A question of knowledge

[Nooni_nooni]

It seems everybody I know has more car knowledge than me. I even went to my friends house the other day and his wife who works at the bank was schooling me on how brakes work!

How did everybody gain their knowledge of cars? Is it just trial and error or do you do it as a profession? Have you read all the books or have you just been a long time hobbyist that’s picked things up along the way?

Most of the time on here I have no clue what anybody is talking about and have to google about 10 car parts mentioned in each paragraph haha.

I’m hoping that the more I fiddle about the more I will understand but it just seems like such a slow process!

 

[zinc2000]

I started at 12 in a friends garage at weekends, then worked in a garage as a trainee mechanic for a couple of years, no formal training but good hands on stuff watched over by really good mechanics, most of whom were self taught as well, cannot beat the hands on approach doing basic stuff then building from that, books help, haynes manuals are brilliant and even with basic tools you will be surprised how much you can achieve. I should also add that I have been a professional driver all my life so throw in close on 4 million miles on the road in a huge variety of cars, vans, trucks etc and you pick up a lot of useful little bits of knowledge about mechanical things.
I have been tinkering/fiddling for over 50 years but still learning so be prepared for a long learning curve, the more you do the more you will understand, be careful, be methodical, label everything you remove and where you removed it from (thats the bit a lot of folks fall down on) try and work out what bits do and how they do it, then if those bits stop working you have an idea as to why, a lot of people simply remove one bit and replace it with a new bit, you do that all you learn is how to hold a spanner!
Most importantly though, enjoy it, if you understand how the car works ( even pretty basic stuff like understanding what happens to the suspension when you enter or exit a turn) you will also get much more enjoyment out of driving and you will ultimately become a better driver as you gain mechanical sympathy.
Have fun, but always remember, if in doubt ask!!

 

[Matti9]

For the first 20 years of driving (riding a motorbike actually), I did not repair anything myself. Only for the past 4 years, I started fixing things, first learning from a mechanic, then learning from forum and Haynes. My learning process has been (and probably will continue to be) slow as well. But I don't consider that to be a problem: I'm saving money, learning to solve problems and having fun! Be patient and don't be too hard on yourself, most of all...have fun!

 

[yippeekiay]

It's like anything in life, you pick up (mostly useless) information along the way. If you tinker with your car/bike etc you will pick up car/bike info, anything else is the same obviously.

I still have no idea about handbags & shoes but women know everything about them apparently :lol:

 

[red]

I've no formal experience, I guess I started with remote control cars, followed then by doing minor modifications to my car at 17, like changing the stereo and speakers, buying alloys to replace the steel wheels, replacing the indicator lenses with clear ones, replacing the back box. Yadda Yadda. I didn't do much in the way of actual mechanics until I bought the Puma, inspired by people on the forums I looked to replace my disks and pads, started doing my own service items and ended up doing the rocker cover gasket and heater control valve. Now days I do what I can on my bikes by following service manuals and looking specific guides on forums.

So basically for me it's all about having a job to do and wanting to at least have a look how to do it myself.

 

[PhilLew]

I've always worked things out for myself from a young age, (my dad was rubbish at anything technical) was always taking toys apart and rebuilding them, moved on to pushbikes and was always building bikes from parts and adapting things to fit, (I made brake lights for a bike when I was about 10) so it was a natural progression onto cars as I got older.
I now work as a service engineer so know my way around a tool box and will happily tackle any job on a car from engine work to electrical and, nowadays software changes, did a full suspension change on my Audi TT last weekend!
There is a degree of natural affinity and logical thinking required and not everyone has it or can learn it just as some people (me) don’t have much creative or artistic flair.
That doesn’t mean you can’t learn about or work on your own car, just that it’ll take more time and research to find step by step instructions for any job you need to do rather than being able to work it out for yourself, that’s where forums like this are great, lots of knowledgeable people willing to share! :grin:

 

[Nooni_nooni]

Thanks for the replies, guess I’ll keep on learning little by little at my own (very slow) pace :lol: I rarely find things I’m interest in so I suppose I can cope with how slowly I’m progressing despite being the worlds most impatient man

 

[McBandy]

Howstuffworks.com I found useful, though I’m an amateur, nearly 10 years sitting the clean side of main dealers helped and biting the bullet and trying it! Learnt how to bleed brakes on my Puma, most stuff is easy it’s just giving it a go!

 

[zinc2000]

Matters not how slow you learn just so long as you learn, too many people race through life and learn nothing and as been said before...enjoy

 

[CherryVimto]

I can only echo what has already been said by others....

My first 'mechanical' experience was over 20 years ago (now 40+ old!). Someone I knew bought an Austin Montego which needed a new engine. A second hand engine was sourced from a scrap yard and I changed it with absolutely no mechanical experience whatsoever. I didn't even know how an engine worked. That engine didn't work (I now know it had no compression) so I had to change it - in all I put 2 engines in that car so by the time the 'third' engine was in (2nd I fitted), I was an expert at it! We later worked out that Montego was an anagram of 'Me Not Go'!

Since then I just learned everything myself simply by trying to do things myself.
I own a VW Golf Diesel that was previously owned by a good friend. He bought it with a blown turbocharger which he got me to replace for him. I'd never done this type of job before but as stated before, a little common sense and logical thinking pays a lot of dividends!

My friend has now got a Ford Transit that he has asked me to help/change the clutch on.... I will be doing the job blind but will still have a go!

Anyone can turn thier hand to anything with a little thought and a sensible approach.... if all else fails... ask Google! With technology nowadays its possible to find information on virtually anything!