Interesting DIY vehicle repair experience

[John Ziebron]

Many of us older guys, like myself and my brother, would perform all the maintenance and repair of our vehicles. As time went on and modern day vehicles became so complex, containing hundreds of microcontrollers and sensors, many of us wouldn't even attempt a diagnosis or repair.

Yesterday on a trip back home my vehicle felt like it was running rough or that a tire was out of balance. The next time I had to accelerate from a stop I realized that the engine had lost some power. Then I noticed lights coming on the dash. The check engine light was flashing. A message indicating the Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system failure appeared. And other symbol lights came on indicating a problem with the Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Traction Control systems. I live in a rural area and there aren't any roads that you can go slow on but I was able to get home in about 30 minutes.

About 5 minutes before this all started I had my vehicle washed and was thinking that something may have gotten wet that wasn't supposed to thus causing the issue. I waited until this morning and started the vehicle hoping that whatever may have dried out and the problem would be fixed. No such luck. Looking at a couple of forums for my vehicle I discovered that these particular failure indications were not unusual. But there were several different repairs made that did fix the problem even though they were not, by common sense thinking, related to the visual error indications.

I discovered that my brother has one of the diagnostic code readers that plugs into a vehicle's OBD2 connector. But when he came over with it I realized that the reader which he purchased back in 1997 was not able diagnose any newer car like my 2015 model. So off to a local auto parts store where I bought a middle of the road, in price, code reader for $100. Plugging it into my vehicle and pairing it with my phone which I had downloaded an app that has access to the thousands of different vehicles and codes I was presented with a result indicating that the spark plug coil for the number two cylinder was bad. A trip back to the store to buy the $50 replacement part ended with my engine happily purring again. BTW, this was not one the fixes on any of the forums for this issue.

I consider myself lucky in taking the chance to buy this code reader and then the repair part as I'm sure the repair performed by a dealer would have been much more than the $150 I spent. So, sometimes, it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks.

[Tom M King]

Good work. If it's going to be electronic, error codes are a good thing. I'd rather buy tools and make sure something is done right than pay someone else to maybe fix something.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Good job Well done!

[Warren Lake]

internet is a huge help. I bought my 92 wally in SC. Way home cruise control would not stay on. No big deal but 1000 mile drive id like to use it. Back here asked an old school mechanic 40 years with many of them his own bus. He said its a grand to fix it and not worth it. I posted on a forum and someone with a love for the cars said go the back window and clean the two contacts there with 600 paper. I did that and the cruise worked perfectly.

I dont have a cell and no reader but will have a computer with XP service Pack 3 and find a Tech 2 Scanner, was told is the scanner for these cars. Not sure if some modern one could out do it then id be open to that. I have old simple cars, the net changes it all. So many people have posted good info.

Good Colombo work there.

[Jim Koepke]

Sounds like a happy ending John.

jtk

[John K Jordan]

the number two cylinder was bad…. this was not one the fixes on any of the forums for this issue.
…

Great fix story. Perhaps post this experience on one of those forums for your vehicle to save someone else an expensive bill.

[Tom M King]

I've found youtube videos for about any kind of auto repair I've needed. For complicated jobs, like replacing a steering column wiring harness, they save not only a lot of time knowing what steps to take, but any job is started with all the tools you need laid out. When I watch such a video, I make a list of the tools when I first go through the video.

I don't know what mechanics charge now, but back when I would get a price to do some job, after I'd done it myself my time was worth well over $150 an hour, and I make no attempt to be fast at it. That was a number of years ago. I expect it would be a lot more now.

[Steve Demuth]

I have had a number of obscure problems solved by helpful patrons of various internet forums, or youtube videos. It's really amazing what people put effort into making and publishing.

When I bought my last tractor, I searched high and low to find a relatively recent model that didn't have electronic controls. I found one that did indeed have an entirely mechanical drive train, but of course the starter loop was electrical, and had various sensors involved. So one day it won't turnover. Couldn't hear the relay that kicked the solenoid click, so immediately I assume its a sensor issue (could be on the clutch, the PTO, the gearshift ...). Eventually discover a blown fuze, which when replaced immediately blows again. Something that is energized when the key is turned is shorted, but since pretty much everything is energized, it could be anything electrical. Checking wiring harnesses on tractors is a real pain, but an internet search tells me that on this model, the engine coolant temperature sensor fails hard to ground, leading to my problem. Just unplugged the sensor until I could get a new one, and drove away. I could hug the guy who figured that out and posted in a tractor owners forum - undoubtedly saved me either hours of hard labor tracking down the culprit, or a multi-hundred dollar repair bill at the local John Deere dealer.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I often end up liking the ones where the mechanic is barefoot or in sandals, working outside on dirt, with crummy tools, with no talking.

