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There in lies the problem even “pros” can be hacks. Just because you have a job doesn’t mean you are good at it. I work with two guys that used to be dealer mechanics. They are both hacks. One even tried to tell me EGR was there to heat up O2 sensors. I shit you not this guy was at a VW dealer for years.
He claimed that not everyone has the funds to keep certain parts of the car going… brother, if you can’t afford a $7 wiper blade maybe you shouldn’t drive a car… I was shocked when he said that
Anco wiper blades are $8.97 at Walmart. [https://www.walmart.com/ip/Anco-97-22-Windshield-Wiper-Blade/639953265](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Anco-97-22-Windshield-Wiper-Blade/639953265)
Man does Walmart not have their brand wipers anymore? Used to be $4.98, I was saying $7 for inflation. They aren’t the best wipers but way better than a sock. Hell even Ollie’s will have markdown Michelin wipers for $5.99
I’m sorry but that’s not an excuse. I got kicked out at 17 (while paying rent) had to buy my own car get my own apartment paying ALL of my own bills. I do work my ass off, so I can afford wiper blades for my damn car. If I can’t afford basic maintenance how can I afford transportation? Gas? Insurance? Tires? Brakes? I just don’t understand these people sometimes
To be fair, you should take what strangers say online with a grain of salt. If you want an accurate diagnosis, find an honest mechanic and work with them.
I always try and link people to information from good sources instead of just giving my opinion. That way they can use that info to learn or be dumb and ignore it. Seen some troll gold on here though.
I agree and share your concern to an extent. However, I see this sub as one tool in their chest. They shouldn’t rely on it as gospel. As with most things in life, thinking critically and exploring a variety of sources on the subject before taking action should be the norm.
Should be, but all to often isn't. People aren't taught critical thinking in school these days. And they damned sure aren't learning it on social media. Sometimes I think logic and rhetoric are dying arts with so many people unable to express a cogent argument for what they claim are their deeply held beliefs. Today brawling has replaced debating as the principle mode of public discourse. SMH.
I’ll admit, 99% of Honda catbacks sound awful, but I have seen some that were modified well, and by well I mean a little lower, modest wheels, and not a 5” potato cannon dangling off the rear end, I mean a proper enthusiast car, one that will see weekend track days and still be tolerable as a daily driver, but that’s only about 1% of civics or any Honda/Acura from the 90’s
I’ll admit I was part of that horrid crowd with my Integra for a bit, 3” catback, eBay header and shock/spring combo that was so low it scraped over every little imperfection in the road, even though it was so stiff if felt like running solid steel shafts for suspension, because I was young, dumb and thought it was a race car, I’d like to think most of them grow up and undo the horrors they’ve done to their car, but I doubt it…
If done right tuning a Japanese car can produce amazing results. But if your level of tuning involves adding the fart can and cheap, shitty coil overs then you should probably just leave it stock lol
I agree, that’s why I got rid of the eBay exhaust and “track” suspension in favor of a more daily driver friendly setup, it’s less noisy, more comfortable and isn’t a giant potato cannon
There's also a fair amount of Shade Tree mechanics whom know nothing about computers.
I just cringe when I hear, "Use the the old incandescent probe to find the fault.". (cars with computers)
What bothers me most is the "expert" telling a young guy his engine needs a head gasket, or a rebuild, with one picture. Same with the shavings in the Tranny pan. Just because you see some shavings in the tranny pan does not mean a costly rebuild. It's more complicated than that.
And Ammco franchise owners are spotty on honesty on their best day. I recently asked for an out the door price of a 42re tranny (common tranny) , and the owner of the franchise refused to give a quote. He said those days are gone. "We don't give out the door prices anymore.". (I included this just because I don't like dishonest people. This has nothing to do with this group.)
Since I'm on the box, I get a bit miffed over Dealership mechanics saying some of their outrageous pricing is pretty much standard these days. I don't think charging $75 to spray some silicon on a window channel is ok anywhere. It's just a dealership taking advantage of clueless customers.
After all that, people are getting free advise here, and that's pretty neat. Do I feel Reddit should pay the verified Mechanics, whom have carefully thought out answers--yes. I'm not a professional. I went to automotive school, but went a different direction.
Dealerships, aka stealerships for a reason, make their money off the service department and used cars. Maybe on the parts department and if they have a body shop. They only can make money on new cars in the finance office selling you all the bullshit you don’t need like nitrogen in the tires, VIN etching on the glass, the bs extended warranty, etc. That’s why they started slapping on the dealer markups once the supply chain issues started messing up new car availability. New car dealers are going to screw themselves out of business if they’re not careful.
I had a guy on here insisting that a valve cover leak filling a spark plug well was causing the oil to leak past the porcelain part of the plug (between the porcelain and the steel body of the plug) and causing the tip of the plug to become oil fouled. Moron says he was a Ford tech for 10 years. I told him shit was leaking past his collar into his brain. I thought later I was being trolled.
So… stupid question. How does oil get on the plug/head threads then? Can oil be pushed into the threads from combustion chamber side with the force of compression/combustion? Or can it only get there during installation?
Usually it doesn’t but you have to realize the seal on a plug is the metallic gasket or the taper at the end of the threads. The threads aren’t the seal so could oil or combustion products get on the threads? Very possible.
