Freeing up guitar money

[BatUtilityBelt]

My daily driver is 15 years old and I don't know of any newer model I would rather drive, so I live with it showing its age. This year its air conditioner went out, and I went into dread. You might know this train of thought: make an appointment, drop the car off, and wait for the call telling you it will be $500 or more to repair. The alternative is pinning your hopes on a cheaper second opinion.

Having more time than I used to, I gave it some thought. It is a simple device. It holds a refrigerant fluid under pressure and cycles that liquid through repeated episodes of compression and expansion. That expansion phase quickly reduces its temperature, and voila, you have a cold medium for the condenser to use for heat exchange. Really the only parts that could go bad would be the seals that hold the system under pressure or mechanical bearings. I see and hear the compressor engage, so I know I don't have a mechanical problem. In fact, the seals are probably not even bad, just let a tiny bit of pressure out over the years. In 15 years, this car never needed its AC charged.

Why would it be so expensive to repair? No good reason. Why would it be hard to handle myself? Again, no good reason. It is a simple self-contained system only connected by mounts and a belt. So sure, the worst case scenario would be having to replace both the compressor and condenser, highly unlikely, but still easy.

Step 1 is check the pressure of the system, which I measured at 0 PSI (it has lost all pressure). Fluid dynamics tell us once a fluid finds a path of lower resistance, it will follow it, and that apparently happened. One $39 AC charging kit later, the system has pressure again and blows cold air. In fact, this is the likely scenario for any car air conditioner that has slowly failed. And that crack in the seal that allowed the pressure out? Sure, it is still there, and may even worsen in the next 15 years, or it may not. The refrigerant also contains a sealant to aid in repairing tiny fissures and lubricating the seals.

So yeah, critical thinking for the win, with an assist from extra time on my hands. And now I know a lot more about automotive air conditioners as a bonus, and of course, more guitar money.

[dabbler]

My daily driver is 15 years old and I don't know of any newer model I would rather drive, so I live with it showing its age. This year its air conditioner went out, and I went into dread. You might know this train of thought: make an appointment, drop the car off, and wait for the call telling you it will be $500 or more to repair. The alternative is pinning your hopes on a cheaper second opinion.

Having more time than I used to, I gave it some thought. It is a simple device. It holds a refrigerant fluid under pressure and cycles that liquid through repeated episodes of compression and expansion. That expansion phase quickly reduces its temperature, and voila, you have a cold medium for the condenser to use for heat exchange. Really the only parts that could go bad would be the seals that hold the system under pressure or mechanical bearings. I see and hear the compressor engage, so I know I don't have a mechanical problem. In fact, the seals are probably not even bad, just let a tiny bit of pressure out over the years. In 15 years, this car never needed its AC charged.

Why would it be so expensive to repair? No good reason. Why would it be hard to handle myself? Again, no good reason. It is a simple self-contained system only connected by mounts and a belt. So sure, the worst case scenario would be having to replace both the compressor and condenser, highly unlikely, but still easy.

Step 1 is check the pressure of the system, which I measured at 0 PSI (it has lost all pressure). Fluid dynamics tell us once a fluid finds a path of lower resistance, it will follow it, and that apparently happened. One $39 AC charging kit later, the system has pressure again and blows cold air. In fact, this is the likely scenario for any car air conditioner that has slowly failed. And that crack in the seal that allowed the pressure out? Sure, it is still there, and may even worsen in the next 15 years, or it may not. The refrigerant also contains a sealant to aid in repairing tiny fissures and lubricating the seals.

So yeah, critical thinking for the win, with an assist from extra time on my hands. And now I know a lot more about automotive air conditioners as a bonus, and of course, more guitar money.

So, what are you going to get with that $430 you just saved?

[uwmcscott]

Time is money as they say - and YouTube and Google have opened up the dark secrets of many trades over the years ( automotive, appliance, electrical, plumbing, etc )

Just in the past year or two I've probably saved several guitars worth of $$ fixing stuff myself with the aid of helpful folks out on the webz

All of these repairs were well under $50 in parts that I found on ebay or amazon after finding tutorials on how to troubleshoot. Most of them were less than $20 and in some cases a professional "estimate" recommended replacement of the entire device

Garage door opener - broken drive pinion gear
Furnace - high temp limit switch
Gas Clothes Dryer - gas solenoid
Son's 2005 Toyota Highlander - non-functioning HVAC temp control knob - this one didn't even require parts, just re-soldering a ribbon cable that is notorious for breaking after a long time because of a severe bend

I still leave a few things to the pros though - like plumbing if it involves sweating copper or anything connected to a toilet

[BatUtilityBelt]

So, what are you going to get with that $430 you just saved?

