YouTube must save us Billions

[GSDunk]

After solving a recent problem with my 03 Yukon, I started to wonder how just how much money YouTube saves us when our rigs breakdown and not having to take it to the local GM guy.

Its gotta be in the billions right when you account for all makes of cars from all countries?

Its kinda interesting. I wonder if mechanics are feeling the wrath of YouTube? Way less business I would guess.

My blown fuse problem by itself would have cost $300 for the diagnostic and then pay upwards to $1000 to have it fixed.

On the conservative side I probably saved a minumum $500.

How often do you guys solve your problems from how-to videos? And what is your biggest savings doing it yourself from a YouTube vid?

 

[915_Tahoe]

Best tool a garage mechanic can have, can't even count how many times it has saved me on money and time. I work at a gm dealer so I have access to great mechanics that can diagnosis what's wrong with my vehicles for a Monster drink or free lunch. Whatever I can do I will do and whatever I can't then a side job for one of my coworkers. So thank you for youtube.

 

[swathdiver]

Before YouTube we has these things called "Shop Manuals" and speaking for myself, did just fine with them. YouTube is nice to "see" how to do things before actually leaving the air conditioning for the garage and driveway and having a look myself.

 

[Woodblocker55]

What's funny if you talk to hardcore gm guy mechanic he still looks at YouTube for short cuts .
He might have all the TSBs but always nice to know at $115 a hour mechanic is using YouTube .. he just knows mechanic buddy's on YouTube that's his edge. It's about networking ..lol

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[89Suburban]

YT is just for us DIY's. Still plenty of work around for mechanics. All our local shops are overflowing with work, some 2 - 3 weeks out waiting lists. Still plenty people around they can ****.

 

[GSDunk]

Before YouTube we has these things called "Shop Manuals" and speaking for myself, did just fine with them. YouTube is nice to "see" how to do things before actually leaving the air conditioning for the garage and driveway and having a look myself.

But I'm guessing your first option would be using YouTube before pulling out your shop manual for a repair that youve never done before.... Plus there's dozens of issues that happen to our trucks you'll never find in a manual. Right?

 

[swathdiver]

But I'm guessing your first option would be using YouTube before pulling out your shop manual for a repair that youve never done before.... Plus there's dozens of issues that happen to our trucks you'll never find in a manual. Right?

No, my first instinct is to open my shop manuals, either the pdfs or the AllDataDIY website.

 

[mountie]

I open the shop manual.... 1st.

I use YouTube to see how a darn panel comes off, or to see what's inside something to have an idea.

YouTube usually has another year model version... You are LUCKY to have a video for your specific year/model. It's good as a guide.

" Oh, that's where it is"...... Shop manuals are short on good pictures.

 

[drakon543]

36 this year and i have a hefty stack of repair manuals. whenever i buy a different vehicle i head to an autoparts store for a full compliment of tune up parts and a manual. besides dont let dealership mechanics fool you they use YouTube also. as mentioned above shop manuals are great and have alot of useful information. however they were also written off cars in mint condition and are definitely short on pics. someone out there has probably had the same problem finding or removing something and posted the information somewhere.

 

[adriver]

Might be making mechanics more money. If all the DIYers have access to look at how-tos, that should leave more of the, fine with being ignorant, who probably get ripped off, and talked into upgrades more often. They probably get a larger percentage of people who accept what they are suggested to fix, because the mechanic said so.

 

[SnowDrifter]

Mechanic perspective here


I actually don't misn the YouTube customers. Mostly. If it's simple and they feel up to the task, more power to them. Most folks who come into the shop don't know where the hood latch is let alone have any appreciation for the absolutely astounding mechanical achievement an automobile is.

I make more on the in depth diagnostics/work so someone else doing the simple stuff is frankly, freeing from a time perspective. However, if they take their best whack at it and still can't figure it out, the vehicle makes its way to me anyway.

It's a win-win in my eyes. Even if the latter is frustrating for the customer

 

[SnowDrifter]

use YouTube also.

Not really? I mean for stupid oil light reset shit sure. But for anything else, we have our own resources. If you ever see a shop using YouTube to fix your vehicle, yell at the owner and bap them on the forehead for not getting a subscription to identifix or something

 

[drakon543]

Not really? I mean for stupid oil light reset shit sure. But for anything else, we have our own resources. If you ever see a shop using YouTube to fix your vehicle, yell at the owner and bap them on the forehead for not getting a subscription to identifix or something

they all had access to alldata thats it. dodge, Chevrolet, and a Nissan dealership seen it myself. shops dont pay for shit here in pa and they dont pay shit anymore. all the real mechanics quit and went to where the money is and your left with the garage scraps. i wont even take my vehicle to a shop for work i cant do anymore unless i 100% know all of what the problem was. i would end up getting charged an arm and a leg for diagnostics and id have to correct the repair when i got it back. dealt with that fairly recently too. so no offense to your shop or the shops in your area but if they are that ****** here i promise there are others.

