That guy makes his living writing articles like that. Apparently outrage = profit.
That guy makes his living writing articles like that. Apparently outrage = profit.
In reply to drdisque:
I guess that's the other thing... I have far too much money invested in specialized tools for working on cars (including two lifts) to pay someone to do basic maintenance that I can't easily do myself.
slowride wrote: That guy makes his living writing articles like that. Apparently outrage = profit.
Otherwise known as "click-bait."
In the age of digital media where clicks = eyeballs on your webpage = ad revenue, it's the sort of thing we have to get used to.
ProDarwin wrote:Huckleberry wrote:It's because they spent their welfare check on video games.mtn wrote: Most of the people that I know who do work on their own cars *do* have a liberal arts degree.Is that because they can't afford to pay someone to do it on a fry cook's salary?
Yes, such wisdom....... although I'm pretty sure Oprah Winfrey, Clarence Thomas, Conan O'Brien, and George Soros could afford a video game if they were into wasting time. (all LAS degree holders) 
slowride wrote: That guy makes his living writing articles like that. Apparently outrage = profit.
I'm thinking this ^^^^^ too.
If you look at some of his other articles, he thinks that building your own car in 400 easy steps offers rewards that buying off the lot can't match.
Wut evar dude.
In reply to paranoid_android74:
If you build it yourself how can you get the dealer to service it? I gave up on Popular Mechanics long ago. I used to read them every time I went for a haircut and learned about the wonderful future I'd live in. Do I have a flying car? Infinite free electric from the sun and my own little nuke? NO and NO. Thanks for nothing PM.
Dude also writes for car and driver. As for the topic of his article, I can see both sides. I change my own oil out of necessity, if I get a 19.99 coupon I'll let someone else do it for sure. Batteries on newer cars are hard to get to. Even older dodge stratuses had the battery down in the fenderwell. My wife's cutlass is a v6 and the back plugs are a PITA. Again I do it out of cost effectiveness, but all my stuff is old and easy to get to so I have no problem doing it on those cars.
1988RedT2 wrote: It's a desperate attempt to preserve what is left of the American economy. Our workforce, which was once technically proficient, is now largely made up of minimum wage burger flippers with Liberal Arts degrees. If we can't put some of these geniuses to work changing your oil and installing batteries, what else would they do but live in their parents' basement, play video games, and collect welfare?
We can always count on you to post intelligent, thoughtful, and productive responses.
I don't even have a Liberal Arts Degree. So when I quit my job as a technician am I even qualified to flip burgers? Or should I just head straight to the welfare office and move in with my parents?
NEALSMO wrote:1988RedT2 wrote: It's a desperate attempt to preserve what is left of the American economy. Our workforce, which was once technically proficient, is now largely made up of minimum wage burger flippers with Liberal Arts degrees. If we can't put some of these geniuses to work changing your oil and installing batteries, what else would they do but live in their parents' basement, play video games, and collect welfare?We can always count on you to post an intelligent, thoughtful, and productive response. I don't even have a Liberal Arts Degree. So when I quit my job as a technician am I even qualified to flip burgers? Or should I just head straight to the welfare office and move in with my parents?
I interpret his comment as targeted towards the people who go get a degree in something non-specific (expecting someone to hire them because they have a degree), but never actually learn how to do anything (because they didn't get a degree that targeted them towards a specific job and didn't learn on their own), so it ends up being useless and they can't find a decent job.
People who get a liberal arts degree or no degree at all but go out and learn to be good at something and make money doing it are a totally different case, IMO.
In reply to rslifkin:
I'm sure he meant "geniuses" literally since they are only capable of living in their parent's basements playing video games on welfare if they weren't changing your oil.
NEALSMO wrote:1988RedT2 wrote: It's a desperate attempt to preserve what is left of the American economy. Our workforce, which was once technically proficient, is now largely made up of minimum wage burger flippers with Liberal Arts degrees. If we can't put some of these geniuses to work changing your oil and installing batteries, what else would they do but live in their parents' basement, play video games, and collect welfare?We can always count on you to post intelligent, thoughtful, and productive responses. I don't even have a Liberal Arts Degree. So when I quit my job as a technician am I even qualified to flip burgers? Or should I just head straight to the welfare office and move in with my parents?
Careful fellas, the PC police are liberal arts proficient...
Anyone else use a 12V LiPo and a pair of alligator clips to change batteries without losing all of your radio presets?
A simple oil change can stretch into half a day because you thought you had enough oil, but you don't so you run to the store, and then you can't find the oil filter you swear you had this morning and you go back to the store, and then the oil filter wrench can't reach the filter in the wife's new car so you go back to the store... Why? I pay some kids $40 to do it and spend the day with my kids.
I generally do it myself when the job is straightforward but takes a long time...I'd rather not pay for hours of labor undoing bolts.
mtn wrote: ...Most of the people that I know who do work on their own cars *do* have a liberal arts degree.
Ahaha, zing, very good point.
I didnt post this article as my way of saying you should do all your own maintenance. Obviously there are multiple arguments for both sides. The reason i was struck by this article was because it was posted by popular mechanics. They have a very DIY attitude to most everything, but i should be paying to have the four most basic pieces of maintenance done for me? Seems dumb. Like a cookbook telling me why i should order takeout.
Of course the second reason i started this thread was to express my anger toward people that i disagree with their choices in education.
