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Auto Repair: How To Repair the Modern Car
Auto Code Scanners and Auto Repair Manuals

The subtitle pretty much tells you the to MOST important items to obtain BEFORE you embark on auto car repair. Of course, a healthy dose of auto know-how from your DIY experiences and tools would greatly help also.

For the most part, the use of computers to regulate all of the car's functions started happening in a few the late 70's and by the mid-80's, nearly all cars used them. Long gone are the days when you had ample room in the engine area to work on things.Long gone are many mechanical things a DIY mechanic could do (like, remove, take apart and clean a carburetor) to cut costs of repair.

With the average car owner keeping cars until 10 years old, more owners are willing to try to make repairs and most new car owners keep them more than six years. But before you try to begin fixing, buy an Auto repair Manual for your model of car. Ebay remains a great place to find long out of print manuals. Unless the car is pre-1980, buy a universal car code scanner that fits your model. A car's computer not only controls all of its key functions and regulates them, it also stores error messages in code, which vary with car and car computers. These can be retrieved and analyzed if you have the associated manual. Many times a car has built features that simply shut down the car while driving, when this occurs-you think the worse, OMG! However, the car may be shutting down when it senses that the wrong key started the car (Alero has this) or in a VW Jetta, the car stops and the dash lights flash (a malfunction with the transmission) or it won't start because of the car's security system. Also, for some cars, if the battery is disconnected, when reconnected, the engine light will come on. The remedy is simply to drive it until it readjusts and turns off.

Without a diagnostic device to get the codes, you are wasting time. Once you get the codes, you need the manual to decipher it. Once this occurs, you only have a general idea of what the issue is and where to focus on and you simply may not be able to go further than that. It could be the part or something related to it but not the part itself.

Cars from 1985-2000, also used different types of car computers and different tools with different connectors to read the codes. An auto analyzer that reads codes for new cars may not work with a 1993 Mercury Capi because car companies also use a lot of proprietary systems just for Fords, Chevys, etc.

Without buying a repair manual or official service repair manual (used by mechanics), the codes are meaningless and DIY repair is difficult. Repair manuals by Haynes or Clinton are fairly good for basic things. German cars are different in many ways than American and Japanese. German cars use different tools, such as star end screwdrivers, not flat-head. They use a lot of hex bolts that require a hex wrench. Many of the standard American\Japanese tools will not work. Bentley Publications are the best best for obtaining a German car service manual.

The good news is that somethings do not change. The DIYer can do basic maintenance-change the air filter, oil, brake fluid, other fluids, spark plugs, plug wires, belts with not much skill. Once can do the brakes, fuel pumps with the help of a service manual. Also, the DIY can many times help the mechanic repair by detailing the problem, frequency, sounds, smoke color.

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How to Avoid Car Repair Rip-Offs
July 30, 2014 at 3:20pm

In this economy, more and more people are sticking with their existing vehicle, rather than trading it in for a new one. The good news is that you avoid a car payment. The bad news is that you must navigate the exhausting process of car repairs.

In order to keep your car in good shape, you will have to familiarize yourself a bit with car maintenance and repair, so that you can avoid getting ripped off at your local mechanic. The following advice will get you started.

1. Talk to others for recommendations.
If you have never needed a car mechanic until now, call up friends and family for a recommendation. Try to find people who have a similar car and aren't the kind to cut corners. Ask them who they go to now. It might also be helpful to ask about any negative experiences in the past, so you can make a list of mechanics to avoid.

2. Do you want a backyard mechanic or a dealership mechanic?
Some people swear by their local neighbor who runs a shop downtown. Others feel more comfortable going to a dealership or a place like Monroe Mufflers, where they churn out repairs like hamburgers. The following table outlines the pros and cons of each type of mechanic.

3. Know the difference between a repair vs. maintenance.
Cars need both. Changing the oil, rotating tires, replacing the brake pads, and replacing the timing belt are all considered maintenance. Every car needs care regularly. Sometimes a quick stop to an instant oil change is fine, since you are not really getting a repair.

A repair on the other hand, has to do with something that has broken. Repairs fall into several categories.

    Crucial repairs: These affect whether or not you can drive your car. Even if a brake light is out, that is considered a crucial repair because it affects your safety.
    Minor repairs: Fixing the A/C may cost you a lot of money, but it is considered minor since you can drive the car while it is broken. Other things like a dented bumper or window that doesn't go down, fit into minor repairs as well.
    Body damage: When you are in an accident, body damage repairs can be among the most costly to fix.

As you can see, some of these repairs don't take a brain surgeon to fix. Running to the nearest mechanic to fix a light won't be a big deal, though they may charge you more simply to make it worth their while.

4. Try to combine repairs to save money.
This sometimes works. If you have a window that doesn't work, don't run in to get it fixed immediately. Instead, wait until you have something else to do (brake pads, timing belt, oil leak, etc.). Ask them if they can fix the window while they are at it. Usually mechanics will charge less (if they are really nice, even wipe off the labor fee) because they are making money on the principal repair.

5. Watch out for scare tactics.
This is where knowing the difference between repairs and maintenance is helpful. When you go to get your oil changed at an instant oil place, they WILL find something else wrong with your car. They are trained to do this, so they can come to you and say, "Sir, we see that your air filters need changing. It only costs $30.00 and we can take care of it right away." Is it really a crucial repair or just routine maintenance recommendation?

