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It’s time to drive a little stake into the heart of American consumerism.
A few years ago, I got a washing machine free on Craigslist. The lady who gave it away said it wasn’t draining, so she bought a new one. When I opened it up, I found there was 81 cents in loose change and a wood screw jamming the pump; a simple fix. While you should definitely not be like her, you also can’t blame her too much. The price for a house-call diagnosis is high and the next step is usually a shady fix-it dude—in symbiotic relationship with the product companies that intentionally engineer failure points—taking advantage of the oblivious customer.
What follows are a few easy ways you can save money and boost your confidence while disconnecting from the consumerist din. This short article is intended to be more inspirational than instructional; it’s not comprehensive by any means. We’ll also provide some guideposts and waypoints to help you become a product owner, not a product consumer (see sidebar).
Automobiles
If your “check engine” light goes on, don’t ignore it, but don’t freak out, either. People panic when they see the check engine light come on in their cars. I’ve seen anxious posts on NextDoor from people looking to find a mechanic as soon as possible because it appeared that morning. The car isn’t acting differently; they only saw a light bulb. The CEL can be triggered by something as simple as a worn gas cap not holding a vacuum—and even if the engine has an actual driving impairment, it’s been estimated that 30% of the time the sole cause is a bad sensor. (Even worse: Delighted by the Pavlovian profit they learned a light bulb could generate, automakers later added the “service engine soon” light, which, despite sounding more urgent than “check engine,” is merely a reminder based on mileage that you should change your oil or flush the coolant or whatever. It’s equivalent to the timer on a Brita water filter.)
This sounds like lazy stoner advice, but the first step when seeing a check engine light go on is to turn it off. Disconnect the negative battery terminal for a minute. (Yes, “turn it off and on again” works with car computers too.) There are plenty of one-time events the computer may have noticed to trigger the light. If it returns, then scan tools—and all other tools—are free to borrow at places like AutoZone and O’Reilly Auto Parts. You can also buy a $30 OBD-II dongle—a scanner that works with a smartphone app to view diagnostics and clear trouble codes—and save yourself a lot of grief. And if it is the sensor, new sensors rarely cost more than $50 and are easy to unplug and replace—and best of all, if that doesn’t solve the problem, you can return the part.
Lots of products at your local auto parts store are worse than pouring money down the drain—but not all. Auto parts stores have an entire wall of liquid products rightly derided as “snake oil” because they mostly don’t work and can actually make things worse. But there are indeed a few notable “mechanic in a bottle” products that deliver great results and will save you money. If you’ve noticed your car getting poor gas mileage, sluggish acceleration, or stuttering, it might be time to clean the fuel injectors (and check your tire pressure). Effective gas tank additives include Marvel Mystery Oil and Lucas Fuel Treatment. Be scientific and log your actual miles per gallon at fill-ups before the cleaner and after. It’s quite likely that a $3 bottle can save you $30 a month with better fuel efficiency. ATP AT-205 Re-Seal gets consistent rave reviews for stopping oil leaks by rejuvenating old, dry seals and gaskets. Lucas Stop-Slip is a highly viscous fluid that can help with a slipping transmission, especially in older cars. The catch is that overfilling a transmission will wreck it, so you need to remove an equivalent amount of fluid before introducing the additive.
Washers, Dryers and Dishwashers
These three durable goods are systems operated by a few basic components in a big box, and all those components can be replaced by anyone with a screwdriver. Start by diagnosing your problem on YouTube and you’ll learn how simple they are. I’ve fixed everything from the clothes dryer ($5 thermal fuse, after my girlfriend failed to clean the lint trap), dishwasher ($3 rubber check valve), and clothes washer ($5 for “agitator dogs”). Agitator dogs are little plastic ratchet cogs designed to break every few years. I keep some on hand now. There’s usually four of them on the hub, so every time one little piece of molded plastic breaks, it reduces agitation by 25% (math!). You might not notice the first one or two broken, but eventually the agitator will barely move. Takes five minutes to replace.
Refrigerators and Freezers
These seem complicated, but like dishwashers and such, they’re relatively simple systems (assuming they aren’t computer operated). Abundant YouTube vids will teach you how easy it is to tap a line and add refrigerant (with leak seal) or to diagnose whether it’s something like a thermostat ($20), defrost timer ($30), fan ($20), fuse ($3), etc. If it’s not a component soldered into the copper line, such as the filter-drier, expansion valve or the compressor, then it’s DIY-fixable. Compressors alone account for 50% the cost of manufacturing a new fridge and are welded shut, so if that’s the problem, the fridge is scrap. And not to be pedantic, but learning how the vapor-compression cycle works and how the box makes cold air is essential and will go a long way for you in diagnosis. It sure did for me.
Plumbing
Obviously, the drawback to DIY plumbing is the ick factor, but there’s also the cramped, damp spaces you have to squeeze into and the frustrating struggle with wrenching angles. I won’t judge you if you don’t want to tackle a serious problem. But just know, yeah, pipes and especially faucets are pretty straightforward. The best faucets were made before the late 1980s, when the industry redesigned what had already been working swell for 150 years. In the good old days, a drip meant replacing the 10-cent rubber washer, but now an entire sealed cartridge (with a price tag of $10) is needed. Progress in profit.