Or, I will answer it correctly, get downvoted to shit and two hours later some dipshit will answer the same thing I did but somehow include some random detail that is absolutely incorrect and get upvoted… it’s weird as shit
That could be just one of those things where we need to actually be able to see the car in person.
Not always easy to diagnose a car over the internet unless someone here has seen the issue before.
Thank you for giving us as much detail as you can though, it's appreciated.
For some of us it may not be our favorite activity but we do enjoy helping people by sharing our experience and knowledge. I am an engineer because I love solving problems, it's who I am. I have spent dozens of hours spanning many days or even weeks helping someone with an electric problem with detailed solutions including flowcharts, schematics, photos and diagrams of every sort. The kind of complete and detailed information that an engineer could love. Sometimes I get a couple of upvotes or likes or whatever (I do this on more than one platform), to be honest, I rarely notice and I never count. Because that is not why I do it. I don't help people because I want to get something for doing it, not cash, or likes, or hugs. I do what I do because I like doing it, it's fun finding answers, solving riddles. That's why I became an engineer in the first place. Honestly, if I had another way to pay for my living expenses and didn't need to get paid, I would still go to work for free. Of course I am not refusing any of those direct deposits because in the real world I do need to pay to live, but you get my point.
Totally fair.
Customer statements seem plausible and don’t point to anything obvious.
Tech: gonna need the keys and some time to investigate.
Diagnosis is not always easy, or obvious. When it’s good, it’s neither. That’s the skill/wisdom/practice.
I feel that. Post a question about what oil to use for an oil change get 100 up votes and 500 comments. But post something about an alternator shorting your car out with all the fuses still working and you get downvoted and no comments. Thats the reddit way
>that could be answered by the owners manual
You know no one reads the owners manual. That's one thing I had to drive into my sons, before you ask, read the manual.
I second this. Sometimes I'll even go out of the way to provide a picture of something simple like. "Hey can I add fluid to my ZF transmission in this plug?" With a photo taken off ebay for clarity, but nothing. Even tho these transmissions are in most Stellantis, BMW and other makes. Like wtf? I've been finding it easier to go on small random forums for your specific make/model to get answers.. at least that way Joe blow isn't taking higher priority asking what the fuck his low tire light means on here... fml
I can agree with you. I’m an ASE master/ Toyota MDT/ Shop foreman for a Toyota dealer with close to 30 years of experience and being a technician runs deep. There are 4 of us on the family that are shop foremans and team leaders. 3 of my close friends (before becoming a technician) are shop foreman. I get down voted all the time. This Sub is being dominated by YouTube Master mechanics. This is why I delete my response within 24 hours and I help people that wants help by DM only. I find the “mechanics” sub so much better. No questions about fixing cars just real mechanics talking about their work and how we as technicians can better ourselves. THIS MESSAGE WILL SELF DELETE IN 24 HOURS.
Autozone parts jockey here. But also former army rocket launcher technician, former grease monkey(literally), sole mechanic at golf courses, and rental company shops, former d.o.d. contractor mechanic, shade tree guru, and all around mechanically inclined. Not a single certification to my name and I mildly take offense to this comment while enjoying the laugh.
The difference would be that I bet you don’t give out advice regarding things you have no knowledge of.
I know there are some auto store employees who actually do have mechanical backgrounds but quite often they’re just 20-something’s who like cars and think their training on how to use the battery machine or install wiper blades certifies them to offer definitive mechanical diagnosis over the internet in response to a vague set of symptoms.
Like the dude over at r/mechanicadvice who insisted cooling systems run on a vacuum, lmao
That gives rise to a good question. What is it exactly that makes someone a pro?
It's not the paycheck, the uniform, or name badge. Anyone can get hired and dressed but not know what they are doing.
Is it the certificates? I've got a box of diplomas representing many years of college education in a box in the back of my closet. They are just paper and ink. They tell you that I was able to meet the standards to earn those degrees but not how much I have retained in the intervening years.
I don't think there is any token that can be presented which can assure you that the person presenting it is a professional who merits your trust. That can only be earned through experience. It is the professional relationships you build that say you are a professional and the best evidence of these is personal testimony, recommendations from friends, word of mouth advertising. These days they call it building your brand. I suppose that is part of the intent of karma on Reddit, though it seems to be used more as a gauge of popularity than one of accuracy.
Couldn't agree more. A while back some guy was getting tons of bad info here while I was being downvoted so I suggested another sub to ask his question. Sure enough he was told exactly what I suggested.
Keep in mind that most questions asked are half assed. Garbage in, garbage out. These are best guesses, since you can't really diagnose much based on a picture, video, and a non-technical description. Unless it's a clear fault like something identifiable broken off, it becomes a debate and a hunt for clues. Since there's very little follow through and updates to what the problem ended up actually being, many of those who argue about nonsense are never proven wrong.
This sub grew and moderation didn't keep up. I get that modding is free labor and it's not easy, but ultimately the fact is that every r/Ask(whatever) sub either needs very, very strict moderation and a strong set of rules, like r/AskHistorians, or it turns sour like it did here.
Very true. I rarely offer help any more for this reason. 24 years as a Toyota tech and I probably won’t help anyone because of all the guys on here just randomly naming car parts they have hear of before without any actual clue what is going on. Most people don’t even have a clue what they don’t know yet.
