Quote:
Originally Posted by shovel
Now if I was in charge of a company like AutoZone or Napa, I'd start hosting low-cost classes for the public on evenings and weekends for how to perform basic repairs to your own car, to keep them safe and on the road. Gear the class to be friendly to both genders, and focus on the types of repairs that can be done with simple tools in a driveway or carport - and offer a discounted model of code reader for OBD2 cars to attendees. That'd pay itself off pretty quickly I'd guess, with those same freshly empowered individuals feeling confident enough to lift the hood and at least check their own oil and tire pressure once in a while. The challenge of course would be in reaching non-gearheads to get them in the door in the first place. Ah, well, I'm just rambling anyway   |
Sounds like a great idea. Even though my everyday car is a car with over 500K miles I'd be willing to bet it's mechanically safer than 75% of the cars on the road, because I do most of my own repairs and do them in most cases long before there's any danger with the worn out parts. I just replaced the tie rod ends and ball joints on my '02 Escort the other day, but they were changed as soon as there was any signs of wear. I rarely drive that car, but my 18 year old son drives it almost daily and I want to know it's in top notch condition. Almost anyone can do a large majority of their own automotive repairs if they will buy a service/repair manual like Haynes or Chilton's and following the step by step instructions and best of all for dummies like me they have pictures. Yes, it takes some of your time, but it also saves hundreds of dollars on almost any repair. The parts for my '02 cost less than $110., but if I'd taken it to a garage to have the work done it would have probably cost $400-$600. I was able to do the repairs in an afternoon.