How to learn basic car maintenance with zero experience
Car maintenance guides often assume foundational knowledge that people without mentors simply do not have. This leaves beginners flying blind on simple tasks like oil changes or facing high shop fees without knowing if online advice will work. Relying on forum guides and videos bridges the gap, helping drivers tackle repairs themselves and save hundreds of dollars.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 12.1× more often in r/MechanicAdvice than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Watching online video tutorials and car channelsDid this help you?
- 2Reading books and factory service proceduresDid this help you?
- 3Buying tools as needed from yard sales or pawn shopsDid this help you?
- 4Practicing on friends' or family's vehiclesDid this help you?
- 5paying professional mechanics or dealerships for high-markup laborDid this help you?
- 6buying a different vehicle instead of fixing the broken oneDid this help you?
- 7watching youtube tutorialsDid this help you?
- 8using a breaker bar with penetrating oil instead of an impact wrenchDid this help you?
- 9Asking questions on forums like r/AskMechanicsDid this help you?
- 10Watching YouTube channels like ChrisFix or Scotty KilmerDid this help you?
- 11Consulting Factory Service ManualsDid this help you?
- 12Asking online forums for tool recommendationsDid this help you?
- 13Searching for individual repair videos on YouTubeDid this help you?
- 14Searching online for repair videosDid this help you?
- 15Asking questions on mechanic advice forumsDid this help you?
- 16Searching YouTube for the specific make, model, and year of the car.Did this help you?
- 17Buying a cheap project car to practice on instead of risking the daily driver.Did this help you?
- 18Purchasing a Haynes manual or other specific hard-copy repair guides.Did this help you?
- 19Joining owner-oriented diagnostic forums or enthusiast groups.Did this help you?
- 20Starting with an older, simpler vehicle from before 2009 or the 1960s/70s.Did this help you?
- 21Watching multiple YouTube tutorials to piece together a step-by-step checklist.Did this help you?
- 22Borrowing tools like jacks and torque wrenches from a local tool library instead of buying them.Did this help you?
- 23Posting planned steps on forums for experienced mechanics to review and correct.Did this help you?
- 24Using a cheap infrared thermometer to check fluid temperatures instead of specialized vehicle diagnostic tools.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“quoted $400 for a brake job at the shop. watched two YouTube videos, bought $60 in parts, did it myself in an afternoon”source ↗
“I know I might get clowned on for this but I genuinely don't even know how to change my oil.”source ↗
“Never had anyone to teach me these things so i'm doing this all on my own with the help of Google”source ↗
“This may be corny asf to post in this subreddit because i really don't know anything, but I really want to learn.”source ↗
“Hello all, just wondering what would be the best way to learn the trade just for personal reasons. For example, I want to be able to know what issues my car would have, and how to fix it.”source ↗
“Want to start doing my maintenance on my vehicles and was wondering what tools are a must to have.”source ↗
“Total noobie when it comes to working on cars. Only have done very basic stuff like air filters, putting on a spare, checking dipstick and topping oil off.”source ↗
“I made a checklist to be prepared for my first time doing this job. It's made from watching several different YouTube videos. How's it look? Would you correct anything?”source ↗
“-Subaru says to keep transmission between 92-105 degrees or something like that. I dont have the tools for that, is it okay to just warm up til running temp?”source ↗
“New valve listed at $1875 before labor and fluid. I think I'm at about $600 and still have that fresh 75miles in,, "god I hope this worked" feeling.”source ↗
“Mechanic wanted to swap engines for 6k. Guys on the Club Lexus site convinced me I could do it. Cost about 2k including some tools and a lot of while you’re there work.”source ↗
“I just wanted to get some advice on what type of main tools I should buy straight away and any recommended brands.”source ↗
“The car is quite rusted underneath and abit worried hand tools might not be enough and I may need a impact torque.”source ↗
“So that would be on the title correct? Im real sorry abt all the questions this is my first car ever”source ↗
“unfortunately, this is one of the many videos i found that i thought would help, for some reason i cant find a single video online about a 2005 maxx”source ↗
“Im not super big on car knowledge, but i want to learn more and any advice would be greatly appreciated”source ↗
“The claw shaped filter wrench is only for removing the old filter, not installing the new one. You'll poke a whole in the filter. Don't ask me how I know”source ↗
“I want to learn how to work on my car, where do I start?”source ↗
“Everytime I have gone to the mechanic (even family friends), I get scammed.”source ↗
“This all said, it irks me to my core that I need to rely on men that dont even see me as a human for seemingly simple things.”source ↗
“I want to learn how to diagnose and repair cars to be able to do all repairs on my own car (not to do this as a career), and am looking for a self paced online course..I can already do some basic repairs on my car but would like to get all the details I need to do some more complex tasks like replacing the timing belt etc.”source ↗
“I tried looking on YouTube but they don't have all the tutorials for my car model and I'm looking for step by step tutorials well because I'm a beginner.”source ↗
Where this came up
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