Car Maintenance, and Owner's Manuals
Mar. 30th, 2011 12:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
softpawEveryone who owns a car has their own limit of how much car maintenance they're willing/able to do on their own. Some people prefer to do everything on their own, and will only go to a mechanic for problems of the "engine falling out" calibre. Others couldn't find the oil dipstick if it were bright orange with a big "check oil here" sticker; in fact, that's how the oil dipstick is usually marked in a car. And, as someone with decent knowledge of car maintenance but little practical experience (I don't like getting dirty, eww!), I don't criticise anyone who prefers to let others do the work on their cars. Self-maintenance is awesome, and I have unending respect for those who can be their own mechanic (I hope to join such people someday), but it requires considerable passion and effort, and for many people, that outweighs the cost savings. And that's just peachy.
However.
Anyone who takes a car to a mechanic for a dead bulb, or even allows a mechanic to fix a dead bulb when the car's there for something else, is indefensibly throwing away money. In 90% of cars, it's the easiest possible thing to fix, ranking somewhere between checking the fuel gauge and checking the tires. You don't need tools to do it, detailed instructions are in the owner's manual (along with a comprehensive list of the bulb types used in the car), or the internet, or a book/computer in the store, and thanks to bulb base/socket designs, you usually can't do it wrong. Even headlight bulbs, which are fragile due to the high gas pressures used, are usually pretty easy; just make sure to write "Don't touch the glass!" fifty times before starting. It's like taking your car to a mechanic to have the tire pressures checked, it's a stupid waste of money that really can't be defended with the usual time/effort/eww-dirt/skill reasons.
And for the other 10% of cars, that require tools and/or strange hand contortions to replace some of their bulbs? It's still easier than changing a tire, and as I said above, detailed instructions are always in the owner's manual. So there's no excuse there either.
This thought brought to you by the fact that my car needs a new reverse bulb, and I'm glad I noticed it before taking it for inspection tomorrow, because I can replace it for $2, while my mechanic would charge upwards of $35 (minimum .5 hour labour, plus markup on the bulb) for it.
On a related note, if you buy a car, the first thing you need to do once you get home (or wherever you're going from the lot) is read the owner's manual cover to cover. If you already own a car, and haven't read the manual, go get it and read it tonight. No excuses. I don't care if you've had the car for ten years, or if the dealer spent an hour telling you how the various doohickeys work. If you don't read the manual for your car, it's my opinion that you don't deserve to even own it, because the manual contains every detail of every feature in the car. It also contains basic maintenance information, operating tips (especially for vehicles with unique capabilities, like 4WD or adjustable suspensions), and other details that you may not have even thought about. "Read The F***ing Manual" really shouldn't be a meme, it's truly important advice for everything from a frying pan to a Ferrari.
For example, my sister bought a 2004 Grand Prix a couple years ago, and even though it's a relatively ordinary sedan, it has a pretty nice set of features, including things that weren't in her previous car. Plus, "Read The Manual" is my personal motto nowadays, especially for cars. So, when I delivered her car, I grabbed the owner's manual and strongly encouraged her to read it. She never did. So, in a car she's owned for two years, she can't figure out how to turn on the fog lights, fold down the rear seats (she didn't even know it was possible, but I did, because /I/ read her car's manual), or do anything in the little computer display thingy that every car has now. It took months for her to figure out how to open the trunk without the remote. And I love her, but after this much time, I have no sympathy whatsoever for her lack of knowledge of the features of her own car.
So please, go get the book out of your glove box, get comfy, and have a nice read. You just might learn something about the engineering marvel that moves you around. And if not? At least you'll know for certain that you already knew everything there was to know about it.
Oh, and replace your own bulbs, it's not worth paying someone else to do it, ever.
However.
Anyone who takes a car to a mechanic for a dead bulb, or even allows a mechanic to fix a dead bulb when the car's there for something else, is indefensibly throwing away money. In 90% of cars, it's the easiest possible thing to fix, ranking somewhere between checking the fuel gauge and checking the tires. You don't need tools to do it, detailed instructions are in the owner's manual (along with a comprehensive list of the bulb types used in the car), or the internet, or a book/computer in the store, and thanks to bulb base/socket designs, you usually can't do it wrong. Even headlight bulbs, which are fragile due to the high gas pressures used, are usually pretty easy; just make sure to write "Don't touch the glass!" fifty times before starting. It's like taking your car to a mechanic to have the tire pressures checked, it's a stupid waste of money that really can't be defended with the usual time/effort/eww-dirt/skill reasons.
And for the other 10% of cars, that require tools and/or strange hand contortions to replace some of their bulbs? It's still easier than changing a tire, and as I said above, detailed instructions are always in the owner's manual. So there's no excuse there either.
This thought brought to you by the fact that my car needs a new reverse bulb, and I'm glad I noticed it before taking it for inspection tomorrow, because I can replace it for $2, while my mechanic would charge upwards of $35 (minimum .5 hour labour, plus markup on the bulb) for it.
On a related note, if you buy a car, the first thing you need to do once you get home (or wherever you're going from the lot) is read the owner's manual cover to cover. If you already own a car, and haven't read the manual, go get it and read it tonight. No excuses. I don't care if you've had the car for ten years, or if the dealer spent an hour telling you how the various doohickeys work. If you don't read the manual for your car, it's my opinion that you don't deserve to even own it, because the manual contains every detail of every feature in the car. It also contains basic maintenance information, operating tips (especially for vehicles with unique capabilities, like 4WD or adjustable suspensions), and other details that you may not have even thought about. "Read The F***ing Manual" really shouldn't be a meme, it's truly important advice for everything from a frying pan to a Ferrari.
For example, my sister bought a 2004 Grand Prix a couple years ago, and even though it's a relatively ordinary sedan, it has a pretty nice set of features, including things that weren't in her previous car. Plus, "Read The Manual" is my personal motto nowadays, especially for cars. So, when I delivered her car, I grabbed the owner's manual and strongly encouraged her to read it. She never did. So, in a car she's owned for two years, she can't figure out how to turn on the fog lights, fold down the rear seats (she didn't even know it was possible, but I did, because /I/ read her car's manual), or do anything in the little computer display thingy that every car has now. It took months for her to figure out how to open the trunk without the remote. And I love her, but after this much time, I have no sympathy whatsoever for her lack of knowledge of the features of her own car.
So please, go get the book out of your glove box, get comfy, and have a nice read. You just might learn something about the engineering marvel that moves you around. And if not? At least you'll know for certain that you already knew everything there was to know about it.
Oh, and replace your own bulbs, it's not worth paying someone else to do it, ever.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-30 02:11 pm (UTC)Bulbs on the other hand, while easy to do, I can understand why some people would rather pay a mechanic to install them. For me, I have to make my husband do it because twisting my hand at that angle and applying the pressure necessary to replace for example the head light bulbs on a 1993 Corolla (my first car) would be enough today to make it painful to type for the rest of the day. If I had no roomies or close friends available to help me do this on my own, I would consider it worthwhile (although unpleasant) to pay a shop to do it.