ToyotaCare Expired... Buy Tools for DIY Maintenance?

I do my own maintenance because most garages just look to get it done quick but not well and I trust myself turning a wrench over them....
I have had decent luck with Husky stuff sure I'd like MAC or Snap-On but for the weekend warrior it's overkill mostly. That being said the best "tool" is good mechanical practices, experience and a couple good phone-a-friends as well as good ole youtube though I watch 4-5 videos on the same procedure before I attempt.

 

Another good rule of thumb is to have two jack stands supporting each corner of the vehicle in case one were to ever fail so you dont die. Redundancy is important if you want to live a long life.

 

Not disagreeing, but the point is that you are not saving yourself anything doing something that is really pretty rudimentary work.

and logging into the app is not the same in someone's mind as seeing an oil change at a dealer every 5k in a Carfax. The app isn't a whole lot different than showing someone a spread sheet of the history. No one ever says when they are looking at a used car "show me the Toyota owners app". It is about perception.

 

its cheaper because I can do it myself in <30 minutes vs spending 3+ hours in travel and service time going to the dealer and back.

 

That’s a good theory but if i was worried about a jack stand failing… I’d buy a better one and make sure I know how to use it properly.

Also not sure how you could get any work done with all those jack stands in the way

 

I got an awesome air angle drill from the pawn shop, definitely a decent place for tools.

 

I agree with buying name brand tools that have lifetime warranty. Collect over time, plan ahead of what you are planning to do, and get the tools you think you will need. Safety first, I always wear safety glasses, and I try to pull the wrench towards me (not push, pushing away usually bangs my knuckles) for more control. Enjoy working on your ride!

 

Money, time, peace of mind; you can argue it both ways. I do understand the point you're making. Most of us are more worried about our own experience with the vehicle verses the potential next buyer though. That being said, knowing you did a quality job means more than the potential convenience of taking it to someone else to hopefully do right. FWIW, I encourage anyone who's not comfortable to take it in, because that's the best value for them. For those of us able, the value is in knowing its done correctly, by doing it yourself. I've had more bad than good experiences at jiffy lube/express oil type places.

I agree the app isn't as "credible" to a future buyer verses a Carfax report to many buyers. Its more-so the organization of all maintenance records, combined with receipts of parts, that would be of value to a knowledgeable buyer. I personally have bought a vehicle over another based on maintenance records alone. The organization and care for that vehicle by the previous owner was a big selling point to me.

 

With tire rotation?

 

Agreed. I like the concept of the organization part. It is hard to keep track of all the receipts. Bought my 03 in 05 for full asking price from a guy that had a stack (literally) of everything he had done to the truck. Oil changes, tire rotations, filter changes, etc. This guy even had every gas receipts. He was very meticulous and it showed in every way. When I saw everything he had, there was nothing I could really use to get him to come down off the price. I ended up giving him asking price because it was really that perfect. If you want to get the most for your investment, a few little details go a long way.

 

Get the best set of ramps and creeper that you can afford. While I drain my oil i take a flashlight and inspect everything I can for leaks and broken or missing parts.

And like others have said, don’t go cheap on jacks and jack stands. Just because a 1 1/2 ton jack stand will probably be fine, a 4 ton or higher isn’t really under any strain at all. When it comes to your life, saying it will “probably “ be okay isn’t good enough.

 

Asking these types of questions tells me you are not ready to work on your rig solo. Auto mechanics is not for everyone and you can end up doing more damage, and getting hurt.

If you are determined to proceed, TW has many DIY threads, as does youtube. Get a decent size tool box and start collecting tools as you tackle each task, starting off with a metric . Look up youtube reviews on tool comparisons and selection auto tool sets.

 

I don't think anyone mentioned a torque wrench. I bought a cheap one and it sucks. Get a good one, I need to buy a good one too.

 

The other point (for me at least and I presume many other mechanically inclined folks) is that by the time I drive to the mechanic, leave it at the mechanic to get fixed, don't have a vehicle for x # of days, pay them, the upcharge on parts, sometimes they do it right sometimes not, if they do screw it up some of them don't own up to it, time off work to drop off/pick up etc etc. It is not worth it I can fix it my self correctly for ALOT LESS aggravation and ALOT cheaper.

Examples.... My daughter got a estimate for about $1200-1500 to change an exhaust manifold (altima) done in 4 hours.... did it for under $300.
Brake job estimate $600... done for under $100 with in 90 mins.

Truth be told every once in a while I have her bring it to a reputable mechanic just so she realizes how much it costs, or if it's something I have little experience with (EVAP leak recently and I don't have a smoke machine)

Gotta have those IMHO.

 

You obviously haven’t seen Walmart prices on 5qt oil jugs

 

I was actually going to mention this myself. I have my Dad's ancient deflector beam torque wrench, but it just hangs on the wall in my workshop as decoration. Get a quality "break away" style torque wrench and take good care of it! Also, you might need more than one given the spread of torque ranges on our vehicle. I have a 0-150 ft/lb for most jobs and a 0-250 in/lb for when you need to do some micro-torqueing

 

I go even a step further... After the stands (Plural) I always leave the floor jack just barely touching the point of wherever I jacked it up from also. A bit of extra insurance.

 

My $0.02 @gabababariel :
1) As others have mentioned YouTube (has been a tremendous help of a lot of us on here)
2) search/ask on here about specifics
3) find members in your area. Doing anything on your vehicle the first time can be very stressful. So many folks on here are happy to offer guidance or even help. A 6pk of their favorite adult beverage goes a long way.

TW & YT were necessities when I put a lift on my last Tacoma

 

I purchased 6 5qt jugs of Castrol Full Synth 0-20w for about $100 from WOOT (Amazon) you can find deals. Also found the OEM Toyota Filters for 3.25ish from a lexus dealer bought 7 or 8...... good to go for oil changes for a while and it's cheaper and better than the Jiffy lube/Instant Oil/Dealers etc..... Requires a little searching and patient waiting of course

 

Always push with your hand open and sight line where your hand will go if you slip. Closing your hand is always a mistake. I put the connector end of a temperature sender through my finger nail removing glow plugs off a 6.9L diesel many years ago. That is a pain I will never forget.