Learning "car stuff"
 

I know the basic components of a car and how they work in general, but when it comes to repairing or replacing specific parts I wouldn't have any idea where to start. It's obviously not like a computer where you can more or less buy a case, hard drive, RAM, etc., put the square plug in the square hole and the round plug in the round hole and it works, and you can't just mess around with your engine and if you screw something up, reformat, and you're back to where you started. ;) So I'm wondering if you have any suggestions for where to begin learning more about the internals of the engine and other car systems without making it a full-time job.

Buy an old car. I was as oblivous as the rest and bought a 1978 Porsche 924. It has fairly simple engine design with CIS fuel injector. It is a very DIY car. Simply pick up a set of shop manuals and a haynes manual and when your car breaks down, fix it yourself. I just finished rebuilding my fuel system and replacing (re-wiring) my interior.

good call by NotMinus

A new(er) car is run by a lot of computer stuff and wires and injection hardware that is impossible for anyone other than a factory tech to work on (ok, so you can do it yourself, but trust me its hard).

Old car, not only is it easier to work on, itll break down more so you can get practice :p

I'll third the "buy an old car" suggestion.

Also, read everything automotive that
this site has to offer ------> http://www.howstuffworks.com/

Well whatever you get make sure you get a Chiltons manual. I restored an old Jeep and the manual was a literal vault of knowledge

Thanks for the suggestions. Looks like old car is the way to go.

Already done ;)

Hmmm i'm interested in this as well. Anyone have any suggestions on a good starter car and where I should look for it? ie. junkyard or some autofinder mag

I've always been more than a little curious how engines work, and the howstuffworks website really got me interested

That should be ammended to: "get a Chiltons if it's an American car."

Chiltons for Hondas generally suck. Lots of wrong info in there. For hondas, Helms is the only way to go.

I would say get something simple, but not so simple (read: boring) that you'll lose interest, but also not so exciting (read: expensive) that your SO will lose interest. Just go where your general preferences take you. If you like trucks get a truck (4WD is another step up the learning ladder btw) if you like coupes get a coupe, if you like American, buy American if not don't. It's an experiment for you so don't get in too deep at first. Have fun.

The junkyards can also be fun for this kind of learning too. Get a Haynes manual (or chiltons if you like) for a typical junkyard beast. Pick a job in the book, or a subject that piqued your interest while reading howstuffworks, and dive into a junkyard car. Just bring some tools with ya, and for a buck and some gas, you can spend the day tearing apart a car to figure out its inner workings. Plus, you dont hafta worry about getting it back together properly and working again. Kinda a fun way to spend a day. Wonder how a CV joint works? Go tear it apart and figure out for yourself. Wanna know what the inside of your engine looks like? Go take one apart.

If, after reading about something, you feel like hands on experience would help ya understand it better, i highly reccommend using the junkyard as a learning tool, not just a parts supplier.

i have always thought that any pre emisions amarican car is a good way to start learning basics

I've never had good luck with Chilton's manuals. It usually goes something like...

Head Gasket Replacement:

1. Remove items necessary to access heads.
2. Remove heads.
3. Remove head gaskets.
4. Installation is the reverse of disassembly.

If you're lucky, this is accompanied by an incomprehensible sketch of an engine that may or may not have actually been used in the model of car you're working on.

Haynes is somewhat better in my experience. But the absolute best resource in my experience (for older cars owned by DIY types anyway) are Internet forums. If you have a certain problem, chances are 10+ people had the same thing and figured out how to fix it. So if you get a specific model of car in mind, check out some sites related to it and see if you'll be able to get help that way.

point taken, I guess I know enough about cars to use chiltons as a guide, and it has always worked for me, but I've only used them for 2 different types of vehicles, ford trucks and a jeep cherokee and a jeep CJ-7. Next time I'll buy a Haynes to see how that compares.

I have a follow up/add-on on the question here...has anyone ever tried any of the trade schools for automotive work? Any usefullness in them?

Trade schools can be good, however remember they are going to cost. There is a good school in my area that can get a person ready to work in a shop in about 18mo at about 3600.00 plus tools. (which can get very expensive)

I have to second the forums. Having worked on cars most of my life, and being a chevy lover I found a site that is specific to the third-gen camaro (82-92). I have learned more in 13 months on these forums than many years of tinkering on cars.

The main thing is buy one and dig in, and don't be scared. I have more fear of screwing up my computer than I do about my car, of course I grew up when computers took up complete warehouse. LOL

Have fun and son't be scared to get dirty!
Scoty

I ran across this old thread and thought it was worth bumping to the top...

If you really want to learn the basics for how a engine works buy yourself a old 5hp push lawn mower. $20 at a garage sale or flea market. go to the library and get a book on small engine repair. then take the thing apart and put it back together. Its a 4cycle engine just like a car except theres only one cylender. it will give you a good idea of how things work and its small enough that you can take it apart and put it together without any real expensive tools. Where a car if you screw it up your out a car and you need lots of expensive tools to do it.

"Auto Repair for Dummies" by Deanna Sclar. It's a real 'for dummies' book. I have it, and I recommed it for anybody who's never spun a wrench on their car.

A follow-on for that is also good is "Car Hacks & Mods for Dummies" by David Vespremi. This book actually gives you more tips on how to turn your car into a performance machine, but it goes beyond just having a fast engine. It goes into detail about brakes and suspensions as well.

A great first car to learn to wrench on would be an old Honda Civic. Millions of them out there, parts are interchangeable like lego blocks, and there isn't a replacement part for that car that they don't make.

What exactly was your criteria for your back-from-the-dead thread-bumping rampage?