OT: Car Advice?
LecherousMonk
Mom's basement
Budget: $150
Automotive knowledge: none
Recommended course of action?
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Budget: $150
Automotive knowledge: none
Recommended course of action?
45 comments
http://jalopnik.com/5949291/how-to-fix-y…
https://autoservicecosts.com/muffler-rep…
Your only real option is to replace the pipe. The current pipe can't be fixed, both because it is rusted out and because solder won't hold to it. The pipes themselves are cheap. You also may need one or two pipe connectors and a couple of clamps (depending upon your car), which are also cheap. Altogether this should be well within your budget.
Before you go looking for this stuff, spend some time under the car figuring the connections out. It shouldn't be too hard. You might also want to watch a couple of youtube videos showing you how to replace exhaust pipes.
At best, this would be a temporary fix. I would also bet that your muffler is on its last legs as well.
Why post this question here? Makes no sense Unless you are a dancer and it is the end of the month ... and you looking for "help" In which case I will fix your car after you and your hot girl friend come on over for some physical therapy and spiritual guidance.
Suggest you Go to an automotive forum for more serious advice to avoid smart asses like us.
I will say, immodestly, that I have already given him a good answer. Maybe he just doesn't want to get dirty, idk. That's an ok position to take when one has cash on hand, but not so much when one is strapped, but I'll leave it to him to work out.
Now granted, cars are much tougher to work on now with the cramped engine compartments and all of the electronics. But there are still things we can do for ourselves, like replacing exhaust pieces, changing tires, replacing headlight and taillight bulbs and casings, and other stuff around the exterior and undercarriage. Some people still change their own oil and air filters, though many quick lube places can do oil changes almost as cheaply as we can do it for ourselves after the cost of supplies and disposing of used oil.
I have read some articles online and watched some YouTube videos on how to do this relatively common repair. It's just that my lack of knowledge or experience in this realm is so profound that it's hard for me to understand all the information well enough to feel competent enough to attempt the repair on my own--I don't even know what parts to buy. Oh, the perils of being groomed for a white-collar life, but falling into blue-collar reality.
I think the world would better if they brought back these classes.
That seems a lot more valuable for future entrepreneurs than whatever they are teaching now.
Now then again, maybe I am being uncharitable. For all my white collar training, I had a blue collar upbringing and was forced to work on my own cars as a late teen and into my early 20s. I also haven't repaired my own car in a long time.
But I will also add that, when I started my business over a decade ago, I had to polish off those old car repair skills and learn new ones over those first several months in order to stretch my startup budget and conserve limited resources for business growth. I even reconstructed the front end of my SUV when I hit a deer so that I did not have to divert thousands that could be better used in marketing efforts. The project was a bitch, requiring multiple trips to the dealership for tiny specialty parts that I didn't even know existed before I took the front end apart, but I did it. There is a certain sense of pride with a job well done, regardless of whether it is a comprehensive white collar project analysis or replacing an exhaust pipe on a car.
Moral of the story: Someone who is capable enough to succeed in a white collar environment should be able to handle basic exterior car repairs that do not require specialty tools. Capable is capable, regardless of how it is applied.
Caveat: Not sure if these repairs will pass muster at a state safety inspection.
There is a difference between necessary specializations and those that are a luxury purchase. The necessary ones are those things that are impossible or impractical for us to do for ourselves, like building our own homes, wiring our own houses, heavy duty engine repair and lots of other things that require specialized skills, equipment and, in many cases, licenses. So does growing our own food since most people simply don't own enough land to grow crops and livestock sufficient to feed themselves (and most residential areas won't allow livestock).
The luxury variety includes those who we pay to clean our houses, mend our clothes, make prepared food, tend our yards, do basic repairs in our houses, etc. And yes, I would put basic auto repair - meaning those parts that do not require special equipment and for which instructions exist - in that category (replacing batteries, tire changes, replacing wipers, other easy external body fixes, muffler and pipe repair and replacement).
The problem is that we are now turning out such helpless people that they view the luxury specializations as necessary ones. That's fine I suppose for those who are flush, but not so much for those who are broke.
A lot can happen in 6 months. If there was a noticeable problem 6 months ago the dealership would mention it as it's their chance to make money and dealerships specialize in making money.
Beyond that, it's nice to know that someone is keeping a detailed list of skills that men must have and shaming them when they fall short. It's an essential service.
"Doesn't require specialized equipment": I'll cut you some slack there, because a welding torch, and associated safety gear aren't exactly everyday stuff, like a screwdriver and wrench set. I don't own welding equipment, and haven't seen that many in the neighborhood. OP said he has very little auto repair knowledge. The time /cost spent getting the right tools and parts (probably multiple back and forth trips) would take more than 1 muffler repair to recoup cost of equipment. In over 4 decades of car ownership, I've owned 10 cars, 5 of which I kept for over 100K miles, 2 for 75K or so miles. Over the course of 4 decades, I've only had to replace 5 mufflers(on 2 different cars), the last 1 happening in the mid-90's. Feel better now ?