Revisiting DIY's at 40. Possible if you never touched a wrench as a kid?

[OnTheFence]

Back in the 1980s, I developed some basic mechanical aptitude as a teen.
I learned some basic maintenance on my dirt motorcycle, and then on my first car.
Nothing very complex, but just simple stuff any 16 year old can do with a cheap car and $10 screwdriver/ratchet set from Sears.
(Changing a tire, changing spark plugs, changing oil/coolant, replacing an alternator, filters, fan belt, random hoses, battery, oiling a chain, pumping a tire, etc)

I think that initial experience of taking stuff apart, screwing stuff together, using a ratchet set, ... all were critical experiences.
Having a somewhat handy father (who owned basic tools) around the house was also an influence.

Fast forward 20 years. I had driven Japanese cars for the last 20 years and never gave a thought to fixing a car.
Now, it’s been 2 months since I bought my 2001 E39 BMW.
I bought the BMW for a change of pace, the active DIY community (and the terrible resale values presenting compelling bargains...You get a lot of E39 for $6000 these days!)

In that time, I’ve bought about $500 worth of tools, read the forums, and done a handful of basic DIYs.
I've replaced: Air/Cabin Filter, O2 sensors, MAF, FSU/FSR, Reman ABS module, 2 Intake Boots, PS Reservoir/flush, Diff. fluid, Fuel Filter, New Wipers, Fuses, etc.

Even the simplest experiences like undoing a hose clamp, replacing a fuse, and even just using a socket set ...all became relevant again, and all came back from the teenage days.
The baseline never went away. The foundations are there, and it will be nice to take it to the next level of expertise and knowledge. With the resources out there today, my prior level of knowledge will be eclipsed ten-fold....

I'm fairly confident that I would never have dove back into this without some mechanical "comfort" established in my youth.
We all have friends whom we just can’t picture grabbing a screwdriver to change out an electrical socket.
Does “fear of the unknown” prevent the average middle aged adult from learning to maintain a car....if he never really turned a wrench in his life ?
Without some baseline, does the very possibility of it never cross his mind? Conversely, if you scratched the surface in the past (replaced a spark plug and owned a socket set), it’s in the realm of possibility.
ie: “I can do this”. It’s not just for "other people”. ... Isn’t that the cornerstone of every self-help charlatan out there? Glass ceiling, of sorts.

I did try to envision certain peers embarking on this type of project at mid-life. (Namely, those who I have never seen holding a tool)
It is all but impossible to envision. It’s like a fish out of water. Even if they wanted to, I think the intuition of simply turning a ratchet is just not there for them.

Is it possible to go from having no mechanical baseline to deciding to actually troubleshoot & fix your car?
Maybe all the step-by-step DIY videos and websites in the world don’t mean a thing without some foundation in place?
They don’t really know what the various tools do (or knowing what tools to buy, if starting in midlife)
Open the hood, and they don't really know what they’re even looking at...
They really don’t even know what an engine actually does. The various components are mysteries as well (What’s a gasket? What does a washer do? Intake? Valves? Mixture? These are just “words” to them)
It just seems like they would not even know where to begin. The whole thing is just one giant blind spot.
I have noticed that even many self-professed “car guys” don’t even know how to change a spark plug. They just know statistics, models, and prices.
In contrast, in 2 months on a forum and a basic toolset, one can know more about BMW’s and perform more work on them than a guy who’s driven them for 10+ years.

So, what are your thoughts on this? Does “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” have some merit?
Like me, have you rediscovered the satisfaction of maintaining your car after decades away from tools? Do you know people that just can't make the leap b/c they never did it as a kid?
Or, have you started doing DIYs having never turned a wrench in your life? If so, what was the impetus to start now?

[r33p04s]

After reading your book...

I'm not old enough to weigh in but I've been turning my own wrench since 17...only thing I leave to "pros" are thing dealing with internals...flush, belts, filters, bushings, suspension, brakes = easy

[ElleShooTiger]

OTF, you really overthink a lot of stuff haha! I know I've helped you from when you were a pain-in-the-ass noob till today lol, and I'm sure I've taught you a lot.

For me, having a "mechanical" mind has helped tremendously! I can look at things, take them apart, remember where stuff went, figure out how they work and how to repair them, quite easily. I did it from when I was a small kid taking tons of stuff apart, then played with Legos (if you can rebuild 60% of a 1,400 piece Technic car from your HEAD, you can do just about any car repair lmao!), and then watched my dad do a few repairs here and there, but he's not the most patient of teachers. I learned a lot browsing various forums, but likely most of what I've learned is just digging into my own cars. Junkyards are also amazing places since you can take stuff apart and not worry about putting it back together, it really helps to figure out the "how" of how things work.

