5 Tips for how to know when “not” to fix it yourself
1) You find too many varying opinions on internet forums on what will fix the problem you are having
2) The same applies to the various ways to “fix” the problem on the web (YouTube)
3) You decide to fix the problem yourself anyway without professional assistance and something that was not mentioned in the forum, or any of the videos, goes terribly wrong
4) The information and/or parts that the forums mention will “fix” the problem don’t
5) You have discovered after all your effort, the amount of $$ the forums suggest you will save by “fixing” the problem yourself is not going to be realized and you will require professional assistance anyway
There are far more tips related to this subject and just as many that would take you in the entirely opposite direction. Depending on your skill-set, what you have to ask yourself is simple: Do I feel lucky? What most shops including us are fully aware of is that you may be able to save money if not time repairing certain issues on your vehicle yourself? Even we utilize information available on the internet to source solutions to the myriad of problems vehicles come in with in an effort to save time and in-turn save the customer money. Much of the difference is that we have been trained and are continually training to discern when the solution referenced via the web is, or is not related to the problem. There is a saying that goes something like this: “A man who defends himself (in court) has a fool for a client”. Those are pretty strong words, but when you think about it, it makes sense. “Do you really want to push water uphill?” I wonder how many people have successfully operated on themselves to save on the cost of surgery and lived to tell about it. What I am saying is the level of experience in any given field of expertise is important to the outcome.
If you’re confident in what you are about to undertake and feel competent to do so; If you have the right tools for the job and the time, then by-all-means move forward. But if your research leads to more questions than answers you care to read about, you would probably be better off leaving the repairs to a shop you trust. Ask yourself another question. What will it cost me if I attempt the repair in the way of time, money, aggravation and safety if my efforts fail, and who will be responsible? If you deal with a shop you trust that has been in business for many years that have good reviews and they stand behind their service and repairs, you will be much happier in the long run. A professional shop like ours is not always the least expensive option, but if they offer the best quality repairs and service done in a reasonable turnaround time, for the best value they can offer that is fair to both themselves and the customer, then a customer would be hard-pressed not to have that shop service their car.
Keep the wheels turnin’ tp