Cars

[juiced 0]

My car had been making a squeeling noise for quite a while so i swung it by my buddy's house who's brother is a certified car mechanic. I was thoroughly impressed with his abilities when I was watching. He just seemed to know exactly what was wrong and how to fix it, grabbing an assortment of tools and stuff from him garage. I've always wanted to get into car mechanics but never really have. I've decided to take it up as a hobby, does anyone know a good way to start? Is there a good book on this kind of stuff? Or maybe a good website?

[dahonam 3]

Well,

If you have absolutely no experience, i recommend you go to How Stuff Works and learn the basics and ideas of how an automobile works... Only then will you understand the actual mechanics... Then, the next step is to pick up a Bently manual for your car and start DIYing things yourself. Oil changes, spark plug changes, filter changes, etc... to get the hang of things... Then from there, i recommend finding a forum/message board for your specific car or style (for instance, I drive an audi, so I would go to www.audizine.com or www.audiworld.com), look around and you can find things out... On the message boards they have slew of information and even alot of them have DIY walkthroughs on many common modifications or problems. also, hang out with your friends brother more often and offer to help him out when he does side jobs

[interpathway 9]

Not to mention the countless car magazines there are out there. Immerse yourself in all they have to offer.

[dahonam 3]

Also... If you really want to get into it, buy yourself a good set of tools... Trust me, having the right tool makes the job ALOT easier... I spent 45 mins trying to get a clamp tightened on my car, finally got frustrated and went to sears and bought the the same exact tool, just longer with a swiveling and ratcheting wrench head... Went back to my house, took me 3 mins to finish it.

[Rustpot 1]

Also... If you really want to get into it, buy yourself a good set of tools... Trust me, having the right tool makes the job ALOT easier... I spent 45 mins trying to get a clamp tightened on my car, finally got frustrated and went to sears and bought the the same exact tool, just longer with a swiveling and ratcheting wrench head... Went back to my house, took me 3 mins to finish it.

I subscribe to the "buy a tool for a need" rather than "find a need for a tool" mantra. Start off with a basic set of wrenches,sockets, etc, buy additional or specialty tool as the work requires.

[hockeyguy2925 0]

a great way to get into cars is just how we talk about hockey here, online forums. i learned so much about working on my car through forums, many of them have how to's and write up's for jobs. this also depends on what kind of car you have.

[-venom- 0]

What kind of cars are you into? Imports? Domestics?

Start with something appealing looks-wise to you. There will always be guys who drive [x] car and hate [y] cars. Just the way it is. So go with what you like, right from the start. Once you get a general idea, it's easy to point you in the right direction for advice and tips, and even help finding a car.

Cars as a hobby can be awesome.... but once it becomes more than a hobby, such as having to swap out a clutch at 3am monday morning in the snow........ well, it can be the most frustrating thing in the world.

[RecLeagueHero 0]

Check out local community colleges and see if any have automotive programs. Costs money to go about it like that, but I doubt you could beat the hands on experience and instruction. Plus you could come out of it with certifications if you ever wanted to go for hobbyist to professional.

[hockeysc23 0]

As mentioned by others the best way is usually by doing.

If you have a second car that is best that way when necessary you can take your time fixing your car. The biggest problems I have found when fixing my car are: 1. no garage or alternate transport so I need to be able to fix it in a day or less 2. not having the right tool.

As mentioned before I have also struggled with stuff only to borrow the correct tool or go and buy-in and feel like an idiot for time wasted.

I started out just doing oil changes, and breaks. Now on my jeep (and I am ashamed I 've had to do this much work but)

Replaced window motors, new power steering hoses, rewired the electrical blower because it burned the old module, and a slew of other things.

Online forums are great. Just have patience.

[greech 4]

When I had my first car, I used to spend hours under the hood learning what everything is and what it does. I try and do as much work as I can on it, it's the best way to learn.

[-venom- 0]

I used to randomly remove things/take them apart to force myself to learn how they went back together.

Almost always broke something, first few times around. lol.

[xstartxtodayx 343]

Simple way... Buy a VW, you'll be fixing it every weekend and will become pretty knowledgeable in no time :lol:

Just kidding, what very one else has said already is pretty good advice. Just immerse yourself into it, find your niche in the automotive world and dive into it trying to learn as much as possible. I've always had a pretty good ability for mechanical things since I was a kid putting together my Lego's and taking apart other toys to see how they work, now I just do it on a larger scale by constantly modifying my car and fixing it myself whenever possible (half the stuff wouldn't need fixing if I didn't touch it in the first place but what fun is that?). Whatever car you drive probably has a community type website, some makes are more popular than others and some sites will b better than others it's just a matter of finding one you fit in to.

[A_Steeves12 0]

I learned alot working at a car dealership just as a lowely detailer. Hanging around with mechanics all day and seeing what there working and sometimes giving them a hand with things certianly helped to educated me. Im not claiming to be an expert by any means but it was helpful.

[15yearsofhistory 0]

I'm only 15, but I first got into cars when I was about 10. I helped my dad install stereo systems and such. Since then I can now say that I'm fairly proficient in car audio/electronics. If you have any buddies that are into cars, just ask them if you can hang around when they're working on their's or maybe if they could help you out with a problem you're having. Things are always more fun when you have a friend around :lol: .

[87vert 0]

Usually easiest by doing work on your own car. Get a haynes manual or factory repair manual if you can. Then when ever something breaks just go to it. There really isnt much that you can screw up that cant be fixed.

My dad is a ASE certified master tech and my brother works as a tech for a Nissan Dealership. I have no real mechanic training but I can pretty much fix anything wether it is a car, a dryer, a computer, a fridge. I guess some people are just that way.

I once built a twin turbo kit in my garage for my mustang with no welding experience starting out. LOL

[Too Old 1]

Check out local community colleges and see if any have automotive programs. Costs money to go about it like that, but I doubt you could beat the hands on experience and instruction. Plus you could come out of it with certifications if you ever wanted to go for hobbyist to professional.

Bingo. I went through a college auto tech program and emerged with a job offered before I graduated. I then became an ASE Master Tech and did that crap from around '79-'99. Then I got out from under the hood and became a service writer at a larger GM/Mitsu dealership. I left there just over 9 years ago to become the service administrator/manager at an RV dealership. Along the way I drag raced, and still build/sell drag race auto transmissions and sell other race-related parts. With the progression of computer-controlled engine/trans systems there is NO way you're going to just 'pick up' on how to do things. Unless you pin yourself to a good ASE-certified tech for quite some time. And the cost for tools is staggering to say the least. But, if you are able to do the job you can command a premium wage. Around here the top-notch dealership techs are in the $20-25/hr area for flatrate hours. That's one more thing to consider... most places pay flatrate. In other words you are paid for the work produced; not necessarily hours worked. You quickly learn to diagnose in a hurry and very accurately. And also learn to do the repairs fast. Otherwise you starve.