Questions and Answers

Awww.... I'm Yum Q. Dear Vincent, First of all... I must tell you that you are SO YUM! You have such a great smile! From the bits and pieces I've read on your web site, you also seem to have a great sense of humor! And you MUST have tons of patience, if you actually INVITE people to ask you questions about cars!

I found your site while I was searching for adult education courses in basic auto mechanics/repairs. I have been very blessed in that I have found kind, honest and good mechanics, ever since I owned my first car, a few years ago. But, I want to learn more about simple car stuff, that I can take care of myself. I am a 44 year old and I don't have a man in my life at this point and I am tired of getting anxious every time my car makes a different sound or moves a little funny!

Two years ago, I bought a 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix from my mechanic's father. (I know you asked for specific information about peoples' cars, like the engine size, etc. but I have not a clue what to tell you. It's dark gray-ish black, and it pretty much takes-up the whole area under the hood!) Having been owned by a mechanic, I figured that a 1990 would still be in decent shape.

He continued to take care of the car, until a few months ago. I wasn't thrilled with his repairs and he took way too long to work on the car. I found another mechanic who is great! But, I don't want to have to keep relying on other people for "car stuff" all the time.

Since I've owned the car, I've had a number of problems with it, some were minor (some were caused by the previous owner "fiddling around" with the electric/security system which had to be removed in the end!): a couple of months ago it got to the point where I had two choices: #1. Get rid of the car and get a new one [Did I mention that I am totally broke?! I've been at my job for 21 years and I mostly love what I do (I work with mentally retarded/developmentally disabled adults) but it does not pay all that well--so the idea of even TRYING to get another used car is out of the question right now.] or #2. Put in a good rebuilt engine.

I did a lot of car shopping and research. I asked every human who would make eye-contact with me what their opinion was! My cousin used to own an auto parts distribution company in St. Louis. He said that the rebuilt engine can do well for a good few years. And, I realized that if I were to purchase any other used cars within my budget ($17.43!) I would only be buying someone else's problems and those would be hidden to me. At least with my car, I knew what its problems were and where it's been. Somehow, that seemed comforting to me, at the time.

Armed with all that (lack of) car-smarts, I made-up what was left of my mind! I went for the rebuilt engine. Besides that, in the past two years, I've gotten a new water pump, new alternator, new battery, new fan (I am clueless about this one, but it's the fan that cools the engine, who knew?!). A couple of months ago, one of my tires blew while I was on the highway, thank God there was not an accident. There were six cars behind me that were screeching their brakes and swerving, it was pretty scary. So, I ended-up getting two new tires.

For months, I kept telling people that I just had bad CAR-ma.

I know I'm rambling on and on, sorry about that, I guess I am trying to find a way to be able to have that peace-of-mind that comes with knowing how to take care of basic car repairs by myself. Or, at least I'd like to know when I should or shouldn't flip-out with every new 'ping' or 'grrr' noise that I hear in the car! I've worn clothing with hoods on them, lived in many different kinds of neighbor-hoods, but except for filling the windshield fluid and checking my oil, I've never worked UNDER the hood before!

I live in Brooklyn, New York and was actually trying to find a hands-on adult education course that would teach me some basic stuff. Then I saw your web site and I knew that I had to write to you right away!

I guess what I really need is some guidance from you, WHAT DO I DO FIRST?!

I really do appreciate your taking the time to read this note and ANY advice that you might have to offer would be most appreciated!

Be well and keep smiling, you have the kind of smile that lights-up a room and makes other people happy!

Thanks!
Peggy

A. Gee Peggy, I've been called a lot of things in my life, but "Yum" is a first. Not that I mind, I think it's very sweet of you. And we do have at least one thing in common, I don't have a man in my life either. But I am looking for a women... Hmmm... what are you doing next weekend?

Oh, never mind. Let's see now. You ask such good questions I don't know where to start. I thinks it's great that you want to learn about taking care of your car. I could spend days here detailing what you should know and how to do it. Unfortunately I just don't have the time and space here. I highly recommend an Adult Education course that most Community Colleges offer at night. They are very good for learning the basics.

The library has a ton of good books on automotive maintenance. There are a couple of "... For Dummies" books that would be worth reading. Buying a service manual for your car would give you a good idea of what you could do yourself. Online you can go to "Automotive 101" and "How Stuff Works" to learn how individual components work.

The decision to put in a rebuilt engine was a good one. As long as everything else on the car, including the body, is in good shape then a rebuilt engine is usually a wise investment. But I don't know if there is a car built well enough to last on the BQE. Last time I went down the BQE I lost my whole exhaust system when I ran over a Buick sitting in a pot hole.

All the other stuff you've replaced, water pump, alternator, battery, etc.. is something you would have to do on any car. But these are jobs toy can do with some basic tools, a service manual and a little common sense. The hardest part of the job is getting the courage to take the job on.

I'm glad you didn't get into an accident when the tire blew. It must have been a front tire to make you go all over like that. This is the number one reason I check the front tires of any car that I put up on the lift. It is so important to keep your best tires on the front and to replace them when they are worn out. Think about it, your life depends upon just a few square inches of rubber.

If you only learn to do one thing on you car, that should be how to change the oil and filter. This is the one thing that will do more to keep your engine in good shape than any thing else.

You sound like the type of person who does what she sets her mind to do. So I have no doubt that you will take advantage of the resources I've mentioned and learn everything you want to know.

And if you have any specific questions or concerns, you can always write or call me and I will be happy to do what I can for you. Or you can write just because...

By the way, the guys around here said something similar to what you said. Only they say I brighten a room by leaving it.