Repairing your own car

[kaffeemitmilch 1,294]

Hehe, I guess so.

 

Anyway, it turns out I need to replace the rear wiper motor (it's a 99 Lupo 1.4 16V, by the way), fix the right hand side door lock (won't open with the key, so must be opened from inside) and fix the two inside door panels (which seems to be a VW problem from those years). The AC compressor is also there, but empty and not hooked up. That will be a pain. The dealer seemed nice, so he might fix the lock and the wiper.

[kaffeemitmilch 1,294]

Just got back from the guy who sold us the car. He was nice enough to fix the rear wiper and washer nozzle. It turns out he just needed to spray it with lubricant, and the nozzle was badly clogged. The forums said the motor probably needed to be replaced. That was easy (where's the Staples easy button when you need it?).

[hech54 6]

 

Hehe, I guess so.

 

Anyway, it turns out I need to replace the rear wiper motor (it's a 99 Lupo 1.4 16V, by the way), fix the right hand side door lock (won't open with the key, so must be opened from inside) and fix the two inside door panels (which seems to be a VW problem from those years). The AC compressor is also there, but empty and not hooked up. That will be a pain. The dealer seemed nice, so he might fix the lock and the wiper.

 

 

 

Just got back from the guy who sold us the car. He was nice enough to fix the rear wiper and washer nozzle. It turns out he just needed to spray it with lubricant, and the nozzle was badly clogged. The forums said the motor probably needed to be replaced. That was easy (where's the Staples easy button when you need it?).

 

Good news on the wiper situation. You probably have a "bent rod" or a bad nylon "rod connector" with the door lock problem. Good news is that you'll need to remove the door panel to fix the lock so you can kill two birds with one stone...

A/C has been a pain to work on since....forever. The somewhat specialized tools required to test which part is bad or leaking leaves MUCH room for car repair places to lie their asses off.

[Mik Dickinson 443]

For dar parts i use www.autoteile24.de you need your car papers and put in the key code for your model and make

[kaffeemitmilch 1,294]

Yah I am not looking forward to dealing with the AC compressor. But, I just fixed the door lock. It was just that the dust cover with the spring was bent and out of its notch. I took off the whole door panel thinking I needed to, though. In reality, I just needed to undo the screw on the edge of the door (in the jamb) and pull out the lock. And after that, I took the whole lock apart, when really, I only had to take the lock cover off. Stupid. There's a great video on YouTube to help you put a lock back together, though. All in all, a good hour's work. Those damn door panels need to be glued up, though.

[Rebecca 880]

I think if you bought the car from a dealer there should be some kind of warranty for a year on secondhand vehicles. I realise you enjoy doing the work yourself but a compressor is not a cheap part so why not check if it is covered by a warranty first.

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

 

I think if you bought the car from a dealer there should be some kind of warranty for a year on secondhand vehicles.

 

Not "some kind" of warranty but a legally enforceable one, which should be up to 2 years, but can be contractually reduced, although not less than for 1 year... Many dealers supplement this with an additional breakdown insurance.

[kaffeemitmilch 1,294]

Ah, unfortunately the compressor was kapot from the get go, and this was clear when we bought the car but a fortnight ago. The dealer is looking for a used one for us, he says, and he actually seems quite decent. When I find time, I'll have a look at it myself and see what's up.

[bal00 1,917]

Before you buy a compressor, consider having the rest of the A/C system checked out. If the compressor seized, there may be debris inside the components downstream, so those may need to be replaced as well, which may not make economic sense.

[Quato 106]

Hi.

I been doing any carfixing by myself so far for 20 years now in this country. Default state is: There is no permission to do any service on your car on or aside public streets and roads. BUT depending on your neighborhood, u can get away with some minor fixing that doesn´t require your head under the bonnet or yourself under the car. If there is any liquid to be dealt with, try to do it at least at some gasstation, though a quick refill of water or even some extra oil can be done if you don´t mess around with it.

As already posted above, "Hobbywerkstätten", more common a "Selbsthilfewerkstatt" is the place to be for the bigger aproach. Just google the nearest workshop. Usualy they provide anything you´ll need for a decent job (platforms, welding, pneumatics, sometimes paintshop facilities or even dyno/breaketesting). These workshops are often run by polish, russian or turkish people, therefore comunication might become a bit exhausting at times, but you´´ll find lots of tips and help there too.Being a German it sometimes still proved to be helpful to have some vocab written down on a list (some of the migrants struggle a bit with the spoken language, reading is often better). Btw, expect to find some shady people lurking around there too, anything from standard petrolheads up to elderly mustache bluecollars who sometimes provide eyewatering solutions to their car´s problem (see pic blow ). Says nothing about the quality of the place itself.

 

Ususaly you are going to pay for the workplace based on hours (average 5€/h or 30-40€ a day) and often they charge the usage of special equipment. You save a lot time and money if you propperly prepare the job before getting there.This is Germany, so you have of course to make an apointment,at least a call if they got a free slot at the given time.

