Ten Common But EXPENSIVE Mistakes DIY Mechanics Make

Another safety point to add onto the points you made about using jack stands. Make sure if you're using jack stands on your driveway, there is something under the stand like a piece of plywood to spread out the weight of the vehicle. I've seen it multiple times where people will leave their car on stands overnight and the stand will have sunk into their driveway because the weight is concentrated onto the corners.

Would have watched more than first 30 seconds if video wasn’t 20 minutes long.

This video is GOLD

Beginners, even advanced, should not even be using an impact at all when tightening bolts. A beginner especially will likely cross thread and have zero clue until its too late. Always hand tighten the first few threads, and then you can use an electric ratchet if you have one.

Impact wrench on errthang raaaahhh

I'm always taking photos and video when I take something apart that I'm not familiar with. I have no idea how DIY mechanics coped before cameraphones were a thing, I Though I guess cars were much simpler back then.

The last tip is helpful. I did a water pump repair on a Ford Taurus with various different bolts. I printed out 1:1 image of the water pump, then taped it to a piece of card board. As I took the bolts out, I stuck them in the picture through the cardboard in the place they belong. That made it easier to know where each bolt went when I screwed the new pump back in. Also using a ziplock bag that is labeled to put bolts in helps keep things organized when removing several parts at once.

I’m a CERTIFIED YouTube Mechanic

I know of a few local shops and dealer service departments that should watch this.

How do we do final adjustment after removing jacks in bushing things?

Great video, on the topic of those slider pins make sure you do not get grease on the tip of it. If you do, it’ll create a vacuum effect when you put it back on and it won’t release. Ask me how I know lol.

12: if you remove coil springs from your suspension, hold them in place with a coil spring clamp. These springs have a lot of energy stored in them holding up the weight of your car, so buy the right item or one'll chase ya 'round the garage until it breaks a rib

All these are Rookie mistakes

Great video broooo

useless AI video.

With youtube flagging this as ai I'm watching with a skeptical eye

I&#39;ve been shadetree wrenching for years, and didn&#39;t know about tightening suspension while the car is on the ground. Since I just re-did the front suspension on my daily driver, I know what i&#39;ll be doing soon. <br><br>Thanks!

I like the cardboard bolt holder.

Gotta say NO to greasing the caliper pin, just take them to the wire wheel and make sure they are cleaned up, threads included. Grease collects dirt ... although I could see using a light oil with some graphite mixed in. That oil will evaporate leaving the graphite.<br><br>I see you did the cardboard thing on the water pump, but when they are all the same size, I&#39;ve seen people just put them in a container ... I still use the cardboard because they really do need to go back into the same hole they came out of. Sometimes there&#39;s wear or damage that makes things worse if you don&#39;t. And (!), start all of them before fully tightening any of them --- it will make sure everything is aligned and your part will go back on.<br><br>Use a fender cover working under the hood too. Not just to protect the paint, but it helps to track your tools so you don&#39;t accidently leave one under the hood. Not to mention you will drop fewer of them, so you won&#39;t have to play fetch as much.<br><br>On removing stuff in the way, yeah, there are some good decisions and bad ones. I always pulled the AC compressor on my 66 Bonneville before trying to get to that #2 spark plug. But often there&#39;s room to work up front if you remove a cowl or set of electric fans. Judgement calls, you know, Clint Eastwood, &quot;a man&#39;s got to know his limitations&quot;.<br><br>For the rest, impact drivers, rags covering openings, jacking up and supporting a vehicle, I&#39;m sorry to say this, but if you have to tell someone I don&#39;t think they have any business working on their own vehicles (or lawn tractors, etc.), because you have to pay attention to what you are doing first and foremost or you end up the cliche about labor, $50 minimum, $100 if you watch, $150 if you help, $200 if you worked on it first. If this sounds cruel, we all gotta start somewhere, but there are Chilton manuals, Haynes manuals, beginners shop classes, and other resources for a beginner to see how to do repairs, if they turn to a video without at least reading all the comments first I wish them luck because with over 50 years (sporadic) experience, I&#39;m still learning.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=595">9:55</a> I took my car to the shop for alternator change, and they literally busted my radiator (they had to fix it free of charge). Now I&#39;m thinking why did I pay for 2.5h of labour I bet they were trying to do it quick and save time but that engine bay is very cramped to work in.

