Just a ? I do my own basic maintenance because I like to, but it's getting tougher.

Brakes used to be pretty routine. But now, if your abs needs to be bled you probably need a special scan tool. I also read that the Focus requires some special handling.

Plugs are getting tougher too. PT Cruisers require something like a manifold removal Also, I just read something about some of the Ford modular motors --it alleged that the plugs would pretty much pop out if not done exactly to the factory procedure.

All in all I'm getting to the point that for any newer stuff I'll consider taking it in if it gets too tricky. Much as I love crawling around under vehicles and swearing until they behave, the tools and techniques are getting too sophisticated.

I do try to stay current -- because I love it and to avoid getting the old shaft. But, as noted, I take a pass on more stuff these days.

What does everybody else do?

Thanks,

ford2go

 

Anything that requires a special tool that I cannot get at Sears means a trip to the shop.

 

I do my own because I can't afford the rates at a shop,and i enjoy doing it myself. I usually buy older vehicles that I can work on,like my jeep cherokee. It is FI,but there isn't very much on it I can't fix as far as my truck goes,it is a 78 f100 beater,no way am i paying a shop to work on it.My ex-wife's 99 cavalier has been a very reliable car also. what maintainance that needed done i have done myself. Ability to work on the car is my 1st prioroty when I am shopping for something different,comfort comes pretty much last.

 

I'm going to have to "ditto" cjben's post. I work on my own because I really can't afford to have someone else repair it, and I enjoy the work. I even learn from working on them once in a while.

 

Not into the 'trial and error' thang anymore, they're just too complicated.

I take it in, pay the $80 diagnostic fee (to find out what's wrong), then take it home and fix it myself.......unless it's major doo-doo of course.

 

I tried the "trial and error" on a Buick. It got expensive. I've got a code reader for the Mercury, and a buddy with a computer for the van.

 

i do it because i do not want to pay a dealer or shop to do it and when i do it i know its done correctly

 

I fix trucks for a living.The oil changes and simple stuff I do in the driveway.The big stuff I take to work. My boss lets the mechanics use the shop as long as it doesn't interfere with shop work and we clean up the mess.

 

I try to to most of the work myself. A ten minnet job now takes me about 2 days.

 

I work on my own vehicle for several reasons. For one, I cant afford to pay what most repair shops charge and if its something that I can do myself it seems kinda silly to pay someone else to do it for me.
For two, Ive had bad experiences in the past with shop mechanics screwing up my vehicles and Im kinda leary about letting anyone whom I dont know work on my stuff.
I used to have a '99 Ranger and back when Ford has the Wilderness AT recall when they did the recall the dealer mechanic crossthreaded one of the lug nuts and rathar than taking it off and doing it right he just jammed it on with an impact gun and stripped the stud. I didnt find out untill I rotated tires about 6 months later and the dealer did eat the cost of replacing the stud, but I was still pretty upset about the whole deal.
More recently, when I bought my F-150 the dealer threw in a free oilchange. The next time I changed the oil after that the oil filter was on so tight that I almost couldnt get it off (I race MX, so you could say that Im a fairly strong guy, so I think thats kinda BS) plus the mechanic who did the oil change left an oily rag up under my truck (on that little drip pan that is beneath the oil filter) and that easily could have caused a fire. Again, the dealership apologized to me and offered me another free oilchange, but I chose not to take my truck in again.
Im sure you can see why I would be leary about letting someone else work on my truck.

 

I do it because I like to, and because I can't afford to have someone else do it. If I don't have the time or space to do it myself, I take it to a shop (like when I had to get a new transmission put in last winter).

I also HATE it when I take it somewhere, and pay them a fortune to fix it, and they make it worse. That just sucks. I can break my own truck for free, thanks!

 

I do basic maintenance stuff myself... oil changes, brakes, plugs, etc. Anything beyond that, I have a guy who's been a mechanic longer than I've been alive who can take care of it for me. Thankfully, though, the Fords I've had have never really had any major problems, and the longest I was without the use of one of my trucks to get fixed was 2 days.

 

I'm glad i'm not the only one who deals with incompetent lackies at the shops and dealerships.

That is the main reason I do all of my work. Everytime i've taken a vehicle somewhere for a simple small problem, they end up messing up something else or trying to pull the while we were doing the repair we found this also routine. I don't buy into it and don't go back.
All of my fomoco vehicles are maintained and repaired bumper-to-bumper by me. The wifes VW, I've been through three different dealers to find one I can actually trust, and it only goes there if I don't feel like messing with it or don't have the time.

 

The last time I took a vehicle to the dealership (an 87 toronado), it took two visits of
three days each and a $800.00 bill to fix an ignition problem. I immediately bought a
'73 ranchero gt and started doing all of the work I could on it, and only taking it to the
shop when I couldn't do the repairs. I only own older vehicles so I can do repairs on
them. I have never gotten any enjoyment out of a newer car that could not be
diminished by a high car payment, insurance payment, or being gutted by a dealer
repair. I've found a shop that does good work, and charges reasonable rates.
I can usually guess the price before being called for approval. No add-ons, no ups nor
extras.

 

Another example of the huge ripoff that is a repair shop: today I have new tires put on my truck. I got a set of used take-offs for free, so all they had to do was take the old tires off and put the new tires on and balance them. They charged me $93! I saw the bill and thought, "Hmmmm, I see the price of that went up a little in the past couple years." I last got different tires 2 years ago and I swear it only cost me about $50 to have the same work done.
I know you make money to spend money, but it still stings especially considering that MX season is just around the corner. (once MX season starts I REALLY dont have any money! LOL)