Do it yourself?
Perhaps at the beginning of this chapter, we should seperate those enthusiasts of old cars who couldn't resist and bought such a vehicle. These are definitely do-it-yourselfers, because even if they have
enough cash to have their car completely repaired, for example, there's still a lot of work involved in organizing and monitoring the work to at least achieve a high quality standard.
For all other classic car enthusiasts, the rule is: once you've safely stored your car away from further deterioration, don't grab your overalls and wrench. Because there's a lot that can go wrong during
disassembly. Go online and find people who have vehicles of the same make and age. Make contact somehow, ask questions, and listen if possible.
No, the potential problems with such an old treasure usually can't be solved via forums, because there's always the time factor. With very new vehicles, there's often not much information available; they may
still be in the care of a repair shop under warranty. Sometimes they're even happy if they can prove that you did the work yourself, because then you're completely off the hook legally.
So be careful when doing that. Approach problems with your car with a certain calmness. There are people who want to begin again with cycling and buy equipment first, so much so that they (want to) look
like a pro despite their slight stomach. Don't buy all the workshop equipment until you know where you'll be using it.
In addition to comparing the costs of a workshop versus DIY, which can benefit the workshop despite not counting labor hours, the question of how the vehicle being repaired will be used may be important. f
the car is urgently needed every day, even minor errors in fixing problems – e.g., by ordering a rental car – could quickly add up.
A long time ago, we spent a bitterly cold night sleeping in our car at a campsite, only to discover the next day that a spartan but at least warm room would have cost almost as much. This means you should
be aware of the work involved, the tools, and the spare parts required beforehand. No, I don't want to discourage you at this point, but I also don't want to rush you into a potentially expensive adventure.
I've always successfully avoided that: There's hardly anything worse for mechanics than having to deliver the object of their unsuccessful work to a workshop on an ADAC car because they were unable to finish
it. Does the ADAC even pay for that? And what does the workshop say? Unfortunately, we don't have any appointments available for the next two weeks? In the Middle Ages, there were people who were
declared 'outlaws.' It's not quite that bad here, but it does describe the situation quite well.
The statement that a layperson can't even repair modern cars with all their electronics isn't entirely accurate either. You can, but you have to be careful. There are only eight to ten fuses left. The owner's
manual doesn't even list the location of the fuse boxes, let alone the location of individual fuses. The wiring diagrams for every VW Golf, even only for a single generation, cost more than €120.
If you're lucky, you might find a forum with information about the location and rating of the fuse that needs replacing. You can no longer see a defect in most fuses. Perhaps a continuity test and targeted
replacement will help. But beware of further tips on this topic. There are people who keep replacing parts, using scrap parts if possible, until they've added more than one to the original problem.
So that you don't leave this chapter without hope, we've provided you with a first hint here, and in more detail on our website, of how you can get started and save money at the same time. It's about changing
your tires every six months. If you do this yourself and also find a suitable place for each set of tires, you can save up to €100.
In this case, it's probably worth purchasing a small toolbox, a good jack, and a torque wrench. Don't overspend, but still make sure the product is sturdy. In our experience, you will not be able to avoid making
a mistake at all times. But it's still cheaper than buying always expensive.
Remember: If you repeatedly work on a normal car, perhaps even investing more money in the process than if you were to take it to a garage, you'll lose interest in the long run. At this point, we still have to
separate the control from DoItYourself. This can often be done without special equipment. If you diagnose defective steering boots when changing a wheel and thus visit the garage in time, you'll have saved a
lot of money.
So, checking it's almost always worth it, but it certainly doesn't include subsequent DIY repairs. Be realistic. Consider the interior. What are you planning to do there? Removing a steering wheel with an airbag
and special cable wrap? Or removing the door panel, which would break off one clip after another? Even a professional would only dare to tackle the dashboard with extreme caution.
Why? Imagine something is crakling during a slightly bumpy ride, and you can't find the cause. Simply removing a center console from front to back can be a challenge. Do you know people who haven't
necessarily refined their repair methods over the years, but have become increasingly accustomed to the inadequacy of their repairs?
In the past, cars, defects, and thus repairs were so similar that you could almost always find people among your friends who were equally interested. This has changed completely with the diversity of cars and
possible faults. This means that even during your free time, you won't find any kind of like-minded people. Even in an online forum, it's not easy to describe your immediate problem in a way that others will
understand, let alone find an expert.
No, I really don't want to frustrate you. I still enjoy doing repairs myself sometimes too much. But, except for minor things, you still have to go through a somewhat long tunnel of frustration and self-discovery. If
I just think about how many times I've unscrewed the floor panel because I dropped tools or parts. People talk about it as a simple oil change. Then just look for the drain plug . . .
I'm also getting tired of hearing the obligatory warning about not working on 'safety-relevant' parts. As if changing a wheel wasn't safety-relevant. Actually, that's the case with almost all work on a car. Electrical
circuits can burn out if there are short circuits, and leaking fluids can make the road unsafe or toxic. A vehicle can become unmanageable for additional drivers.
All work on a car should be performed with utmost attention, care, and feedback. This generally applies, but when even compact sedans today reach 200 km/h relatively frequently, this is a special case.
There's no such thing as "two left hands," just a greater or lesser affinity for technology and practical experience. Both can be trained to a certain, even quite high, degree.
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