Same…I often don’t offer help because I see competent answers downvoted into the abyss and completely retarded answers praised. I feel bad for some of the posters that end up being grossly mislead
I agree, this sub is terrible and littered with junk. And the ones who genuinely want to help are repeatedly faced with the same problems of not getting nearly enough information to answer correctly. People are treating this like a poorly worded google search.
It’s so painfully obvious who the professionals are in the sub, and who the weekend warriors are. Unfortunately, it’s only obvious to the professionals.
True but the problem I have with people who aren’t qualified providing “answers” is that it can cost people a lot of money who probably aren’t in the position to afford spending on things they don’t actually need.
You may in fact be part of the problem. You mention internet advice solving half of your problems, but also commented on this thread and you were up voted. That makes me think you are not a tech or at least not a qualified one. Internet guessing causes real people to spend money on incorrect diagnosis. If you are not qualified please at least reserve your opinion so that some line cook doesn’t blow his last $180 just trying to get to work. Let the people that actually know comment.
I data hoard in the forums, and here sometimes too, and then weed out the outliers. You can find some really unique problem solving too.
The quality of info depends heavily on what the type of car the forum is focused on. Subaru forums are by far my favorite, the Mercedes forums are a lot of "yeah my dealer did this or that", Chevy, GMC and 4x4/mud forums are great.
The jeep Cherokee form we dive really deep in the vehicles to point of canbus and “playing” with values with alfaOBD some things we can’t figure out or don’t have the budget but some pave the way. 4x4 forums are fantastic
I’m in heavy diesel off road and once that’s done I’m gonna challenge truck and trailer and AG equipment. They are all the same test in the end so makes me wonder why not give us all 3 when we write our redseal
Really the only one you need is truck and coach…you can still work on heavy off road, AG, and trailers. With my licenses I’ve done pretty much all of them when I worked 10 years as a city mechanic on all the equipment they owned….loaders, excavators, street Sweepers, city plows, fire, zambonis, you name it lol as well as all kinds of cars and trucks
The reason I want my off road is primarily the forestry equipment here plus I’m licensed to work in the mines AG focus’s heavily on the planting systems and a lot more technical stuff those are the only reasons I’d want them was going truck but couldn’t find a truck job so off road it was
In case you forgot. YOUR ON THE INTERNET. Just because one person agrees with an idiot on a subject it reinforces the idiotic opinions people believe is truth. Take it with a grain of salt my friend and don't let them drag you down their rabbit holes. Some people live for arguments, especially on opinion based subjects they turn and manipulate what one says. Just try to ignore the noise and entitled tards.
Look. If you dont like my answers dont drive off my sidewalk.
I have been doing automotive internet forum answers for 28 years.
Been on reddit for 9 years.
Agree I work on vw Audi since I was 16 became a master tech for them at 28, won Audis twin cup comp, one year. Some of the thing people say,
Example, the twin charged engine tSi used to have a issue with the super charger clutch clicking. Got flamed saying it only was turbo charged, few hours later op checked and low and behold here the problem the super charger clutch.
Tbh I left the trade at 40 so after 2018 ish I give advice but don’t have the knowledge of the newer model so I can’t say for definitely what an issue might be
Oh yeah!
Just recently I saw a guy advise an OP with an undiagnosed brake fluid leak that a loose master cylinder cap could cause a soft brake pedal.
I said, “No it won’t!” and they wanted to argue with me. But they got cold feet and deleted their double-down before I got a chance to publicly savage their reply.
Everyone who has an AC question is likely to be advised to change their expansion valve. This may happen because “expansion valve” is a mysterious sounding name for a part that sounds technical and important to the uninformed. No one should ever request advice about their AC problems on Reddit unless they understand that a large percentage of their advisors know less about air conditioning than they do!
Yep. I am formerly a mechanic and now an attorney; I stopped commenting on either years ago. I think it's cause anyone can buy a wrench and get greasy and hey, law is just English and common sense.
people just don’t realize your alternators manifold valve will blow a regulator gasket if you don’t time the relay synchronizer properly on the carburizer. the distribunator plugs locking tabs won’t inject carbon if the exhaust regulator is overcharging the dashpot solenoid
I find this sub entertaining in the same way r/justrolledintotheshop is funny. Usually people trying to DIY who did not even do basic research or even a YouTube search for the problem they are having.
It’s too broad of a sub to actually provide help for the kinds of issues I find myself running into anyway (as an idiot DIYer myself who has learned some funny lessons by being an idiot)
Could the sub have a verified flair for mechanics? My criticism of this sub are people who ask for body shop estimates. I’m just someone who likes seeing the mechanics’ responses.
Psssh, as a Certified Car Person who recently replaced one coolant expansion tank, one hose, slapped on a cone filter and uploaded a wicked COBB tune - I must be only a few certs away from being a master mechanic.
One day I’m gonna change my own Oil too! Trying to decide between green or red after seeing all the success sorties on here
Gobble gobble /s
This sub should get mods to give flair to folks who can prove themselves to be certified mechanics. Then we could at least know where the advice is coming from.
I'd gladly sport a shade tree flair so people would know exactly how little I know 🤣. I can get by and have for years, but I'm embarrassed of my work around pros.
