If you're not mechanically inclined (i.e., you don't know the difference between a carburetor and a radiator), this book should be your first stop. Part of the megasuccessful "For Dummies" series, "Auto Repair For Dummies" was written by Deanna Sclar, a noted auto repair enthusiast who has been featured on NBC and contributed articles to newspapers across the country, including the "Los Angeles Times." The great thing about the "Dummies" series, and this book in particular, is that it assumes nothing about the reader's level of knowledge. While advanced auto repair is covered, the book takes you from the most basic point and leads you gradually by the hand. This book is a must-have for those who want to get in on the ground floor of auto repair.
Most every city has a community college within driving distance. And most every one of these colleges offer courses on auto repair. These courses may be intended for students who wish to go into the field of auto repair professionally, but you certainly don't need to verify your career aspirations before signing up. One caveat about these classes: They will assume you have some degree of mechanical knowledge coming in to the class. That doesn't mean you need to know how to change your own oil, but you should be passingly familiar with the contents of a toolbox and what each tool is for.
Without question, one of the best ways to learn how to work on a car is to just do it. You can purchase a broken-down piece of junk for next to nothing. After that, all you have is time. Nothing will teach you more about the inner workings of an automobile than rolling up your sleeves and digging into the works. What's great about this is there's little fear of messing up. You can practice all you want, and it won't hinder your ride to work the next day.