Ha, not sure yet. It might just be making up for the two SX Liquids I bought this month (#2 arrives tomorrow).

[Milkman]

I overheard my 10 year old telling her friends “nothing is ever broken at our house - my dad fixes EVERYTHING”.

Thank you YouToob!

[ID10t]

Well at the risk of sounding condescending, but not meant to, good for you and good for the World. I like it when people can actually do things. I also like that there are some things you need to pay someone for. It's knowing the difference. Cost of time and cost of ownership, return on investment, the laws of diminishing returns. You clearly won this one.
I just patched my neighbors drywall yesterday and she had no idea how or why I know these things.

[BatUtilityBelt]

Well at the risk of sounding condescending, but not meant to, good for you and good for the World. I like it when people can actually do things. I also like that there are some things you need to pay someone for. It's knowing the difference. Cost of time and cost of ownership, return on investment, the laws of diminishing returns. You clearly won this one.
I just patched my neighbors drywall yesterday and she had no idea how or why I know these things.

Right? I've always liked DIY because it's usually an opportunity to walk away with more knowledge and an accomplishment, not just savings. The only time it doesn't work like that is when work keeps you too busy.

[glasshand]

I feel you, though. It's been 20+ years since I owned a car, but I remember the experience mostly as writing a series of $600 checks to local businesses. "Hey, everything on this car is finally fixed!" is like a siren song that draws gravel to your windshield.

[mozz]

I used to snug up all AC fittings on my Ranger every year and never had a problem. Also I add a extra ground to all my car batteries and replace the battery every 5 years and no electrical problems. Flush antifreeze and new plugs at half the recommended intervals. Change transmission fluid every 25k and no tranny problems.

[dabbler]

I used to snug up all AC fittings on my Ranger every year and never had a problem. Also I add a extra ground to all my car batteries and replace the battery every 5 years and no electrical problems. Flush antifreeze and new plugs at half the recommended intervals. Change transmission fluid every 25k and no tranny problems.

(Takes out notepad) What's the purpose of the extra ground?

[honyock]

I own a 17 year old Mercedes that I would have paid for twice over if I didn't work on it myself. It is honestly easier than my Ford to work on if you just think a little and do stuff in the right order.

I have been tempted to get a new car, but it would take like $900 a month to get a car with the same performance/utility.

[mickey]

Aren't the parts for a Mercedes prohibitively expensive?

[Rollin Hand]

Aren't the parts for a Mercedes prohibitively expensive?

My experience with my old BMW told me that parts were generally around 10 percent more than they were for my Ford Contour. I just needed a lot of them.

The parts aren't that bad from FCP Euro and the online parts houses.

That said, I am not anxious to buy German again.

[mickey]

Aren't the parts for a Mercedes prohibitively expensive?

My experience with my old BMW told me that parts were generally around 10 percent more than they were for my Ford Contour. I just needed a lot of them.

The parts aren't that bad from FCP Euro and the online parts houses.

That said, I am not anxious to buy German again.

My brother used to have a BMW back in the 1980's and swore they would never have another.
They have not.
But this January they bought a Mercedes.
In March they traded it for a Kia.
They are happy now.

[BatUtilityBelt]

I used to snug up all AC fittings on my Ranger every year and never had a problem. Also I add a extra ground to all my car batteries and replace the battery every 5 years and no electrical problems. Flush antifreeze and new plugs at half the recommended intervals. Change transmission fluid every 25k and no tranny problems.

Tightening all the couplings never even occurred to me, but makes total sense - all that shaking going down the road loosens things over time.

[tobijohn]

Even though I thought one of the primary reasons for accumulating assets all these decades was to get to the point that I could afford to pay someone else to deal with all the stuff that breaks, I still feel like a putz if I pay someone to do something I have the knowledge and/or experience to do myself. However, my one big out these days is my back. I'm not crazy about the pain and walking around looking like a polio survivor but I don't mind having it as an excuse to get out of doing things I used to do but no longer have the motivation for. However, I do think of these repairs in terms of how many guitars it will cost...

[mickey]

Even though I thought one of the primary reasons for accumulating assets all these decades was to get to the point that I could afford to pay someone else to deal with all the stuff that breaks, I still feel like a putz if I pay someone to do something I have the knowledge and/or experience to do myself. However, my one big out these days is my back. I'm not crazy about the pain and walking around looking like a polio survivor but I don't mind having it as an excuse to get out of doing things I used to do but no longer have the motivation for. However, I do think of these repairs in terms of how many guitars it will cost...

