By Markus Z. Watkins (Automotive Technician and The CarKeeper CEO)
Today we will discuss the pitfalls and perks of using the internet for car advice. I hope to help you determine the difference between influencer's seeking social media clout and actual people trying to help you. This is a pet-peeve of mine, and I believe it is something that needs to be addressed in our technological world today.
Imagine you have a child (maybe you do already) but if you don't, imagine you have a child - and your child is sick. So you go to dear ol' Dr. Google and some websites come up and in a matter of 5 minutes, you've determined that your child is dying from a rare disease. You quickly rush them to the hospital and in a matter of 30 minutes (and a week's paycheck later in ER bills), you find out your child has a mild cold, is slightly dehydrated, and has a vitamin deficiency. I know this is a hypothetical example, but Dr. Google was incorrect -- and usually is.
Next, imagine you have a car (most of us probably do) and if you do, imagine suddenly the check engine light comes on, the oil pressure light comes on, and the vehicle runs rough. So you go to dear ol' Automotive Tech Google and after viewing some websites and a Facebook post, you have determined your vehicle is dying and you will need a new car. So you rush it to your trusted mechanic, and after 20 minutes of browsing Autotrader.com and Carvana.com (not sponsored by them, by the way), and a diagnosing and labor bill, your mechanic says your vehicle was low on oil, needed a new coil-over pack, and cleared the check engine light. Another hypothetical example, but all necessary for the point.
When seeking car advice, the automotive world has a LOT of bad actors. Some own shops, some run million-follower accounts on Tik-Tok and Instagram, and some run websites or YouTube channels that will doomsday you into believing your vehicle is toast, all for views and clicks. The bottom line is you need to be extremely careful where you get advice from - especially on the internet. A lot of people are tapping into the internets vast resources to try and repair cars, cure sickness, mend relationships, build muscle gains, fix a cellphone, and many other things and there are many excellent resources out there to try to do these things. But as internet consumers, we need to be more careful about where we get advice from.
Today I came up with a few points to help you navigate how to tell if you have car advice vs chancy clickbait on the internet/social media.
1 - Look For Clues/Accreditation About The Source's Background
The most common place to see this info is in an "About" section or Bio portion of the site/social page. If I had a 1970's Mopar I was trying to fix, my main source would probably be someone who I know is a trusted, experienced person in the field of muscle-era Mopar vehicles. My next source option would probably be an online forum strictly dedicated to the type of car I'm working on. If I found a website specializing in parts for that 70's Mopar, I'd see if I could find any instruction on there, as well. At the end of this post, I will link some internet sources who seem to be legitimate. Look for years of experience (if a valid option), look for what gives them the clout to give advice (such as being a technician, service advisor, or a business dedicated to car work).
2 - If On Social Media Or YouTube, Is The Page For Memes, Crazy Car Builds, Or Serious Projects?
A popular YouTuber who modifies cars for SEMA builds or drag racing, may NOT be your best place to get advice on why your 1999 Chevy Blazer has noise coming from the transmission -- that should be a no-brainer -- but I don't believe that it is. Yes, if you are more familiar with cars, you may get some clues through project videos. Many Tik-Tokkers, Instagrammers, YouTubers, and the like seek 2 things -- views and likes. The goal is to tap into the algorithm and harness the power of extremism to garner more social clout. Memes are an example of that. They're often ridiculous, funny, sometimes relatable, and frequently making fun of what others do. If you get advice from a meme page or some teenager dancing and pointing at some "car facts" overlayed on a screen in text, that's probably not the best place to be. While I'm not discounting the "facts" they present in cringy visualization, their ultimate goal is most likely bringing attention to themselves - not how they can help you.
3 - Ask A Trusted Mechanic!
Your local, knowledgeable automotive shop is always your best source for information. I'll add one caveat to that - some are untrustworthy and are not seeking your best interest. But most are. If you have a question about something you find on the internet, call your local shop or even email us at the CarKeeper.net. We'd be glad to help, but we recommend seeking help from a local person first.
4 - If You Absolutely Need To Use The Internet For Advice, The Best Places For Advice Are Forums Or Dedicated YouTube Channels
Online forums have saved me many times. When I was rebuilding my International Harvester 392 motor, the forums for these engines is incredible. The community is serious about their work, and have a lot of good advice. Dear reader, there are many pages of forums dedicated to your car too. If something exists, there lies a forum somewhere in the internetsphere, just waiting for you to find it. Most of the forums are moderated by people in-the-know and the smartest of the contributors generally help call out the missteps of the bad actors and people who are learning as well. YouTube Channels such as one dedicated to the sales group at 1AAuto.com is an unbelievable resource to repairing and even diagnosing your own vehicle. The channels on YouTube are out there, and most can be found by scouring the forums or using common sense when watching the YouTube videos.
5 - Some Resources To Help You Get Started With Car Care Online
Email the CarKeeper.net and we can help point you in the right direction. Our goal is to serve you and help you find successful repairs/car advice
1AAuto.com YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/1aauto
CarTalk.com - https://www.cartalk.com is a great resource and they even have an entertaining podcast about cars!
YourMechanic.com seems to be a legitimate source, as well. I don't have experience with them, but they seem to be okay.
Talk to your mechanic
In conclusion --
You spend way too much money on your car to fall prey to the pitfalls of the internet. Your car is valuable and needs to be taken care of to ensure your way of life. I hope this has been a help to you, as you navigate the car world today. The old ways still seem to be the simplest, most reliable way of just asking someone you trust.
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