayne]

On Saturday, my FIL calls to ask if I'll help him change the plugs in his '02 Tahoe 5.3L. I say sure, and head to his house. He can't get the plug wires off, so I reach in and give it a try. I couldn't get them off, either. After about 5 minutes, my FIL says, "Looks like the wires are stuck on there; I think I'll just take it to the shop on Monday". I don't argue with him. I didn't feel like doing plugs anyway. I think it's about time I pass my BITOGer hard-core DIY'er card on to the next generation.

 

[MONKEYMAN]

Sounds like a good call. Why work harder then you need to?

 

[Pablo]

Thank the stars you didn't did break a boot/wire.

 

[Kestas]

It's tough when your friends (or family) want you to service their car at their place. You never know which tools you'll need. Had your FIL taken his Tahoe to your place, I'm sure you could have done more to help him with all your tools nearby.

 

[ChiTDI]

Yeah, tough call.
I may be looking to stand in line with you guys too.
Not a lot of "next generation" wrench turners though. Interests in file size and gigabyes kind of replacing talk about cubic inches and differential ratios with the next gen.

 

[Cutehumor]

I agree, motivation for someone's else vehicle is different than if it was your vehicle. Especially when my dad nags me about his brake pads, fan belt, and 3k oil changes all the time. I did some maintenance for him as a favor, look at his Sentra headgasket leaking UOAs. He sees how much money he saved, now he expects it all the time.

 

[Challenger71]

Kestas nailed it, why go through the hassle when you have to do the driving and then do the labor when you get there? Without the right tools your working blind.

 

[eljefino]

Spark plugs are iffy b/c I like changing them cold but I like having all my tools around which means at home base.

Idiot coworker needs some desperately on his sunfire... but I'm afraid they're siezed in pretty good. He does want to borrow my tools, I want to let him, we both know he's going to

 

[Drew99GT]

I'm right there with you Wayne. Now that the weather is warming up, the last thing I want to do is screw around with car maintenance.

That's why I'm slowly leaning out my hoard of conventional oil and stocking up on cheap/on sale synthetics so I can extend oil changes.

 

[demarpaint]

If someone asks me for my help with their car it's at my house or I don't do it. Murphy's Law will nail you every time. Even with the most simple repairs, its not worth it!

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: ChiTDI
Yeah, tough call.
I may be looking to stand in line with you guys too.
Not a lot of "next generation" wrench turners though. Interests in file size and gigabyes kind of replacing talk about cubic inches and differential ratios with the next gen.


I've solved that. I only provide moral support unless my son screws up. It's an apprenticeship program. I can often be seen forming my right hand into some odd finger configuration and placing it upon my son's temple ..saying "REMEMBER". All these things are acquired skills and require hands on familiarity.

 

[oilboy123]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
If someone asks me for my help with their car it's at my house or I don't do it. Murphy's Law will nail you every time. Even with the most simple repairs, its not worth it!


Amen on that......

My Dad and my only Daughter are spoiled by me working on their cars. When they have to pay a real car bill they get sticker shock.

 

[demarpaint]

My son realized sticker shock when he joined the Navy, sold his Blazer and bought a 00 BMW 323i. I did all the work on the Blazer. Since the BMW is now 3000 miles away he got some sticker shock having it serviced, all the little things I did.

Everett Washington is close to where he's stationed. Or should I say was stationed, he just arrived in Afghanistan again.

 

[sciphi]

My friend and I are swapping maintenance in a few weeks. One weekend we'll do his car, then turn around and do mine.

Both of us are young guys in our mid-20's, and DIY as much as we can. My fiancee loves/hates my DIY streak. We've come to terms with it. She controls the bills and talks me out of irrational purchases, although she has been directly responsible for my spendier not-strictly-maintenance car purchases that she basically told me to do or else. Although, I have to say, she was right about the last one!

Nobody taught me, I kinda taught myself by doing oil changes at first, then working on up.

 

[demarpaint]

When I was younger I did the same thing. It ended being I was the go to guy for car problems. It started with basic oil changes, and tune ups. It lead to exhaust work, clutches, valve jobs, engine swaps, complete rebuilds you name it. Glad I learned, I've saved thousands over the years.

