sdo@linus.UUCP (Sean David O'Neil) (11/20/85)
I have just purchased a used late 1982 Honda Accord LX 5 spd. The car runs fine but has high mileage (80,000+) on it, so I would like to keep it as happy as possible. Hence, I anticipate wanting to do all sorts of minor things to it (like change the oil filter, etc.) Where can I find a good source of info on how to do such things? What things should I expect to be able to do by myself? What tools would it be prudent to acquire? Believe me, if someone can just point me in the right direction, I don't mind going out and digging up the info myself. I would also be interested in knowing how to diagnose what is wrong with the car before I take it in to have work done on it. Aside from the obvious desire to understand what's going on, I've found that my local Honda dealer has a particularly asinine way of running their service department: to wit, you go in and describe what is bothering you about the car to some woman behind a desk who writes down her own version of what she thinks is going on which is then passed to a mechanic whom you never see who does the work. I've already had a couple of perfectly good parts replaced without the original problem being solved at all. Suggestions, anyone? (you can e-mail to me or post your reply as I suspect many others would be interested in this kind of information). Sean ---------------------- "People ....... are stupid."
bcking@inmet.UUCP (11/22/85)
** here's one for the gripper ** Sounds like what you want is a core dump on automotive technology... I usually recommend that underprivileged people who didn't get to spend the better part of their teenagerhood on their backs underneath a series of burned out clunkers look into an auto mechanics course. There are usually some available at your local high school, in their continuing adult education program. They always start out with the basics, oil changes and the like, and work up to varying degrees of detail. You may want to see what's available in your area. You'll never experience the thrill of balancing a transmission on your forehead while you (frantically) attempt to insert its mounting bolts (in the rain, at night) by taking a course, but then again you'll never have to explain the strange scars on your face to your friends, either. R.M. Mottola Cyborg Corp. Newton, MA. (Replay posted for me by a friend, but not for long)