Most cars nowadays are fairly reliable, so people have gotten lazy since you dont need to check on the car all that often. The boom of imported cars which tend to be more reliable, and people going off that "reliability" and not paying attention to jack squat, not to mention that a lot of people keep up with the Joneses or buy new cars as soon as they run out of warranty, has killed maintenance for a large percentage of car owners.

I'm fairly sure that most people can pick up tools and do some basic repairs, the problem is that as cars have become more complicated, diagnosing them has also become harder, and if you dont know where to start, no wrenching skills will help!

Also, working on cars requires time, a LOT of time. For most people who drive fairly reliable cars, its much cheaper for them to drop it off at a shop, or pay a little more each month and have a new or newer car.

[OnTheFence]

Well, I'm still very much a noob, but I've learned a decent amount in 2 months.
Here is the Lego set that Elle mentioned.
Wow, what a great "tactile/kinesthetic" gift in this era of Wii and cell phones.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10917824


Most cars nowadays are fairly reliable, so people have gotten lazy since you dont need to check on the car all that often. The boom of imported cars which tend to be more reliable, and people going off that "reliability" and not paying attention to jack squat, not to mention that a lot of people keep up with the Joneses or buy new cars as soon as they run out of warranty, has killed maintenance for a large percentage of car owners.

I guess that is partly what I am musing about. The cultural shift that has happened since the 1980s.

Cars are more reliable. They need less work.
People are busier (overtime, longer commutes, etc)
Cars are more complex. (in some ways, in others, they are the same complexity)
Status chasing seems more prevalent. (less likely to drive a 10 year old car)
Leasing has exploded. (3 years and out)
$30 drive through oil changes (this was probably the first place everyone started)

All these factors seem to have contributed to a systemic dissent away from driveway DIY. Once you're hands off, it seems all or nothing. I did not even own a proper set of tools for 20 years, until I spent about $500 over the last 2 months.

[Manhattan]

I agree on the huge amount of time. Not only wrenching but research. The high cost of repairs kept me in my own garage. I find that a healthy understanding of basic physics and science and a little bit of Macguyverism helps, because parts never come off easy, and parts never go on as easy as you'd hope, with corrosion and warpage to deal with. A lot of DIY work is done horribly too, and not the correct way; wrong torques, rushed installs, bad decisions on buying inferior quality parts. The other day, I saved 40 dollars on a simple alternator mount bushing, I could have bought installed but figured a way to press it out. Without a vice, I pressed it out with 3 welding clamps, application of heat, lube, and a lot of wrenching and exertion. Its the trial and error and knowing that heat and pressure applied in a certain manner would remove the fitting and not just wacking on it with a hammer. Also using the right tool for the job makes it a joy if one can afford it.

Gotta start somewhere on getting to know your tools, getting experience with easy jobs, and moving up to bigger ones. I am currently doing an engine rebuild and I learn something new every day.

[ElleShooTiger]

Well, I'm still very much a noob, but I've learned a decent amount in 2 months.
Here is the Lego set that Elle mentioned.
Wow, what a great "tactile/kinesthetic" gift in this era of Wii and cell phones.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10917824



Here is the one I own, the 8880. Got in back in 1994, and last year brought it to my apt. I promptly crashed it to bits, and need to find a few hours to rebuild it, then crash it, then rebuild.... :lol I really need to buy a second one, and maybe some of the other Super Cars they've made over the years. 4WD, 4 wheel steering, independent suspension, working 4spd gearbox, working engine, you can really learn a lot by working on these "toys".

When I was younger, in the 1990s, me and my friends ran around outside or played some SNES here and there, but a big box of Legos could keep us entertained for days! :buttrock

[OnTheFence]

Yes, some innate mechanical aptitude is a given. I just wonder if try this is just that much more alien to someone if he's never really had that "tactile/kinesthetic" experience of turning screws and bolts. For example, everyone knows the feeling of a misthreaded bolt. You just can feel that resistance. It's just off, like a grating screetching chalkboard. For some, if they never developed this "sense", I think working on cars is a lot harder, considering the time and mild physical discomfort it entails.

