Can I Learn To Repair My Car On YouTube?

The development of the Internet has given us an abundance of possibilities: one of the best is the possibility of accessing a seemingly endless wealth of knowledge with the click of a mouse.

Gone are the days when you had to scroll through books in public libraries to get information. Nowadays we always have the most extensive library with us and can learn almost anything we want.

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The development of knowledge acquisition

However, one of the most significant challenges to be overcome was the impossibility of accessing practical examples, so the Internet remained a predominantly theoretical application for a long time. But portals like YouTube have changed that: it is now possible to watch someone implement theoretical knowledge from every conceivable direction. That is, from a simple oil change to dismantling an engine to check the condition and wear of the plain bearing bushings that support the crankshaft.

While we can watch a lot of different videos, the challenge is figuring out which ones are good and which aren’t. And that requires – ironically – basic knowledge of car repair or attending a technical school.

What you can’t learn on YouTube

Some things cannot be learned from a video: the experience of someone who knows more than you do. Many things cannot be learned in a matter of minutes. For example, you have to feel what different types of vibrations there are. You have to experience for yourself what it means to use techniques that include hours of diagnostic and repair experience.

Experience is the be-all and end-all, and for this, we also have to make mistakes ourselves to learn from them and become better. Car repairing, in any case, requires a very high level of skill, more than most people expect. Skill can hardly be learned with the help of a video; it takes experience.

In the long run, only experience helps

But even skill alone does not help. All the skills in the world and the best tools are useless without knowledge. Knowing when to repair and when to replace: Unfortunately, YouTube cannot teach us that either.

If the right tool is missing, it can be purchased. But if you don’t know when to tinker with the car, the tools won’t do you any good either. The only thing that helps here is the knowledge that has emerged from years of experience. So you know when it is better to repair the car (bushings, cylinder heads, exhaust leaks, oil leaks) and when things should be replaced (brake discs, broken axles, airbag parts, seat belts).

So isn’t YouTube helping me fix my car?

But If you have some skill and it’s easy to fix, then YouTube is a great way to get help and fix your car yourself.

In the long run, however, you won’t become a car mechanic with the help of YouTube videos – so, for better or worse, you have to go to the garage now and then if the problem is more severe because no YouTube video can replace someone who has specialist knowledge and years of experience.