WHY do people think auto repair is so easy?

I know. Hey just hook up that there scan tool sonny and fix my car. Haha! yeah right because its that easy. Techs are so underpaid, or at least the good ones. What do doctors do with there patients? Confirm the concern. Run a few tests. and then fix the concern. What do techs do? Confirm the concern. Run a few tests. and then fix the concern. hmmm and doctors are making how much money? and whats there mode of transportation to work? Cars are so much more complex now days and it requires expensive complex diagnostic equipment and tools. Its not as easy as turning a wrench now.

When I started out you were a mechanic. Your job was to diagnose & repair problems due to their symptoms. The most sophisticated equipment was a Scope.

Today we are technicians. Plugging a car into a computer to diagnose the problem is the norm. Each year the automakers have to comply with tougher emission standards, therefore the engines are more complicated. The braking & transmissions are all computer controlled

I guess the general public believe we are still working on a '66 Chevy 283 ─ 2 spd. Powerglide.

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not shure but cars are not easy big pain i do as hobby only build street rods and high boys and i have 200 grand in equip and tools some have no idea how much time go in to finding out what is wrong so you can fix codes do not give complette ans only idea there needs to be more education for car owners on how much equip and training more than some docs i would not go into auto repair i am retire comm elect union from some of qoestions i see here they have no clue how cars or why they work or doint work

I don't think that auto REPAIR is easy. I do however, think auto MAINTENANCE is relatively simple. But I understand the point of your question. Most of the John Q Publics out there feel that mechanics (or technicians) are "thieves". They are ignorant to what is required to become a skilled automotive technician. They don't have a clue as to the overhead costs associated with this type of business. Even those who are in the most educated of professions (doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc.) tend to widen their eyes when they are informed of the dollar amount invested in tools for thhe average technician. There are those out there who have this attitude that auto repair is as simple as "plugging in the machine thingy and it will tell you what's wrong with it". Of course, those who are in the know, are well aware that it's far from being that simple. This is why there are a bunch of DIYers out there "throwing parts" at their cars in hopes of fixing an open/shorted circuit somewhere that never gets fixed until skilled/experienced hands get to it. Most of these people refuse to pay the $100 diagnostic charge to find out what's wrong with their vehicle, but they won't hesitate to pay $200 to have their someone install their toilet. Go figure. There are also those who drive around in $70,000 SUVs with 24" wheels that look nothing short of absolutely ridiculous, with $5,000 stereos, but they'll freak at getting a $200 estimate to replace a set of brake pads. The general public just doesn't know, or care. Believe it or not, there are those who are actually dumb enough to believe that the hourly labour rate of $100 per flat rate hour is paid to the tech working at the dealership, as opposed to $25 of that $100. But, in answer to your question, most people prefer to circumvent the process of paying a knowledgible tech what he/she is worth to have their ride fixed, in a feeble attempt to repair it on their own. This is usually when the rude awakening occurs, and the repair ends up costing double what it originally would've, if they brought it in, in the first place. No more is this true, than it is with Ford's 6.0L diesel equipped trucks!!! Hope this helps.

Who says that? If they all said that then they would be fixing their own cars. With 35 years in the biz, I'm sure you can remember the days when people would do simple repairs themselves, like changing points. I've never heard anybody say auto repair is easy, especially with newer cars.

I know what you mean. ASE certified, over 6 years. Bring it to me. I will fix it right. Most people don't know how to fix it. They just don't have money to get it fixed professionaly, so they have a big family get-together, and they do an engine swap, b/c they just seized up the motor from not fixing an oil leak. Changing the rear main seal isn't cheap, so lets throw some $2 bottle of whatever to swell the rubber on the seal, so it'll stop. I pay people to build a shed for me b/c I don't know carpentry.