This is the real key here. I have had vehicles that have lasted forever because I took the time to learn what to check regularly and do a lot of my own diagnosis and basic repairs.
The idea of modern automobiles is actually absurd when you think about it. It’s a massive combustion engine that starts up instantly, every day, multiple times and runs for thousands of hours, across huge distances at incredible speed and most of the time the operators never even think of it past refueling or cleaning the shell.
I owned generators and many other kinds of engines, and without incredible engineering they are a pain in the ass to keep running all the time. Heat and cold cycles, multiple fluids that have to interact, timing between components, a vast array of materials and different kinds of moving parts… we really take it for granted, and because of that the newer cars are designed to be more hands-off and harder and harder to actually maintain. They are now counting on people not giving a fuck and just buying a new one when it starts to “run funny.”
Yes, exactly this. Many people just don’t do the basics and part of that is money. The labor costs are what get ya. The complexity of narrowing down what’s wrong as the cars are more computerized and have more electrical components also makes it difficult to diagnose even for the pros.
Key detail is that routine maintenance is important. Spark plugs, oil changes, flushes, timing belt, radiator, tires, brake pads, etc.
My last vehicle literally overheated on the highway and the engine block warped because the thermometer broke but I had no indication that there was a coolant leak or it was overheating. It had a good, long run but now that I have a home office, I wholeheartedly agree it’s more of a waste of money if you don’t absolutely have to drive to work every day. I uber weekly, rent a car every couple months when I need to travel and still save a fortune on regular car costs.
This is the real key here. I have had vehicles that have lasted forever because I took the time to learn what to check regularly and do a lot of my own diagnosis and basic repairs.
The idea of modern automobiles is actually absurd when you think about it. It’s a massive combustion engine that starts up instantly, every day, multiple times and runs for thousands of hours, across huge distances at incredible speed and most of the time the operators never even think of it past refueling or cleaning the shell.
I owned generators and many other kinds of engines, and without incredible engineering they are a pain in the ass to keep running all the time. Heat and cold cycles, multiple fluids that have to interact, timing between components, a vast array of materials and different kinds of moving parts… we really take it for granted, and because of that the newer cars are designed to be more hands-off and harder and harder to actually maintain. They are now counting on people not giving a fuck and just buying a new one when it starts to “run funny.”
Yes, exactly this. Many people just don’t do the basics and part of that is money. The labor costs are what get ya. The complexity of narrowing down what’s wrong as the cars are more computerized and have more electrical components also makes it difficult to diagnose even for the pros.
Key detail is that routine maintenance is important. Spark plugs, oil changes, flushes, timing belt, radiator, tires, brake pads, etc.
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My last vehicle literally overheated on the highway and the engine block warped because the thermometer broke but I had no indication that there was a coolant leak or it was overheating. It had a good, long run but now that I have a home office, I wholeheartedly agree it’s more of a waste of money if you don’t absolutely have to drive to work every day. I uber weekly, rent a car every couple months when I need to travel and still save a fortune on regular car costs.
A motorcycle is a better deal if you have somewhere to keep it safe. 3x the gas mileage and self repairable in a day.