George Savage

When I tell people I do most of my own car maintenance, the most common response is an incredulous look.  The more mechanically-inclined follow up with something like this:  “Really?  Cars today are just too complicated, what with all those computers and sensors.  You can’t just look under the hood and figure out what’s what like in the old days.”

Au contraire.

Today I put my 1990 BMW 535i up on jack stands, slid underneath and wrestled the driveshaft out.  I did this in order to replace the “flex disc,” a critical rubbery intermediary between transmission and driveshaft that, when failing, causes a BMW to vibrate like The Ultimate Washing Machine.  Consider that until today I’ve never touched a driveshaft, and until a few weeks ago I was blissfully unaware of the magical flex disc.

Disintegrating BMW flex disc

Today I feel like an expert, and it’s all because of real experts freely sharing their knowledge  online — complete with step-by-step instructions and detailed photographs — and available in an instant via Google.  Troubleshooting a funny clunk? Professional-level mechanics have already encountered, and written about, every problem imaginable.  Need to find out why the Check Engine light is on?  Read out the error codes yourself with a $90 handheld computer and turn to Google for the answers.  Buy the parts online and everything you need will be in the garage in time for next Saturday’s project.

In contrast, during the apocryphal good old days I was scared to death of getting stuck:  dismantling my car only to be stymied by an issue I couldn’t solve.  My only aid back then  was a $20 auto-store repair manual containing a few low-resolution black & white photos and a couple pages of cryptic text.  Today I’ve got an entire world of experienced mechanics offering relevant help for free.

Consider car repair as a great way to get some instant gratification while saving the $75 per hour that real mechanics charge.  The Internet makes do-it-yourself auto maintenance about as challenging as using a cookbook to make meatloaf. However, unless something’s seriously wrong in your kitchen, the car work will be greasier.