Buy a torque wrench, and RTFM.

The scary part is these cars are driving next to, in front of and behind you all the time

A responsible and mature DIYer doing proper research, using proper tools, parts and procedures, working methodically and not rushing or forcing things, should be able to properly do most vehicle maintenance, repair and upgrade jobs. So what you're looking at here is someone to whom none of this applies, a hack doing hack work, whether a professional mechanic or DIYer. I wouldn't trust my bicycle to such a person let alone a car. I have no respect for people who do half-assed "it's good enough" work. It can literally kill, or at least cause serious damage. I'm now rebuilding the auto trans on my mom's car because the idiot who replaced the radiator some years ago failed to remove the factory cap on the trans cooling line inlet pipe, leading the trans to overheat and prematurely wear out parts and kill reverse gear on it. I haven't yet opened it up and I'm hoping that the damage is limited to soft parts. My mom doesn't drive on the highway or faster than 30mph these days or for long distances, so hopefully it's not too bad. But I shouldn't have had to do this. Some people seem to go through life assuming that some invisible hand or guardian angel is taking care of them so they don't have to fuss too much and get things right, things will always turn out for the best and bad things only happen to other people. I'm sure that ERs and cemeteries are filled with such people. If there is a god, he or it expects you to do most of the heavy lifting, not him or some angel. That's how it works, people.

It should be illegal to sell tools to anyone unless they can prove they are an employed and certified mechanic. I have a son-in-law who will spend $100. on sunglasses but he doesn't own a torque wrench. He just replace the front suspension on his F150. Ugh!

I usually do all my own work but on the off chance it's goes to a mechanic I just tell them to sort parts aswell.

Lol going through a similar situation now smh. Funny how you're saying it though

Except it’s not just saving $20…it’s more like saving $400-$500 at least. Don’t get me wrong, do the research and do the job correctly. But usually DIY is the way to go.

Wow, just Wow

I’m a diy mechanic. Tie rods and ball joints are the only things I won’t do myself. And I know my limitations.

Hey it boogie

DIYers and mechanics that do not know what they are doing should not be working on vehicles. Exactly why this DIYer has been doing it for over 55 years.

Holy shit lmao. Either do it yourself or pay someone competent, and yes, that costs money.

Although I completely agree with you that if you aren't sure what you're doing, find someone who does, the problem is often actually finding someone who does. I've been to many "shops" over the years that turned out to be nothing but highway robbery for shoddy work, mostly because (I think) they just wanted to turn the job around and move on to the next one. Consequently I learned to DIY lots of things because I simply do not trust anyone else to do the job better than me; nobody takes care of your stuff like yourself does. Now for some things I simply have to take it to a shop, but never a stealership.

Snap digital torque wrenches are the only thing I went all out on because I want everything tightened to spec correctly. I only work on my own cars and those three torque wrenches are the only thing I own from snap.

I had a weird noise/creak that was extremely difficult for many mechanics to diagnose. Finally, one guy realized it wasn’t anything typical. Wasn’t ball joint, control arm, shock…etc……it was just bad bearings that are inside and at the top of your strut assembly where it bolts into top of far. I guess living by the beach rusted them from inside. I had to buy brand new set of struts.

All this being said, don't tell me you aren't the guy that somebody knows sometimes.

I can't tell you how many times I've had to fix the other guy's errors

Dude nice hair snd sick beard

Finding a good mechanic is a blessing if you take his advice!

I know a guy usually means: I did it myself and now I’m stuck, please help.

Lmao the shims do the same job. SHIM THE STARTER does no effect if they are angled or straight or upside-down.

never seen that before. who leaves nuts loose?

I have always repaired my own vehicles as I wouldn’t trust anyone else!

I absolutely DESPISE when people strike control arms and hubs in an attempt to loosen ball joint studs. I use the harbor freight ball joint separator and its never failed to remove one once.

Finding the right guy is harder than you think everybody claims to be an expert. Which leads me to not trust any buddy.

These places don't want you to buy your own parts because they get same parts and double the price on the parts. They have a guide book on how much time that job should take say it shows 5 hours to do job so they charge at least that time and if it only takes 3 hours they make 2 hours extra pay. I have had too many problems with mechanics leaving batteries not tied down oil drain plugs left loose etc i do all my own work because they don't care about your vehicle they didnt pay for it

It's good the cotter pin's there!

