Guide
What can't be fixed in a driveway — and what can
Most of what stops a car can be fixed where it sits: batteries, starters, alternators, brakes, belts, hoses, cooling leaks, many electrical faults and most diagnostics. What cannot is anything that needs a lift for hours, an alignment rack, a press, or a state-authorized station.
Updated 2026-08-22 · Frank's Mobile Mechanic 24/7
Driveway jobs
Battery, starter and alternator; brake pads and rotors; belts, tensioners and hoses; thermostats, water pumps on many engines, radiator and hose leaks; window regulators, switches, lights and wiring; check-engine diagnosis and the sensor, coil or vacuum fix behind it; oil and filter; tire swaps; cabin and engine air filters; pre-purchase inspections.
Shop jobs
Transmission rebuilds and most internal engine work; wheel alignments (a rack); pressing bearings and bushings; long jobs under the car that need a lift for safety; anything that must be done at a state-authorized station, such as the state's inspection.
The honest middle
Some jobs depend on the car: a starter buried under an intake, a compressor that needs the condenser out, a water pump behind the timing cover. We tell you which side of the line yours falls on when you describe the car — before anyone rolls, and in writing.
