Depending on your level of expertise ,always been interested in how much our members actually do themselves.

looking at the results surprised me. I expected Lexus owners to be unwilling to get their hands dirty! Seems I'm not the only muckyun here

with all the cars I've owned (buying/swapping/bartering/etc... is a hobby) - I really don't do much MYSELF -
I've learned to diagnose many prob's & know roughly what has ta be done -
but I don't have the patience ta do it myself -
I know a few guys who will do it in their spare time for $$ or ??? -

my father & younger brother love messing with cars, but they don't flip'em like I do -
they keep theirs forever -

I know where ta put the ignition key -
that's all I need ta know

~T~

I've done engine rebuilds and such on older american vehicles, and a few older Japanese. I've done alot of my own work on my '84 Benz, too. Got handy repairing electrical issues on the Audi's I've owned. But if this Lexus needs anything near major, I'll pay someone else to mess with it. Cars ain't near as fun to tear into as they were 30 years ago!

I wrenched on British sports cars back in the late 60's and 70's, have rebuilt Jaguar XKE engine, Mercedes 190e engine, Ford A4ld automatic transmission. (all successfully) and maintained all of my other cars. I did not rebuild my Lexus Tranny because I thought Lexus was going to help compensate, ( yeh right) . Have done everything else on my lexus including adding Filter on the transmission, Left Axle shaft, and any and all electrical problems.. Rebuilt the Alternator (new bearing and brushes) just trying to keep ahead,,, Replaced both front shocks and shock mounts. Many years ago used to race a Triumph TR-250 over in Spain and maintained all of my friends Bristish cars...Yea I can do it, but dont enjoy it anymore...

The only thing I ever go to a mechanic for is wheel alignment. I have several friends who went through technician training and one who builds custom cars in his garage, so I can get diagnostics from them if I can't figure it out myself. I just hate the thought of paying double just because I don't want to put in the effort myself.

One of my New Years resolutions is to be able to tear down and rebuild an engine with little to no assistance by the end of the year.

Been wrenching with my dad since I could walk, he was a tech. I went to school and got my degree and the whole bit and now I work at Lexus here in Texas.

i can change a fuse

I answered I let somoene else do the work, but I used to work on my car.

After college and with work, I just don't have the time. I find it's better to pay someone else to do it because personal time as gotten too valuable to me.

I do as much as I possibly can myself, and when I can't or don't have the necessary tools I bring it in. Mainly, I'll do most everything except pulling out engine/tranny and rebuilding.

I actually just started wanting to do stuff on my own. Mainly to save money, but I like the fact that I know how to do certain things. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Stay clean is my motto. Hey, that's what latex gloves are for. I've been an aerospace machinist (25+ yrs ... we're the folks who take apart and put together your helicopters, 747's, space shuttles etc) and an attorney (14+ yrs bankruptcy & tax), all bunched into one person. Just because you CAN do it doesn't mean you have to / want to. The complexity of both fields are like taking apart and putting together puzzles. But after years & years ... ANYthing is bound to get old. Heck, just making it past age 50 makes it a whole lot tougher to get accross the lap pool

Didn't like how my father gave so much money to his mechanic without really knowing what was going on and not really getting the problem solved. This was a person my dad thought he could trust. In the end, he was overcharging for shoddy work, even with my dad taking him out to eat for all the work we gave to him.... In the end, found a better mechanic and good person to handle his car.

So the lesson I took away, learn to do maintenance and repairs, and leave the big jobs to a good indy or dealership!

That's what I hear many mechanics tell enthusiasts who are interested in becoming mechanics. Fun to work on your car in your spare time, but once you do it for a living, it becomes a grind!

I will only go to a mechanic if (1) I don't have the knowledge or the tools or (2) I don't have the time. If time is an issue, there are only certain places I will allow to touch my vehicles. I'm just glad I know these places. I have been taken by a few and have not returned to the business. Otherwise, I will do it myself.

Most importantly - I will flat our refuse to go to any dealership (pronounced -> STEALERSHIP) unless there is sbsolutely no way the parts or knowledge are no where else to be found.

Hearing storeis of people being taken to the cleaners by fix it shops just burns my ***!

I can do it all but not a fan of electrical work.

I do my own work because I can only trust myself with my cars

Only diagnostic and simple repair

Im in the "everything below plus minor repairs troubleshooting" level... although I would love to do all repairs on my own but cant .. probably can save on money in the long run though lol

I have a MX-5 and I have added numerous aftermarket stuff in it like cruise control, air intake system, exhaust system, instrument panel, oil filter relocation, etc. I do most of the maintenance work too. I like working with cars specially my MX-5. Now that we bought a 2010 RX 350 I will be working on that too.

I can do complicated mechanical work up to changing timing belt, water pump, etc. but for work involving heavy lifting like engine rebuilt, tranny work, clutch, etc. I shunned from this because its too hard on the body. The last heavy work I did on my MX-5 was changing the exhaust system from the exhaust manifold, pipes, down to the exhaust pipe. That was very hard physical labor and I will not do that again. But I was very satisfied afterwards.