[Edward Weber]

I also want to thank those people who have a strange issue, and record it for the rest of us.

I had one where the check-engine and traction control lights came on for no apparent reason.
After a little sleuthing, I learned that this can be caused by not properly tightening the fuel cap (human error on my part).
There are a lot of these strange issues out there, and some won't send an error code to a reader.
So thanks again to those who document these bizarre issues.

BTW last time I was at the dealer I believe it was $100 per hour labor.

[Tom M King]

Whatever their advertised rate for labor by the hour almost never gets used except by the book that gives an estimated time for any job. They charge by the estimate of hours for a particular job, and good mechanics make more money that way, but probably nothing like the business does. Boat dealers here are $180 an hour. I don't know about car places.

[John Ziebron]

Great fix story. Perhaps post this experience on one of those forums for your vehicle to save someone else an expensive bill.

Good suggestion John, thanks. I just joined the biggest forum for my vehicle and posted my experience.

[Ronald Blue]

As a FYI AutoZone and O'Reilly's both have a code reader you can use right at the store. If your vehicle isn't capable of being driven there then you would need one of your own or know someone you can borrow one from. You can see any active and stored codes and clear them if you wish. There is a standardization of codes so every make isn't dancing to their own drum. That isn't to say there isn't possibly a sub code but for the most part they are all the same. Working on electronically controlled diesel engines we had SPN and FMI codes. I don't recall if the same system is used in the automotive or not. Our newest machines with GPS on them were awesome. Operator might call and say I have an alarm or derate situation. I could bring up the machine on my phone and view active codes. Sometimes I could advise what he needed to do without visiting the machine. Most of the time it wasn't so simple and I had to go hook the laptop up and diagnose further.

[Andrew More]

Code readers are amazing. I bought an el cheapo a number of years ago, and it's still working. Solid investment for anybody with a bit of DIY spirit.

[John K Jordan]

Code readers are amazing. I bought an el cheapo a number of years ago, and it's still working. Solid investment for anybody with a bit of DIY spirit.

I use them for my vehicles and those of friends, keep one in my truck. I sometimes have to do an internet search of the code to understand what it really means. One reader does this for me.

Depending on the situation (e.g. new code and engine seems to be running fine) I wrote down the code, clear it, and see if it comes back. I did that once when one popped up 1/2 hour into an 8hr drive - it never came back in 10 more years of driving that car. BTW all auto parts stores I know of will read the codes for you but those who won’t clear them will let you clear with their reader.

JKJ

[Andrew More]

BTW all auto parts stores I know of will read the codes for you but those who won’t clear them will let you clear with their reader.

JKJ

True, but the one I got, which is an el cheapo model with just an LCD screen, was like $20.

[John Terefenko]

That is about right. Just at dealer for radiator work. Mechanic said I should replace the 2 belts while there because once antifreeze gets on them they will squeel and they were 10 years old. $100 for labor and $90 for parts. probably took him 20 to 30 minutes to change. Chevy Silverado pickup 2012. Plenty of work room.

[Lee DeRaud]

I don't know how common it is these days, but DIY work on my 2016 Honda is complicated by the fact that there is no "factory service manual" available. That function is strictly an on-line subscription service starting at $35 for one day access.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Recently redid front end ( upper and lower ball joints, A-Arm bushings, sway bar bushings) on my 94 Ford Areostar. Had rebuilt the rack, including outer & inner tie rod ends a couple years earlier. Did it part time over a period of three days. Parts were about $70 total (combination of Ebay and Rock Auto.) Shop price was $1600, plus parts. So I made over $500 a day, part time doing it myself. Watched a Ford forum where poster showed a picture by picture of how to do this job.

[Tom M King]

Lee, there are probably youtube videos on whatever you need to do.

Bruce, that sounds about right. I always end up replacing other stuff while I have something opened up that I'm sure a pro wouldn't, and still come out way ahead.

[Lee DeRaud]

Lee, there are probably youtube videos on whatever you need to do.
Youtube is fine for "how", not so much for "what".