My excuse is that I am lazy.

[tobijohn]

My excuse is that I am lazy.

Well yes, there's that too. Although this past weekend I earned another guitar by replacing the ballast in the HVAC air purifier system myself and fixing my waterpik instead of buying a new one....

[honyock]

Aren't the parts for a Mercedes prohibitively expensive?

None that I've had to buy yet.

All the typical ball joints and bushings stuff like that is reproduced by OE quality suppliers as reasonable prices similar to domestic marques.

[tobijohn]

Actually, ruminating on the topic for a bit, it occurred to me that by thinking in terms of how many guitars something costs, it acts as a pretty good motivator to do something myself or not do it at all. For instance, by no longer bothering to get my hair colored, that's at least three more guitars a year and not dating anymore is at least eight to ten guitars a year. Retiling and replacing the blueboard in the master shower will work out to another three or four guitars and painting the interior of my townhouse is good for at least eight guitars. I recently replaced the electric water heater and that was worth about three guitars. OTOH, it just cost me well over a dozen guitars to get the Corvette running again after letting it sit for several years and it will probably still cost a few more to get everything straightened out....

[bleys21]

In my case, its because I have a 500w aftermarket class A amp in my truck, and that required a larger (or additional) ground wire to the chassis.

My guess on a non-audiophile vehicle would be that manufacturers cheap out on the gauge of the ground wire, thus hampering the ability of the battery to provide power, which in turn, can cause some electrical issues, and premature battery failure. Ideally, both the power and ground wires should be the same total gauge. I guess thinking of it like water pipes and pressure is not far off.

I used to snug up all AC fittings on my Ranger every year and never had a problem. Also I add a extra ground to all my car batteries and replace the battery every 5 years and no electrical problems. Flush antifreeze and new plugs at half the recommended intervals. Change transmission fluid every 25k and no tranny problems.

(Takes out notepad) What's the purpose of the extra ground?

[mozz]

It's basically to help carry current as the manufacturers cheap out on copper wire. Also, if the black wire goes to the block, the one i add goes to the body and vice versa. All it takes is a bad ground connection and you will start having problems. I cringe when someone i know buys a Trailblazer or other GM which are known to have electrical gremlins. Look up Jeep liberty, they have windows that go down and won't go back up, can't shut the car off, keeps running when keys are taken out , etc.

[sabasgr68]

...and painting the interior of my townhouse is good for at least eight guitars.

Hey, I can do the interior painting for half of those guitars! You´ll still have four to go, and you won´t hurt your back - screw mine! -. Just buy all the paint and brushes and I´ll be there. Just need a room to sleep at night, and coffee for the whole day - and a can of peanut butter, crunchy type, wouldn´t be bad either -.

I mean, we are talking Agile AL3XXX territory money here at least, no?

[sabasgr68]

I´m also a DIY on everything I can. And yes, YT and the internet are very helpful. And although it was mainly for saving money for the last years, I´ve always liked to do my things, be it home repairs, cars, home appliances, etc. I´ve done some plumbing too, but that´s the one I really hate doing.

[Rollin Hand]

In my case, its because I have a 500w aftermarket class A amp in my truck, and that required a larger (or additional) ground wire to the chassis.

My guess on a non-audiophile vehicle would be that manufacturers cheap out on the gauge of the ground wire, thus hampering the ability of the battery to provide power, which in turn, can cause some electrical issues, and premature battery failure. Ideally, both the power and ground wires should be the same total gauge. I guess thinking of it like water pipes and pressure is not far off.

I used to snug up all AC fittings on my Ranger every year and never had a problem. Also I add a extra ground to all my car batteries and replace the battery every 5 years and no electrical problems. Flush antifreeze and new plugs at half the recommended intervals. Change transmission fluid every 25k and no tranny problems.

(Takes out notepad) What's the purpose of the extra ground?

In the Sport Compact Car days, you used to be able to buy grounding kits that would supposedly get you horsepower by reducing strain on the electrical system.

It's basically to help carry current as the manufacturers cheap out on copper wire. Also, if the black wire goes to the block, the one i add goes to the body and vice versa. All it takes is a bad ground connection and you will start having problems. I cringe when someone i know buys a Trailblazer or other GM which are known to have electrical gremlins. Look up Jeep liberty, they have windows that go down and won't go back up, can't shut the car off, keeps running when keys are taken out , etc.

I have a theory that a lot of the electrical issues (blown headliggts, blown coils, bad MAFs) were caused by poor voltage regulation.