knowing what your doing/talking about

[Distant Zen]

hey all:hi:
god i love that guy.

Anyway, I was wondering, how do you guys go about getting your car education? Most of my friends that are into cars either have a relative or neighbor that's a mechanic. If everything goes as planned (got my housing contract late due to an error, might not be able to get a dorm), I'm going to be leaving for college in a few months, my major is Automotive Tech. But I was wondering how you people all went about getting your knowledge of cars, whether it's college, buying a POS and trying to maintain it, or just take it apart, or read a lot of books, etc...

-Zen

[Scott]

read read read. learn everything you can both on the internet and at a local library. then get in an engine bay and apply what you've learned in your studies.

it's a constant learning process. just take your time and absorb all the knowledge you can.

[Wolf]

1) Buy an old beater.
2) Find a message board dedicated to that type of car (a tech board, not a bodykit/stereo board).
3) When things start breaking on the car, consult your Chilton's Manual (which you bought as soon as you bought the car), and the message board for guidance.
4) Just do it. Worst case you'll have to have the car towed to a shop to correct your mistakes, but you'll learn from it.

Also read and watch TV shows about cars. Again, articles on "how to install altezzas/stereos" are not relevant. Watch TNN Sat and Sun mornings. They have 2-3 shows each day about cars. I've found that Popular Hot Rodding TV does a great job explaining engine systems. Last weekend they went over automatic trannys, the week before that was manual trannys. It's fairly newbie-based too.

[minx]

well I can't say I know tons, but the way I found out was by mostly just reading the manuals and just getting in the stuff and doing it, many mistakes later, I learned what not and what to do. I always have my mechanic explain everything and ask if I can watch him fix whatever it is as long as I'm not in his way, he always is happy to let me watch and actually would explain stuff as he was doing it, people can be nicer then you think sometimes :)
I also took a free class at the local Regional Occupational Center for Adults, didn't learn a lot there (bad instructor) but you might check your local listings to see if you have any free adult classes near you, they are pretty short and don't take up lots of time, no crazy 3 hours of homework!!
Just read,read and read....I actually used to know a site that would put car mechanics in plain easy english, step by step and also had support so you can ask questions, let me see if I can find it, but for now, there are SO many resources online, just run a search in google.com for "learn auto mechanics free" or something like that, you should come up with a buncha goodies.

[Sniper]

dad and the public library..........

[MeshmeQqQ]

Internet, books, chiltons SUCKS! but well.. its the best u can get sometimes..... like some people have said, just getting under the hood and working on your car will not only help you learn about it, but its fun too!! a lot of websites and message boards can offer a WEALTH of good info, and most times people are glad to help. also, start with an easy car... IE. 4 CYLINDER.. nothing against V6's/V8's but they are harder to learn on, and most of the time they are PACKED into the car and it can make even the easiest task like changing spark plugs a chore.

[Sniper]

i'd venture that woking on an old pushrod V8 is a hell of alot easier than working on a four banger.......

[squarehead44]

the way im learning right now is just to keep reading articles, message boards, books, magazines, and speed channel. Im relatively new too(about 3-4 years into the automotive scene) and I'm still learning something new everyday.

[greg]

SRO!!!

Ok, maybe not ALL of my knowledge...

[halflife52]

just about all of my knowledge came from the SRO message boards. i also belong to several message boards dedicated to my car, so i know a hell of a lot about it. read the owners' manual for your car, you can learn a lot more than you think from it. also, get a repair manual for the car and read that. it'll help you out if you ever need to repair something simple...and you'll gain a better understanding of how your car works.

[Distant Zen]

thanks all, very helpful info. i went to borders the other day and just read for about an hour, they even have a textbook for high school classes that i might pick up, cause then i could test myself with sections reviews 'n all that. course...its a book store...and your supposed to buy them, technically...but if they didnt want people reading the books and not buying them, i guess they shouldnt put nice leather couches in there...........right?

[Mickee]

the borders by my house even have a starbucks built inside of it and i just sometime chill there for hours....


Reading is FUNdamental

[InfinitePulse]

Originally posted by ViSuAL_cHanGeS
the borders by my house even have a starbucks built inside of it and i just sometime chill there for hours....


Reading is FUNdamental

this is true, most of the borders and barnes and nobles in chicago now have coffee shops inside....i guess they think its gonna make you want to buy the books if you have too much caffine in your system...

[minx]

Originally posted by MeshmeQqQ
IE. 4 CYLINDER.. nothing against V6's/V8's but they are harder to learn on, and most of the time they are PACKED into the car and it can make even the easiest task like changing spark plugs a chore. [/B]

funny, I can understand a V6 - V8, I look under a hood of a 4cyl, I am lost! I don't know crap about them, only have worked with older v6-v8....I look in a newer import or anything newer really, I'm like "huh?" what's that?! lol...but anyway really depends what type of car you want to play with....you planning to get into domestic or import, I think they are very different as far as the engines layout,
I would do one at a time, that way you get the feel for one and the other will be easier after that...

I have yet to play with anything import, don't know if I could, looks too complex for me...I dunno, maybe I'm just dum :haha:

[Mickee]

Im an import you can play with me.....

[Scott]

Originally posted by ViSuAL_cHanGeS
Im an import you can play with me.....

bah! domestics are much more fun to play with.

seriously, what girl wouldnt want a nice big pushrod? ;)

[minx]

LOL :haha: :greenange

[Red93R1]

To add to what everybody else said, Once you get in there you will be amazed at how simple all the systems in your car really are. The hard part is not learning how to do things, it is the actual knuckle breaking, finger smashing, arm-hair singing, oil bath that causes the most heart burn. On a related note, today I spent about 6 hours driving around searching for parts, got 2 blisters, removed a big chunk of knuckle skin that I didn't use any ways, and wore away about 2 layers of skin from all my fingers but I can proudly say that the front drivers side wheel of my REPU no longer has reverse threaded lugs.