The factory manual is pretty much essential for diagnosis, working down from the codes to specific failed components. Not to mention things like wiring diagrams and component locations.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

+ 1 for having the best manual available for what ever car you might try to work on. Our library does a good job with the auto repair section, digital and print. I have several Haynes manuals. I shopped for cheap cars based on which manual I have on hand. Chevy Nova, Geo Prism, Toyota Corolla, The were good low stakes cars for kids learning to drive. They are all covered in 1 manual.

[Tom M King]

The manual for my tractor repair, I rebuilt everything including a power reverser in front of the rear end, was invaluable. It not only told step by step what to do, torque for every fastener, but also has pictures of every step.

So far on my truck, I've been able to get by without a manual. I replaced every moving part in the front end, and on front of the engine. It's a 2001 diesel with 360,000 miles. I only put 672 miles on it last year, so no sense in buying a new one. I'd like to have a manual, which is in three books, but they are more expensive than any repair I've done. So far, getting by with youtube videos. There were none on that 1979 John Deere that I needed.

edited to add: Back before youtube videos became so popular, I replaced the fuel injectors in that truck with a lot of help from pictures in threads on a Forums devoted to those first Duramax diesel trucks. I would think there would be about anything available on Honda cars.

[Lee DeRaud]

I would think there would be about anything available on Honda cars.
For some arbitrarily low value of "available": as I said, everything 2015 and newer is online subscription and/or blind faith in Internet randos.
And those forums are cesspits of misinformation and attitude. (Not quite as bad as Corvette forums, but still...)

The good news, of course, is that Hondas are stupidly reliable, at least at the age/mileage I currently dealing with. At my age I'm unlikely to tackle anything major, but it's still nice to have a preliminary diagnosis of any problem, if only to sanity-check the dealer's estimate. (Yes, "dealer": he's within walking distance and has a lower labor rate than the independent mechanic that handles GF's Kia.)

[John Ziebron]

Totally agree on value of having a paper (or electronic nowadays) manual. Starting back in the 60s when I bought my first car and everyone after that up until my 2001 Chevy pickup I would purchase the service manuals right away. Most were one volume and maybe had a separate one for the body but my '01 3/4 ton Silverado had 5 volumes with a combined thickness of about 12 inches.

[John K Jordan]

Totally agree on value of having a paper (or electronic nowadays) manual. Starting back in the 60s when I bought my first car and everyone after that up until my 2001 Chevy pickup I would purchase the service manuals right away. Most were one volume and maybe had a separate one for the body but my '01 3/4 ton Silverado had 5 volumes with a combined thickness of about 12 inches.

I purchase service manuals for all vehicles and all equipment (skid steer, excavator, mowers, tractor, etc). Most are quite expensive and have to be ordered because the dealers never sell them so never keep them in stock. The manual for my diesel truck is over 2" thick. Most come 3-hole punched but I usually punch the others to keep them all in binders (and so they will lay flat when working). They take up at least 4' of space on the shelf.

I can't imagine doing serious repair or even basic maintenance without manuals. For example, how would an owner know to periodically apply 25 pumps of grease at each quadrant to lubricate the big swing gear on the excavator?

When buying one new car I negotiated that the dealer supply the shop manual as a condition of the purchase. He was not happy when he later found out what it cost.

I dislike digital manuals since I can't write in them or put sticky notes and page tabs where needed or stick in loose pages of notes and such as needed. The digital manuals are quite handy for searching, though.

When I bought the excavator I asked the dealer for clarification of some things in the user and shop manuals. He had to go research - said I was his first customer who actually read the user manual!

[Tom M King]

John Ziebron, If you're running an LB7 in that '01 3/4 ton and ever need to replace the front main seal, I have both the puller kit, and the installation kit. You can't hardly replace it without those tools, and they cost about as much as a service manual does. I wouldn't send them off to just anybody though.

I simply couldn't have worked on the guts of either tractor without a manual, but I've never felt like I needed one on a truck or car. They're so well covered with youtube videos. The list of stuff I've replaced an the dually is long in the 22 years I've owned it. I wouldn't go in the motor or transmission though, more than the stuff I've replaced on the outside of the motor. If the motor or transmission goes, I'll replace them with rebuilt, or out of a newer wreck.