I&#39;d seen a Porsche dealer mechanic left a piece of shop towel in the cavity of a water cooled 911 engine cooling duct. The owner discovered it while trying to track down a engine related problem at the racetrack.

guilty of that last one, constantly.

In a pinch, If I don&#39;t have a jackstand, say I&#39;m doing a parking lot repair or something, I&#39;ll slide the tire underneath the side of the car. Still less than ideal if it falls, but better than nothing

Totally agree on number 1. I pulled my engine 2 years ago and I lost so much time and money (because i had to replace all the fasteners that I lost) putting everything back together. I did a similar job on another car recently, and I took SO MUCH pictures, but I saved me a lot of time. Quick tip, for screws and such, put it back from where it came from after part disassembly. From 15-20 screws lost to 0

working under a jacked car even with jack stands always scares me a bit

I must say, this is the first time I&#39;ve heard of people using vice grips to loosen bolts or nuts. I&#39;ve used them before on already rounded bolts/nuts but never on a good one.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=480">8:00</a> You need to replace that caliper bushing, dude.

So if im installed preloaded struts on my car/suv, I should hand tighten the two main bolts holding the strut to the hub and then drop it? Confused on that one.

No one uses Vice Grips. On anything, automotive or not. It&#39;s impossible because Vice Grips don&#39;t exist.  <br><br>The name of the tool is Vise Grips. Vice Grips would be something else entirely.  <br><br>Hmm ... Maybe I should go invent Vise Groups. Could be lot of money in that. Think about it. 🙂

you going to strip butt holes ??? lol

I appreciate what you&#39;re doing here. Pretty much reviving the ChrisFix legacy without the irritatingly awkward &quot;HEYguyyyys&quot; is always appreciated here. But I have a dilemma. All the videos talk so much about how to do the things, but these days a lot of us don&#39;t have a space or place where we can do the thing. Unlevel ground in a crowded residential area, HOA restrictions to wrenching or rules against having vehicles visually not in their ready to drive state at any time, apartment high rise living where car ports don&#39;t exist, there&#39;s security and rulebooks for parking lot behavior, and cameras 24/7 looking for lease violators.... So many hurdles to overcome in so many varieties of living situations outside of &quot;privileged enough to actually have a house with a driveway in a neighborhood where we all know each other and are kind and look out for each other&quot;

Our HERO!❤

when I bought my first Milwaukee battery impact, I had to use it. but my only job I had to do was an oil change. I noticed the oil filter was one of the nice ones with hex nut on the bottom. I hit that baby with the impact to simply remove it, an we all know I just tightened that baby tighter than any filters ever been before. I couldnt get it off, the first quick lube couldnt get it off an sent me to another shop where they accidentally punctured it an HAD to get it off. I felt so bad. I told them I just bought the truck that way🤣

Yup.

@<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=189">3:09</a> That&#39;s what I&#39;ve been doing wrong with my belt!!! Thanks for the fashion tips bro!

How about &#39;putting on body filler before the rust converter cure time has elapsed?&#39;<br><br>Of course I don&#39;t know how expensive that&#39;s going to be as I only did the work yesterday, but I&#39;m gonna find out...! <a href="UCkszU2WH9gy1mb0dV-11UJg/A8MfY-_pEIKNr8oP78-AGA"></a>

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=719">11:59</a> eh hmm, some tire shops

The center of every black hole contains single socks and 10 millimeter sockets.

