Adam03GT

As you all know there is endless amounts of parts/screws/fluids/wires/noises and knowledge to be known about cars! Its overwhelming!

If you were to give me an aftermarket part to install on my car i could do it no problem....
Throttle body/plenum etc
Longtubes.. Any exhaust parts
Any basic bolt on i would have no problem with

But what im wondering is how do you learn what those new noises are? When you think there is something bad/odd going on with your car or its making a new noise how do you go about finding out what it is?

When it came to learning about cars did you just pick up a little bit here and there or did someone/something actualy teach you?

Im just thinking i need to become a little more edumacated about cars in general and im asking you guys how i can accomplish this

swooshonln

100% hands on expierence and curiosity

Its not something you read.... its in your blood.... haha

No but in all honesty, its not a book, its the face that you COULD walk out to your car right now and spend an hour or two just looking at a engine and entertain yourself on exactally what everything does and why. All the rest just falls into place.

CobraStangGT16

I do that all the time.

How do I know so much about cars???...........

...I built one from scratch.

Cornbread01

when it breaks i fix it i think i can do anything.... working on a car is not much more than knowing how to turn the wrench. and use a manual for referance. i first started out on a pit crew for gm modified then i just worked on my old 80 aspen. and now im doing all the work on my car except computer and electrical stuff that i cant do myself.

GhostRider02GT

experience, and Im only 21. I got my first car, 94 civic lol, but I wanted to mod it so I just started picking stuff up here and there. asked pros about this and that. Plus Ihave been working in lube shops for 5 years now,granted we only do minor stuff, but it keeps me up todate on the auto industry and performance good stuff.

Xemeth

I'm a mechanic, so that helps.

It's basically just something you catch onto. Time and experience are really the only thing that's gonna make you good. Once you do something once or twice, it just kinda stores in your memory.

Adam03GT

I see.... People (like you guys) always say its so straightforward but i think i always make it into something more complicated.....

I always think to myself that i paid so much for it and it would suck to mess something up lol....

blownbayou

Pops taught me most but CURIOSITY and the NEED FOR MORE taught me the rest!!!!!

livefast1

there is a difference in a mechanic and a technician. im 18 and ive been working on cars for 4 years at my dads shop. my dads a mechanic my grandfather was a mechanic and so was my other grandfather. if you give me something and tell me what part to put on it, its like handin a fat kid a piece of cake and tellin him to eat it, no problem. but the difference in a mechanic and a technician is the diagnosis portion of the bizz. not to cut my self short as i am pretty decent at diagnosing but im actually attending UTI to learn more.

Chubstang

I got a job at a garage when I was 16, still working there, I'm now 18. I started off sweeping the floors and other crap work like that and I had very little knowledge of cars, now I'm doing motor swaps, suspension rebuilds, etc. I work on classics though so they're easier to deal with than newer cars.