[bdamm]

What they don't teach you is the "tricks". Looking for an air leak using a spray bottle, putting anti-seize on engine bolts as you are reassembling engine parts (like an alternator attachment bolt!) or just how important correct torque and new fasteners are.

And that doesn't even begin to touch the true magic in having a large collection of chemicals. Know when to use DC-4, WD-40, 33MS, brake cleaner, contact cleaner, and of course, GOJO.

[abawany]

I got into auto repair when I was swindled by an incompetent/unscrupulous mechanic in Austin in the 90s. Haynes/Chilton were quite reasonable starting points to learn the basics. I also spent a lot of time on automotive newsgroups and forums, which is how I absorbed the tribal knowledge such as the anti-seize tip above. E.g. if you own a Honda, you can get excellent help troubleshooting its quirks on honda-tech.com. It is where I learnt how to troubleshoot a failing input-shaft bearing on a transmission and how to find a very cheap interchangeable replacement that got me going again.

It has been a fun journey and it is very nice to see through the utter nonsense most auto repair places spew. I would repeat that a community college course and/or Haynes is a good starting point and then it is off to the forum that caters to your car :).

[lfowles]

> I would repeat that a community college course and/or Haynes is a good starting point and then it is off to the forum that caters to your car :).

To me, this is one of the most fascinating aspects of the internet. No matter your make or model, there is a dedicated forum for your car. And it's got plenty of active accounts.

[abawany]

Case in point - TIL that even Bristol Motors has a forum: http://www.bristolcars.info/forums/ .

[djrogers]

I don't think any 101 classes going to get to that level of detail...