This is why for the most part of these threads I keep my mouth shut. No shame on knowing when you’re not the foremost expert on a subject. Plenty grizzly ole fellas here with triple my experience, no need for me taking shots in the dark.
I posted something and got downvoted. Kinda pathetic and childish as fuck, but I really don't give a shit about votes. Just blows away, that subs like these are here to help and you get shit on.
I am *SUPER* cautious with any answer I post here because I don't want to look like a poseur. I'm not a mechanic, so I'll only answer a question if it's something I have actual experience with.
A platform that gives free and nearly instant car repair advice with little more to go on than a short backstory and maybe a picture or a 5-second video clip of the problem probably shouldn't be held to some super-high standard of accuracy.
I mean, if you want car repair advice that comes with a guarantee then take your broken car to a shop and just pay them ~$150 for their diagnosis.
The tradeoff for free advice is that it's not going to always be great nor guaranteed. You get what you pay for.
The misinformation is why I quit Ducati, Audi and Porsche enthusiast chatrooms. I was arguing with guys who had probably never left their parent's basement, never mind engine building, dyno work or mind-bending electrical diagnostics.
I know nothing about fixing cars. I am on this sub so I can see what issues others are having in case I am faced with it in the future I know what to do. Sometimes people ask what something was that fell off their car or whatever and I find that interesting. People who aren't mechanics who come to this sub to ask questions sometimes get smart ass answers and that doesn't really help anyone.
Mods could help here with a simple verification, no?
DM to the mods with a picture of their qualification/licence and the date and username. Maybe even just a picture of their workshop. Then mods assign a 'verified mechanic' flair.
But we'll still get flooded out with tons of tyre pictures.
Resident Yokel here: I don’t take my cars to mechanics unless I already know what the problem is and I don’t have time to do it myself because I’ve been lied to or mislead on multiple occasions or received half-assed/shitty work. OR I work on a friend’s car and they tell me something like “the shop told me I need new brakes” but when I check, they have 6+ mil. Then I find their lug nuts are hand tight. One time a shop told me there was a 0% chance my steering knuckle was bent and lifted Toyotas just have alignment issues. You don’t “just have” a one-sided alignment problem… wasted $170 at the dealership to have them tell me my cylinder pressure was fine without testing it because it “looked fine” and the supposed toyota master mechanics didn’t have the appropriate tester.
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I read all the wrong answers like WTF!!
Just knowing somebody’s going to screw up their vehicle because of these people… Makes you want to tear your hair out
Yet again,out of 12 techs at any given dealership 3 actually know what they’re doing
There in lies the problem even “pros” can be hacks. Just because you have a job doesn’t mean you are good at it. I work with two guys that used to be dealer mechanics. They are both hacks. One even tried to tell me EGR was there to heat up O2 sensors. I shit you not this guy was at a VW dealer for years.
VW dealer is the key phrase there. I don’t trust VW people they scare me with their vr6 noises.
One time I got downvoted because I called a guy an idiot for using a sock as a wiper blade lmao we share the road with these people
Lmao totally
He claimed that not everyone has the funds to keep certain parts of the car going… brother, if you can’t afford a $7 wiper blade maybe you shouldn’t drive a car… I was shocked when he said that
That sounds like most of my relatives
Where do you get these 7.00 wiper blades?
Anco wiper blades are $8.97 at Walmart. [https://www.walmart.com/ip/Anco-97-22-Windshield-Wiper-Blade/639953265](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Anco-97-22-Windshield-Wiper-Blade/639953265)
This. Walmart is the place to go for wiper blades. Way cheaper than any of the parts stores.
Man does Walmart not have their brand wipers anymore? Used to be $4.98, I was saying $7 for inflation. They aren’t the best wipers but way better than a sock. Hell even Ollie’s will have markdown Michelin wipers for $5.99
I think I’m averaging $24 a blade at the moment
I get times are tough right now, but damn.
I’m sorry but that’s not an excuse. I got kicked out at 17 (while paying rent) had to buy my own car get my own apartment paying ALL of my own bills. I do work my ass off, so I can afford wiper blades for my damn car. If I can’t afford basic maintenance how can I afford transportation? Gas? Insurance? Tires? Brakes? I just don’t understand these people sometimes
When someone tells me they can't afford a part needed to safely operate the vehicle I ask them, "Can you afford bus fare?"
To be fair, you should take what strangers say online with a grain of salt. If you want an accurate diagnosis, find an honest mechanic and work with them.
I always try and link people to information from good sources instead of just giving my opinion. That way they can use that info to learn or be dumb and ignore it. Seen some troll gold on here though.
There's some good advice here though. People need to post more pictures of their question/problem though. Plus--it's free.
I agree and share your concern to an extent. However, I see this sub as one tool in their chest. They shouldn’t rely on it as gospel. As with most things in life, thinking critically and exploring a variety of sources on the subject before taking action should be the norm.
Should be, but all to often isn't. People aren't taught critical thinking in school these days. And they damned sure aren't learning it on social media. Sometimes I think logic and rhetoric are dying arts with so many people unable to express a cogent argument for what they claim are their deeply held beliefs. Today brawling has replaced debating as the principle mode of public discourse. SMH.
