Thank you all… fixed my car and learned so much

Automotive Forums
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So, I’m pretty young, just out of school a year or so ago. Bought my first car for $2,600 thinking I got a good deal (it kinda was). But it came with a ton of problems: bad battery, bad coil packs, bad ICM, bad radiator, bad coolant system, and bad intake manifold gaskets.

While trying to fix it myself, I messed up a lot. Snapped a bolt and cried over it. Managed to extract it and shouted with joy. Shredded my thermostat bolt holes and had to learn how to rethread them. I overcorrected and didn’t tighten things enough out of fear of snapping another bolt, which caused a vacuum leak. I followed advice from this forum, used my last $20 to get some carb cleaner, and managed to find the leak after a wobbly trip to the store.

This week was rough: I’ve spent all my money, cut my hands everywhere, crawled under the car while it sat on a trolley jack, cried multiple times, burned myself, and even thought about taking loans to fix it. Mechanics were too expensive, so I had no choice but to keep going.

Long story short, I learned so much thanks to this forum. I learned how to pinpoint a bad ICM, how to extract snapped bolts, tap new threads, and find vacuum leaks. Growing up without much money, this forum has been a lifesaver. Fixing cars is tough, but you guys make it manageable. I’m taking a break now, but I’m so proud that my car started stronger than ever today and hit 4k RPM smoothly. Thank you all. Hopefully, I won’t be back here with more problems anytime soon, haha.

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Thanks for posting on this forum, TheMightyBruhhh!

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3

Now you get why some of us get defensive when asked, ‘How’d you learn to fix stuff?’ The answer is always, ‘I was broke.’

I’m doing okay now, but when I started out, that wasn’t the case.

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Lin said:
Now you get why some of us get defensive when asked, ‘How’d you learn to fix stuff?’ The answer is always, ‘I was broke.’

I’m doing okay now, but when I started out, that wasn’t the case.

Exactly. Most people are shocked to meet someone who couldn’t just ‘take it to a shop.’

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Good job fixing your car! But please, don’t ever go under it while it’s just on a trolley jack. You need jack stands too!

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Bay said:
Good job fixing your car! But please, don’t ever go under it while it’s just on a trolley jack. You need jack stands too!

I had some, but it was freezing, late, and I’d been up since 1 a.m. I just wanted it done. That jack was heavy, and I wasn’t thinking straight. I’ll be smarter about safety next time.

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There’s nothing like the feeling of fixing it yourself. Just stay safe in the future—always use axle stands.

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Marin said:
There’s nothing like the feeling of fixing it yourself. Just stay safe in the future—always use axle stands.

Axle stands? What are those?

Edit: Fixing the car felt amazing, though. I was yelling out loud during the test drive.

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@Niall
They’re stands you put under your car to hold it up securely when you use a jack. It’s a backup for safety.

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Marin said:
@Niall
They’re stands you put under your car to hold it up securely when you use a jack. It’s a backup for safety.

Got it! Never heard of them before. Thanks for the tip.

11

You’ve gained skills that will stick with you. The mistakes you made will teach you what not to do next time. Just remember, safety is the most important thing. We’ve all heard those horror stories about people getting crushed because they didn’t take a few extra minutes to use proper supports.

12

This is so great to read. Keep that car, even when it starts having issues again. If you’re anything like me, you’ll look back and appreciate the car that taught you how to be a mechanic.

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Congrats on getting it running! I grew up without much money too. My advice? Take things slow, aim for a steady job, and start saving. I wasted years keeping money in a bank instead of making it work for me. Don’t make the same mistake.