I have a feeling I know what the response is for this one.

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2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid SEL Premium (Sparky)
http://badges.fuelly.com/images/smallsig-us/193500.png

It's a car not a science experiment! Open the throttle!

It's been my experience that a GOOD Mechanic is always cheaper.

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For the Saved, this world is the worst it will ever get.
For the unSaved, this world is the best it will ever get.

Clk's Ebay Stuff BUY SOMETHING NOW!!!

I don't do what I don't do. I don't walk a dog with a plastic bag & glove and I don't pretend to be an auto mechanic.
Pay the man.

It depends on the job and how much your time is worth.

For the last couple of years, I've found it best to pay a professional, unless it's a simple job.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

the way i figure it, unless i have to take time off from work to do it, my money is better spent doing it myself. you cant really say your time is worth x amount when its spent sitting at the pc with a cold one. that said, the only thing i dont do myself it transmission rebuilds. mostly because i dont have the specialty tools to do them. plus its nice to have the money to do other preventative stuff while in there.

i take in alot of automotive work on the side to supplement my income. sometimes its more of a chairity job and some are good paying.

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have no worries.....President Obama swears "If you like your gun, you can keep it

IDK, But if you figure cost of tools,as well as your time, and the cost of "warranting" your own work., it gets close to the same. ( You know that emergency phone call--" Honey, after YOU just replaced the brakes, the tire went flat. I had to drive on it a little ( 2 miles) to get out of traffic. I have a doctor's appointment so you need to come and fix this right now--in the rain and snow...)

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

you think a shops gonna send a guy out to change that tire because they did the brakes?

i guess it would really depend on what kind of tooling you have and how mechanically inclined you are. i know plenty of people that take their car to the shop for a new air filter.

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have no worries.....President Obama swears "If you like your gun, you can keep it

Without more information to plug into the formula, it's impossible to make the calculation.

Pics of GF?

{Might help in making calculation......}

X2.

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1982 300TDT
1991 190D
2022 Metris

It's almost always cheaper for me to DIY. However, I already have most of the tools since I used to wrench for a living.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Always cheaper for me to DIY.
I cannot see a situation where paying a mechanic $80/hr and a premium price on all the parts could ever even come close.
Maybe if I HAD to rebuild an automatic transmission....
Certainly an alignment, as I do not have a $100k alignment rack...

What kind of jobs do you guys save money by going to a shop for?

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On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif

I've met known and had plenty of "bad" and "good" mechanics work on the cars but have only known two mechanics I would consider GREAT.
Unfortunately, both of them are out of business. I got into DIY due to being on the receiving end of one too many substandard auto repair jobs.

I can screw up a car for half the money.

I cheat. One of my scraper drivers is a mechanic so in the off season he can do all sorts of little jobs for me between doing major stuff of equipment. When the chips are down we all get in & do our bit to get things going. As for cars, there are enough so that if one stops you just use another. As far as getting an auto shop to do work ~ no way!! Very few of them are any good & you normally would have a second year apprentice doing the work & paying for a tradesman.
Any one should be able to do an oil/filter change.

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Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

"A man has got to know his limitations".

I am capable of doing all routine and most light corrective maintenance maintenance and have the tools and space to do so. Did a valve adjustment yesterday. But ....

I recognize those things that I do not have the experience, tools or inclination to do and have no qualms farming those out, things like transmission and air conditioning work.

Bottom line for me is; If I could not do most of the work myself, I could not afford to drive the old diesel cars that I want to drive. My 300CD is my daily driver.