Saving Money: Is Repairing Your Own Vehicle Worth the Trouble?

Everyone hates car trouble, especially these days when things are more expensive than ever here in Colorado.

Recently my car started acting up by losing power and shaking immensely when I drove down the road. I took to Youtube to diagnose the issue and it seemed like an easy fix.

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DIY Vehicle Repair in Colorado

After watching the Youtube video that seemed to match the problems my car was facing, I took my car to O'Reilly's to have the check engine light code read.

The code was the exact same one that appeared in the video, further leading me to believe that I was experiencing the same issue.

The issue? My 2013 Chevy Cruze was sending a service message of "Stabilitrak control" and "traction control" with a check engine code of P0304, Cylinder 4 Misfire.

The fix for the guy in the youtube video consisted of him changing all 4 spark plugs and the ignition coil. I chose to simply try to change the 4 spark plugs in an effort to be cost-efficient.

Auto Repair in Colorado

Despite the best efforts of myself and my coworker Zane Mathews, my car continued to display the same messages with the check engine light shining brightly.

DIY vehicle repair definitely has its perks, you can:

• save money,
• save time,
• learn new skills, and
• achieve a sense of accomplishment

However, sometimes its best to just leave things to the experts because then you can:

• get professional advice,
• get the job done right, and
• have peace of mind

The vehicle has since been taken to the shop and while we didn't successfully complete this DIY repair, I still believe in attempting repairs on your own. I also believe in knowing when a job might be too big and letting the professionals do what they do best.

What caused my car to need repair? Well, it might have been the 17-hour trip from Texas to Colorado or my constant trips to the front range through the mountains. There's also a chance it was just that time, whatever it is, I'm just glad that it's in the hands of professionals now.

Big thanks to my coworker Jared for letting me borrow his tools, and to Zane Mathews as well for being willing to get his hands (and beautiful blue shirt) dirty.