 

[Woodblocker55]

We need to face facts .. Computers in rigs made our next generation mechanics more relying on computers. And now owners are catching up to them . There still old school guys out there they own there own shop. But there ones that are so busy they cant fit you in 2 weeks down the road .
Only reason to go to dealers is warranty work. So you call them warranty worker mechanics. It's like everything there is still great mechanics mixed in the bunch. Just try and find them .. [emoji106][emoji41]

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[mountie]

I gave a "Big Thumbs Up" to YouTube when the only fail on my Yukon was my rear driver's side door power window assy / cable came apart. I freaked......

I went to dealer...... $600.00 for whole assembly, 1 1/2 hr labor for them to R&R.

Then looked on YouTube. .......

Went to O'Reilly autoparts.... $79.00 for entire window assembly - lifetime warranty & 1 hour 10 minutes to replace.... Myself!!

 

[SnowDrifter]

they all had access to alldata thats it. dodge, Chevrolet, and a Nissan dealership seen it myself. shops dont pay for shit here in pa and they dont pay shit anymore. all the real mechanics quit and went to where the money is and your left with the garage scraps. i wont even take my vehicle to a shop for work i cant do anymore unless i 100% know all of what the problem was. i would end up getting charged an arm and a leg for diagnostics and id have to correct the repair when i got it back. dealt with that fairly recently too. so no offense to your shop or the shops in your area but if they are that ****** here i promise there are others.

No offense taken! I've spent my fair share of time fixing other shops **** ups. And I have a very very very VERY long track record of getting pissed on by other shops myself.

 

[drakon543]

No offense taken! I've spent my fair share of time fixing other shops **** ups. And I have a very very very VERY long track record of getting pissed on by other shops myself.

thats why i do my best to not go to a garage at all and i hate when someone brings me the i tried fixing it.......

 

[the_tool_man]

I was an avid shadetree mechanic before YouTube. I had (and still have) service manuals for all my vehicles. To me, they complement each other. They don't compete. My perspective is that there are three kinds of vehicle owners:

1: Those who won't work on it no matter what.
2: Those who will DIY nearly anything, at least as a first step until some obstacle stops them. I put myself in this category.
3: Those who dabble somewhere in the middle, doing easy jobs as time and inclination allow.

YT did nothing for #1, except possibly allow them to be more informed about the scope of a repair before paying for it, if they're inclined to look.

YT helped us in #2 by complementing the CONTENT of a repair defined in the shop manual with a METHOD of repair shown in a video. There are countless little "tricks of the trade" that are evident while watching a video, even if not specifically highlighted by the author. These are what make the seemingly impossible, possible for "the rest of us". I credit YT for countless repairs I might have postponed or avoided, simply because it showed me the repair wasn't as hard as I'd made it out to be.

YT is a mixed bag for #3, because it can give the inexperienced a false sense of ability. It can also allow the inexperienced to pick up a bad habit or two, which can lead to disaster. I've seen some pretty sketchy repair techniques passed off as legitimate. So it's certainly a risk. But I suspect that on balance, most of #3 do more than they otherwise would, or at least do a better job of selecting the right tasks to DIY vs. pay for.

I suspect professional mechanics get enough business from #1 that the existence of YT is inconsequential. They may get more, due to more frequent failed attempts by #3 that result in collateral damage.

I only wish there was more YT content on older vehicles. It gets better all the time. But I still rely heavily on the service manual for my '77 280Z without the benefit of a handy YT video! As a result, it's harder for me to work up the courage to fix stuff on it at times.

 

[mountie]

Go figure.......

I found out by my mechanic, my Hydra Booster is leaking....I need to replace it.

Good thing we found it. My power steering was low on fluid. I YouTubed the fix.
Cool.... You Tube's " South Main Auto Repair" was GREAT!! AS IF I WAS IN HIS SHOP.

Very well done video. I think, could do it myself ...... If I wanted to......

Even though the video was good, I'd rather have my mechanic do it for me.

( OK - OK...... Will cost me about $ 7 bills part & labor. But the Yukon is my only ride, and he will have it done on a Saturday.

If I find an unforeseen problem, I would be stuck. I trust this guy & his shop.

 

[BourbonNcigars]

Before YouTube we has these things called "Shop Manuals" and speaking for myself, did just fine with them. YouTube is nice to "see" how to do things before actually leaving the air conditioning for the garage and driveway and having a look myself.

While I certainly agree with what you're saying, I also know (because it's part of what I do for my employer) that people learn best by "seeing" what to do. You can write work instructions all day, you can tell someone how to do it, but nothing beats the visual impact of seeing the task at hand actually performed for real understanding and memory retention. We actually use YT as a tool to share with other manufacturing plants across the country.