What I did to help build up my tool box was calculated what I saved each time I did a job. Took half that amount and bought tools with it. From time to time I still do the same thing.

Show your fiancee some of that cash you're saving in the form of a dinner or a nice gift. She might just appreciate the DYI'er she's going to marry! If she's stopping irrational purchases she's doing you good!

Good luck!
Frank D

 

[wavinwayne]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
My friend and I are swapping maintenance in a few weeks. One weekend we'll do his car, then turn around and do mine.

Both of us are young guys in our mid-20's, and DIY as much as we can...


Late 30's here, with wife and 2 young children that keep me on my toes. I no longer have time for others' maintenance; I can barely keep up with my own. In fact, the plugs in my GTI are way past their freshness date. Such is the family life..

 

[Audi Junkie]

I don't do any work on OP cars now, nor do I even give advice. I'm sick of it and frankly, noone seems to appreciate it that much. Save a lil money here, gain a lil performance there...bite me. I won't even pump up a near flat tire for anyone except my wife or Mom.I grew up being helpful and friendly, maybe now I'll be a **** and laugh at them when they are down.

My 40's female cousin is driving the wheels off her Dad's 99 Malibu w/150k. Not even that it had the roof welded back on from a tree strike, or it's one of the most unsafe cars on the road, she is hyper-sensitive to "criticisim". She'll spend $500 a set on the oddball sized tires at "same" shop her Dad went to rather than look at some common sized Tire Rack specials at 1/2 the price. It needed a PS rack because noone would bother to top the fluid, yet alone flush it...$600. Same deal with the radiator and she griped that she did not have the money for brakes. TFB. She had money for $600 eyeglasses (not kidding) and her daughter would drop $400 on hairdoos.

I got nothing more than a blank stare or eye roll when I offered to do that kind of stuff on the car a few years ago. I did at least one or two brake jobs on her kid's cars, at least they appreciated it, but basicly a lame "drive it till it breaks" attitude prevails. Now I'll just wait for the TBs to snap and the trannys to fry and give back the same eye roll and "too busy to care" attitude they gave me.

Part of the prob there was her Dad was a union rep and had a company car w/ gas card. Not only did he never do ANY car services, that kind of kowledge was not passed down. Contrast to our Grandfather, who worked 30+ years as a Master Olds mechanic.

As for the Malibu, a smart person could have replaced it for the same money as the mindless repairs (probally a rip-off job anyway). She is one of those smart-dumb people who don't know when topull the plug. It's dull finish and drives like [censored] with bald tires. Do I care, no. She won't replace it because of the "fear of the unknown" that grips that side of the family. I still do some minimal things for MiL and nephew/niece on that side.

When it comes down to the "Clark fixing it or it exploding" dilemma, I'm now too busy. TFB.

 

[Steve S]

I only work on my stuff ,although I help some of my favorite people.

 

[Audi Junkie]

btw- before the Malibu, she had a Montana w/extended warranty. No usefull lessons there. It had, inline with expected reliability, MASSIVE repair bills that the warranty covered. She thought it was great though and would probally buy another. Sold it to her sister, lol. the same sister that has gone through several broken timing belts and sludged engines in her Passat, only to get another Passat. (bad control arms, wheel bearings, ABS, PS racks et al)

Is it me or are most people so car-dumb?

I did form a theory of dichotomy from some of my interactions. Those people think every car is great until proven bad, I say that everything is [censored] until proven good. Those two approaches should, in theory, get to the same point from different directions, but they actually don't.

 

[JHZR2]

Look at it another way - you spurred the economy by hiring a shop tech for an hour or two...

Ive found that if the money is there to pay for the job, and the stress level increases because of something not going right - its better to take it to be done. So long as there is the opportunity for control of the parts chosen (e.g. OEM spark plugs, etc.), then all is well.

Maintaining vehicles for most of us at least is meant to be fun and enjoyable... a learning situation perhaps. When it isnt, it is not worth it unless trying to really save, full of energy and time, or trying to learn how to do it...