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Live video car repairs?

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NutmegCT

NutmegCT

Great Pumpkin
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I think this subject came up a few months ago when we were talking about BCF improvements.

Has anyone here actually used a "live video" connection for car repair advice? like Skype, Facetime, etc.? For example, how to adjust an SU carburetor?

I've tried Skype a couple of times for tech advice, and (just my luck) here's what I found:

- The tech aspects (setting up and/or moving the camera/phone, adjusting lighting and sound, focusing in on the car part in question, etc.) take up a *lot* of time - and the clarity isn't enough to actually see what needs to be seen.

- One guy spends 90% of the time just talking. Great topics but little specific tech advice on the issue.

- The five minute question turns into a half-day event, with little info provided on the original question.

So far it seems that sharing a real-life garage meet, or a photo or two plus some specific questions, has a much better result and is less frustrating.

Your experience?
Thanks.
Tom M.
 
By coincidence, daughter has her new apartment as of last week. This weekend the toilet stopped flowing. Was here for supper and took the snake home - by video chat I walked her through the repair and all worked perfectly. She was very happy and very proud (as was I) and doesn't have to go to the gym room for the bathroom any more. :smile:

I use youtube constantly for repairs - especially for the new cars. (and appliances). Have never used live repairs though. Currently I am watching Mercedessource videos on buying and owning 1975-1995 MBs. Great!

I know some clubs have tech days which they video and post, but nothing beats in person!
 
Thanks J-P. I agree on the "watch youtube videos" idea. I've done that a zillion times myself.

It's the "live video" person to person help that stymies me.

Question: what exactly did you show your daughter on that toilet problem? I can't see much problem in feeding the snake down the hole! Maybe I don't understand "toilet stopped flowing"?

Thanks.
Tom M.
 
NutmegCT said:
Question: what exactly did you show your daughter on that toilet problem? I can't see much problem in feeding the snake down the hole! Maybe I don't understand "toilet stopped flowing"?
Click to expand...

didn't show her anything - I was sitting on the couch - but, explained the process - "feed it out, tighten the thumbscrew, turn, repeat." (oh and put on rubber gloves) :smile: - was more about confidence - and the first time doing it - than the actual skill involved.

I increasingly realize that simple skills we take for granted are positively miraculous to others. So much so that we need to be careful (I need to be careful!) not to get sarcastic. So many - not just of my kids generation (late 20's/early 30s) but of my generation (mid to late 50's) have ever been taught any of these skills. (there is a big difference between ignorance - I don't know how to do it - and not wanting to do it)

My brother in Law teaches shop class and when he asks at the end of the year the most important thing the kids learned, the most common answer is "how to swing a hammer."

My kids are very handy - and have a can do - attitude but, still need to learn. (and we need to teach)
 
Thanks. Sounds like the video had nothing to do with it.

I'm finding that the new technology (instant video connections) is a great toy for most everyone, but ... seeing something and saying something, person to person, still can't be beat.

Of course, posting YT videos gets you ad revenue. Photos don't.

sigh
 
My computer sound system is terrible and most videos are of poor quality. I can't understand a word most of them are saying. My hearing is not the best either. Personally, I would rather read written instructions then watch those videos.
 
Having grown up a country boy and inherited the "fixit" gene from my grandfathers, I find I'm willing to tackle just about anything. But just as important is knowing what to "contract out", either because I don't have the time required or specialized skills. My oldest niece can't hardly change a light bulb, and doesn't like the getting dirty part so many tasks require. And I've met younger folks at work that when you explain how to go about something, their eyes just sort of glaze over. And some even want to know why they need to know this "useless dung" when others can do the work for them. You should know what's being done, even if someone else is doing the work doesn't seem to go very far sometimes..
 
Mike - I wonder if the appearance of "glazed eyes" syndrome correlates to the amount of time spent staring at a smartphone screen. In today's world, man folks don't even try to repair things, but just order a replacement online by punching a few keys.

A 25 year old I worked with last year literally couldn't figure out how to make a simple six-sided wooden box. He didn't have a "spatial concept" of how the sides fit together, and got completely overwhelmed by the hammer and nails.
 
I've met "kids" with curiosity and some (the majority) with apathy. I encourage the curious and try to avoid the others.
 
DrEntropy said:
I've met "kids" with curiosity and some (the majority) with apathy. I encourage the curious and try to avoid the others.
Click to expand...

My point exactly - and not just kids.
 
The term was parenthetically enclosed on purpose. Those from eighteen to their mid-thirties seem to fit IMHO. :wink:
 
After 30 BCF members have read this thread (as of 8:40pm EST), I'm getting the feeling that live video isn't a big hit for getting repair advice!
 
DrEntropy said:
The term was parenthetically enclosed on purpose. Those from eighteen to their mid-thirties seem to fit IMHO. :wink:
Click to expand...

trust me I deal with "kids" in their 60's 70' & 80's on a regular basis. :whistle:
 
NutmegCT said:
After 30 BCF members have read this thread (as of 8:40pm EST), I'm getting the feeling that live video isn't a big hit for getting repair advice!
Click to expand...

YouTube offeres a better selection of helpful info, for certain. As you mentioned, the audio on too many of the streaming AND a good number of YT vids leaves much to be desired.
 
NutmegCT said:
Mike - I wonder if the appearance of "glazed eyes" syndrome correlates to the amount of time spent staring at a smartphone screen. In today's world, man folks don't even try to repair things, but just order a replacement online by punching a few keys.

A 25 year old I worked with last year literally couldn't figure out how to make a simple six-sided wooden box. He didn't have a "spatial concept" of how the sides fit together, and got completely overwhelmed by the hammer and nails.
Click to expand...

Could very well be. I do computer system support and I see a near total lack of interest in knowing how things work and why something fails. When I get a process that fails, I want to know why, not just throw it over the wall to someone else.
 
mikephillips said:
Could very well be. I do computer system support and I see a near total lack of interest in knowing how things work and why something fails. When I get a process that fails, I want to know why, not just throw it over the wall to someone else.
Click to expand...

Parallel experience, Mike. We're the ones on the other side of that wall. The curious ones. The ones who MUST know how/why things work, or fail to.
 
I was once told by a coworker I was the company expert on a particular file system. I asked how he decided that and it was that I always provided an answer. My reply was that all it meant was that I "looked it up" when necessary, and noted that he or anyone else could have done the same thing.
 
Problem today is most systems are too complicated to even understand let alone work on. That's why we take our modern cars to a good indie shop or the dealers. Computers? Forget it. I don't know how they work and I don't care. When it locks up or gets the blue screen of death, I take it to the shop. I don't understand Linux or anything but MS. Not even Apple. Confession. I don't have the math gene. Took me 4 years to pass 2 years of algebra.
 
I have manuals for almost all British and some European cars. Have a lot of domestic manuals and flat rate manuals. Don't use youtube except on modern stuff. But, find that an open manual and reading does the job of what I forgot. Somebody said "you are lucky, you know how to do car repairs", my answer "I can read, all it takes is time and the guts to do it".
 
"I can read, all it takes is time and the guts to do it".

Got that right. But taking the time, reading for detail, and actually doing the work, is becoming rare traits.
 
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