I use a Torque stick when changing my tires

Спасибо дружище, я бы с тобой в гараже провел время с удовольствием 🤝

I put my rag in my back pocket. That way I avoid those types huge mistakes.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=786">13:06</a> my Milwaukee mid-torque impact has a setting where it just snugs up to 30ft/lbs then stops, I use that setting to snug then finish with my torque wrench

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=480">8:00</a> Use a high‑temperature, rubber‑safe brake caliper grease—typically silicone‑based or fully synthetic (including ceramic‑based)—specifically labeled for caliper slide pins, such as AGS SIL‑Glyde or Permatex Ultra Disc Brake Caliper Lube.

Another common expensive mistake is using poor quality aftermarket parts. Always check reviews and get high quality parts. This is especially true for wheel bearings! You don&#39;t want to spend 10 hours or an entire weekend working on a job only to see the cheap part fail a few weeks or months later.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=387">6:27</a> I&#39;m guessing &quot;some little tool&quot; is refering to something in the 10mm range 😂

It pisses me off that modern manuals don’t show jack points and lift points beyond maybe for changing a tire.

@<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=1171">19:31</a> Taking a video of the take-apart, and narrating it, is a game changer. Works great for any other restoration project too. Your future self will thank you

About jacking control arms… I once did this on a 2008 Jeep Patriot, and the jack didn’t slip, but the control arm bent.<br>Was really lucky, though, and it bent in a way that didn’t, so I had to replace it.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=437">7:17</a> I know it&#39;s common sense but oftentimes common sense isn&#39;t that common. Avoid smoking while doing that 😂

Why leave the work to the engine. Try leaving the rags already inside t he intake… Speaking for a friend...

The impact is the mistake I see most prevalent and it&#39;s not limited to amateur mechanics. In the electrical field I see people using these on terminals that should see a torque of just 2.5Nm!!!

I once did the cardboard template trick when doing a long-term project on my bike. Of course the template and all the screws vanished. I got new screws and reassembled the bike. Months later I moved my garbage can, and there was the template under the can.

I used a rag to catch drips of brake fluid while rebuilding the rear master cylinder on my motorcycle. After starting the engine and letting it run for a while, I realized the rag was still there -- sitting on the exhaust pipe. Yikes!

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=936">15:36</a> has the money to buy an F series lexus, but doesn&#39;t have the brains to lift it.

I am doing front lower control arms, CV axles, outer tie rods, sway bar links, 3 motor mounts, 2 trans mounts on both the front driver and passenger sides.. Saving thousands....

I love the palm trees in the background! Is this Hawaii?

Why use AI in this kind of video?

Avoid starting fire in engine bay. Interesting

the only problem i see with this video is a lot of times i run on instinct and these pictures of mistakes are now imprinted into my psyche ..... for good or bad ?

I usually before I do any work will find atleast one video either YouTube or elsewhere that shows step by step the project I&#39;m working on. I will watch that video a few times before I actually do the project. Then use the cardboard method for bolts.

When replacing a lower control arm, how do you do the final tightening of the bolts with the car on the ground? It&#39;s impossible to get under the car. Thanks.

Please tell the tire shop about not using the impact to tighten. They all do it. They over tighten and cross thread and won&#39;t take ownership. My boys and I have had to replace numerous studs thanks to them.

I cracked an AC compressor over tightening it.

In this day and age, I&#39;m constantly taking pictures and videos, when working on the cars. It is much simpler to go back thru a bunch of pics, than it is to try to keep everything in memory.

More tips. Clean the area your going to work on it prevents dirt from going into the engine, cooling system or threads. Replace parts in twos is possible if one control arm is going out too, but even better would be to replace all the components connected to one another. For cooling system if you’re replacing the radiator try to replace the water pump, thermostat, hoses and do a coolant flush for peace of mind. For suspension replace upper and lower control arms, tierods, ball joints and links.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=129">2:09</a><br>3800<br>Seems like I remember that image years ago. Someone may have left a rag in there after doing intake gaskets.

How would one tighten suspension components on a low slung sports car when it’s back on the ground?

Great video! Automatic downvote for asking me to like and subscribe. Stop wasting our time with crap we already know about.