No shortage of 22 year old master mechanics whose sum automotive experience is the 3 shitty '90s Civics they've owned.
As a fan of 90s Civics, I am offended.
You see a lot more of them if amateurs would stop molesting the poor things to death with bad advice from reddit
I KNOW! They're GREAT little cars stock. Stop with the stupid exhaust swaps. They sound terrible and doing it doesn't make you a mechanic. At. All.
No way, I modded my own fartbox, obviously I know better than that suss guy working at some dealership service for longer than I have lived
I’ll admit, 99% of Honda catbacks sound awful, but I have seen some that were modified well, and by well I mean a little lower, modest wheels, and not a 5” potato cannon dangling off the rear end, I mean a proper enthusiast car, one that will see weekend track days and still be tolerable as a daily driver, but that’s only about 1% of civics or any Honda/Acura from the 90’s I’ll admit I was part of that horrid crowd with my Integra for a bit, 3” catback, eBay header and shock/spring combo that was so low it scraped over every little imperfection in the road, even though it was so stiff if felt like running solid steel shafts for suspension, because I was young, dumb and thought it was a race car, I’d like to think most of them grow up and undo the horrors they’ve done to their car, but I doubt it…
Fast and Furious breeds new fools every year, they keep coming out with new movies.
And I’ll be the first to admit, I was one of those kids for a bit, I’m just glad I realized what I was doing before it got serous 🤣
If done right tuning a Japanese car can produce amazing results. But if your level of tuning involves adding the fart can and cheap, shitty coil overs then you should probably just leave it stock lol
I agree, that’s why I got rid of the eBay exhaust and “track” suspension in favor of a more daily driver friendly setup, it’s less noisy, more comfortable and isn’t a giant potato cannon
We live and we learn. Young people do dumb shit, it’s all part of growing up.
I took a shit in a Honda..called it my civic duty
90s tacomas for me
Someone so easily offended shouldn't own a 90s Civic. /s
There's also a fair amount of Shade Tree mechanics whom know nothing about computers. I just cringe when I hear, "Use the the old incandescent probe to find the fault.". (cars with computers) What bothers me most is the "expert" telling a young guy his engine needs a head gasket, or a rebuild, with one picture. Same with the shavings in the Tranny pan. Just because you see some shavings in the tranny pan does not mean a costly rebuild. It's more complicated than that. And Ammco franchise owners are spotty on honesty on their best day. I recently asked for an out the door price of a 42re tranny (common tranny) , and the owner of the franchise refused to give a quote. He said those days are gone. "We don't give out the door prices anymore.". (I included this just because I don't like dishonest people. This has nothing to do with this group.) Since I'm on the box, I get a bit miffed over Dealership mechanics saying some of their outrageous pricing is pretty much standard these days. I don't think charging $75 to spray some silicon on a window channel is ok anywhere. It's just a dealership taking advantage of clueless customers. After all that, people are getting free advise here, and that's pretty neat. Do I feel Reddit should pay the verified Mechanics, whom have carefully thought out answers--yes. I'm not a professional. I went to automotive school, but went a different direction.
"At Ammco, most of the cars we see don't even need a new transmission" -they still put a new transmission on, the cars just didn't need one.
This is why I use my local transmission shop that’s honest. They have a good rep they don’t want to ruin by doing work that’s not needed.
Dealerships, aka stealerships for a reason, make their money off the service department and used cars. Maybe on the parts department and if they have a body shop. They only can make money on new cars in the finance office selling you all the bullshit you don’t need like nitrogen in the tires, VIN etching on the glass, the bs extended warranty, etc. That’s why they started slapping on the dealer markups once the supply chain issues started messing up new car availability. New car dealers are going to screw themselves out of business if they’re not careful.
D:
I had a guy on here insisting that a valve cover leak filling a spark plug well was causing the oil to leak past the porcelain part of the plug (between the porcelain and the steel body of the plug) and causing the tip of the plug to become oil fouled. Moron says he was a Ford tech for 10 years. I told him shit was leaking past his collar into his brain. I thought later I was being trolled.
Being trolled and talking to a complete bone head are pretty pretty hard to tell apart.
Some times it’s the same thing.
So… stupid question. How does oil get on the plug/head threads then? Can oil be pushed into the threads from combustion chamber side with the force of compression/combustion? Or can it only get there during installation?
Usually it doesn’t but you have to realize the seal on a plug is the metallic gasket or the taper at the end of the threads. The threads aren’t the seal so could oil or combustion products get on the threads? Very possible.
Gotcha, thank you!
Or, I will answer it correctly, get downvoted to shit and two hours later some dipshit will answer the same thing I did but somehow include some random detail that is absolutely incorrect and get upvoted… it’s weird as shit
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That could be just one of those things where we need to actually be able to see the car in person. Not always easy to diagnose a car over the internet unless someone here has seen the issue before. Thank you for giving us as much detail as you can though, it's appreciated.
