The Wordless Picture Thread

[PaulFLUS]

Yeah I couldn't remember exactly what the square footage was so I looked it up on the property appraiser's site. 5,391 square feet. It wasn't quite as new as I thought, built in 1995 but it's still should have had 200 amp service by that point. I'm no electrician and I'm not an expert on generators either but I didn't understand why it was they needed to upgrade their service unless he just didn't say it right and that wasn't exactly what they needed or needed at for. The problem with him is he doesn't know and he wouldn't know if they were giving him the shaft and he can't explain to you why or even exactly what they did... It doesn't pay to have no mechanical inclination at all. So maybe you would rather take your car to the mechanic but you should at least know enough to not get taken to the cleaners while you're there

[planeden]

The problem with him is he doesn't know and he wouldn't know if they were giving him the shaft and he can't explain to you why or even exactly what they did... It doesn't pay to have no mechanical inclination at all. So maybe you would rather take your car to the mechanic but you should at least know enough to not get taken to the cleaners while you're there

Eh, easier said than done. Once everything started getting computers built in I gave up trying to understand. I just pretend to not remember what they said so that when people try to figure out if I got screwed they wont know either .

[PaulFLUS]

I hear people still say, "you just can't work on cars anymore." I work on cars every single day and it's true that there are more components and systems to consider. On the other hand some things are easier. In the old days there was air, fuel, spark and compression. But you had to actually know how to diagnose the four elements and what was wrong. Now you hook a machine.to it and read a list of codes and look up what is the problem. If all else fails you can Google it. In the old days there were books if you went and bought one but, again, you had to know how to find it...and even what to look for.
In my business, 30-40 years ago we had to just figure it out. What was inside the lock was just a mystery and.everyone had to figure it out on their own or have a friend or co-worker show them. Now there is a book or a program written by some guy who DID figure it out and makes a living selling software now. We also had to make our own tools and equipment, (boring technical jargon ommitted) now that is a business of its own.

[PaulFLUS]

Anyone remember setting air fuel mixture? Now the computer does that by itself but if you do want to tinker with it you download an app to your phone or tablet, plug a dongle into the OBDII and make some key strokes.

[STF]

Anyone remember setting air fuel mixture? Now the computer does that by itself but if you do want to tinker with it you download an app to your phone or tablet, plug a dongle into the OBDII and make some key strokes.

I used to have a kit with a see through plug that I replaced a spark plug with. It let me see the colour of the ignition part of the stroke and it was easy to adjust the mixture by comparing the colour of the bang with the ideal colour shown in the little book.

I also used to buy a Haynes manual for every car i got. Still do actually because there is plenty that has nothing to do with an engine management system, although your right Paul, my ODB is also very useful.

I don't touch this car because it is still under warrantee but as soon as the dealer stops being responsible i will do it all myself. I've only ever put a non warranty car into the garage once years ago when the carburetor seized and I couldn't diagnose it. I was only 20 though.

[PaulFLUS]

I have always done most everything for myself. In my family all the men worked on their own cars or tractors or motorcycles and repaired whatever needed fixing. Generally I will repair anything like the washer or dryer, faucets and appliances, water heater...you get the picture. If it's got moving parts I can fix it. One thing I have learned to do though is weigh how much it will cost me to fix. If I wouldn't do it for that much for someone else then I will (sometimes) pay someone else to do it. If you consider your time as money it changes the way you look at it. Sometimes though I have trouble letting go of enough trust to let someone else do it. It's also important to know your limits though.

[STF]

I have always done most everything for myself. In my family all the men worked on their own cars or tractors or motorcycles and repaired whatever needed fixing. Generally I will repair anything like the washer or dryer, faucets and appliances, water heater...you get the picture. If it's got moving parts I can fix it. One thing I have learned to do though is weigh how much it will cost me to fix. If I wouldn't do it for that much for someone else then I will (sometimes) pay someone else to do it. If you consider your time as money it changes the way you look at it. Sometimes though I have trouble letting go of enough trust to let someone else do it. It's also important to know your limits though.

Again you make good points.

I have spent much too long doing things on my cars, changing the rotors and pads for example but for me it's not so much a case of trust in the dealer, more that kills me that someone wants several hundred dollars to do something i can do myself - even if it takes me all day. I'm semi retired so I have time to waste.

Interestingly, there are a few differences in car servicing and maintenance between the UK and North America that I had trouble getting my head around.

In England I used to change my spark plugs at every service, over here they are very rarely changed. I had my last car for 5 years and they weren't changed.
On the other hand, the rotors (brake disks) are changed every time the pads are changed. In England the disks (rotors) are never changed unless either you wear your pads to metal and score them or they crack.

You mentioned fixing just about everything.

My main fridge is still not working and I can't get a new one until the shop opens again.

Its still humming quietly but not getting cold. I don't know what the hum is but even though it's not silent, is it likely the compressor is gone?

If I did change the compressor, would I have any issue with Freon like releasing it into the kitchen and having to refill it, does a fridge have a capacitor like a TV that could shock me?

What could the hum be and how can I diagnose and establish I need a compressor?

[spazola]

,..............

[PaulFLUS]

HVAC is one thing I have never done much of. License restrictions and the special tools and gauges don't help much. My understanding though is that it is not particularly practical to recharge a refrigerator but it is possible. It is something that you could do yourself but paying someone to do it would cost more than a new fridge or so I have been told.
I would however pull it out and check to make sure the coils are not dirty/dusty and clean any dust or algae off the coils and compressor. Also check to see if the fan or coils are frozen. That usually happens because of the coils dust over or algae build up. Be careful with the fins and also careful of things like bleach to kill algae as bleach can damage them. There are solutions made specifically for that. The one easy thing to try is to unplug it, open the doors and let it sit for a day or two. If there is icing that should be long enough for it to melt. If it cools afterwards then you may still need cleaning or repair but at least you know it is not shot.

[planeden]

I have always done most everything for myself. In my family all the men worked on their own cars or tractors or motorcycles and repaired whatever needed fixing. Generally I will repair anything like the washer or dryer, faucets and appliances, water heater...you get the picture. If it's got moving parts I can fix it. One thing I have learned to do though is weigh how much it will cost me to fix. If I wouldn't do it for that much for someone else then I will (sometimes) pay someone else to do it. If you consider your time as money it changes the way you look at it. Sometimes though I have trouble letting go of enough trust to let someone else do it. It's also important to know your limits though.

This is one of the things that did it for me. Back when I was working 80+ hours per week and still had more work than I could do it just made no sense for me to try to do it. Also, with only one car having me work on it for a few evenings and not be able to drive it made less sense than having someone fix it up in a day.

And, for the record, I said "I gave uo". It was never something that I particularly enjoyed, so learning new things on top of the two above just never made sense to me. Let someone trained handle that stuff.