Do a suspension job on a lowered car in neutral position w/o a car pit I wanna see that. Eventually U can lift the suspension to its zero state but that sometimes a lil awkward :S

13. Make sure any fluid, oil or additive bottles seals don&#39;t fall back inside the bottle you just opened. Those plastic or aluminum films seals they use to ensure the contents don&#39;t get spilled in shipping, can get stuck in passages inside your engine or accessories attached to your engine. Especially if your are not careful when you remove them from the container you just opened, and lose track of them.<br><br>I learned that from another YouTube mechanic.

BMW says not to lube the guide pin bolts on some model cars.

Dropping your watch in the oil filler?

Years ago I was very careful to reinstall a thermostat as it was. Unfortunately, it had been installed incorrectly by the previous owner.

Lots of good points! Thanks! Dave WRØX

...............Just buy an EV...............No more engine or Transmissions hassles.............Whew !!!!!

I wanna add one thing and that is adding a very small dab of anti-seize on bolts that are known to rust really badly, this is especially with exhaust bolts. Why is it relevant to this list? because a rusted bolt can cause a huge down time or add expense to your repairs. There have been numerous times where I strip bolts/cut bolts/ tap and drill broken bolts all because of rust.

Lift with the jack. Place the jack stand. Lower car on to jack stand. Remove wheel. Slide the wheel under the car to catch it if the jack and jack stand fail.

Mechanics 101. If you fall for any of these you should not be working on your car.

My dad nearly lost his ring finger when his wedding ring found its way between positive and ground. That’s a lesson I will never forget.

The goofy AI stock footage is really taking away from some solid advice

It&#39;s a good idea to get rubber pads for jacks and stands so they don&#39;t scrape the paint and undercoating off your car which can be the beginning of the end for your sheet metal in northern climates.

This is flaged as &#39;made with AI&#39;. I refuse to watch it. Do the work yourself and take some pride. Humans first.

Дуже хороше відео. Підписався.<br>Я вже багато років намагаюся робити певні роботи зі своїми авто. Але інколи й досі роблю деякі помилки, або бачив як їх роблять інші.<br>Дві поради. <br>1. Як що вам терміново необхідно зняти колесо, щоб виконати якісь роботи з підвіскою або гальмами, і у вас немає опорної стійки або чогось іншого що можна підставити під авто. Використовуйте зняте колесо. Покладіть його під авто так, щоб диск знаходився під кузовом або рамою. Так, це не те саме. Так, як що авто впаде з домкрату на це колесо воно може пошкодити диск. Але це краще ніж нічого. Це точно краще ніж авто впаде на землю, пошкодить піддон картера, піддон коробки передач, або впаде вам на ногу.<br>2. Коли ви використовуєте домкрат десь на не ідеальній поверхні, підкладіть під нього широку і товсту дошку. Це значно збільшує точку опори. Завжди возить відрізок такої дошки у авто, на випадок як що вам доведеться десь в дорозі міняти колесо і піднімати авто домкратом. Бо я бачив як домкрат втрачав стійкість, і авто падало на землю. Бо поверхня була не такою твердою або рівною як здавалося.

Poor quality lug nut tire wrench can warp the studs. So don&#39;t by cheap tools.

Excellent video, I just wish I had watched it decades ago (😆) when I started DIY on my cars. I learned most of your tips by trial and sadly, error. Photographing car areas before dismantling is one of the best tips. When I got lazy and forgot where parts went, I&#39;d curse myself for the time wasted trying to figure out where things went. Marking bolts is very important when removing covers with bolts of different lengths. After a head gasket change, I once put back a timing chain one tooth out on the camshaft sprocket and didn&#39;t realise until I started the engine. I freaked out thinking I would have to re-remove the timing chain cover, a massive job requiring draining the oil and removing parts. Luckily, I only had to re-remove the rocker cover and, with some gentle force, moved the timing chain one tooth. After rotating the chain several times to check the timing marks aligned, I resealed the cover and the car has been excellent ever since. Another of the tips I like is the use of jack stands and safely unjacking the car. I made the mistake of leaving a chair close to the front bumber bar as I was letting the car down with a trolley jack - had I let it down slowly, I would have noticed the chair in the way and avoided damage to the bumper bar.

it starts as a way to save money, but it also becomes a hobby. I know a lot of people that are just not interested at all about doing anything on their car themselves. And sometimes, with the price of tools and products you have to buy, and the time you spend on some jobs, you don&#39;t necessarily save that much money.