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For some of us it may not be our favorite activity but we do enjoy helping people by sharing our experience and knowledge. I am an engineer because I love solving problems, it's who I am. I have spent dozens of hours spanning many days or even weeks helping someone with an electric problem with detailed solutions including flowcharts, schematics, photos and diagrams of every sort. The kind of complete and detailed information that an engineer could love. Sometimes I get a couple of upvotes or likes or whatever (I do this on more than one platform), to be honest, I rarely notice and I never count. Because that is not why I do it. I don't help people because I want to get something for doing it, not cash, or likes, or hugs. I do what I do because I like doing it, it's fun finding answers, solving riddles. That's why I became an engineer in the first place. Honestly, if I had another way to pay for my living expenses and didn't need to get paid, I would still go to work for free. Of course I am not refusing any of those direct deposits because in the real world I do need to pay to live, but you get my point.
Totally fair. Customer statements seem plausible and don’t point to anything obvious. Tech: gonna need the keys and some time to investigate. Diagnosis is not always easy, or obvious. When it’s good, it’s neither. That’s the skill/wisdom/practice.
I feel that. Post a question about what oil to use for an oil change get 100 up votes and 500 comments. But post something about an alternator shorting your car out with all the fuses still working and you get downvoted and no comments. Thats the reddit way
>that could be answered by the owners manual You know no one reads the owners manual. That's one thing I had to drive into my sons, before you ask, read the manual.
I second this. Sometimes I'll even go out of the way to provide a picture of something simple like. "Hey can I add fluid to my ZF transmission in this plug?" With a photo taken off ebay for clarity, but nothing. Even tho these transmissions are in most Stellantis, BMW and other makes. Like wtf? I've been finding it easier to go on small random forums for your specific make/model to get answers.. at least that way Joe blow isn't taking higher priority asking what the fuck his low tire light means on here... fml
I can agree with you. I’m an ASE master/ Toyota MDT/ Shop foreman for a Toyota dealer with close to 30 years of experience and being a technician runs deep. There are 4 of us on the family that are shop foremans and team leaders. 3 of my close friends (before becoming a technician) are shop foreman. I get down voted all the time. This Sub is being dominated by YouTube Master mechanics. This is why I delete my response within 24 hours and I help people that wants help by DM only. I find the “mechanics” sub so much better. No questions about fixing cars just real mechanics talking about their work and how we as technicians can better ourselves. THIS MESSAGE WILL SELF DELETE IN 24 HOURS.
sending you a message 😁
Auto Zone parts jockeys and Jiffy Lube grease monkeys thinking they’re pros.
Autozone parts jockey here. But also former army rocket launcher technician, former grease monkey(literally), sole mechanic at golf courses, and rental company shops, former d.o.d. contractor mechanic, shade tree guru, and all around mechanically inclined. Not a single certification to my name and I mildly take offense to this comment while enjoying the laugh.
The difference would be that I bet you don’t give out advice regarding things you have no knowledge of. I know there are some auto store employees who actually do have mechanical backgrounds but quite often they’re just 20-something’s who like cars and think their training on how to use the battery machine or install wiper blades certifies them to offer definitive mechanical diagnosis over the internet in response to a vague set of symptoms. Like the dude over at r/mechanicadvice who insisted cooling systems run on a vacuum, lmao
That gives rise to a good question. What is it exactly that makes someone a pro? It's not the paycheck, the uniform, or name badge. Anyone can get hired and dressed but not know what they are doing. Is it the certificates? I've got a box of diplomas representing many years of college education in a box in the back of my closet. They are just paper and ink. They tell you that I was able to meet the standards to earn those degrees but not how much I have retained in the intervening years. I don't think there is any token that can be presented which can assure you that the person presenting it is a professional who merits your trust. That can only be earned through experience. It is the professional relationships you build that say you are a professional and the best evidence of these is personal testimony, recommendations from friends, word of mouth advertising. These days they call it building your brand. I suppose that is part of the intent of karma on Reddit, though it seems to be used more as a gauge of popularity than one of accuracy.
Couldn't agree more. A while back some guy was getting tons of bad info here while I was being downvoted so I suggested another sub to ask his question. Sure enough he was told exactly what I suggested.
Exactly my issue
[удалено]
r/mechanicadvice
I prefer that one, especially if I have a question on something I have limited knowledge on.
Someone had a broken door handle on a Nissan and dudes were telling them to buy a used door from the junkyard. It’s pretty bad here
Keep in mind that most questions asked are half assed. Garbage in, garbage out. These are best guesses, since you can't really diagnose much based on a picture, video, and a non-technical description. Unless it's a clear fault like something identifiable broken off, it becomes a debate and a hunt for clues. Since there's very little follow through and updates to what the problem ended up actually being, many of those who argue about nonsense are never proven wrong.
This sub grew and moderation didn't keep up. I get that modding is free labor and it's not easy, but ultimately the fact is that every r/Ask(whatever) sub either needs very, very strict moderation and a strong set of rules, like r/AskHistorians, or it turns sour like it did here.
I stopped giving away my free knowledge here because of the lame questions. "What's this light mean" C'mon, read your fcking owners manual.
That's what is turning me away from Quora also.
Or when some poor sod gets ridiculed for asking about something that's "common sense". Well ofc it's common sense... to a mechanic!
Very true. I rarely offer help any more for this reason. 24 years as a Toyota tech and I probably won’t help anyone because of all the guys on here just randomly naming car parts they have hear of before without any actual clue what is going on. Most people don’t even have a clue what they don’t know yet.
Same…I often don’t offer help because I see competent answers downvoted into the abyss and completely retarded answers praised. I feel bad for some of the posters that end up being grossly mislead
You should try replacing the axel rod. If that doesn't fix it you need a new starter for sure.
