My car was rear-ended a couple of weeks ago and my car has been in the shop since then. I was hit in the right rear corner, and all the damage was localized in that area. They mechanics gave my car back to me last Friday, but when I got home my wife and I quickly discovered that the right rear wheel was making a strange noise. We took it back to the mechanic this morning and they're saying that the wheel's hub is bent.
First off, is a "hub" a rim? Is it the metal part of the wheel that the tire attaches to? I suppose it's what the "hub cap" covers.
Second, last Friday they told me they aligned all the wheels before I took it home... is it possible to align the wheels without noticing that one of the hubs is bent at a 15 degree angle? This seems like shoddy work to me.
Third, I need to learn more about cars. How?
Update:
Apparently my Honda Civic has an independent read suspension and the hub was grinding against the swing arm of the suspension.
Yes, the "hub", rim, or more properly just wheel, is what they are talking about. And yes, it sounds like shoddy work if they hadn't noticed it before. I would have expected, once they replaced a large number of parts, that they would have driven it once just to make sure the thing didn't fall apart.
Watch out for shops that want to do things without you asking them to, though. I've had mechanics change the oil when I brought the car in for an unrelated issue and try to charge me for it, even though I had just had them change it a week prior. While travelling, I've had mechanics try to tell me that I need new brakes, even though I just had the car in for an inspection. I've had mechanics tell me I needed a new catalytic converter on my year-old car (catalytic converters last nearly the life of the vehicle). I've even had mechanics tell me that my "exhaust bearings" were warn out and needed replacing (HINT: There is no such thing as an exhaust bearing).
There are a number of sources for information online. Wikipedia would be a good start, especially for bibliography. In your case you may want to start with the entries for Honda, Honda Civic, Suspension (vehicle), and Internal combustion engine.
You might also check out http://www.hondacivicforum.com/. The site is frequented primarily by street racers, but they have a few stickied threads that cover a lot of interesting things. Of note is the Honda Civic history page: http://www.hondacivicforum.com/honda-civic-history.asp.
Most of it is just terminology. Be forewarned, you may want to start tinkering with your vehicle once you start learning about it. Before I wrecked my Civic, I was modifying it for gas mileage. On one long higway trip, I had hit 45mpg.
Dishonest mechanics love to try to charge you for stuff that's not wrong with your car. The classic example is "your rear main seal has a leack, it'll cost $500 to fix."
Thanks for all the pointers. I've read a lot on Wikipedia, but I really want to get my hands dirty and learn by doing. I've thought about signing up for an auto-shop class at my local CC, but they're pretty expensive :/
Michael, learn by doing. Next time you need to change your brakes, the front ones anyway (disc brakes are, IMO, slightly easier than drums), do a little research on Google--or get a Chilton or Haynes manual, or do both. Changing disc brakes is pretty easy--you should be able to do it in an hour per side the first time, if you don't run into any problems, and the more you do it the faster you get. (The last time I did them on my own car, I had a tough time because I couldn't get one pad in on one wheel: the entire assembly rides on a pair of rods, and it turns out that it had frozen in place. A quick bit of Googling showed what to do--use a prybar, gently, to force the brake housing in the direction I wanted it to go, until I could fit the pad in place.) You should also be able to do it cheaply: the only tools I use are a hammer, a small flat-head screwdriver, and a 4" C clamp (plus the prybar/lug wrench that came with the car, of course.)
Changing the oil and filter can be fairly easy, if the filter isn't in an obnoxious place on your car. Other than a pair of jack stands or ramps, you really only need an oil filter wrench, a funnel, and a basin big enough to hold the oil already in the engine.
Spark plug wires are easy to do--I've never done the plugs myself, tho, because you're supposed to use a torque wrench and I'm too lazy to find out if I really need one or not. The only other tool you really need is a special socket that costs about $3, and a rachet wrench with the same size drive.
Changing the air filter: trivial, no tools required generally.
I used to drive an old Chevy Celebrity, and changed the valve cover gasket several times, as it tended to burn thru. You need a fresh gasket, sealant, and a wrench, that's about it.
There's lots of simple things you can do to get your hands dirty, and to build your confidence so you feel more capable of doing the tougher jobs.
Sparks aren't hard. I've never used a torque wrench for that. As you tighten, you can feel when you start to cut a thread, and you want to stop just as soon as that happens. (just before actually!) I guess I'd recommend calling a buddy over to show you when to stop tightening the first time. Or maybe borrow a torque wrench, but it's really one of the easiest things to feel on a car.
You also need to be careful that you don't cross the thread as you start tightening.
On the other hand, every oil filter has been a bit of a trial, involving improvisation and low cunning.
It all sounds very intimidating to me :) I need to buy a beater and play with it perhaps.
Michael, it doesn't have to be intimidating--that's why I suggested a few easyish things. Oh, you'll bark your knuckles a few times, and the like.
RC: I'm mostly intimidated because I don't want to damage my car in a way that costs me money to have someone else fix :)