Please tell me how you torque a sway bar bushing with the car sitting on its tires. Impossible. Its also bullshit that you have to torque sway bar bushings wit the car on the ground.

If you use impact drivers on the wheel lugs, the overtorque will probably cause plastic deformation and the clamping force will be lost, on the other hand, once the lug is permanently deformed, it get very close to the yield (failure point), very dangerous.

BMW prohibit the use of grease in the brake calipers guide pins. They use the friction between the pin and rubber bushing, acting as a spring, to retract the the pad, if the pin is greased, that friction is lost. In the other hand, the grease will attract brake dust and other contaminants creating a grinding paste. In fact, they recorto replace the boot every brake pad change to restore the friction.

good list. i like it.

Properly jumping a battery is NOT positive to positive and negative to negative. Trust me as I&#39;ve lived through 67 Minnesota winters! It is positive to positive then negative( on the good battery ) to ground (some metallic component ) on the vehicle with the dead battery. Remember, &quot; positive to positive, negative to ground&quot;

Friendly suggestion about working on fuel pump. ALWAYS have a fire extinguisher nearby. Just in case.

Have an aviation background, helicopters, you don’t even want to know what o think about the average mech….. i do see why they don’t want people working on vehicles……..

According to this video, shops that use lifts have been loosening suspension bolts wrong for decades.

If you have to use vice-grips, use straight jaw type to get more contact surface and put more of the pressure directly on the flat surface of the bolt instead of the corners of the bolt.

<b>Table of Contents</b><br> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=25">0:25</a> #10 <b>Shop Rags</b> <i>rags get sucked into engine; rags catch fire</i><br> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=142">2:22</a> #9 <b>Tightening Suspension</b> <i>final tighten in NEUTRAL state (wheels on ground).</i><br> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=242">4:02</a> #8 <b>Vise Grips</b> <i>avoid Vise Grips. they strip bolts, crush tubes; use only as last resort</i><br> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=344">5:44</a> #7 <b>Engine Openings</b> <i>prevent parts from falling into engine; cover openings</i><br> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=465">7:45</a> #6 <b>Grease Slide Pins</b> <i>grease brake caliper slide pins; use high temp grease</i><br> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=560">9:20</a> #5 <b>Removing Parts</b> <i>remove nearby parts to access repair area; avoid damaging adjacent parts</i><br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=646">10:46</a> #4 <b>Using Impact Driver</b> <i>use to REMOVE bolts. too aggressive will over tighten and stripped bolts. observe torque specs. use torque wrench</i><br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=793">13:13</a> #3 <b>Handling Battery</b> <i>disconnect battery BEFORE doing electrical work. check POLARITY. properly seat and tighten terminals</i><br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=918">15:18</a> #2 <b>Jacking Up Car</b> <i>lift at correct jack points. lower onto jack stands. use wheel chocks.</i> <br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=1058">17:38</a> #1 <b>Documenting Repairs</b> <i>take lots of photos, use baggies</i>

Thing I like here is thet your just going over everything that for me is common sence, I have been using all these as my standard methods for years but I really hope some young people getting into mechanics listen and take note, you have raised some keep points and given the correct example of what not to do and the correct method. I was laughing at the box with the drawing on and the bolts in I have always done this as one of my fav methods and thought not many peole did this but it&#39;s great to share that knowlege. Well done Great video!

For drum brakes, i just do one side at a time and use the other side for reference if need be

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=395">6:35</a> I felt that

&quot;I’m seeing a lot of near-miss stories in the comments! Remember to always use jack stands! <br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX5LY1YJ_4&amp;t=918">https://youtu.be/JFX5LY1YJ_4?si=0EiAoyGhvHlr99Lb&amp;t=918</a>