My washer stopped spinning and I thought it was the belt. I bought a $15 belt online and spent 2 hours wrestling it on, but it still didn't work. Then I watched a YouTube video that said to check the lid switch first. I took the old belt back off, found a broken wire on the switch, and fixed it with electrical tape. Whole thing cost me nothing and now it spins fine. Anyone else skip the simple stuff and go straight for the hard fix?
Took me three tries and a $15 socket set from the hardware store to realize the fix was just tightening it in the right order. Who else has stripped a bolt only to find the solution was simpler than they thought?
I used to swear by the cheap ones until I tried to diagnose a no-start on my '97 F150 and the readings kept jumping around. Switched to a $50 fluke from a pawn shop, found the bad ground wire in 10 minutes flat. Anybody else have a tool they refused to upgrade until it cost them?
I used to think any cheap rebuild kit would work, but after 3 tries and a puddle of fuel the size of my driveway in Tulsa, I finally learned to just buy the OEM gaskets. Anyone else ever have a simple carb job turn into a hazmat situation?
Flipped my bike upside down like a caveman for six months before I realized that flimsy stand was never going to hold anything steady, so has anyone else found a cheap stand that actually stays put or should I just stick with the floor?
I always pumped the pedal like crazy after opening the bleeder valve until a neighbor caught me and said you're just sucking air back in... that backflow thing is real, right? Anybody else have a basic car fix they did backwards for way too long?
Three hours later I was in my own driveway doing the same thing because the bracket bolt snapped and I had to get to work, so has anyone else found a more permanent fix for a broken bracket that doesn't cost a fortune?
Got stuck on I-10 outside Tucson last summer with smoking brakes after I replaced them with the "correct" Motorcraft pads from the dealer. Swapped to the cheap Duralast gold ones and they've been solid for 14 months now. The OEM ones had some weird dust buildup issue nobody warned me about. Am I the only one who thinks the whole "only use factory parts" crowd is overthinking it for older trucks?
I went back and forth on whether to buy a torque wrench for the job, but the real time sink was removing the pump three times because the leak wouldn't stop. How long has a simple fix taken you after you missed one small step?
I spent $20 on the wrong belt from Home Depot and then another $12 on the right one after breaking the old one pulling it off. The tensioner spring shot across my garage and I found it in a box of Christmas lights. Has anyone else had a simple repair turn into a three hour hunt for a flying spring?
Bought a cheap Pittsburgh breaker bar from Harbor Freight thinking it'd save me money, but the bolt was rusted so bad I ended up snapping it clean off and had to drill it out anyway. Anyone else had a $40 lesson turn into a $100 problem with extraction tools?
I was dead set on replacing my whole radiator after a 6 inch crack showed up in my old Civic. Then I watched a video where a guy pressure tested a JB Weld repair on a similar crack and it held at 15 psi for over an hour. Has anyone here actually gotten one of those patch jobs to last more than a few months?
After watching a video from a shop in Denver, I found out I was letting air back into the line by pumping the pedal too fast. Tried it slow and steady on my Honda Civic last weekend and the pedal went firm for the first time ever. Anyone else learn a basic skill backwards for way too long?
After I snapped a timing belt tensioner bolt trying to replace the water pump back in March, I almost junked the truck, but I ended up tearing the whole front end apart with a $30 loaner tool set from AutoZone and somehow got it running again, and it just rolled over 200k on my way back from a job in Bakersfield - how many of you have hit a milestone like that after a bad fix?
My mower wouldn't start. Figured it was a clogged carb. Took it apart in my garage on Saturday. Lost a tiny spring and mixed up two gaskets. Now it won't even turn over. Anyone else make a simple fix into a total disaster?
I got this stand off Amazon thinking I was saving cash over a Park Tool one. First time I clamped my Norco, the clamp slipped and the whole thing tipped over, scraping my frame. Lost $80 and had to buy a proper one anyway. Did anyone else fall for those cheap universal stands that just can't handle a heavier bike?
Last summer I was determined to get my old Craftsman mower running before the weekend, so I pulled the carburetor apart after sunset. I used a headlamp to see, but I dropped a tiny spring into the grass and spent an hour finding it with a magnet. Turns out I put the float bowl gasket on upside down, and gas leaked all over my driveway the next morning. Has anyone else learned the hard way not to work on small engines past 8pm?
I thought I'd save $150 by unclogging the pump myself. Ended up snapping the mounting clip and had to order a whole new assembly for $45. At least now I know how to take the bottom panel off without breaking anything else. Anyone else have a fix that made things worse before they got better?
Last weekend I stripped a 15mm bolt head on my Craftsman lawn tractor using a $10 socket from the auto parts store. Had to drill the bolt out, which added 3 hours to what should have been a 30-minute deck swap. Ordered a set of GearWrench sockets for $45 and the next bolt came off like butter. Anyone else find that paying a little more for tools saves you way more time in the long run?
Last Saturday I pulled apart my Whirlpool dryer to replace a worn belt, but I somehow got the tensioner spring jammed wrong and now the drum just sits there when I hit start. Has anyone else managed to turn a simple 20 minute job into a weekend project that needs a do-over?
I swapped my alternator on a 2005 Civic last weekend and cranked the tensioner bolt way past snug. 30 miles later the bearing seized and threw the belt off on the highway. Has anyone else cooked a cheap part by overdoing the tightness?
I spent $150 on a fancy Kevlar-reinforced belt for my 2008 Ford Focus, but then snapped it trying to install it with a cheater bar - should I have just bought the $25 standard one and replaced it every 3 years instead? Anyone else torn between going cheap or overkill on parts after a botched fix?