Just want to learn about cars (vehicle, auto, tire, best)
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I would like to learn about cars. How to fix them and how everything works. I am just a beginner. Experienced people, is the best way to learn just to take classes at a comm college? Will they teach me everything? I'd like to be able to teach my son about cars.
There is no better way to start than to get a service manual for the car you have now and read it (several times if needed) and UNDERSTAND what it tells you. Having your car to actually look at and start doing the basic service on will let you put the reading into action and tell you quick if you have the basic skills. The owners manuals like you buy at autozone are made for the novice to understand. If you have trouble understanding one of them you would really be over your head trying to take an automotive class..
Last edited by Nativechief; 12-10-2010 at 08:43 PM..
There is no better way to start than to get a service manual for the car you have now and read it (several times if needed) and UNDERSTAND what it tells you. Having your car to actually look at and start doing the basic service on will let you put the reading into action and tell you quick if you have the basic skills. The owners manuals like you buy at autozone are made for the novice to understand. If you have trouble understanding one of them you would really be over your head trying to take an automotive class..
I undersrand. I actually have always wanted to learn about cars and how to repair them. These books must really explain in simple detail how to fix and repair your own car. If this is the case and this is all it is for an average person to do basic repairs than millions of Americans are actually getting ripped off at repair shops all across the nation.
Last edited by NorthCarolina95; 12-10-2010 at 09:02 PM..
Reason: typo
Please don't confuse "being able to" repair/maintain a vehicle with "wanting" to repair/maintain a vehicle. There are many many people (including myself) that don't have the time to work on cars.
With that being said .... look into an "intro auto maintenance" class at your local community college - they often offer this type of course.
Please don't confuse "being able to" repair/maintain a vehicle with "wanting" to repair/maintain a vehicle. There are many many people (including myself) that don't have the time to work on cars.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1200RT
With that being said .... look into an "intro auto maintenance" class at your local community college - they often offer this type of course.
I basically said if these books make it that easy for an average person to repair his or her car then millions of Americans are getting ripped off. There are over 300 million people in this country. Many people are currently collecting unemployment with lots of time. Believe me, if it's just looking into a book and spending the time to read and understand, millions of Americans are literally getting ripped off at repair shops.
Please don't confuse "being able to" repair/maintain a vehicle with "wanting" to repair/maintain a vehicle. There are many many people (including myself) that don't have the time to work on cars.
With that being said .... look into an "intro auto maintenance" class at your local community college - they often offer this type of course.
Where can someone learn how to do stuff like changing oil/air filters/tire rotations?
Think NC has a lot to understand. Manuals are only a guide line and NOT the Bible when it comes to working on a auto. Remove a wheel and then the tire from it and then reasemble back to original a few times. A lot of sweat and you have accomplished a feat.
Now we go the engine. You have to know the name of the various parts...there location and function. Sounds easy right? What part is NOT working properly on a hit and miss running engine. How does a person know exactly what to remove. So we look into the manual for trouble shooting answers. They may list 10 possibilities of your problem. Do you pull and replace all 10 items and at the same time fix the problem? You just might get lucky and then again spend a lot of money on the engine still with the same old problem.
I speak as a retired mechanic of 28 yrs...trust me, It Ain't easy by any means. I go back to the early Carbs and the New FI is another ball game that I would rather NOT learn.
Buy a junker to piddle on so if any mistakes are made...NO LOSS.
Think NC has a lot to understand. Manuals are only a guide line and NOT the Bible when it comes to working on a auto. Remove a wheel and then the tire from it and then reasemble back to original a few times. A lot of sweat and you have accomplished a feat.
Now we go the engine. You have to know the name of the various parts...there location and function. Sounds easy right? What part is NOT working properly on a hit and miss running engine. How does a person know exactly what to remove. So we look into the manual for trouble shooting answers. They may list 10 possibilities of your problem. Do you pull and replace all 10 items and at the same time fix the problem? You just might get lucky and then again spend a lot of money on the engine still with the same old problem.
I speak as a retired mechanic of 28 yrs...trust me, It Ain't easy by any means. I go back to the early Carbs and the New FI is another ball game that I would rather NOT learn.
Buy a junker to piddle on so if any mistakes are made...NO LOSS.
Steve
Yes I am sure it takes lots of time to learn. This is why I thought going to school and getting training from a professional would be the best way. But I can see how it could be very possible for someone to learn basic repairs from the service book. The same basic repairs that a service shop would charge double or triple for. With so many people out of work, this would be an excellent way for them to spend time with their kids, teaching them something about cars. Money is tough in this economy more Americans in this generation need to learn more about cars.
I would like to learn about cars. How to fix them and how everything works. I am just a beginner. Experienced people, is the best way to learn just to take classes at a comm college? Will they teach me everything? I'd like to be able to teach my son about cars.
Yep, a community college course or Adult Ed class is a good way to go. There are little tricks to doing things that you're not going to get from a manual. Go for it! You'll enjoy it, learn a lot, and build confidence to do things yourself. There's nothing like being an apprentice and having a knowledgeable person there to talk you through it.
There's nothing like being an apprentice and having a knowledgeable person there to talk you through it.
I absolutely agree with this.
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