 

I get most of my parts via www, some specific parts from the brand´s retailer, never had any trouble. About car liquids, there is a law in Germany. If they sell the new stuff to you, they´ll have to take the old stuff back at the same amount. Usualy you have to keep the bill and e.g. bring back the old oil using the can of the fresh oil after changing. Same applies for filters btw.

 

About private carwash: a real soap and splash is prohibited, but using sprays and tissue is no problem at all. You can spend the whole weekend on waxing if u like, no prob. The issue about washing cars on public and private ground is all about oil and other toxic contamination of groundwater + huge specific problems recycling contamined sewage water. Just to many people found themself entitled to do massive engine-cleaning in the past. Though I´m a petrolhead myself, I find that rule quite reasonable. The dirt on your car is not that much a problem, but the grease inside and underneath the car is pretty hard to deal with. It requires a special facility to separate the oil and water (ölabscheider), any gas station and carwash has to provide it, even Autobahnen have them. Some people should consider if they have thought it through before posting snide remarks about exaggerated German regulations, which rarely but sometimes seem to bee quite reasonable.

 

There are a lot of car-nuts in Germany, so you´ll find lots forums and helpboards on the web on nearly every German car and model. Expect them to be in German but posting english often brings up good results, sometimes quite funny stuff (they are mostly not as good on english as on their cars, just like me ) but you might find eventualy usefull help around your area.

[djfourmoney 1]

Funny, Americans always complain about rules that if done correctly they never see the law or get fined. Rules are for people that don't know how to follow them. Americans are also used to bending rules or outright breaking them and not getting caught.

 

Anyway, I don't work on my car(s) to fix them, that's tedious and boring. I do to save money, but if I'm lazy, I'm more than happy to give to the local economy.

 

Now if we're talking stereos (ICE), supercharger/turbo upgrades, nitrous, slamming it (lowering) or any of the fun stuff, then count me in, ready to get dirty/greasy. Hobbywerkstatt sounds interesting. In America, I guess some people aren't paying attention but you've long been able to go to your local trade school or community college and attend evening Mechanic 101 classes where people do everything from brake jobs (boring) to rebuilding engines to stock configuration (boring).

 

Getting a garage in Germany is not impossible but it seems a majority of posters live in apartments/condos/townhouses.

[kaffeemitmilch 1,294]

I went to a Baumarkt the other day, and a quart (a liter is about that much, I think) of motor oil was over 12 euro! What the hell! At Toom, I saw a quart for a bit over 8 euro, so that's good. Can I sneak motor oil in from the US? It's probably not allowed, eh? I'll have to investigate prices in the Netherlands, and maybe the UK.

 

What's a good place to get general supplies otherwise? I don't mean car parts, but just things like oil and fuel injection cleaners, wiper blades.

[Krieg 15,027]

You can buy really cheap oil in big supermarkets for around 5 EUR a liter. But how often do you change oil? Nowadays it is every 15k or 20k km, do you really want to be that stingy for something that important?

[sosarx 1,661]

Well, guess what? The internet has it all. Autoteile, Autozubehör.

 

And for oil, which has to be brought back to the seller, either DYI stores or "KFZ-Zubehör" shops.

 

I buy high quality oil for about € 5.- per liter. (For Berliners, esp. with a Mercedes --- TE Taxiteile , Forckenbeckstrasse, or the web)

[kaffeemitmilch 1,294]

Well, I'm going to pay for the oil of course. I was just not expecting the price tag because it's about $2 for a quart in the US, and sometimes less. Of course, fuel prices here are high, so I guess since oil comes from the same source, it is expensive too. I just want a quart at this time to top off when necessary, but I will keep a lookout for deals. I take it there aren't any deals here for the equivalent of $15-$20 oil-changes. Would I be right?

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

 

... it's about $2 for a quart in the US, and sometimes less.

I'd challenge that, especially for a decent, new, synthetic oil

 

 

Of course, fuel prices here are high, so I guess since oil comes from the same source, it is expensive too.

 

It's nothing to do with the source, notwithstanding that synthetic oils are more chemical based, but with the local taxes that are applied (7% of the final price in Germany), which also explains the price differences for fuel in different nearby countries (e.g. Switzerland 25% cheaper than Germany)

[bal00 1,917]

 

I was just not expecting the price tag because it's about $2 for a quart in the US, and sometimes less.

Chances are you were looking at synthetic, extended drain diesel oils. Those are considerably more expensive then the mineral/hydrocracked stuff you buy in the US for $2 per quart (which tends to come with a 3k or 5k mile oil change interval recommendation).

 

You can get similar oil here for ,xx€ per quart, but you're not going to be able to use it for a diesel, or for the 15k, 20k or 30k km oil change intervals that manufacturers are using these days.

[kaffeemitmilch 1,294]

I have a petrol engine. I was also not looking for synthetic oil. Just good old motor oil. I've been able to use the cheapest stuff and still have my car running great for a long time.