John Deere has wonderful parts lists online. So many of the part numbers have changed several times since the ones in the original 1979 manual. I print a page from online, and make a list of parts I need to have when I call the dealer with part numbers.

https://partscatalog.deere.com/jdrc/navigation/equipment/79943

When I replaced every seal, orifice, dryer, and compressor in the AC system on the dually, I got an exploded view of that assembly and parts list from the dealer for no charge. I had already replaced the heater fan so fortunately didn't need to go deep in the dash.

I also have manuals and parts books for the Stihl pro saws. I wouldn't want to split the case on one without the manual.

[Kris Cook]

I'm sure this doesn't help but I have a 50+ year-old Porsche and the forum I have belonged to there for 15 years enabled me to rebuild pretty much every component on the car except the engine which didn't need any major help.

Plenty of Idots on the internet forums - yes I said Idots. Seems like for older rigs the input is more valuable. For newer stuff you have to weed through a lot of garbage. Repair manuals old and new can be frustrating. Wouldn't want to have to deal with modern electricals/electronics.

[John Ziebron]

Tom, when I bought my Silverado I would have liked to have had the diesel option but at that time couldn't afford the extra $5K but I did get the 8.1 liter option because, like the diesel, it came with the heavy duty Allison transmission. I sold it 6 years ago but never really had any serious issues with it. I bought my Kubota tractor new in 2002 and one could find free parts lists for it but I did have to purchase the service manual. I've made a lot of modifications/additions to it over the years but the only repairs have been replacing both front axle seals and the mid PTO seal. Easy fixes with the service manual. Of course, as I'm sure you're well aware, regular maintenance is key to fewer repair issues.

[Michael Schuch]

Every one of my vehicles has an OBD2 scanner in the glove box: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BY2CK32/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

I always have Torque pro loaded on my cell phone to read the codes and look them up on the internet for me: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torque&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1

For the few dollars I have invested I can't imagine not having this capability at my finger tips. Admittedly I have used my readers to help out others more than I have used them myself. It is awfully nice to see what a code is right when it pops up though. I had an code pop up on the way home once. I scanned it, looked up the problem and drove back to the gas station to get the gas cap the attendant forgot to put back on (I live in Oregon and we don't have self service gas).

When I helped my boss out a few years ago by scanning the codes on his truck he was impressed until I told him the price. He immediately bought a bluetooth OBD2 reader for ever one of his children and all his brothers, sisters and parents for Christmas that year.

[Michael Schuch]

I don't know how common it is these days, but DIY work on my 2016 Honda is complicated by the fact that there is no "factory service manual" available. That function is strictly an on-line subscription service starting at $35 for one day access.

Having worked on my own cars for the past 35 years I can say that youtube is the best thing to ever come along for this shade tree mechanic! Youtube and the manufacture/vehicle specific forums on the internet. I feel plenty confident without the factory manual or the Chilton manual that always seemed to leave something important out.

[Tom M King]

Here's an example the breakdown of when you click on one of those categories in the John Deere parts site:

https://partscatalog.deere.com/jdrc/navigation/equipment/79943/level/2/snp/Mjk1Nzk6Q0hBUFRFUlsxMDYxOiNCVVNJTkVTU19SRUdJT04sMj U5MTojQ0FUQUxPRyw3OTk0MzpFUVVJUE1FTlRd

[Tom M King]

And one of those sub categories:

https://partscatalog.deere.com/jdrc/sidebyside/equipment/79943/referrer/navigation/pgId/211137

I replaced all those disks in the Reverser, but it would have been too much of a puzzle without the Service Manual that I bought off ebay which showed every step in detail with pictures and torque values, with part numbers to the right.

I'm not going this deep in a truck or car.

[Bill George]

I purchased an app for my IPhone and then a Bluetooth or WiFi adapter ($30) that plugs into your car/truck OBDI connector that gives readouts for all vehicles.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Son is chief mechanic for a major utilities contractor. His employer buys the service manual for each type of equipment. Saves more in labor than they cost. When you are fixing a million dollar excavator, you can't afford to "wing it." He always does "oil analysis" for each peace of equipment as part of the OSHA inspection.

[Kris Cook]

Son is chief mechanic for a major utilities contractor. His employer buys the service manual for each type of equipment. Saves more in labor than they cost. When you are fixing a million dollar excavator, you can't afford to "wing it." He always does "oil analysis" for each peace of equipment as part of the OSHA inspection.

Bruce as someone who runs large construction projects - I will tell you that the oil analysis isn't part of the OSHA inspection but is a huge component to equipment maintenance/warranty compliance and just general good management of an equipment fleet.