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Your Level Of Repair Skills


SKperformance

How much of the work can you do yourself  

164 members have voted

  1. 1. How much of the work can you do yourself

    • everything ,I am a technician(college trained)
      19
    • everything I am a mechanic (self taught)
      17
    • everything below plus complete tear downs and rebuilds
      5
    • everything below plus timing belts and water pumps
      21
    • everything below plus electrical wiring troubleshooting
      16
    • everything below plus minor repairs troubleshooting
      33
    • everything below plus spark plugs ,brakes and fluid changes
      12
    • oil changes
      12
    • none ,someone else does my work
      30


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  • 8 months later...
  • 8 months later...

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 :chairshot:

~T~

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  • 3 months later...

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! :blink:

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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...

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  • 1 month later...

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.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...
  • 4 weeks later...
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  • 1 month later...
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 :P

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 :rolleyes:

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  • 1 month later...

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!

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But after years & years ... ANYthing is bound to get old.

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!

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  • 6 months later...

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 ***!

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  • 2 weeks later...

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  • 7 months later...

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.

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  • 1 month later...

[

I just clean my es 330, check the tires, brakes, let someone else do the work. years ago I worked on a lot of GM Ford cars and trucks, changing motors, trans. just about everything, bodywork, etc. Did that for years. Worked with a GM tech. Did all the grunt work. Learned a lot, Don't have the room and the tools to do my own work. Found a good shop that works on Lexus. Go to the dealer for warranty work.

Tim

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  • 4 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

not true :geek: couple of us not complete slobs either just woman or men that got woman ways be the one's to pay for simple repair :whistles: ... i mean oil change you think bout it to go auto zone get 5 qts. and filter right at 16$ go somewhere half decent pay like 30$ so get dirty 16 stay clean spend an extra 15 bucks but ha not goin to lie sometimes you just dont wanna get dirty i mean you in a lexus

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just get a Manuel learn about what and how it works find your oil and tranny stick, learn where your fuel filter is and air filter, find all your sensors where they at can you get to them, see how hard is it to get to it. learn how to take out and replace your bulbs how many bolts to take off your brake caliber do you need to bleed your brakes after putting them on and things of that nature you be surprise the things you can do by yourslef

post-113155-127170734523_thumb.jpg

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