Manhattan, you're right about the time. You can't really burn 1-2 hours each day reading some car forum (reading about problems your car doesn't even have) if you're working long hours or have young kids. I wonder if most people on this forum are either single, unmarried (20s), or married with older kids (50+).

[D. Hitchcock]

I never had much luck working on cars in the past.

But I dove into my e30s with the help of experienced people and I'm a fair shadetree-type DIY guy now, especially on brakes, suspension stuff, etc.

I still prefer to work with an experienced mechanic on trickier stuff. My buddy and I just replaced the timing chain, sprockets, guides, etc., on my M42.

His experience and tool collection (former snap-on dealer) made the job a breeze and actually a lot of fun.

d.hitchcock

P.S. I'm 50 plus, but with grade-school kids. I burn hours here because I'm a musician, working and teaching in the evenings mostly.

[pbonsalb]

On the internet, you can find step by step instructions, pictures and sometimes even a video for most stuff. It is much easier to learn new things than it used to be if you are willing. If you have the interest, you can do it regardless of age. Once you get to be a certain age, it is not as much fun to work on your back under the car, but hopefully by that age, you can afford a lift.

[OnTheFence]

New reactions?

[Court M3]

Now much of a deal. Picked it back up in my early 30's. Most of it is just thinking you can do it. Hell took the cluster out of a Z3 for a customer (female) yesterday and showed her how to replace the bulbs, just by looking at an online DIY. Granted it's an easy task but tackling it was no problem. She was going to be charged $200 here at the base hobby shop.

Just today she called asking me how to teach her how to change the oil and filter on her car.

[DEATH2000]

I never knew my father growing up so i never had that influence in my life. Dont know if i would have. I have however loved cars since i was a child, and my old bedroom at my mom's house still has my old car posters in it!

Im glad I inherited a fair bit of mechanical aptitude from my Grandfather. I plan on passing as much knowledge down to my son. He's almost 3 now and he already loves "checking the tires", and looking under the hood!

Starting out, and not knowing what your doing can be very daunting. Even for people not in their 40's. At any age it feels quite rewarding to be able to do things yourself. I like you, have about $500 in tools, and with those tools have saved myself almost $2,000 in labour costs on my E36 alone. Plus theirs the labour saved from working on my truck. As my wife would say "thats a great vacation somewhere".

[montaillou]

On the internet, you can find step by step instructions, pictures and sometimes even a video for most stuff. It is much easier to learn new things than it used to be if you are willing. If you have the interest, you can do it regardless of age. Once you get to be a certain age, it is not as much fun to work on your back under the car, but hopefully by that age, you can afford a lift.

+1

I believe given time & inclination almost anyone can do almost anything. I don't feel I have enough of either to work on my cars. Experience also teaches you things that don't always make it into repair manuals.

[IamHanSolo]

I agree with the OP's general idea. Anyone can learn how to work on their cars. The limiting factor is always the foundational knowledge of physics; force, work, energy, etc. Then an understanding of how the physics are applied to physical material of the car. From the people I've talked to their difficulties have always been being afraid of doing something wrong and "ruining" the car or mechanism they are working on.

[LuisGT]

Here is the one I own, the 8880. Got in back in 1994, and last year brought it to my apt. I promptly crashed it to bits, and need to find a few hours to rebuild it, then crash it, then rebuild.... :lol I really need to buy a second one, and maybe some of the other Super Cars they've made over the years. 4WD, 4 wheel steering, independent suspension, working 4spd gearbox, working engine, you can really learn a lot by working on these "toys".

When I was younger, in the 1990s, me and my friends ran around outside or played some SNES here and there, but a big box of Legos could keep us entertained for days! :buttrock

http://shop.lego.com/en-US/Volkswagen-T1-Camper-Van-10220

Get that... best lego ever... but like hell am I gonna destroy mine... :shifty

[ElleShooTiger]

http://shop.lego.com/en-US/Volkswagen-T1-Camper-Van-10220

Get that... best lego ever... but like hell am I gonna destroy mine... :shifty

Not nearly as cool lol. And what the heck?? Legos are made to be taken apart and/or smashed apart and put back together!

[montaillou]

http://shop.lego.com/en-US/Volkswagen-T1-Camper-Van-10220

Get that... best lego ever... but like hell am I gonna destroy mine... :shifty

I find your link's lack of bmw content wanting.

I prefer:
http://px6.streetfire.net/0001/66/09/1016690_600.jpg