Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for November 07, 2019

Smart phones are really helpful for this. Not for the internet so much as the camera. Take pictures and don’t rely on memory alone.

It’s amazing how much time people spend making those youtube videos, some are very helpful

It’s a miracle he got the car running again!

I think that should be-"Have the tow truck back up to the third bay.’Don’t ask me how I know that.

My VW bug engine blew up in the 1970’s. As a novice mechanic, I got the book “How to Repair your VW for the Complete Idiot”. I rented space in a garage in Columbia, MO called the Shade Tree Garage and with a little help from the owner, rebuilt the engine and it ran for tens of thousands of miles. In this modern era of specialized tools and computerized everything, I don’t think this kind of story is possible anymore.

Should have had multiple $ signs along with those emojis

It’s still drivable?!?!?!?

It cant be that bad if he drove it in to the shop.

Fifth panel – Arlo: Um, do you have a towing service? And can I ride along? I’m a bit tired from the 5 mile walk to get here.

Now we know who uploaded those supposed repair directions to the internet.

You’re lucky you can still make it to bay 3! :o)

I doubt he can DRIVE it in!

wait, it’ll still drive??

Always fixed my own vehicles until I bought a ’96 truck. No more. I even pay for oil changes! I just change wipers, check tire pressure, and add fluids. Too complex now. Need specialized tools. Back in my younger years I could rebuild engines, transmissions and almost anything else. Then they became computerized. Not friendly.

I wonder if they are the ones that posted the instructions on the internet. Sorry, my cynical side seems to be showing.

Soon to be a film by Michael Bay? ☺

Emm, about that ‘drive’ part…..

I replaced my Tundra headlights using a YouTube video. Successfully.

Correction: “I tried to fix my wife’s car with instructions from the internet.”

At least Arlo could drive it to the mechanic

After experiencing the trials of having to change out the spark plugs on a 1986 Ford Aerostar (I had to remove the front tires to access the first two plugs on each side of the V-6 through the wheel well and gave up trying for the back two), I came to the opinion that the engineers who designed the car should be made to try and do the maintenance on what they created.

I used youtube directions to change burned out bulbs in my old Taurus’s headlights and tail light. The first time I did it I bought the bulb from the parts department for < $10. The last time I did it they were charging over $30 for the same bulb.

In ‘75 I blew the rear-end out of my ’64 Studebaker Lark Daytona. A mechanic cost about $25 per hour, so I took the equivalent of two-hours labour and went to Sears and bought some Craftsman tools, and then borrowed a friend’s Motor’s manual. It was the beginning of a wonderful hobby, and even did it “pro” for a while, too. I still have a few pieces of that original tool set, as well.

After they all finished LOL, the shop owner called his boat dealer and bought the boat of his dreams.( ala Click and Clack)

What? No $KA-CHING!$ ?

Might? :-D

Check engine light came on.

Went to AutoZone for free reading. Reader said misfire cylinder 2.

Two possibilities, neither overly expensive.

“Take it to Chrysler dealer. Do it right.”

“Son said he could do it if had time but local mechanic can do it just fine without driving an hour down to Pensacola.”

“Mechanic charged $50 to run reader. Says misfire in cylinder two. Either coil or spark plug. Suggested we replace all six of each. Won’t be but six or seven hundred dollars.”

Don’t want to hurt her feelings. Didn’t interfere. I’d’ve just wasted the money on useful things.

This last weekend on my 1997 Honda CRVNew Cam Timing BeltNew Cam and Crank oil sealsNew Water PumpNew Belt TensionerNew DistributorNew Plug WiresNew PlugsCold Air KitNew WipersOil and FilterNew Propeller shaft with new U-JointsYou have got to WANT toand don’t say CAN’T.

In the 1950s my dad would fix our large console TV. He would open up the back and there would be wondrous large glass things with wires and things in them (to a girl seeing this starting at maybe 3 years old). I would be there as his assistant to help him. There would be a notice not to the open the back as “there are no consumer repairable parts” in the back – he always told me that this did not apply to him – he was an engineer. He would out some of the things and we would go to a store to buy parts (at first we would walk, then we moved and had to drive) – just the two of us. He would put the tubes (the parts) into various sets of holes in a testing device at the store and figure out which ones were bad and buy new ones. This entire process used to impress soooo much. We would then go home and he would the tubes into the set. Sometimes this work. Sometimes it did not. If it did not he would give in and call a TV repairman who would come while dad was at work and I would watch him open the back, etc. He would say to me – “Your father’s been working on the TV again – right?” I would shake my head yes. “When he does that I always make more money fixing it.” I never told my dad that he said that as I knew my dad was capable of fixing almost anything – after all he was my dad.

My husband started out as “I can fix anything” but as how things work has changed and husband has aged – he is more likely to lament that he cannot fix anything as I push him to fix things – with my help.