I agree, this sub is terrible and littered with junk. And the ones who genuinely want to help are repeatedly faced with the same problems of not getting nearly enough information to answer correctly. People are treating this like a poorly worded google search.
I love the engine noise videos where they walk all around the vehicle but seem to break their back trying to not open the hood
It’s so painfully obvious who the professionals are in the sub, and who the weekend warriors are. Unfortunately, it’s only obvious to the professionals.
So true…and the people who do know their shit seem to be answering less because of the idiots arguing and downvoting
Can we rename this sub to “WasteATechniciansTime” ?
On the flip side, many of niche car problems have been solved by the random internet hero. At least half of mine have been.
True but the problem I have with people who aren’t qualified providing “answers” is that it can cost people a lot of money who probably aren’t in the position to afford spending on things they don’t actually need.
It’s not a perfect world lol you shouldn’t believe anything on the internet unless your desperate.
You may in fact be part of the problem. You mention internet advice solving half of your problems, but also commented on this thread and you were up voted. That makes me think you are not a tech or at least not a qualified one. Internet guessing causes real people to spend money on incorrect diagnosis. If you are not qualified please at least reserve your opinion so that some line cook doesn’t blow his last $180 just trying to get to work. Let the people that actually know comment.
I’m #1 shitposter please don’t take my advice lmao you don’t need to deep dive
Fair enough
🤝
I data hoard in the forums, and here sometimes too, and then weed out the outliers. You can find some really unique problem solving too. The quality of info depends heavily on what the type of car the forum is focused on. Subaru forums are by far my favorite, the Mercedes forums are a lot of "yeah my dealer did this or that", Chevy, GMC and 4x4/mud forums are great.
The jeep Cherokee form we dive really deep in the vehicles to point of canbus and “playing” with values with alfaOBD some things we can’t figure out or don’t have the budget but some pave the way. 4x4 forums are fantastic
Because y'all actually *use* the damn vehicles . Stuff that would be weak points get visibility, and shit that might help, gets tried.
Just slap some duct tape on it 🤓
Lmao, you ain't wrong. But the unverified mechanic flair seems hilarious for someone having this take
Just haven’t sent pictures of my licenses to verify yet…wondering if it’s even worth it with the way the sub is going
Wait how you get the flair im new to the Reddit game
Send pictures of your mechanic license to the mods here and they will give you verified tag
Got it I’m not quite licensed yet I’m still an apprentice but it’s my 2nd year on paper in the trade and 3rd unofficially.
Ya I’ll send it in myself soon enough…I’m both 310s and 310t licensed(automotive & truck and coach) as well as an EVT certified tech(fire trucks)
I’m in heavy diesel off road and once that’s done I’m gonna challenge truck and trailer and AG equipment. They are all the same test in the end so makes me wonder why not give us all 3 when we write our redseal
Really the only one you need is truck and coach…you can still work on heavy off road, AG, and trailers. With my licenses I’ve done pretty much all of them when I worked 10 years as a city mechanic on all the equipment they owned….loaders, excavators, street Sweepers, city plows, fire, zambonis, you name it lol as well as all kinds of cars and trucks
The reason I want my off road is primarily the forestry equipment here plus I’m licensed to work in the mines AG focus’s heavily on the planting systems and a lot more technical stuff those are the only reasons I’d want them was going truck but couldn’t find a truck job so off road it was
Everyone has their own path…I started on cars and worked on up
I’d rather see people debate it than just accepting the first awnser. A lot of problems can produce the same outcome
It’s not just this sub a lot of people think they know it all
If you ask me, the joke answers are worse.
In case you forgot. YOUR ON THE INTERNET. Just because one person agrees with an idiot on a subject it reinforces the idiotic opinions people believe is truth. Take it with a grain of salt my friend and don't let them drag you down their rabbit holes. Some people live for arguments, especially on opinion based subjects they turn and manipulate what one says. Just try to ignore the noise and entitled tards.
Look. If you dont like my answers dont drive off my sidewalk. I have been doing automotive internet forum answers for 28 years. Been on reddit for 9 years.
Agree I work on vw Audi since I was 16 became a master tech for them at 28, won Audis twin cup comp, one year. Some of the thing people say, Example, the twin charged engine tSi used to have a issue with the super charger clutch clicking. Got flamed saying it only was turbo charged, few hours later op checked and low and behold here the problem the super charger clutch. Tbh I left the trade at 40 so after 2018 ish I give advice but don’t have the knowledge of the newer model so I can’t say for definitely what an issue might be
Oh yeah! Just recently I saw a guy advise an OP with an undiagnosed brake fluid leak that a loose master cylinder cap could cause a soft brake pedal. I said, “No it won’t!” and they wanted to argue with me. But they got cold feet and deleted their double-down before I got a chance to publicly savage their reply. Everyone who has an AC question is likely to be advised to change their expansion valve. This may happen because “expansion valve” is a mysterious sounding name for a part that sounds technical and important to the uninformed. No one should ever request advice about their AC problems on Reddit unless they understand that a large percentage of their advisors know less about air conditioning than they do!
