DIY fixes and repairs

[SciTX]

I recently bought a new to me 2002 GMC Yukon and I love it....it was a one owner vehicle with every service record in a file and has 175k on it...for the price of $4000 I couldn't resist. It runs like a dream and I think I'll get another 100k out of it easy. I used to have a 2000 Suburban that was the best family vehicle we ever had and this is like the shorter version of that.

It did however have just a couple of small things that were no big deal but I wanted fixed. First was this little fan in the ceiling on the driver side, it monitors the internal temp for the climate control system. Well is was buzzing like crazy and it was driving me mad!! I found a replacement on Amazon for $25 and in 10 minutes I had silence instead of buzzing...happy man.

Then I noticed that the side view mirrors didn't move like they should and figured the switch was shot...so again to Amazon and found it for $22...another 10 minutes and the mirrors work perfectly.

About a week ago I put down the front passenger window to cool things off as I was pulling away from the house and when I went to put it back up it got halfway and then I heard a springy pop and that was it...I was able to get the window all the way up but that was it...I could hear the motor going when I tried the switch but the window wouldn't budge. I figured this was above my pay grade but feeling cocky from my other repairs I thought I'd try anyhow.

Found the part on Amazon for $32 and a great video on YouTube that showed very detailed steps to replace it....I decided to dive in...45 minutes later the window is working like new. Just for kicks I called a local repair shop that is well regarded and reasonable...they said the the part would be $143 and then installation would be another $110....I saved myself $220!! and I'm feeling pretty handy!! I bet with the other two fixess I've saved close to $400 and I have the satisfaction of doing it myself!

What have you folks done yourself that maybe you didn't think you could...but did anyway!?!?

 

[jamesspo]

I do pretty much all car maintenance and house maintenance/additions myself..always have. I just can't pay other people to do stuff like that. I've been down to the crankshaft on a few cars, finished basements and other major construction, plumbing, electrical, all learned on my own. You just have to be willing to do a bit of research and reading. It is a good feeling being self sufficient!

 

[MrLara]

Two years ago a coworker broke the side mirror on my car. She said she would pay for it. But i had the day off the following day and decided to fix it. It was impossible for me to glue the existing holes that the factory screws went it. So i looked in my toolbag and found the same kind of screws but longer. I put them in and the mirror held up. It still holds up to this day. And since the screws went in from the inside of the door. You can't even tell it was ever broken.

It only saved me about $30-ish, but still. I was proud to do that.

there was another time when a certain rear brake spring (can't remember the exact name) went out in my car (both tires). The part was about $10-$15, and the special tool was about $20. I fixed both and it took about an hour. I called a few mechanic shops and eveything would have been north of $350. I saved a lot of money that time.

 

[dfoulk]

You should try doing your own brakes on your vehicles. It's really easy and a huge money saver. I've been doing it for years and there are plenty of you tube videos to walk you through it.

 

[MrLara]

You should try doing your own brakes on your vehicles. It's really easy and a huge money saver. I've been doing it for years and there are plenty of you tube videos to walk you through it.

The apts don't like mechanic work done on the premises. i guess i could take it to a friends house, but he lives 30 min away. My uncle who is a mechanic lives nearby and does it for a six pack of craft beer.

 

[dfoulk]

The apts don't like mechanic work done on the premises. i guess i could take it to a friends house, but he lives 30 min away. My uncle who is a mechanic lives nearby and does it for a six pack of craft beer.

Even better, I don't mind doing them myself but I'd cough up a six pack of craft beer to have someone else do it for me.

 

[Mojo88]

Last week I built a new set of steps on the back of our house and replaced a drive cable on my lawn mower. The cable was easy to remove, but not as easy to replace.. Still it saved me 50.00.. I do the majority of things around our house except for major electrical.

 

[SciTX]

You know I think I will try the brakes when they are in need....my neighbor has a Yukon as well and told me he does his and he'd do it with me.

 

[dfoulk]

You know I think I will try the brakes when they are in need....my neighbor has a Yukon as well and told me he does his and he'd do it with me.

You'll be amazed on just how easy it is to do. I buy lifetime pads from the local auto parts store and change them once a year whenever it's nice weather. It doesn't cost me much to do it at all, but if I take it somewhere it gets quite expensive rather quickly. I'll remove and have the rotors turned every other time or whenever I suspect they need it whichever comes first. It just depends on the amount of driving I'm doing whether they need it or not.

I still can't figure out why it costs as much as it does as it's something that even the new mechanic making slightly above minimum wage can do. Many shops have the new mechanics doing brakes and oil changes to start out until they get more experience.

