(12-10-2021, 08:54 PM)homebiscuit Wrote: Modern cars are not hard to work on if you have a code reader and some understanding of electronic control. I do all my own maintenance and repairs.  Many times, it's just a sensor that needs replacement. The only things I don't work on are air conditioners and transmissions because those require specialized tools/knowledge.

A couple of months ago my wife told me her car was stalling and running rough. It threw a check engine light so I read the code, consulted the Google machine, ordered the part needed (vapor canister purge valve) on Amazon for half the price it cost in the stores and replaced the next day in 5 minutes with no tools required. Had I taken it to a mechanic, that $30 part would have undoubtedly cost me hundreds in repair bills.

Modern cars are much more reliable and durable than old iron. But when they break, a little research and some basic tools can go a long way towards the ability for DIY repair.

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I'm a mechanics daughter so I know my way around a vehicle and have replaced things on my truck as needed doing exactly what you did. When his check engine light came on we pulled out the code reader to see what was up and how to fix it but the code description was ambiguous, AKA "clear as mud," and the car couldn't even be jump started. We had to call AAA to have it towed to the dealership because nothing I read online was making sense.

The guy who used to do auto maintenance and repair beyond what we are capable of doing is still rebuilding his shop after it exploded when his adult son had his racing car in there with nitrous oxide (I think that's what it's called) that was leaking and someone lit a cigarette. Bada boom. Son didn't survive.

I will still take my '02 Silverado over anything made in the last 10-15 years. It's the last great year for Chevy as far as the engine/transmission goes.

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