There’s a reason why your mechanic charges you for their services—it’s because they actually know what they’re doing.
You might think that watching a few YouTube videos on auto repair or body repair will be enough to get your own car back in shape, but you’ll quickly find out that it takes a lot more than that.
Here’s why YouTube auto repair videos won’t help you fix your car:
Every Vehicle Is Different
Yes, you may be able to find a video on fixing the exact problem on your exact same make and model and the exact same year, but that doesn’t mean it will work for you. Just because the person in the video was able to fix their car, doesn’t mean you’ll have the same success.
How bad is their issue vs. yours? Did they need to get total parts replacements or were they able to just make some simple adjustments? Do they actually have tools whereas all you have is a screwdriver? Even with the same problem, there can be a lot of variables that make the fix much harder or impossible for the average person to do.
The guy on the YouTube video was able to fix the problem in 3-5 minutes, with time stamps and everything. That’s because he worked out all the kinks and unforeseen variables beforehand and made sure he had all the right parts. He also made edits. I promise you, it won’t take you 3-5 minutes. 3 hours, bare minimum, with at least 1 trip to the parts store. And that’s only if you’re lucky enough to have the same problem as the guy on the YouTube video and everything goes right for you.
Videos Are Not Real Life
Watching someone do something on a YouTube video will get it in your head that it’s easy, but it rarely translates to real life. Knowing how to properly fix a vehicle comes from years of experience and agonizing trial and error. There’s a lot more to it than just following along with someone on a video.
That YouTuber Is Probably Not a Mechanic—And Neither Are You
Just because someone made a video on their YouTube channel about fixing a car doesn’t mean they actually know what they’re doing. Many of these videos are made by people who aren’t mechanics, and have no business trying to teach others how to fix a car. This means that a lot of the information in these videos is wrong, and could actually end up damaging your car even further.
It’s also important to remember that you aren’t a mechanic either. Have you even properly diagnosed the problem, or are you just taking a YouTuber’s word for it because the problem seems similar? You need to be certain you haven’t misdiagnosed the issue before disassembling your vehicle and trying to make car repairs.
What Other Important Problems Would You Rely On YouTube For?
Diagnosing and fixing a medical condition? Representing yourself in court?
Take something that you’re an expert on then watch laymen talk about on YouTube. These are the kinds of people giving you auto advice.
The next time your car breaks down, don’t rely on a YouTube video to diagnose and fix the problem. Take it to a professional. They went to school for this stuff and have years of hands-on experience. You watched a video.
YouTube Videos Don’t Offer Any Complete Auto or Body Automotive Repair Videos
Okay, there are a few videos out there that show you how to change your oil or replace your brakes. But if you’re looking for anything more complicated than that, you’re basically out of luck.
Most body and auto repair shops won’t allow people to film inside their business. And even if they did, you’re not going to get a complete video of someone fixing an engine or transmission that you can translate into doing your own repairs.
You’ll get a few minutes of someone working on a car, and then the video will cut to another person talking about what they’re doing. It’s not exactly helpful if you’re trying to do the car maintenance or repair yourself.
And even if you do find a decent video, the chances are good that it’s outdated. Cars are constantly evolving, and what worked on a car from 10 years ago might not work on a car from today.
Plus, there are just so many different makes and models of cars out there—it’s impossible to make a one-size-fits-all video that will work for everyone.
In short, don’t waste your time watching YouTube videos when it comes to fixing your car. You’re better off taking it to a professional.
Anyone Can Upload To YouTube
Just about anyone can upload a video to YouTube. That means that you can’t always trust that the person who made the video knows what they’re talking about.
Even if the person who made the video seems like an expert, there’s no guarantee that they actually know what they’re doing. After all, anyone can put on a good show for the camera.
How many professional mechanics dedicate their free time to YouTube channels on repairing old cars, tool reviews or step by step car parts replacement?
Most people’s automotive channel s are hobby channels at best, and there have been plenty of cases where someone has uploaded a “how-to” video, only for it to be revealed later that they had no idea what they were doing.
Conclusion
YouTube auto repairs videos are probably not reliable. You are likely to get misinformation and end up making your problems worse than when you started, with lots of frustration, headaches, unnecessary expenses and wasted time. It’s better to take your car to a qualified auto mechanic and save yourself the trouble.