Will be purchasing my first car soon, and I would like to avoid taking my car to the shop where possible. I'm not knowledgeable about cars, so I'm looking for any recommended resources that will help me learn basic troubleshooting/diagnosis and maintenance of common issues that can be fixed by a layman with consumer-grade equipment. Recommendations for what tools I buy and keep in the boot would also be welcome.
Basic Car Fault Troubleshooting/Repair Resources + Recommended Tools to Have
OzBarAnon on 29/10/2023 - 13:24
Comments
Oh, I totally recommend Scotty Kilmer… Best there is.
I was waiting for this and I wasn't disappointed.
Despite all the click bait videos I'd much rather watch Scotty than John Cardigan.
Scotty is fine if you have a Toyota, other than that you might struggle to follow.
has he achieved lift off yet with all his arm flapping?
You might enjoy this course: https://imstilllearning.org/basic-car-maintenance
I did it a while back and it was good to have the basics explained to me. It's not-for-profit and the lady who runs the organisation is really into it for the community.
mighty car mods (youtube)
.Maybe 15 years ago they were ok. But now they are just mainstream media garbage doing whatever gets them like, comments and subscribes. The time I lost interest in them was when they bought a Lotus Exige… They stopped being your average every day blokes in a garage with regular cars and became just another bunch of out of touch YouTube tossers flaunting their social media wealth.
Chris Fix is the same. Early days, awesome. A guy just learning and going with it, making great videos that people starting out could relate to… Now it's just scripted product placement shit and Maseratis and Hummers. Guy lost all his relatability and cred…
Both of these channels have just become corporate shills and lost their souls. I would watch a Scotty Kilmer or John Cadogan video before I watched either of the other sell outs.
(also, not my neg…)
I probably should have qualified the same, last ones I've seen were related to the 3.6 supergramps build
.
Do you watch engineering explained?
Follow the guys who support MCM. Those guys are still like MCM 10 years ago (due to MCM taking all the subs/likes). One of the guys lives in my area, and it's always entertaining seeing what drives around town.
YouTube search maintenance items for your specific model.
Youtube common failures for your specific model before buying.
Google is your friend. Just go and watch a bunch of videos and find a mechanic that clicks with you. Chris fix on YouTube is one that doesn’t turn me off. Having said that, I haven’t watched a lot of ‘basic car servicing’ stuff because I’ve been playing with cars for years and don’t need to know wheee to start. Maybe others could suggest another channel to watch. Mighty car mods is a popular Aussie channel, but they has moved away from basic stuff into pretty serious mods.
Once you’ve got the basics maybe join a forum of faceache group for your type of vehicle. That’ll help with specifics. Don’t expect somewhere like ozbargain to give you sound mechanical advice for your particular instance, at best it’ll be generic mechanic information except in rare circumstances where someone has had your exact problem in your exact vehicle.
There’s so much stuff out there on the internet it’s hard to know where to start, but
What car are you looking at getting? Some are more serviceable than others….
New or used? If it's new, you won't have to worry about much for at least a few years.
Probably a Toyota Aurion or maybe a Honda Accord Euro. Definitely used (looking at a decade+ old for my price range). Heard good things about them as far as durability and reliability go, and I don't think they're the type to have high upkeep costs.
Post again when you've made a purchase, then an Accord or Aurion specialist/hobbyist might offer some more detailed tips. Long gone are the days when you could maintain a car with a set of sockets, ring spanners and a torque wrench. Also I don't see the point in getting a cheap OBD2 reader, you need one that can both read and clear codes.
chrisfix on youtube is pretty good to follow for car fixing :D
Must have will be a car jack, pair of stand, waste oil bucket, set of ratchet socket bits and you can start changing oil and filter. Just start from there and continue to tackle something else.
Dashcam.
Tyre Sealant Quick Fix
Jumper cables/Jumper battery.
Fire extinguisher.
OBD2 Car Scanner Check Engine Code Reader Auto Fault Diagnostic Scan Tool
Dashcam.Won’t be doing a lot of maintenance with that list.
Assuming you have an Android or iOS phone then yes, you could pick an OBD2 bluetooth scanner from 20 bucks.
https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=OBD2+bluetooth&crid=WXJRUSQVCA…
Personally, I prefer the Vgate iCar Pro because it's low powered so I can leave it permanently plugged in without flattening the battery when the car is not in use.
Then, install an app like Torque then you can see a whole lot of real-time info, plus any fault codes.
Personally, I prefer the Vgate iCar Pro because it's low powered so I can leave it permanently plugged in without flattening the battery when the car is not in use.
I have the cable with a switch so I am able to turn of my OBD reader.
https://obd2australia.com.au/product/obd2-connector-cable-16…
Duct tape ..
And WD40.
If it sticks and it shouldn’t, WD40.
If it doesn’t stick and it should, duct tape.
Start really basic.
Check that you have the tyre changing gear in the car and know how to use it.
Think through a flat tyre or battery on a wet night and put stuff you’d like to have in the car.
Old jacket, steal a hi vis vest from somewhere, a torch, some nitrile gloves, a rag.
A towel. (Douglas Adams correctly stated that a towel, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have)….
RTFM and look at the driver checks and start doing them.
Look at the minor services - basically checks and oil changes and start doing those - you’ll need some tools and get them as you go. For the checks - actually do them, they are where you’ll ask questions and learn about things.
Buy decent tools - but just what you need and take care of them.
Use Google, but also recognise that you’ll find people that will help you learn as you go. Hold spanners for a mate doing stuff, ask a sole trader mechanic if you can watch while they do a minor service (they might not)….
And once you’ve done a little bit do a simple course in vehicle maintenance.
As for YouTube I don’t know but there’s sure to be plenty of ones around that are the equivalent of Dangar Marine or Brupeg for cars. You need someone you isn’t FOS…..
Enjoy.they do a minor service (they might not)….
This is massively underrated knowledge i think.
Typically, your car will get a minor service.
There's a difference to what they call a major service where they look at things like spark plugs.
Thanks for all of the responses and appreciate the unusual lack of sarcasm. It's given me a fair amount to look into.
Oh you want some? Get the blinker fluids too.
Idk, these days i basically see if someone has it on youtube/online yet.
I got a service, they told what needs doing, said if the cars ok to drive for a bit more, leave it with me.
I did my engine air filter, my cabin air filter, wipers myself, and let them know it was done, then booked in for them to do what i couldn't.Still need to do my aircon anti-bacterial clean, whatever that is. Any tips, let me know.
All i've seen is some can with foam that goes into and expands out of the air vents. 😬Air con antibacterial clean is a dealer upsell. Probably not necessary. However, if you’re into stuff like that DIY make sense.
You’ll need a coach/mentor, perhaps a vlogger?