Car repair shops everywhere could be in trouble. A mechanic, who has been fixing cars for longer than most of us have been alive, has a YouTube channel where he shares his knowledge. His know-how and on-camera charisma help make him entertaining as well as informative.
Scotty Kilmer has a generous number of videos explaining everything from basic car maintenance to tools and devices you will want to have if you decide to get your hands dirty and do it yourself. He also hosts a half-hour live broadcast every Saturday morning to talk about cars and offer advice on any problem you might be having with your vehicle.
Sometimes, Kilmer offers his educated opinion on various makes and models, like certain sports cars which are almost impossible to repair without taking them to a dealer. One kind of car he specifically warns against for those on a budget is Mercedes. The Benz has so many computerized controls that it could be running fine, but have dozens of problems you can’t fix yourself unless you’re extremely wealthy.
Kilmer explains that Mercedes will usually cost you more to bring to a car repair shop than it’s worth. Some parts are as expensive as buying a well-performing used car.
Buying a used car is another of many subjects Scotty Kilmer covers. He has a video explaining what to look for before you put the money down on a privately owned used car. Some of these steps, such as the test drive and use of a low-end OBD2 (on-board display) scanner, most likely won’t be possible if you’re buying from a used car lot.
One device that Scotty Kilmer recommends for home mechanics is called BlueDriver, a bluetooth operated OBD2 scanner which connects to any smartphone or tablet. It not only gives you trouble codes, but also tells you what they mean and suggests ways to fix them. Some problems might require a trip to the car repair shop, but sometimes you can easily just buy the parts and do it yourself.
Another device Kilmer promotes is the Noco Genius Boost, which can be anything from an emergency flashlight to a mobile device charger. Most important of all, it can charge a car battery and will let you know if you connected it wrong.
The Scotty Kilmer channel on YouTube has videos going back for years. If you’re into learning to become your own mechanic and avoid the car repair shops, you might want to look at what he can offer with his nearly 50 years of experience working on cars.
[Image via YouTube screen grab]