OT: DIY or Give up.

[Vincent Vega]

I have been my own mechanic for the better part of 25 years. I know my limits(broken/rusted parts). I went about the seemingly minor task of changing plugs on my 2006 Lucerne(Northstar V8). Front bank was a no brainer. Rear bank had a sight cover and EGR valve in the way. Easy right? I gotta tell ya....(Wisconsin speak). I have done some tight repairs in the past, but that EGR valve kicked my butt. Got all the plugs and coils in without trouble, but could not get the EGR valve/gasket/pipe/bracket to line up to save my life. I dropped a bolt and the gasket into the abyss between the engine and trans in the process. Found the bolt and retrieved it. I eventually found the gasket..... where it will lie until the transmission is pulled. I felt like cars have finally passed me by. Like most of us hobbyist wrenchers, I love the challenge of fixing my own cars. This was so frustrating. My question to my fellow home wrenchers is; what car made you give up on working on your regular/daily car(ie.. Wifes car)?

[Ronnie]

I know my limits. I gave up and took my Chevy Blazer to a mechanic, who had experience in doing the job, when I read in the service manual that steering column had to be dropped and the entire dash had to come out just to put in a new heater core. I think that might have been the best 250 bucks I ever spent.

[padgett]

My problem is more having the time to do things. I have everything needed to do almost anything here but have so many other things going on that I rarely get out to the garage.

[DAVES89]

I do simple things and mostly swap out of components. A man has to know his limitations.

My two best friends are very mechanical. I tease them sometimes that I break things just so I can watch them fix them.

But I still enjoy junking and don't mind pulling Reatta/Riv parts.

[handmedownreatta]

my hardest reatta project was changing the thermostat.i thought id never get the cover back in.its still unlevel but its not leaking.

[KDirk]

Ahh,

but that is one of the principal reasons why the newest car I own is a 1995. And it is a [non-northstar] Deville, so still fairly standard GM stuff all around, even if there are some tight spots under the hood. The Reatta is a comparative pleasure to work on (though that isn't saying much) relative to almost any newer car (say post 2000 model year) I've had occasion to tinker with.

As bad as a FWD/transverse engine setup can be to work on in the Reatta or Deville, new(ish) cars, particularly the few imports I've messed with [Kia and Hyundai most notably], are a nightmare riddled with blind "black holes" where parts can fall and never be seen again. Of course, these are compact cars, so some of that is expected.

My sister owns a Mercedes SUV. Nice vehicle (as one should expect from MB) but look under the hood, and basically everything has been concealed by trim and beauty covers. Granted, they are not expecting DIY repairs on this stuff, but I imagine the dealer techs must curse all this extra (and needless) effort just to get a repair job underway.

Mom owns a Saturn Aura (2008, pretty much from the tail end of their run) and it is a nice car and still clearly GM but even it is a lot more trouble to work on. Luckily, it is new enough I've not been called on to do much but change a battery - so far. My biggest concern is a combination of perennially lacking time, and what advancing age (yeah, I'm only 39 but now time, or at least my perception thereof, is passing noticeably faster) will do to my ability and willingness to handle all my own work. I detest the idea of buying a new car with the payments and taxes and such, but understand that having the warranty is desirous to avoid the hassle of doing ones own repairs; provided one lacks the time/tools/knowledge, etc.

I can't see myself doing all this stuff - at least to the same extent - in 25 years. Joint problems and reduced energy will probably put a big damper on my capabilities as a mechanic, even assuming I stay healthy and in decent shape. Of course, I could get killed any time just working on a car (have come uncomfortably close at least once when a strut spring popped out of the compression tool) so tend not to obsess much about how torn up I will be in another quarter century. Pleasant thoughts, no doubt.

I do lament the thought of my current fleet having to be retired at some point, well before I am ready to stop driving. It is probably a pipe dream to expect any of these three cars to be on the road in another 30 to 40 years, as parts will just not be available for many things. I do not expect even a modest reproduction market Reatta parts, and have even less expectation of such for Caddy. Even if they can be kept rust free and the electronics hold out, I figure another 20 years is about as good as I will get, as most of the worn out original parts I've replaced lasted about that long. If they have the same life expectancy the second time around (and probably don't due to cost cutting and outsourced manufacturing) I might just about double their present lifespan.

KDirk

[D-a-n-i-e-l]

I have never gave up on a job. Just go buy the right tool, which is always less than the $100+ per hour most shops are charging. If you do not have the the stuby gear wrench racheting sets are a life saver.

Also I do not trush any one elses work. the few times I have let the wife tack her car in (total of 6 times when I was deployed) only once has the job came back with no issues on workmanship, safety concerns, or having to educate a service department tech. Pretty sad when you consider it has been dealers every time, except the one trip to Jiffylube.

The one time I had Gm work on my blazer (traveling with limitted tools) They some mannaged to get a single nut inside the oil pan. Still have not figured that one out.

[harry yarnell]

I can handle most anything mechanical, but a 2000 Ford E350 bucket truck with the V8 is impossible to change the spark plugs. You can't SEE them, nor feel for them.