 

[tetraodon]

I still can't figure out why it costs as much as it does as it's something that even the new mechanic making slightly above minimum wage can do. Many shops have the new mechanics doing brakes and oil changes to start out until they get more experience.

as i understand its the shop rate, some jobs you over pay by a lot, and other jobs you under pay. plus there is a lot of overhead with shops, they are always buying tools, fasteners, and such that sometimes they dont charge back. not to mention you have to deal with people who have no idea what it takes to fix more complicated things. ive done many things on the couple trucks and family vehicles and its a pain in the *** for the most part. very few projects go as planned. my next project is to find brake pads that dont soak up moisture like a sponge.

 

[thematthatter]

bought my wifes minivan used, paid about $4k for it ttL included, it was a 2006 dodge grand caravan with only 121K miles. First owner was a rental car company and the previous owner owned it for the 8 yrs after it before it got auctioned off to the used car market.

its a great van but had some wear and tear. I replaced the following
radiator fan(one of the fans was buzzing real loud)
radiator (developed a crack near the top)
water pump (found out after I filled the new radiator back up) this one a shop did
door lock actuators for both left and right sliding doors
left tail light, (someone rigged up some aftermarket crap and it shorted and kept poping bulbs)
gas cap (seal was cracked, threw a check engine light)
breaks and roters
bought new tires (walmart )
since it was used it only came with one key and my wife closed one of the sliding doors on it and cracked the case where it connects to the ring. I got a new key case off amazon and replaced the internals. had a local locksmith grind it and program a new key I got off amazon for 50.
pink key case off amazon and black key.
I got new rear shocks and bumper stops to put on it, haven't yet.

My jeep I put a genuine mopar trailer wiring harness i got off amazon for $120, it came from a dealership in SC. The harness from uhaul burnt up. would have been $200 from dealership not including install.
but I buy most of my car parts off Rock auto. they are sometimes cheaper than amazon, and way cheaper than local auto parts shop and it comes with a free car magnet. plus you can find a code for 5%off your order online.

 

[BSAGuy]

I replaced a broken worm gear on the trip odometer and a burned out instrument cluster lamp on my 1996 Taurus (199,000 miles) back inMArch. Took about 2 hours, mostly testing the LED bulbs for polarity.

Required removal of radio, headlight controls, 3-4 dash panels, and disassembly of instrument cluster.

Probably woiuld have cost me $400 or so for a shop to do, but I got 'er done for about $50 in parts and tools.

Thank goodness for YouTube!

 

[MichaelRB88]

Heater core job in my "99" F-150 was fun. Quoted $850. The part was ~$50 and 5-6 hours of my time.

 

[SciTX]

^^^^^wow...that one had you into the dash up to your shoulders!!^^^^^^

 

[MichaelRB88]

^^^^^wow...that one had you into the dash up to your shoulders!!^^^^^^

I watched a lot of videos on it for weeks prior. I have a fair amount of mechanical aptitude, and YouTube makes up for what I lack. I actually had been using a 12 volt electric heater to get by. I got in after warming up the truck one day, and smelled what seemed to be the small electric heater burning out, and went home and took it apart. Weeks later I invested another $75 into a coolant filter system to prevent myself from ever having to tear it apart this far again.

 

[YKMV]

Congrats [MENTION=79822]SciTX[/MENTION] and glad to hear it all works great.

and, @MichalerR888, I once replaced the heater core in my Bronco. I worked in a shop with my friend the master mechanic.. it was still a bugger of a job. It almost would have been easier to take out the motor to do the heater....

 

[jjking54]

+1 on the brakes ... I really should get myself to do them but so far I haven't.

The last thing I did was add a transmission cooler to our minivan so we could tow our pop up without so much wear and tear on our tranny. Took a little longer then I expected, and I found out I'm missing some tools (I think my stepson has "borrowed" them) but in the end it went fairly well and works

 

[MichaelRB88]

+1 on the brakes ... I really should get myself to do them but so far I haven't.

The last thing I did was add a transmission cooler to our minivan so we could tow our pop up without so much wear and tear on our tranny. Took a little longer then I expected, and I found out I'm missing some tools (I think my stepson has "borrowed" them) but in the end it went fairly well and works

I am a serial procrastinator. I've got an Isuzu trooper in one side of my garage. Didn't run. I fixed the carburetor, and then I was asked to replace all the brakes. It's been in my parking spot waaaaayyyyyyy too long. Now I've got a friends f-250 in the other side(wife's parking spot) needing a new clutch. So like it or not, I've actually got to get to work tomorrow. Sometimes I wish I could just turn the work away. I'm not a professional, but I have a hard time letting my friends pay shop rate, ~$55 an hour, for repairs.
Funny enough, my own truck needs brakes and shocks right now and an oil change 2,000 miles ago.