Just find a copy of your car's workshop manual. Buy a torque wrench, they're only like $100 on sale. Do the job right.

Yeah! I am speechless also!

"Just pay someone who knows what they're doing." Lol. Yes however the multitudes of incompetent "professional " mechanics and particularly the ones who price gouge and upsell unneeded parts, have driven people to DIY because they are fed up with feeling cheated. Those shyster mechanics have ruined people trust. I'm not saying you're wrong, but there's a reason people decide to DIY. I began DIY'ing because I wanted to learn and understand how this machine works, but also getting oil changes (not at jiffy lube type places) and getting home to find the oil fill cap still sitting on top of the fuse box, or lug nuts either so damn tight they mushroom or they're barely tight on the studs. Or the time they drained my ATF and refilled the oil. Yes they overfilled the oil and didn't refill the transmission because they didn't know they drained the wrong thing. So, I think you should back off people who want to DIY. Maybe shops should put up signs announcing if they are shitty or good mechanics. It would really help people out.

I usually do my own work on my car but when it's a little over my head I take it to my brothers shop. They are trained and work with vehicles everyday, never mind having all the right tools to get it done properly.

This is not a DIY problem; this is an idiot problem! You can't fix stupid! If you don't even know that a nut needs to be tight, you should sell your tools.

*HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA* i had a feeling they were wrong ball joints i will use parts that customer brings, if they're wrong *i charge him extra* my time yada, yada... i will show it's wrong, if he gets insulted *tough* best one is when parts says "that's what computer says" and i prove it's wrong

It's unacceptable because service manuals are in fact freely available. Torque spec is RIGHT there. Not to mention the Internet has the info you need. If you are going to INSIST on getting your own parts, then do you damn research and cross reference part numbers. A simple search on Rockauto or one of the other many parts sites usually will show cross compatible vehicles. At least then you know you have the right parts.

And my wife says I’m being excessive when I bring out the torque wrench

Sounds like the customer was being vague with the details, lol. Good find.

Remember the customer is always wrong. When someone wants me to fix something and they try to tell me whats wrong with it and even have the parts, I tell them to fix it themselves. Sadly it took me way too long to learn this.

I'm a DIYer, probably more skilled and experienced than you.

Hey, I think I know that guy too! I'm more than confident in my own abilities, as a 40 year old dude who has been fixing his own car parts for 20+ years. But I also know when I'm unfamiliar enough with a procedure to call in my trusted mechanic. Stay safe and keep your cars the same, y'all!

You’re a good man and a scholar for helping that man out but that man with that Honda van he’s like the rest of us trying to save money because we don’t have any just trying to get by. He tried his best but failed but you’re good man for helping him out

Forget torque wrenches. They're a waste of money. Just do the nut up finger tight, back off half a turn, and show in the split pin. Never bend the open end of the split pin once it's in place. That process makes it really easy when it's time to replace the joint in future. I'm only a part time mechanic. My full time job in undertaking.Got to have regular customers.

3:36 Oh and the orange can of death. Well done sir, and good advice. Thank you for making the roads a little safer.

I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot bargepole - there's too much liabilty attached to that POS. What are the chances the internal taper bores have been hammered out of true from being driven with everything being loose, and the new ball joints will never seat properly.

“Stop trying to save money”. Lmao. I am gonna keep replacing my own car parts

As DIY guy, know your limits.

I'm thinking you need to have policy with respect to customer's bringing their own parts. First is there is no warranty on these repairs (I think you said this), the other is that you still charge a diagnostic fee before beginning the task. It's only right. You need to get paid for verifying the issue and identifying/fixing other issues you noted. This way the customer will know in advance the downside/true cost of having cousin Pokey working on his car in the first place.

All good into you have to make quick turns then you be wishing you got it fixed right, take a picture of it before you remove it.

To be fair, if the family member had done the job right they would have saved *a lot* more than $20. Every time I think that maybe, just maybe, I'll skip the hassle and send it to the shop, one look at the estimate has me right back in the garage working away.

One loose bolt, okay, I can buy that. However, 4 loose bolts/nuts and I think you are being trolled. No way, anyone with common sense doesn't at least realize that 4 bolts/nuts are loose.

DIY saves a hell of a lot more than $20 be real man.