Re:How a Car Engine Works
by refurb on Saturday April 09, 2016 @11:44PM
(#11464774)
You can just learn by doing. It's no different than a self taught programmer.
I learned entirely by wrenching on my own car. Engine internals and transmissions are hard simply because you often need specialized tools. But there are plenty of parts you can fix yourself with only simple tools.
The main challenge now is that newer cars have a lot more complex components. Back in the '70s you could completely disassemble and refurbish a carburator. Fuel injection systems are a lot more complex. However, a lot of the systems on newer cars are still pretty basic.
One of the benefits of knowing how to work on cars is saving money. I fixed my wifes car (emissions failure) with a $12 part from ebay when a garage wanted $150 just to diagnose. And if you do have a garage work on your car, explaining what's wrong in way that makes you sound knowledgeable goes a long way to prevent being ripped off.
Re:How a Car Engine Works
by na85 on Sunday April 10, 2016 @02:00PM
(#11467374)
Fuel injectors are also quite dangerous. They operate at sufficient pressure to break the skin, and high-pressure fuel/oil injections can require amputations.
I learned entirely by wrenching on my own car. Engine internals and transmissions are hard simply because you often need specialized tools. But there are plenty of parts you can fix yourself with only simple tools.
The main challenge now is that newer cars have a lot more complex components. Back in the '70s you could completely disassemble and refurbish a carburator. Fuel injection systems are a lot more complex. However, a lot of the systems on newer cars are still pretty basic.
One of the benefits of knowing how to work on cars is saving money. I fixed my wifes car (emissions failure) with a $12 part from ebay when a garage wanted $150 just to diagnose. And if you do have a garage work on your car, explaining what's wrong in way that makes you sound knowledgeable goes a long way to prevent being ripped off.