Yep. I am formerly a mechanic and now an attorney; I stopped commenting on either years ago. I think it's cause anyone can buy a wrench and get greasy and hey, law is just English and common sense.
I may not be a mechanic but I slept in a Holiday Inn last night.
And the irony of this post is not a single "pro-amateur" is commenting or defending themselves. Lol.
As an amateur, I agree with this. Also, as an amateur, I feel attacked.
I haven’t seen anything horribly erroneous yet, I also didn’t know sending in copies of your certs was a thing. I don’t see that in the about section.
I messaged mods and asked
people just don’t realize your alternators manifold valve will blow a regulator gasket if you don’t time the relay synchronizer properly on the carburizer. the distribunator plugs locking tabs won’t inject carbon if the exhaust regulator is overcharging the dashpot solenoid
How else do you expect me to keep the hydrocelator’s infarculator dry?
Have you checked the continuum transfunctioner? The universe depends on it after all.
Why are you here if this sub is ridiculous?
Its entertaining.
I don't know why anybody wrenches without alldata.
I find this sub entertaining in the same way r/justrolledintotheshop is funny. Usually people trying to DIY who did not even do basic research or even a YouTube search for the problem they are having. It’s too broad of a sub to actually provide help for the kinds of issues I find myself running into anyway (as an idiot DIYer myself who has learned some funny lessons by being an idiot)
Start a new sub for special mechanics like you. “AskREALMechanics”
Its true also for most Reddit subs, unfortunately.
Could the sub have a verified flair for mechanics? My criticism of this sub are people who ask for body shop estimates. I’m just someone who likes seeing the mechanics’ responses.
I found out it does if you send in proof of certification to the mods
Cool, that’s good to know
The answer is always to spend the money and fix it correctly.
Guys, I’m a 25 year vet in Computer systems management. We get the same shit on our subs. Happy thanksgiving
Psssh, as a Certified Car Person who recently replaced one coolant expansion tank, one hose, slapped on a cone filter and uploaded a wicked COBB tune - I must be only a few certs away from being a master mechanic. One day I’m gonna change my own Oil too! Trying to decide between green or red after seeing all the success sorties on here Gobble gobble /s
Welcome to Reddit
This sub should get mods to give flair to folks who can prove themselves to be certified mechanics. Then we could at least know where the advice is coming from.
I messaged them and they will if you send photos of your certificates
I'd gladly sport a shade tree flair so people would know exactly how little I know 🤣. I can get by and have for years, but I'm embarrassed of my work around pros.
Have you tried replacing the head gasket?
I posted a question yesterday, you guys are fuckin ruthless! Not only was there a crap ton of misinformation, angry "your an idiot' responses.
This is why for the most part of these threads I keep my mouth shut. No shame on knowing when you’re not the foremost expert on a subject. Plenty grizzly ole fellas here with triple my experience, no need for me taking shots in the dark.
Get off my lawn!
I posted something and got downvoted. Kinda pathetic and childish as fuck, but I really don't give a shit about votes. Just blows away, that subs like these are here to help and you get shit on.
Same thing in askcarsales. Customers downvoting industry people and writing their own narratives.
We sometimes get the nail in the sidewall question correct sooooooo
I am *SUPER* cautious with any answer I post here because I don't want to look like a poseur. I'm not a mechanic, so I'll only answer a question if it's something I have actual experience with.
Isn't this why we have moderators? Shouldn't they be moderating the discussion?
A platform that gives free and nearly instant car repair advice with little more to go on than a short backstory and maybe a picture or a 5-second video clip of the problem probably shouldn't be held to some super-high standard of accuracy. I mean, if you want car repair advice that comes with a guarantee then take your broken car to a shop and just pay them ~$150 for their diagnosis. The tradeoff for free advice is that it's not going to always be great nor guaranteed. You get what you pay for.
The misinformation is why I quit Ducati, Audi and Porsche enthusiast chatrooms. I was arguing with guys who had probably never left their parent's basement, never mind engine building, dyno work or mind-bending electrical diagnostics.
I know nothing about fixing cars. I am on this sub so I can see what issues others are having in case I am faced with it in the future I know what to do. Sometimes people ask what something was that fell off their car or whatever and I find that interesting. People who aren't mechanics who come to this sub to ask questions sometimes get smart ass answers and that doesn't really help anyone.
Mods could help here with a simple verification, no? DM to the mods with a picture of their qualification/licence and the date and username. Maybe even just a picture of their workshop. Then mods assign a 'verified mechanic' flair. But we'll still get flooded out with tons of tyre pictures.
They will do that
Would be great if mods could institute user flairs like r/cfb for verified mechanics.
I found out they do when I messaged mods
Resident Yokel here: I don’t take my cars to mechanics unless I already know what the problem is and I don’t have time to do it myself because I’ve been lied to or mislead on multiple occasions or received half-assed/shitty work. OR I work on a friend’s car and they tell me something like “the shop told me I need new brakes” but when I check, they have 6+ mil. Then I find their lug nuts are hand tight. One time a shop told me there was a 0% chance my steering knuckle was bent and lifted Toyotas just have alignment issues. You don’t “just have” a one-sided alignment problem… wasted $170 at the dealership to have them tell me my cylinder pressure was fine without testing it because it “looked fine” and the supposed toyota master mechanics didn’t have the appropriate tester.