How much is easy DIY maintenance worth to you?

[sciphi]

 Originally Posted By: KrisZ

With a liitle bit of research a lot of maintenance and repairs can still be done by an average person, the trick is to spend some time doing your research.

Quite true! With proper research you can do a lot of things yourself. Even if it's a fairly complex repair. My Buick LeSabre is pretty easy to work on, even rear spark plugs. My fiancee's Honda Fit is easy to change the oil, air filter, and battery on. Spark plugs are another story.

 

[Win]

1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 have been, or appear to be, easy on every car I now own, or have owned. I think I would also add hoses and accessory drive belts to the list of DIY items. But I have only bought RWD cars for the last couple of decades. I hope I never have a FWD car again. I don't like the new filled for life transmissions - I had to have the dealer change the trans fluid on the Xj8, a task that should be DIY. I'll have to have the dealer do the G8 as well, and probably the Sol since it has the same 5L40E as the G8.

 

[eljefino]

I have had lots of issues with the mounting bolts on shocks being completely rusted requiring cutting. Then the middle of the bolt is rusted to the sleeve in the grommet. Since struts fit looser in their fasteners, and/or b/c the fasteners are better metallurgically, I have not had that issue, except on a Taurus where the knuckle was tapped. It only bums me out the replacement part is $50 instead of $20. But the pain of spending money fades, the memories of busted bolts and overly long jobs last forever.

 

[BuickGN]

I've noticed a little difference between the TL and GN with maintenence. To do the front swaybar on the GN took 20 minutes. On the TL I had to drop the subframe on my back in the street which took nearly 6 hours. Plugs are easier on the GN by a small margin. Oil filter is easier on the GN by a small margin. Air filter is a draw. Battery is easier on the GN. Transmission torque convertor swapout (dropping the trans) has been completed on my lunch hour when I was a mechanic. On the TL, it's a 4 hour job if you're fast. Shocks on the TL require dropping the shock/spring out of the car and compressing the spring. On the GN I undo the top bolt and the two bottom bolts and it falls out. Surprisngly spring replacement goes to the TL. Much easier and safer.

 

[Steve S]

When you get paid poor design makes you money . On my own vehicles I choose easy as possible maintenance.

 

[rpn453]

 Originally Posted By: KrisZ

I think my Mazda3 is a fairly easy for a DIY'er. When I was car shopping, engine bay layout was part of my criteria, and Honda Civic sure failed this one.

There is quite a bit of room under the hood, and changing the water pump doesn't involve the valvetrain. The in-tank fuel filter is unfortunate. I'd also prefer to not have the cartridge oil filter, but that doesn't add much time to the oil change. I didn't put too much stock in ease of maintenance when buying my car because there wasn't really anything else I liked nearly as much. But I wouldn't have even looked at a Mazda if I believed it would be a maintenance or reliability nightmare, or that I'd ever have to pay someone to service or repair it. I was also happy that it has a timing chain, but I would have bought it even if it had a timing belt driving a water pump *shudder*.

 

[stephen9666]

 Originally Posted By: addyguy

If I had known how hard oil changes would be on my car vs. an Ecotec, I would have held out for an Ecotec.

Back in my college days when I was a mechanic, I hated those 2.2 Cavaliers.

 

[andyd]

Doing a valve job on a Honda CRV is an adventure. If I ever have to do another, I will pull the engine. The idea that you have to remove a motor mount to replace the fan belts is ridiculous.

 

[FowVay]

For me, working on my cars is a hobby that I truly enjoy. Whether I'm doing a simple oil change or doing a complete engine change, the task at hand is what I enjoy doing. I have gone to the trouble of buying my own wheel balancer and all specialty tools required to maintain my vehicles myself. It's money very well spent if only for the peace of mind that it brings me and the satisfaction of knowing I have done a good job. I'd never make a vehicle purchasing decision based on the difficulty of changing a light bulb or whether the car required premium fuel. I'd use insurance cost and safety ratings to help decide between vehicles that I have a interest in. It's said that when you do what you enjoy that you'll never work a day in your life. No truer words have been spoken.

 

[Bambam]

 Originally Posted By: moribundman

I case of my car: 1. Changing the oil and oil filter no problem 2. Replacing the battery no problem 3. Replacing other commonly used filters, i.e., gas, air, cabin, etc. no problem besides the fuel filter (huge and not meant to be replaced) 4. Replacing clutches in cars with stick No thanks! I still need my spine. 5. Brake jobs no problem 6. Shock replacements no problem

A filter thats not meant to be changed???? Explain that one please!