Around here, there's basically no such thing as a "trusted mechanic". When I know far more than the guy turning wrenches does, I'd rather trust myself and blame myself if something goes sideways. Plus, I like to know what is actually going on with the box with wheels I need to rely on to get to work everyday. I trust it with my life every time I leave the driveway, and I want to make damn sure I'm aware of what's going on with it.
I can totally understand why some people that know how to wrench let the dealers/mechanics do the mundane things. But on my car, it also makes zero financial sense. An oil change at my local Mazda dealer is $59.99 (because full synthetic). I can go to the local Wally World and get Mobil 1 or Castrol Edge full synthetic oil and a decent filter for under $30. And it's super easy to do. All said and done, it takes about the same amount of time total, and I save $30+ each time. That adds up over time.
Spark plugs? Even easier. I go to the local auto parts shack and buy 4 NGK plugs for about $16 and spend an additional 10-15 minutes replacing the plugs. The dealer? I don't even want to know. On some cars, changing plugs is a giant PITA and time suck, but I would still rather do it myself.
And for crap's sake, washing your car should best be left to professionals? 
Many people are afraid to work on modern cars "because they have computers" or "they are too complex". I find modern cars EASIER to work on than older ones! My Mazda is 100% easier to do anything on than my Trans Am. Everything was thought out on that car and makes logical sense. The Trans Am was designed in a different time where they threw ideas against the wall to see if they would stick, and built the car around whatever stuck. It's a pain to turn wrenches on. My 1997 Dakota? Even worse!
This article is the dumbest of the dumb.
I don't think the article is awful for the masses. My oil changes at home cost more than a shop would, but I am using synthetic oil and quality filters. I use them as an opportunity to get under the car and check everything out, and I don't completely trust regular shops.
Spark plug changes are infrequent enough now (interval was 120k on our RAV4) that I don't think it would be the end of the work to have a dealer do it (especially on a transverse V6). A snapped plug can turn a simple job into a nightmare.
Battery changes can be a bit of a pain (especially since they usually occur in colder weather around here), and I've even seen bulb changes that I could see an average person passing on. With as often as I wash my cars, I probably should leave it to the professionals, because at least it would get done 
It all comes down to time, money, and risk appetite.
pinchvalve wrote: A simple oil change can stretch into half a day because you thought you had enough oil, but you don't so you run to the store, and then you can't find the oil filter you swear you had this morning and you go back to the store, and then the oil filter wrench can't reach the filter in the wife's new car so you go back to the store... Why?
Really? That sounds more like poor planning than a valid excuse.
I change my own oil because the cost spread between dino and full synthetic isn’t that great anymore but the service interval is about 3X…I don’t want to take the chance that I think I’m good for 9K but through human error or trickery, I’m really only good for 3K.
Besides, the one time I did take my car in to have the oil changed, the manager gave me a hard time for blasting 80’s hair metal while lying on my back drinking beer in the waiting area.
Maniac0301 wrote: Hmm I kinda see the battery and the oil change but not for the reasons listed. Mostly because if you buy a battery at a parts store they will put it in for you so why not let them do it. For oil changes most places can do an oil change for the same price or less than I can buy the parts. So for my car I do my own oil changes because I'm picky but for my wife's appliance I have her take it and have taught her to just say no to everything but the oil change.
Kinda agree with the oil change item. Same $$$ to have the quick lube change it as to buy the oil and filter. Only downside is you have to run the up-sell gauntlet at those places.
I don't wash cars, so that a wash.
For some reason dealers want a lot of money to change a battery, so I do my own and leave the toxic waste by the curb where it gets cooped by the metal vultures. You do need to research if a battery tender is mandatory or optional.
I've never seen a car wash that will come close to the job I can do on my own. I always wash my own cars---- it keeps me aware of any chips, dents or needs the car may have. I also kind of enjoy detailing my cars.....I know, I'm sick. A clean car is a happy car.
I also almost always change my own oil---- mainly because I want it done right, and I'd rather not have my oil drain plug put back on with an impact wrench. (yes... this has happened, and yes, they dented my oil pan causing a leak)
In reply to Joe Gearin:
I don't wash my cars at home because it turns the driveway into a mud pit but I do usually do it myself at the place that does my oil changed. I only do the automatic wash in the winter. The wife will drive through it more often since I won't wash a car more than once a week and she likes hers extra happy in bad weather.
Car wash w/ undercarriage spray in the winter is the Easy Button. Wash by hand in warmer months, actually considering the foam cannon now. Detail my own, that's one satisfaction worth retaining.
Dealer oil change and tire rotation on the '14 truck, just passed the 2 year free service and it's due. No big deal there, temps been in the teens lately. E92 gets serviced by the best indie mechanic around. No quick lubes ever again.
Other repairs or maintenance done time permitting.
I actually sort of enjoy changing the oil in my cars but I have a lift. It wasn't as much fun years ago when I had to wallow around in a gravel drive way to do it.
Like fasted58, I also detail mine.
My truck isn't always clean, but when it is, it's because it isn't hard to clean my truck.
In reply to lnlogauge:
Roughly the same place it is on a current Grand Cherokee/Durango it looks like. I've done one of those in a Grand Cherokee. I think the W-body and GMT900 are more annoying. Most trunk mounted ones I've encountered are pretty easy once the customer clears their junk out of the way. That Lexus LS was pretty simple since somebody else had already broken all of the plastic fasteners holding his engine bay covers down. Batteries popping up in weird places is getting pretty common.
-Sincerely, probably the least knowledgeable red shirt kid at my local store.
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