Never been a car person, but Camaro has changed that; found awesome car basics site!

[TotallyDavis]

I don't know where I read this, but I remember reading that it's unique to the current generation the idea that you can own something and have no idea how it works.

Prior to 1950-ish; owning something meant you understood it, could care for it, and do basic maintenance on it.

I never took any mechanics courses in high school, so I've gone my life so far without really understanding exactly how an internal combustion engine works. The most advanced auto projects I've ever undertaken are tighting the connections on a corroded battery and identifying a broken serptentine belt, but now that I'm going to be driving a car that I'll be proud of, and actively taking care of, I want to know how it all works.

Funnily enough, "How Stuff Works" has a fantastic website with all kinds of great articles I just found, including a fantastic animation of what's going on inside the engine along with other components.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/engine1.htm

I'm reading though their articles right now and really enjoying them.

After this, I think a good DIY car manual regarding upkeep and care will be in order, and then I can move on to more detailed specs of exactly what makes Chevy's new V6 so special.

[Nightfall]

Originally Posted by TotallyDavis

I don't know where I read this, but I remember reading that it's unique to the current generation the idea that you can own something and have no idea how it works.

Prior to 1950-ish; owning something meant you understood it, could care for it, and do basic maintenance on it.

I never took any mechanics courses in high school, so I've gone my life so far without really understanding exactly how an internal combustion engine works. The most advanced auto projects I've ever undertaken are tighting the connections on a corroded battery and identifying a broken serptentine belt, but now that I'm going to be driving a car that I'll be proud of, and actively taking care of, I want to know how it all works.

Funnily enough, "How Stuff Works" has a fantastic website with all kinds of great articles I just found, including a fantastic animation of what's going on inside the engine along with other components.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/engine1.htm

I'm reading though their articles right now and really enjoying them.

After this, I think a good DIY car manual regarding upkeep and care will be in order.

i respect you for your decation to your car i dont know everthing im far from a tech but ever day ever moment i learn something new and thanks to this fourm i learned how to read a VIN and some other useful things to look out for in my camaro never stop sereching for answers

[Nightfall]

heres some info on the history and data on the LLT or 3.6 L V6 in a camaro

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_High_Feature_engine

i will see if i can dig up the other two V8 options but sence i got a 6 banger i already resereched it

side note the v6 in the camaro is the most advanced v6 chevy ever put out

[TotallyDavis]

It's funny how much understanding you suddenly get when you read a little:

"What's so wrong with a V-6 from the 90's?"

"Oh, I see. That's what wrong with a V-6 from the 90's."

But now things have changed.

Thanks to 323hp engines, tied-to-automatic features like remote start and the addition of paddle shifters, a man can own an automatic V-6 these days and only loose half his cool points instead of all of them.

[builder11150]

It amazes me how little people know about their cars. My Father runs a service station, and the things I hear come out of peoples mouths astound me. I'm very young, and know how to do more than the average adult. Things like oil changes, tune ups, changing tires are all second nature to me (but then again, I grew up around this stuff) I hate having to rely on other people to do things for me, so knowing how to work on something as important as a car is a big plus.


It's great that people are willing to learn, although reading about things will only get you so far.

[Nightfall]

Originally Posted by builder11150

It amazes me how little people know about their cars. My Father runs a service station, and the things I hear come out of peoples mouths astound me. I'm very young, and know how to do more than the average adult. Things like oil changes, tune ups, changing tires are all second nature to me (but then again, I grew up around this stuff) I hate having to rely on other people to do things for me, so knowing how to work on something as important as a car is a big plus.


It's great that people are willing to learn, although reading about things will only get you so far.

i done my own oil changes in the past jacked cars up on jacks took tires off to get tire changes and minior server things to learning to read and work on your own car even minior things can save money and time and

what type of questions it amuses me to see how STUIPED people truely are

[Smitty77]

Originally Posted by Nightfall

it amuses me to see how STUIPED people truely are

[10forty2]

I went on a semi-rant a few threads ago about how the majority of Techs today are simply parts-changers. There is no understanding of the engine or the systems that make the vehicle work.....they simply read a service manual and start swapping out parts until the problem goes away. There is no diagnosis past the troubleshooting chart, and if they can't find the problem, they "phone a friend."

Back in the day, a Tech would listen to the owner describe the problem and make a determination of the general area where the problem existed. Then, they actually tested things like voltages, spark timing, belt tightness, vacuum pressures, etc., to find the problem. Often, the problem itself was fixable without having to replace anything....sometimes it just took turning a screw to the proper adjustment. Nowadays, the first thing that comes out of the Service Manager's mouth when you walk in with a problem is..."Oh, OK...well we'll hook it up to the computer and see what it says." When you come back to get it, you hear, "The computer shows everything is OK." "REALLY?? Then why won't the car go into gear easily?" "Oh, that's probably just normal wear and tear. You'll just have to get used to it. But if it was me, I'd go ahead and replace that transmission and that will probably solve the problem. We can get that done, for an estimated charge of $9,978.69, but if you act fast, we can throw in free transmission fluid to go along with that."

A week later, while you're trying to figure out what to do about replacing that transmission, you clean the interior and find a penny lodged in behind the shifter stick.......