How'd you guys learn how to work on cars?

I learned from my uncle and friends. In hs me and some buddies would tinker and fix anything if it had a motor, especially a 2 stroke. Invest into a code scanner if you got an obd2 and a repair manual it really helps a lot.

 

I eat because I work on/fix cars, heres my story:

5-6 years ago, I had never ever touched/worked on a car. Never even thought about working on cars, was never into cars as a kid.

Worked many a year in the Pizza shops. Was on the verge of a serious breakdown. Short temper, freakish about cleaning grease outta our new car at the time, I had to get out.

I filled out an online application for a Valvoline IOC, it was something different, why not. They actually called back, talked to em and they hired me. Started with oil changes and all the small regular service stuff. I was pretty decent at it, for oil changes.

That went south and I applied at Jiffy Lube. I spent the next 2.5 years there. In 6 months I had worked up to their "2nd Assistant" role, and 3 months after that I was a full Assistant on Salary + Bonus. I learned quite a bit in my time there. I knew my around a car by the time left.

While working at JL, I started small "actual" repairs on a Blazer I bought when my daughter was born, we needed a 2nd vehicle. The radiator had a crack in it, so I replaced it, had never done one before, no instructions. Went in about 6am and was finished up by 7am. Had to ghetto rig the ghetto rigged fuel lines I had and then eventually had to replace the starter on it, I stayed late that day.

I quit JL b/c of some big issues between me and my manager, he was basically a control freak and the double standard shit was getting way outta hand, so I left.

I went out and hit every single Auto shop in my area. App after App after App, callback after callback after callback. Finally my tenacity paid off and I got hired at a Monro Muffler/Brake, It was a year this past April, so 14 months I've actually worked in an "real shop".

It's been pretty nice at MMB, I've really come a long way. The biggest jobs I've done so far are: 2 Head Gaskets, 1 89 Toyota Cressida and the other on a Chevy Cavalier. Both have been great fixes. The cressy fired right up once I got the distributor turned in time and the Cavy just fired right up and purred. I also recently replaced a clutch in an 2007 Jeep Wrangler, that was fun. (Why won't this fuckin' thing move!!!, Ah, shit, can't have the Transfer Case in Neutral, duh!). Did my first internal water pump/timing belt on a Camry.

I also started taking classes at the local community college. I can't learn everything in the shop. One of the best CC Auto Programs out there and this is where I've acutally learned a lot of the "how this works" stuff.

The actual "work" in not really all that hard. It's parts, nuts and bolts. Some shit is hard to get to and you have to finagle around things, but the work is not the hard part. The figuring out whats wrong is the harder part a good amount of the time, espeically in the "getting paid to do this" field. Customers want their shit fixed right, the first time.

All-Data is a huge help, espeically with those bigger jobs I mentioned. I had a packet of about 10 pages for each one of those cars. Removal, install procedures, torque specs. It's like following a giant set of Lego instructions, other than the fact it's a 15K+ vehicle and not Lego's.

You're never done learning how to work on cars, espeically with how their changing now.

Thats my story. I know there are other guys on here who also work in shops, hope they post up too.

 

Rule #1 is to realize its only parts ...
Rule #2 is go ahead and do it.

As somebody else pointed out, you will never stop learning because every car is different.
Its good to start young because when you get older you start forgeting things. Saturday I was replacing my wheel bearing and I had put everything back. Then looked under the truck and realized there is big brake rotor still on the ground. No wonder putting brake pads was so easy

 

I grew up fixing my dirt bikes. My dad said if I break it I have to fix it. Then at 14 started working in a welding fab shop that did heavy duty equipment and truck repairs... I now work as a Heavy Equipment Tech for Stahl Peterbilt

 

Trial and error.

Mostly error.

 

I got a set of tools and dove right in, oh and I also had a dummy book too. If you can read and follow instructions, YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

my friends buy shitty cars. shitty cars break down. i get dragged into fixing shitty car with friend that doesn't knows just as little as me about shitty car. I LERN. lol

 

reading tacoma world. trial and error, patience.. lol

 

Anything I could possibly ever want or need to do is explained in a write up on the internet. All I gotta do is make use of it.

 

Worked at a shop for a while when I was in my early 20's. Learned alot working there and also as others have said trial and error. Just give it a shot, either you get it back together or your walking...thats pretty good motivation to get it right.

 

^^^This!

I owned a 95' Chevy S-10 for 5 years growing up from when i got my lisence at 16, back then If something broke, I couldn't afford to pay someone to do it for me, my dad was good for advice but he made sure i did all the work myself.

 

I had a school to work program in High School, chose a local speed shop. Ended up getting a job for Junior and Senior year, tuning and learning fab work, engine managment and welding. Then joined the Coast Guard as a Machinery Technician.

 

Forums and Youtube<<<<<<Your two best friends when working on anything

 

my uncle owned a garage and i worked there during my summers off from school. thats how i got to know carbureted engines. my buddy makes custom ecu's for rice burners and thats how I got to know fuel injected engines.

 

Started by trial and error. Learned the electronics side through the navy, then rest from tech college, on the job training, tech manuals, and TW.

 

Started on a 1969 Camaro Z28 then a 69 Dodge Dart GT convertible then 70 Duster and 72 Cadillac. Then the fuel crisis and went 80 Mazda GLC Sport, 84 Nissan 720 KC 2wd (still the best vehicle I've ever owned and the vehicle I compare everything else to-300,000 miles; sold truck to my Cousin for $75 he drove it for another 5 years). Then a slew (not because they were bad but because they were good) of Turbo Buicks 84 thru 87, and still to this day (top quality except for a few quirks (like all Regals were missing a few body mounts from the factory- someone got lazy) but still in my opinion the best GM car ever built. Then an 89 IROC Camaro (another great car-the only problem 2 days after I bought it the computer took a dump but other than that the IROC was really a great car)

Just learned by doing. Inspiration or desperation.



Steve

 

Started with watching and helping some buddies out on their vehicles. After doing that for a few months, started reading the forums; especially fab heavy ones like pirate4x4. Next thing I know it, I did an engine swap.... Be careful on projects that a lot of people say are easy; it is all relative. I was actually naive enough to believe that doing a 3rz swap into an 85 toyota was very straight forward . The big stuff was easy, its all the small things you never think of that add up faster and more expensive than the big stuff.

It is all about willing to make mistakes, read, research, and have patience and much persistence. If I was not persistent; my 85 would be a bucket of bolts instead of running right now.

 

I just grew up watching my father and grandfather fix stuff becasue we didn't have the money to pay anyone else. It's all just trial and error and alot of confidence.

 

i stayed in a holiday inn express last night, no i always was taking apart stuff and was mostly self taught never said no to working on anything, tools+youtube+curiosity=fixed&moded

 

Well when I got my first truck (1979 Jeep CJ7) I couldn't afford to pay someone to work on it. Bought the repair manual and went to work. Same with the 83 yota pickup. Skipped the mustang but went right back to work on the 2000 taco. Not so much of can't afford it now but more like I want it done right and want to know how to fix it if this ever happens again. I've always been one to take something apart and see how it works. Guess that finally paid off. I'm not afraid not to pretty much tackle whatever as long as I have a repair manual. Rebuilding the carb on my motorcycle wasn't anything after a few lawn mowers and boat engines. I just enjoy working on my own stuff. Found out quick I could buy boats cheap and fix them up and resell for profit.