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Besides gas and housing, what else makes you do a double take at how much it costs now? (lemmy.world)
submitted 3 months ago by to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
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[–] 34 points 3 months ago (7 children)

In this economy I learned how to do my own maintenance. I refuse to pay someone else over a $100 to unscrew something then screw in something else.

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  • [–] 23 points 3 months ago (2 children)

    Same. Did my brakes last weekend and saved like $700. And it’s about as hard as an oil change.

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  • [–] 11 points 3 months ago (1 child)

    Its kinda crazy what mechanics charge in the US. I get that they have significant tooling costs to recoup, and every job isn't so straightforward and that all gets spread out, but shit I paid $5 for 2 new footpegs and bending my shifter back onto place with a torch, then $4 for an oil change after I got hit by a taxi.

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  • [–] 14 points 3 months ago*

    Last year they said I needed a new turbo. Quoted me $2300. I got the part and tools for under $1200

    Turns out that didn’t fix it and it was the catalytic converter - bad misfire clogged it with gas. Replaced the downpipe for $800 and then sold the old cats as scrap for $250.

    Now I know that I can do all that stuff and I saved $550.

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  • [–] 9 points 3 months ago*

    I knew how to change oil before I even had a license. You need to be able to handle your own shit because you'll be gouged every single time otherwise

    The way I see it if anyone opened a drivers school that also taught basic maintenance they'd make a killing here.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 months ago

    You're paying for the labor, the time to check everything else and giving you actual decisions. That's where the rest of that 50 bucks is going. Yes you do need ONLY the oil change, and maybe you don't need anything else but the one thing I learned about cars is that they're like fickle people. They won't open up unless you deliberately ask them all the right questions lmao!

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