Are you good at mechanical maintenance and repairs?

[Tarifa]

We've all had minor breakdowns with our car, motorcycle or bicycle, where most of the times replacing an old part with a new part is all it takes. But are you OK with doing it yourself? I'm referring to changing a wheel that has a flat tyre, changing the brake pads on your car, unbolting an exhaust on the motorcycle and replacing it with a new one, replacing a broken brake wire on the bicycle. And more importantly, do you trust your own skills?

I know people who go to a professional repair shop to change their window wipers or top up motor oil, when that's as easy as pie.

Yes, I do most of it myself.

I would, but I don't have the specific tools to carry out the job correctly.

I have two left hands.

I couldn't be bothered. I prefer to pay, let someone else get his hands dirty.

[Phoenix98]

Well I drive a 91 Silverado so it's an older truck and it's very simple under the hood also roomy so it's fairly easy to fix things on it because it's pure mechanic under the hood there isn't really any computers or microchips because my truck is from before all that junk got put into vehicles so I can do most things on it without having to take it to a mechanic.

I change oil on it, put new antifreeze into it I've changed tires on it before when I got a flat swapped out turn signal lights on it. Almost to the point where I'll have to put new break pads on it but not quite there.

Most simple stuff I can do myself.

[Tarifa]

Cars and motorcycles were much less complicated. My bike is from the same era, 1991. Fixing things is quite easy.

With all the electronics nowadays, even your average mechanic doesn't know unless he hooks it up to a computer.

[Phoenix98]

Pretty much.

[NathanDavis]

basic things for the car and around the house, yes... basic stuff, I know somethings... and there's the things I can get to do myself watching tutorials

but I don't risk it much, if electricity is involved... then I will get a professional to do it right and to check it twice... there's a lot of storming around here, so I don't want anything electrical to be a gamble on my part

[EmmaMary]

@Tarifa

Well I know how to check both the oil and water levels and how to top up the washer bottle... And at an absolute push I know how to change a wheel/tyre.

If there should be anything else, my wonderful amazing husband takes care of it.

As I buy all my cars brand new and change them every three years (just before the UK road safety test MOT is required) fortunately very little if anything ever needs doing... That's not to say that I could pick up a puncture at any time though!

[Tarifa]

I see. But isn't changing every 3 years quite soon? Most cars nowadays come with a long guarantee period, at times up to 5 years or a specific mileage limit. I've never had major issues with the equivalent of UK MOT tests. The car is almost 20 years old now, the bike 35.

[EmmaMary]

@Tarifa

You're probably quite right... However the current guarantee is usually for the first twelve months, with anything else arising after this period then being at the discretion of the manufacturer/dealership.

Personally I much prefer not having to bother with perhaps anything being picked up at the first MOT (Three years) and then subsequent yearly tests thereafter.

As at matter of interest, my very first car was bought brand new as a gift from my parents for passing my driving test first time, when I was seventeen.

It's just something both my husband, parents and inlaws have always done.

[Tarifa]

Buying new is always the best option. The bummer is that, even if you were to sell your car a month after you took it out of the dealership, it's already worth much less.

There's a saying that buying second-hand is buying someone else's problems.

Just for the record, in Spain, new cars come with a minimum 3-year legal guarantee, which covers manufacturing defects and mechanical breakdowns, except of course normal wear and lack of normal maintenance. The guarantee period starts from the date of registration and is not limited by mileage. Other manudacturers can offer a longer guarantee period.

[EmmaMary]

Gosh... Thank you so very much indeed @Tarifa for the MHO.

[sage2021]

The only thing I ever did by myself was flush out my radiator and refill it with the right amount of water and antifreeze.
Other than that I rely on someone who knows what they're doing!🤓

[sage2021]

Thank you for the MHO 🙂

[andreasderjuengere]

Kind of

[Tarifa]

I'm not very good at sorting out electrical wiring. That's something I'll ask my mechanic to sort out for me.

[andreasderjuengere]

That's what I asked for shortly before that. And they totally fucked it up; snipped off quick connectors, destroyed the rectifier and the ignition box (CDI)
So I got me a ''Haynes' and worked through it myself. Turned out that in the front it was the British model, and in the rear it was the US version.

[thegreenyogi]

Anything mechanical I'm not really good at. I'm good at other maintenance such as fixing fences and drilling in holes or screws but anything that is car related you loose me.

[valentina4eva]

this is soooo not my skill set!!😂🤣😂 “changing the brake pads on my car” i would have no idea what this even means!!😂😅😅

[Nikki1989]

I'm not. My husband is good at it.

[Awesomesauce2005]

I dont trust anyone to touch my car 😁

[Staximus]

I could probably fix the fucking space shuttle if you give me an instruction manual