Do you actually save money by doing repairs yourself?
 

Can everyone share their financial experiences with doing your own auto repairs? Do you actually save money in the log run or are the savings from not taking the car to the shop spent on tools? The latter seems to be the trend with my other hobbies.

RE: Do you actually save money by doing repairs yourself?
 

you def save money, mechanic labor costs these days are through the roof(my local honda dealership is $100/hour).

like a brake job for instance is about a hour or 2 for the front and a hour or two for the back, thats $400 you just saved by doing it yourself. and all you need is a socket set

RE: Do you actually save money by doing repairs yourself?
 

My buddy gets quoted at 2hours to change a pair of brakes and rotors, including resurfacing the rotors. I was with him at the dealership watching and he did it under an hour for the front set. That job is pretty easy, but the dealer would still make you pay for the 2 hours of work even though it didn't amount to that time.


You do save quite a bit, and if you don't have the right tools ask a friend or family member.

RE: Do you actually save money by doing repairs yourself?
 

yeah dealerships are all flat rate

RE: Do you actually save money by doing repairs yourself?
 

Well in my case i get all my parts for really cheap or for free, due to the fact i work at advance auto parts and my dad and i basically do everything. Allthough we had to take my car to the delearship to get the transmission filter replaced.(Son of a GUN:D.)

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this website is G-rated.

RE: Do you actually save money by doing repairs yourself?
 

You save money, but you spend all your time working on it. If you were to pretend to pay yourself more than $1.00 per hour, it might work out differently.

Still, I work on my own cars so maybe Im a hypocrite.

RE: Do you actually save money by doing repairs yourself?
 

lol. wont happen again jim.:D

RE: Do you actually save money by doing repairs yourself?
 

It's not always the money, but that's certainly a motivation. For me it's the satisfaction of knowing that I have done it, and hopefully done it right. I also like the challenge associated with troubleshooting problems.Dave

RE: Do you actually save money by doing repairs yourself?
 

i find it strangely entertaining to work on my car.

plus, even though i am more likely than a mechanic to screw something up on my car, if i DO screw something up, ill know about it when it happens. theres a pretty fair chance that a mechanic will make a mistake and not tell me, ending up costing me much more of a headache down the line.

also, a good set of tools is an investment. chances are youll use them down the line again sometime.

personally, ive only owned my car a year and have replaced a power steering pump by myself, done several oil changes, adjusted the valves, replaced the oil pan gasket, replaced the sway bar linkage, installed a keyless entry system, bled the brakes, replaced the atf fluid, and tinkered with just about anything that can be tinkered with.

in those minor things alone i know ive saved at least several hundred dollars in labor. the only labor Ive had to pay for with those items was a trip to the dentist to replace half a tooth when i got hit in the mouth by a falling wrench under my car.

i was in high school at the time, so i lived with my parents, and my dad has a fairly extensive tool collection, so i did have that front covered.

RE: Do you actually save money by doing repairs yourself?
 

I would say yes you do save money by doing the job yourself. If you have the mechanical knowledge and tools it is worth it. However some jobs I do save for the professionals, like replacing brake rotors and a new timing belt.

RE: Do you actually save money by doing repairs yourself?
 

No doubt you save money, but you spend a lot of personal time working on cars. If you enjoy the work, it's an easy trade-off. I enjoy the challenge of diagnosis and repair.

Auto AC repair is easily the most rewarding, both the financial aspectand derived satisfaction. A job that will cost over $1000 at an AC repair shop can usually be completed for < $200. I bought one Suburban w/ and got the guy to knock $500 off for bad AC that I was obvious; leaking compressor and leaking rear evaporator. He was grateful, as I'm sure repair estimates were probably north of $1500. I installed new compressor shaft seal and evaporator for <$100 of parts. Removing/replacing the evaporator was a challenge.

good luck

RE: Do you actually save money by doing repairs yourself?
 

Working on your own machine makes you become one with it(cheesy i know) But remember, no one knows your car like you do.:D

RE: Do you actually save money by doing repairs yourself?
 

Yes, save some money but lost some personal time working on the car but it always has been satisfying. Think of it as a hobby rather than work. I have been doing some basic maintenance services such as brake, fluid changes, and tune ups. All major repairs and other repairs that required expensive tools were done by a couple of local mechanics.

Luckily my mechanics allow me to hang out and watch them work and provide much useful informationthat allows me to do the work myself and they also loan tools to me at their shop.

Take care and have fun.

RE: Do you actually save money by doing repairs yourself?
 

well i save money on the actual repair, and i get piece of mind knowing it was fixed right. its nice to know that some cheatn mech didn't just add stuff to the invoice to pad the bill. for example, my bother mazda 626 stopped running. i check it for spark and nada. i figured out it was the distrutor. now knowing that that cheap bother of mine won't even buy me a beer for my time, i told hime the problem, said i didn't have time for it, and told hime to take it to a shop with the info i told him. he called me later and told me that the shop did a compression check and said his motor was wore out and needed replaced for $6000. i told him they were wrong and to go get his car. i found a backyard mech for him, told him the prob, and it was fixed for $450. the point i am trying to make is you do save money working on your own car, and with the knowledge you gain, even when you do have to take it in for repairs, at least you have a clue as to what needs to be done.

RE: Do you actually save money by doing repairs yourself?
 

Wow.....Your comments have been very helpful. Thanks for the insight guys

RE: Do you actually save money by doing repairs yourself?
 

i wouldnt recommend much auto AC repair unless you have a freon recovery system (reclaimer?) and your state allows normal, unlicensed people to buy freon. before you pump in new freon after a repair you have to suck out all the old freon or air that got into the tubes during a repair.
not true with simple charges, though. thats fairly easy to diy from what i hear.