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The art of auto engineering

howacarworks.com

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Re: The art of auto engineering

#91

Post by ca_tech »

moffkalast wrote: post #21
AndrewOMartin wrote: post #2

For $20. > Will this course teach me to fix my car? > I am asked this a lot. If you just want to fix one thing on a car then you don't need to understand automotive engineering or how things work. You can find videos on YouTube that will show you almost any repair, and you just follow those videos. But if you want to be able to diagnose and fix any car, any engine without spending hours Googling then you want a deep…

Why spend hours Googling when I can just ask the latest version of GPT in and it'll tell me how to work the problem and diagnose it.

In this case, I paid for the course which includes a PDF. Using Bing I can query the document and get summary information along with page number references. Only a matter of time until we can do the same query for a site and get video timestamps. I don't expect GPT to act like an oracle, but I do expect that it will function as a curator and cataloger of content.

Re: The art of auto engineering

#92

Post by dangerboysteve »

AlexMuir wrote: post #15

Oh no! I come to procrastinate on HN and find my own site at #2. After many years, it's still not ready to share!! I've got so much more I want to do with it. Even though I'm sure it looks abandoned, I have been working hard on getting back into this. The last couple of months I've been developing a 3D viewer for mechanical components that lets you disassemble/rebuild/step through processes. I wish I could share it b…

Just learned about the course from this post and signed up for it. Looks like great value from an entertainment perspective.

Re: The art of auto engineering

#93

Post by agentwiggles »

AnthonBerg wrote: post #44
BlueGh0st wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As usual, Miata is the answer. But in a world where the Miata doesn't exist, which car do you think you would have chosen for this project?

If useful, here’s an answer: The Suzuki DR-Z400S/SM motorcycle. As one example. It’s not a car! I know! The thing is that motorcycles are such good learning platforms. They’re small, man-portable (in a pinch), there’s almost everything in there that’s in a car – but much less of it and more accessible. Single-cylinder motorcycles are also good for learning because there’s only one cylinder and one set of valves and o…

Not in the budget right now, but damned if you didn't just sell me a motorcycle

Re: The art of auto engineering

#94

Post by tclancy »

AlexMuir wrote: post #15

Oh no! I come to procrastinate on HN and find my own site at #2. After many years, it's still not ready to share!! I've got so much more I want to do with it. Even though I'm sure it looks abandoned, I have been working hard on getting back into this. The last couple of months I've been developing a 3D viewer for mechanical components that lets you disassemble/rebuild/step through processes. I wish I could share it b…

This is exactly what I've been looking for. Purchased! One request if you get time/ it's easy: can you add a Chromecast option to the mobile app? At least on iOS I don't see an option.

Re: The art of auto engineering

#95

Post by AnthonBerg »

agentwiggles wrote: post #93
AnthonBerg wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If useful, here’s an answer: The Suzuki DR-Z400S/SM motorcycle. As one example. It’s not a car! I know! The thing is that motorcycles are such good learning platforms. They’re small, man-portable (in a pinch), there’s almost everything in there that’s in a car – but much less of it and more accessible. Single-cylinder motorcycles are also good for learning because there’s only one cylinder and one set of valves and o…

Not in the budget right now, but damned if you didn't just sell me a motorcycle

Big caveat which I forgot to mention: As it comes from the factory it’s a bit compromised!

There are reasons why the bike taught me to swap and tune carbs and rework the suspension!! heh!!!

It’s still a lot of fun to ride, and in bigger bike markets you’ll be able to find a bike that already has the stops taken out!

Re: The art of auto engineering

#97

Post by biftek »

bluetomcat wrote: post #9

Good stuff, but to do all this "at home" requires ample garage space and a solid investment in tools and equipment. It also helps to have non-busy roads in the vicinity, in order to do "test flights" after the fixes. It is certainly helpful as a guide to understand the basic automotive systems and not get scammed at repair shops, but for most people to start wrenching on their car confidently, not so much.

> requires ample garage space and a solid investment in tools and equipment

Not really although it definitely helps. I started working on cars in a garage that barely fit a Miata with a basic set of wrenches and sockets piled up in the corner. I think you'd find that's how a lot of people start out in this hobby.

Specialty tools can be rented from auto part stores in the US or you can buy them relatively cheaply from Amazon or Harbor Freight.

Re: The art of auto engineering

#98

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

fl7305 wrote: post #84
jonasdegendt wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hah, I remember disassembling a motorcycle for the first time and in the process figuring out that the throttle cable just opens a valve that I had just taken the airbox off of, I was mind blown! To anyone that's looking to get into wrenching on your own stuff, I can definitely recommend getting started on a motorcycle if you have space, money or time constraints. It's a lot more accessible initially.

Good tip. If you really want to work on a car but have a choice in which one, do some research. Cars vary a lot on how easy they are to work on.

Bringing it back to the author, I've heard that the MX-5 is about the easiest car to work on that's still readily available. And Saturns. Saturns are like Lego.

Re: The art of auto engineering

#99

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #35
Reason077 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The main problem with GPT is that it will sometimes quite confidently give you incorrect information. It's like a kid who will just make up some elaborate story rather than admit they don't know something. So it can't be considered a trustworthy source. Yet.

This. Asking GPT is basically like asking Reddit or some other "non expert" commentary system that's basically a pool of existing high level information. It works fine if you want to know how to change a generic wheel bearing on a trailer (wouldn't surprise me if it erroneously lectured you about using high temp grease for disc brakes along the way tho). It falls on its face in almost every case in which the generic…

That's a very odd example. I'm sure that if I went into a car subreddit and asked "how do I change a front wheel bearing on a 2006 Nissan 350Z," not only would I get lots of responses, but I'd get many from people who have actually done it, done it recently, and could tell me pitfalls to watch out for along the way.

I'd trust a relevant subreddit far more than I'd trust GPT for something like that.

Re: The art of auto engineering

#100

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

aynyc wrote: post #76

Is there an equivalent but focus on maintenance? Going from windshield wiper changes, to oil/fuid changes to advanced (brake pad inspection, changes).

The thing with maintenance is that it tends to be very vehicle-specific. e.g., the procedure for removing brake pads, while generally similar, can have points where if you don't do it exactly right for that particular vehicle, will break something.

I find that vehicle model-specific forums are really helpful for this kind of thing. And many times the posters themselves have made videos of the process.

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