They may or may not be right. Here is the trick. Write down what they said but DO NOT get it fixed then and there. You can go home, look online to see about how many miles your car model recommends and go back in if you wish. Or, you can mention it to your mechanic next time you take the car in for a repair. No matter how much they scare you, don't take the bait. Thinking about it for a day won't make any difference.

6. Pay close attention to your car.
The more detail you can give your mechanic, the less time they need to diagnosis the problem. Saying, "It made a funny noise" isn't descriptive enough. In your conversation, try to describe it so they can get an idea of where to look.

7. Hang around.
If you can, be there when they are doing the initial diagnosis. Mechanics are more likely to be honest and efficient when you are right there watching them.

8. Get an estimate first.
Do not just drop your car off and tell them to fix it. Ask them for a written estimate before they begin repairs. If money is tight, you can sit down with them and ask to avoid certain parts that are less crucial and just stick to the main repair.

9. Get a second opinion.
If you are concerned that you are getting ripped off, take the car for a second opinion. This is especially important when your car is assessed for body damage after an accident.

10. Do some quick research.
When a mechanic gives you a price estimate, take a few minutes to look online at the price of the parts. Add the figures in your head (including the cost of labor) to see if the figure sounds right. Ask the mechanic to tell you what the protocol is if they find something else wrong with the car in the middle of the repair.

11. Sometimes cheaper isn't always better.
If you find a mechanic that you like and trust, stick with them. Maybe you'd save money by getting an oil change at the instant oil place, but it also means you have other people working on your car. In the long run, you will save money and headache if you stick with a mechanic that you know is honest and trustworthy.

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Solenoid Problems -- Diagnosing Car Electrical Problems Properly
Solenoid Problems

Solenoid problems are a very often hidden problem that can cause quite a bit of electrical problems.  Most people have never heard of a solenoid, and when their vehicles start having electrical problems they automatically assume that the battery or the starter is dead.  Very possibly, the solenoid could have gone bad.  A solenoid is generally just a coil of wire that's wrapped around a hollow non-magnetic core. The solenoid receives an electric current from both the ignition switch as well as the battery.  The small electric current from the ignition switch forces the solenoid to clamp together a pair of heavy contacts.  This allows the large electric current from the battery to flow to the starter and turn over the engine. Generally, when a solenoid gets broken, the two metal clamps won't operate anymore to complete the circuit, making it impossible for power to flow from the battery.  
Diagnosing Solenoid Problems

If your car won't start and you've changed your battery or jumped it, and if there's no sound at all out of the starter when you turn the key, then it's a good bet that your solenoid is bad.  Depending on the solenoid, you may or may not be able to test it.  The solenoid's job is simple, it connects the circuit between the battery and the starter.  So when a solenoid is broken, it no longer is able to connect the battery to the starter.  So testing a solenoid is just a matter of bridging the connection and allowing power to flow from the battery to the starter.  If you have a metal tool with a rubber handle, you can touch both of the posts with the metal, thus bridging the connection and allowing power to flow.  Just be sure not to shock yourself.  This will not work in every case however, because solenoids are different and not all of them have easily accessed ports like this.

We once had a riding lawnmower with a bad solenoid and would keep a long screwdriver in the glove box to use every time we needed to start it.  We would reach in and touch the screwdriver to both the ports on the solenoid, and without fail, the lawnmower would start right up every time.  We eventually changed out the solenoid, but since the solenoid is a very simple part that only functions to bridge the connection between the battery and the starter, we figured it wasn't that big of a deal.  In fact, having an easily accessible faulty solenoid is actually quite a good anti theft system.
How Does a Solenoid Break?

The solenoid can break through a variety of factors.  One factor is just normal wear and tear which causes all automotive components to eventually wear out.  Another factor that can cause a solenoid to go bad is poor technique in jump starting a car.  If you have jump started your car recently or helped a friend jump start theirs, then it's possible that you've accidentally knocked out your solenoid.  If when the jumper cables are hooked up to your battery posts, you accidentally touch the copper of the other two jumper cables together, it'll send a spike of power through your system that can knock out your solenoid.  This generally happens to the car that's doing the jump starting and not the one with the dead battery.  Generally poor jump starting technique happens when a person hooks up the cables to the powered battery first, and then while walking over to hook up the dead car, the heads of the other two cables touch, thus sending a surge through the system which either knocks out the solenoid, or else weakens it so that it becomes faulty and fails at a later date.  So don't ever touch the heads of the jumper cables together.
Replacing a Bad Solenoid

If you've gotten a faulty solenoid and you want to replace it, it should be a fairly simple process, depending on whether or not it's buried under other components.  If your electrical system is constantly acting up and you've already replaced the battery and don't know what to do, it might be a good idea to slowly start replacing the rest of the starter system.  The solenoid is a good place to start because it's a small part with little installation.  If you go into your local auto parts store and find the solenoid you need for your car, they should be able to give you further instructions on how to install that particular solenoid into your vehicle.  Just make sure you disconnect your battery first so that you don't accidentally shock yourself.

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