 

As for what I was saying about the price of gasoline and oil, I meant that gasoline is expensive here, so oil must be too since they're petroleum products, and probably taxed similarly.

[OldTowner 19]

 

De-lurking as this is something I can actually contribute on...

 

I have an 1987 (old for Germany) Volkswagen van that I do all my own work on, and for sure it is a little more challenging here than in the US. But not all the Germans are as uptight as the examples, my Swabian landlady is too thrifty to use a car wash and proudly explained to me that she washes her own car *in the driveway!* (gasp!). Also the farmers next door to my friends house dumped a full load of gear oil out of one of their tractors, the whole neighborhood smelled like transmission for several weeks...

 

Anyhow, I do my work in the driveway, I didn't ask permission first as I didn't want to invite the discussion, but I make sure to not spread the mess around, tidy up as a go along and clean up *everything* when I am done. I sweep the driveway afterwards even if it doesn't need sweeping just so the locals *see* me being tidy... and I have a supply of old cardboard from Ikea that I put down if I am doing anything really messy. I think as long as you are obviously being tidy and careful you can probably get away with a lot. Also take care on Sundays and Holidays, the folks around here in our village don't care (Farmers are farming on sunday, etc) but I know other places are more strict.

 

So far around here there are no old-school parts or hardware stores like you will find in the US (and I suppose UK), your best bet for 90% of stuff is eBay where you can browse at your leisure, the parts and hardware stores here tend to be more of the "counter" type where you need to be prepared with the part number or specification. Some of the baumarkt's have a small automotive section with bulbs, oil, wiper blades etc. I brought a lot of tools from the US but my German friends tell me off-brand baumarkt tools are not bad, many of them are still made in germany vs. the chinese crap you get a Lowes or Home Depot in the US. ATU was not impressive but I have gotten a few small things from them. In my case because my van is an "enthusiast" vehicle there are also some online specialty retailers. You mentioned a VW Polo, you might try http://www.online-teile.com/vw/ I havent used them yet but they seem reasonable for hopefully OEM parts.

 

Disposal of waste is a challenge, some of the gas stations will take your old oil (possibly only if you buy the new oil from them) and I think ATU does the same. Gas stations will also have a special bin for empty oil containers. Leftover rags and misc. whatnot I have been putting in the solid waste, but I think the city-operated recycle centers may also have a hazardous waste place for brake shoes, etc. The bottom line is learn to generate less waste and carefully separate out the real filth from the only slightly dirty rags, boxes, parts, that can go in the regular recycling.

 

Something you may not be aware of: any non-stock modifications will invalidate your TÜV inspection *and* potentially your insurance unless you get them certified by TÜV! *ANY* modifications to the car have to be inspected and recorded in the registration documents, this primarily includes safety items like changing the brakelights for a different style, different size tires, brake "upgrades" etc. But in principle almost any modification is supposed to be inspected including many things that most Americans wouldn't even think twice about... I mention this because working on your own car is one thing but doing something to an unsuspecting girlfriend who doesn't even know her insurance is now invalid is a whole other level...

 

Another tip: if you didnt use nitrile gloves before start using them now, especially if you are working on the streetside. Otherwise you are urgently trying to go through three keyed doors into your apartment, take off your shoes, and put the toilet lid up with greasy hands...

 

On a more general note, if you are a car nut you really need to go to one of the big Oldtimer shows, they are really spectacular with a lot of old cars, trucks, tractors that you will probably never see outside of Germany. There is usually a big vendor section where folks are selling all the *other* stuff that you cant get easily at a local shop such as tools, chemicals, specialty hardware, etc. One of the biggest is Veterama http://www.veterama.de/ we went to the Mannheim one last year and it was fun.

 

I hope this helps a bit! Maybe we need a "post your ride" thread to drag the lurkers out?

 

-Zach

 

Great post Zach!

 

I only came across this thread because my husband has been doing all the work on our cars here in the US (all the regular services and repairs) plus he is almost done restoring his '70 Camaro that we are planning on taking along to Germany.

 

Back when he was stationed in Germany and always had to fix his little Golf I know that it was tough to get the right spare parts if you weren't a mechanic or working for a dealership. ATU was his go to place as well plus he was able to get parts through the Army.

 

Now with the Camaro, that'll be a complete different story.

 

Thankfully, we'll be able to have a garage to store the Camaro. I am used already to have to park my car outside for the sake of car work - hehe

[bal00 1,917]

 

I have a petrol engine. I was also not looking for synthetic oil. Just good old motor oil.

That's all well and good, but what I'm saying is, if you want the cheap stuff that you're used to, you're gonna have to look for it, because most cars on the road here wouldn't be able to use it. At least not without shorter oil change intervals. A lot of oils you find on supermarket shelves will be synthetic and VW/Audi 505.01, 506.00 or 507.00 compatible.