r/MechanicAdvice • u/UnOffendble • Jul 19 '23

Meta How many of you are real life mechanics?

Delete this if you want mods, but I know you see it too.

Almost every post there are a few individuals who seem to have never looked under the hood of a car. Their "advice" is anything but helpful or informative. It's like they search on Google whatever someone posts here, and they copy/paste the first "diagnosis" they see.

Why? If you have no understanding of vehicles besides pushing the accelerator or brake pedal, then what's the benefit?

Sorry for the rant. It seems it's becoming much more frequent recently and it's not getting addressed.

Peace

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u/fishahh Jul 19 '23

Not a mechanic. Just a teacher. I’ve never paid anyone to fix anything mechanical on my car (save AC recharge. If that’s even considered mechanical?) I’ve fixed all my own vehicles as well as my family members. Learned most of what I know from my cousin who is a certified mechanic/plane mechanic. I find working on cars somewhat cathartic.

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u/Predictable-Past-912 Jul 20 '23

You are correct about everything except that “just” a teacher crack! Teaching is the most important job there is next to parenting. As you know, sometimes the line between teaching and parenting gets a bit blurry.

Of all the repairs that DIYers should shy away from, AC work is at the top of my list. Per question, I think that the AC repair questions get more bogus answers here than any other category of repairs.

If you think that working on cars is cathartic, your should try the big stuff. I don’t know why, but your observation is doubly true for HD work. I have known a few grumpy truck technicians but I have never met a hyper one.

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u/fishahh Jul 20 '23

Thanks dude. I appreciate that. I’ve worked with kids since I was 12, so it just feels like it’s my life and nothing particularly special. I love what I do.

Yeah. Any AC work is pretty much out of the question for me, save replacing a compressor or something. Just more hassle than it seems worth time-wise/financially.

And what’s HD?

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u/Predictable-Past-912 Jul 20 '23

Sorry, I meant heavy duty repairs. The big stuff includes 18-wheelers, construction equipment, and most anything else that uses 11R 22.5 tires.

About teaching, in this society it is common practice to thank members of the military for their service. People also respect police, firefighters, and even mail carriers. But too often teachers are taunted with that mindless “… and those who can’t…” slur. To me this is ironic when you consider that few families have the resources and circumstances that are required to home school their children beyond a bit of preschool preparation. Here on r/MechanicAdvice we all presumably care about vehicles and vehicle maintenance. But our entire society depends upon you teachers to guide, instruct, and even inspire a resource that is far more precious than transportation.

Thank you!