[NCReatta]

Some things I know I'm just better paying a professional. Window motors, harmonic balancers, a/c shocks, etc are stuff I won't touch. I feel that I'll inevitably break something that I'll have to pay the mechanic more to fix in the end.

[Barney Eaton]

It does seem the manufacturers are determine to make the car "throw away" after some period of time. Sometimes it is the difficulty in replacing the part and other times it is the availabity/price.

My recent experiences....

Son-in-law 2003 Lexus (he purchased new) had a humming behind the dash, dealer diagnosed the problem as a stepping motor that controls the heat/ac .... $700 parts/labor to fix.....he lived with it until they told him it needed struts... he purchase a new Lexus.

Grandaughter Mazda 3 headlight was out (this past Xmas season) she was working dawn to dark so the grandson and I went to her work to replace a simple headlight bulb (temp was about 35F) After removing a air cleaner support we could see the wire/plug for the headlight. Barely enought room to get you fingers in the hole, neither of us could unplug the connector. With the help of a screwdriver it came out. We found there was a bulb, adaptor, gasket, and rear plug. The rear plug and adaptor were almost seized together, we never got them apart. In forcing the assembly out, we bent the spring clip that holds the bulb into its socket. With our almost frozen fingers we finally got everything back together, but it needs to be addressed again when the weather warms.........I have also put a curse on some Japanese designer and he will rot in a retirement home installing these bulbs.

Buddy with Nissen Pathfinder V6 wanted help finding his PVC valve.....he had a new one but could not find the old one. Internet search showed where it should be but we never found the valve....... quit and had a beer.

Last thought, can you imagine todays hybrids needing repair in 10 years? Will there be parts available? What will they cost? Can you replace them without getting electrocuted?

Please do not complaine about the Reatta being too hard to work on.

[padgett]

Well for less than the state tax on my new heep I purchased a lifetime warranty (transferrable) from the manufacturer so anything goes wrong from the a/c to the window lifts, it is their problem. And for 10% of the warranty cost I have the service manual on DVD arriving.

As usual the heep is multipurpose - carries four people in comfort, gets better mpg than a Reatta even when towing one (rated for 5,000 lbs), provides an OBD-2 testbed for my tablets, and believe it or don't, there have been significant improvements in vehicles in the last 20 years. I like having a DOHC six with 300 hp, 4whl disks. ABS/TC, IFS/IRS, and if there is a meltdown it will run on the product of a backyard still. Also like never taking the key-thing out of my pocket, is the next generation in RKE.

So am set for the next decade or so. Doesn't mean I won't piddle around though. Do need to get the rubber pads under my new lift so it does not move (whole new meaning of "portable").

[D-a-n-i-e-l]

I can handle most anything mechanical, but a 2000 Ford E350 bucket truck with the V8 is impossible to change the spark plugs. You can't SEE them, nor feel for them.

Is it diesel? Just kidding. We just gave four of them to DABS (the Afghanistan electric company)

[Guest steveskyhawk]

My take on DIY is twofold. The most important thing to do is carefully pick your battles. If you lack the tools, a lift, the experience or the disposal of Hazmat is necessary, the job is better left to the pros.

Even simple stuff like a waterpump is sometimes better left to the pros. If your car is a daily driver the pros will have you back on the road sooner. If there are other unforseen problems they can be fixed at the same time and you are back in business. People that do these repairs every day also know who sells the least problematic part for the money. We have all been the rebuilt alternator route. Even though they are warranteed the labor charges arent, and who wants to install 4 of them to find the first three were defective. My mechanic (Harrington) chooses OEM for some items because other sources have been problematic. The dealer part is often times more expensive but the quality is often times better. When you install 10 waterpumps or alternators a week you will know which source is best. With the pros you are paying for this experience. They dont want to see you back.

If you do need to have your car worked on finding a good mechanic is good fun in my opinion. I like to talk to people and see different shops and businesses. I first look to buisnesses in the area that have "car guys". I tell them what era cars I need work on and then go talk to the people they referred me to. I write as they talk. (Nobody is interested in taking time out to talk to you if you aren't paying attention.) I then follow up. When you find a shop that you seem to feel good about give them an easy job. See how they do on that. Dont go to a shop cold turkey and tell them you need an evaporator core in your Reatta. I hope you see my point.

Somtimes it is best to "open the car up" prior to dropping the car off. If you decide to have your window motors replaced and/or the door lock actuators I find it is best to remove the doorpanels yourself. They are fragile and you can take your time. It may even save you a little labor time. If you decide to install new speakers and dynamat you will end up with a better job. FWIW

[Vincent Vega]

Good discussion, gang. I do have my "go to" garage for some jobs. This job seemed easy enough. I had a horrible experience with my 1997 Aurora at a dealership. That will keep me away from dealer service forever. Story time: They had to bore out the block to insert helicoil to repair a coolant leak. I keep my cars very clean and was disgusted to see all the metal shavings under the hood when I got it home. Fast forward two days and I have zero oil pressure. Pulled the oil filter and cut it open. It was full of metal. Put it in a bag, called the dealer and they took care of it no charge. Car never ran the same. I never went back.

So, I'll be little more selective on what I'm going to tackle on the newer cars. Thanks again.

VV