 

[Mr_Incredible]

DIY is extremely important to me. I can't imagine the costs in paying someone else to do to my cars what I can do myself. '99 F250 Super Duty: Trans fluid & filter, brake pad replacement, wheel speed sensor replacements, battery replacemtn, replace spark plugs, routine oil/filter changes, air filter replacement, rotate tires. '98 Z28: trans fluid/filter, brake pads all around, replace front discs, cat-back exhaust install, air filter replacement, remove/replace/paint 1 front fender & front bumper cover, repaint hood, plugs/wires replace, battery replacement, routine oil/filter changes, replace a/c compressor/dryer/orifice tube, rotate tires. '91 Lumina Euro: trans fluid/filter, routine oil/filter changes, plugs/wires, air filter replace, battery replacement, rotate tires. '89 CRX: trans fluid, routine oil/filter replacement, air filter replace, plugs/wires/distr cap & rotor replace, new discs/pads/drums/shoes all around replace, adjust valves, replace water pump/belt/coolant/t-stat/idler pulley, cat-back exhaust replace, body work, rust repair & weld, and complete repaint, install sound system wiring & sub, rotate tires. '09 Prius: oil/filter changes and other owner maint. How on earth can anyone keep their heads above water financially if they pay somebody else to do all those maintenance items? I know I sure can't. Then there's all the house stuff... Don't get me started on that.

 

[Jim Spahr]

Artific, I really like shocks over struts, too. The DIYer can easily replace shocks in his driveway, whereas the strut requires special tools such as spring compressors, front end alignment, and so on. Not to mention the shocks are $20.00 to 30.00 each versus 150 or so for the struts. Other items that now appear on cars that defeat the DIYer are: auto trans pans without a drain plug, CV joints on FWD cars vs the U-joints on RWD cars, no grease fittings, timing belts that need to be replaced every 60k miles, only fuel filter is a strainer on the pump located in the gas tank. I much prefer the traditional 'servicable fuel filter' located outside of the gas tank and protected by the frame. A fuel injection system needs to be kept very clean. I do like the disc brakes (easy to rebuild), stainless steel exhaust systems, electronic ignitions, and fuel injection.

 

[benjamming]

Jim, Why are CV joints, timing belts, etc. a defeat to the DIY crowd? You have to learn new things or you will be defeated in almost everything, including car maintenance.

 

[Jim Spahr]

I think that CV joints, timing belts, no grease fittings and so on make something that is already challenging a frustrating nightmare. Now I am talking about the DIY shadetree mechanics. But Ben I am trying to see the other side and 'learn new things'. For example, I have really enjoyed the excellent 'Saturn Maintenance Videos' posted in the Mechanical/ Maintenance section. Be sure to look at some of Richpin's informative video's even if you don't have a Saturn. These video's are not all on Saturns but are mostly on FWD cars. I have really enjoyed them and they make me -almost- want to go out and buy a Saturn S series. But no, I think I will keep my full size RWD car with shocks, universal joints, and servicable fuel filter.

 

[eljefino]

^ FWIW saturn s-car half-axles are silly easy to change. I've never taken them down to the CV joints, haven't needed to, but could just swap in a whole junkyard unit or parts store reman. On the subject... I love sealed front wheel bearings! Piece of cake. Hate the price of new GM ones with ABS rings but junkyards keep it real. Saturn s-cars need a press for bearings but I can get a whole hub/spindle and swap that out. When stuff gets "junkyard age" and you don't want to, can't diagnose, or dismantle something down to the smallest subassembly... just switch everything over! To the extreme, FWD cars with subframes (and RWD Beetles and Tuckers) can be rejuvinated with low mileage wrecks and all newer parts forward of the firewall! wheel bearings/ ball joints/ struts/ axles/ engine & transmission. This generally requires a parts car and some country living space but the payoff can be worth it.

 

[tonycarguy]

The routine stuff is fairly easy to replace on modern cars: wipers, brake pads, oil/filter, air filter. The only thing that is generally hard to replace and requires routine replacement is the cabin air filter.

 

[BuickGN]

 Originally Posted By: tonycarguy

The routine stuff is fairly easy to replace on modern cars: wipers, brake pads, oil/filter, air filter. The only thing that is generally hard to replace and requires routine replacement is the cabin air filter.

Depends on the car. My TL requires removal of a couple screws. My girlfriend's Murano is just sliding it out and sliding the new one in. One thing I don't miss are drum brakes. I hated doing those.