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RANT - Why do people want to throw parts at a problem rather than troubleshoot?

old_man

NAXJA Forum User
I guess I grew up poor, but rather than throw parts at a problem, why not perform a few simple troubleshooting steps first.

Being old school, on most engine performance issues, I go back to the basics. I check the vacuum, and compression, followed by fuel pressure and timing. If you know these things, it will most times tell you what you need or at least rule out a ton of things.
 
Stop being so old. The new way is to buy parts and hope they fix it, then buy more parts if that doesn't work, then sell the car and buy a different one if that doesn't work. :twak:
 
because most people arent real mechanix, like myself included. so we just stumble along w/ good intentions . but even a blind pig gets a acorn once in awhile.
 
Stop being so old. The new way is to buy parts and hope they fix it, then buy more parts if that doesn't work, then sell the car and buy a different one if that doesn't work. :twak:
I love buying those vehicles, spending an hour and $20 and getting it running.

A few years ago I went to Fort Collins and a guy had a Cherokee he was frustrated with. I gave him $100 and got the title. Instead of towing it home, I crawled under and used my spare CPS, got it running and drove it home. He called me a thief and threatened to call the cops. I sold it later that day for $1500.
 
I think its because its easier for people to do a google search for common causes and replace parts than it is to get the tools and diagnose. Plus, as cars have gotten more advanced, its increasingly difficult for home guys to figure things out.
 
Add to that all the bad advice they get!
 
Problem solving skills and previous troubleshooting experience are a function of age, old farts like us have it figured out, new kids not so much.

Diagnose/troubleshoot first, beginning with the basics, then repair. If a person was to own only one or two diagnostic tools, a Volts/Ohms multi-meter should be the first to buy.
 
I love buying those vehicles, spending an hour and $20 and getting it running.

A few years ago I went to Fort Collins and a guy had a Cherokee he was frustrated with. I gave him $100 and got the title. Instead of towing it home, I crawled under and used my spare CPS, got it running and drove it home. He called me a thief and threatened to call the cops. I sold it later that day for $1500.

Did basically the same thing with a 1980 dodge crew cab with a 440 in it.

It was on the rough side but the guy only wanted $1500 or so, and I wanted the engine & transmission, so I went over with my dually & trailer, knowing I was gonna leave with it
even if he didn't come off the price.

He explained that it had been running fine, and it was his daily driver, but one day, it just quit, and he had not been able to get it running again. The battery & alternator were dead from him trying so much.

While I was there, his wife came out and was watching as I looked it over. I notice it had dual tanks, and I opened each tank and could smell gas strong in one. So, I asked about the switch, he said it worked, but the engine wouldn't run. I told him I would give him $750 for it if I could get it running, and $500 if not., but he might have to help me get it on the trailer. He said ok.


I hooked up the jumper cables, took a small water bottle and put some gas in it, then pulled the suction line for the fuel pump off the line to the tank and put it in the water bottle, and taped it to the frame rail. I used some starter fluid in the carb while I started it using a remote switch under the hood.....it fired up on the 3rd try....so I dropped the hood, and drove it up on the trailer.

His wife was standing beside me the whole time, and when it fired up, her jaw dropped. She said she must have married the most mechanically inept man on the planet, and walked away. I told her I could have just not let it start too. She was kinda cute too....LOL.


Anyway, I got it for $750, and the only thing wrong with it (well, that kept it from running anyway), was the switch that swapped gas tanks was stuck....and the off line tank was full of gas, but it indicated empty. The switch was like $20 bucks, but I went cheaper till and just ran some old fuel line I had so it only had the 1 tank to use. Sold it about 2 yrs later for $1500 for the running big block engine & transmission to a guy who uses it for mudbogging.



Most people these days don't know how to troubleshoot anymore.....no one ever taught them how things work when they were younger, so they have no clue how to fix them now that they are older.




.
 
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My mom was a renaissance woman. She could do anything and if she didn't know how, she would figure it out. At 5 years old, she bought me a Revel visible V8 engine model and we assembled it together.

I overhauled my first gas engine at 9 and my first diesel at 10.
 
I guess my frustration lies in the many cases where a person posts up a problem that might be major or minor that a few tests could isolate in an hour. Instead of following instructions on how to troubleshoot, they start throwing expensive parts at it. Half the time, their replacing parts incorrectly causes more problems than it solves. Then they get upset that they can't fix it.

They get an idea in their mind about what the problem is and what the solution is, and seem to just want people to agree and that will make it so.
 
Half the time, their replacing parts incorrectly causes more problems than it solves. Then they get upset that they can't fix it.

This is nothing new.

My grandfather loved to tell the story of his first car. As a high school kid, he bought it from a neighbor down the street. The neighbor had been trying to fix the clutch for weeks, if not months. Had bought the parts but couldn't get them to work. Several times buddies came over to help him, always the same pattern: Have a few drinks and then try to fix the clutch. Always the same results: No success.

After a while, my grandfather (who was looking for a car) asked him if he would sell it. The guy sold it to him for $25 (keep in mind, we are talking late 1930s here) and told him there was no way it could be fixed. The guy helped my grandfather push it down the street to my great-grandparents' house.

Several hours later my grandfather walked back down to the neighbor's house to ask him to show him how to drive the car. Neighbor couldn't believe it, but went up and found that sure enough, it worked. Offered my grandfather $50 for it.
 
I guess my frustration lies in the many cases where a person posts up a problem that might be major or minor that a few tests could isolate in an hour. Instead of following instructions on how to troubleshoot, they start throwing expensive parts at it. Half the time, their replacing parts incorrectly causes more problems than it solves. Then they get upset that they can't fix it.

They get an idea in their mind about what the problem is and what the solution is, and seem to just want people to agree and that will make it so.
Oh geez....like the stupid horn won't work thread! I did everything short of drive to his house and test it for him....yet he refused to test it the way I explained. :rattle:
 
I gave up on those types.
 
well if your on facebook and your jeep doesn't start or run youll get about 50 people thatll say replace the cps lol

Damn, I read that and I could just hear Richard Dawson throwing that on Family Feud:


We asked 100 people the following question, the top 5 answers on the board:

"Name something that would cause an XJ to not start or run."

Survey Says---!
 
I guess my frustration lies in the many cases where a person posts up a problem that might be major or minor that a few tests could isolate in an hour. Instead of following instructions on how to troubleshoot, they start throwing expensive parts at it. Half the time, their replacing parts incorrectly causes more problems than it solves. Then they get upset that they can't fix it.

They get an idea in their mind about what the problem is and what the solution is, and seem to just want people to agree and that will make it so.

Relax the frustration, might as well go have a soda...

The problem is they don't know how it works, and they don't want to learn; but they want a fix from the Forum that doesn't include taking it to their local Mechanic. In other words, they want you to fix it for them.

Spend less time on your answers :D
 
They don't want to work at anything! If it can't be fixed by throwing an easy to reach part at it, then they aren't going to fix it. They would rather dump it and buy something else. Then they tell all of their social media "friends" what a piece of junk it was.
 
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