Look Before You Leap (The Dangers of Do-It-Yourself Auto Repairs)
Recently a man changed the battery and his car wouldn't start.
Another man replaced the radio and then his remote door locks wouldn't work.
Another put custom seats in his pickup and his air bag light stayed on.
What do all these people have in common? They are unwary victims of the technology on their cars.
If you replace the battery on a late model Volkswagen the computers have to be "Initialized" so that they can talk to each other again and allow the car to start.
I have heard, but haven't verified, that the dealer gets about $300 to install a battery in one.
On late model GM products the radio receiver acts as the receiver for the remote key fob too.
If you change the radio you may lose the signal needed to unlock your car.
Many vehicles have "smart air bags" now that sense the weight load on a seat to determine whether to deploy the air bag, and if so how hard to inflate it.
When the seat is changed the sensor to weigh the passenger is lost.
Most radio auto repair talk shows are all about helping the listeners take care of their cars.
In many cases we help them understand how to do the repair themselves, saving money and time.
Unfortunately these days some very simple jobs can turn into a nightmare.
If you are a do it yourself kind of guy (or gal) then we have some suggestions before you find yourself mired in technology and modern science.
Call your regular auto repair shop and ask them what you might run into.
Subscribe to a program like Alldata so you can research the job before you get into it.
Ask at the parts store when you are buying the part is there is any thing special you might need to know or do to make the job right.
Go online and "Google" the project to see if there is any information out there to help you.
Of course you could take your car to your regular repair shop can they can take care of it for you, then you can go and do whatever it is you do best.
Another man replaced the radio and then his remote door locks wouldn't work.
Another put custom seats in his pickup and his air bag light stayed on.
What do all these people have in common? They are unwary victims of the technology on their cars.
If you replace the battery on a late model Volkswagen the computers have to be "Initialized" so that they can talk to each other again and allow the car to start.
I have heard, but haven't verified, that the dealer gets about $300 to install a battery in one.
On late model GM products the radio receiver acts as the receiver for the remote key fob too.
If you change the radio you may lose the signal needed to unlock your car.
Many vehicles have "smart air bags" now that sense the weight load on a seat to determine whether to deploy the air bag, and if so how hard to inflate it.
When the seat is changed the sensor to weigh the passenger is lost.
Most radio auto repair talk shows are all about helping the listeners take care of their cars.
In many cases we help them understand how to do the repair themselves, saving money and time.
Unfortunately these days some very simple jobs can turn into a nightmare.
If you are a do it yourself kind of guy (or gal) then we have some suggestions before you find yourself mired in technology and modern science.
Call your regular auto repair shop and ask them what you might run into.
Subscribe to a program like Alldata so you can research the job before you get into it.
Ask at the parts store when you are buying the part is there is any thing special you might need to know or do to make the job right.
Go online and "Google" the project to see if there is any information out there to help you.
Of course you could take your car to your regular repair shop can they can take care of it for you, then you can go and do whatever it is you do best.
