Gary Gamber has seen it for years. It's just that lately, it seems to happen more often: Car owners trying to fix their own vehicles - and many times making matters worse.

"Lately, mainly it has been brake work. They get in the middle of it and don't know how to put it back together," said Gamber, owner of Gamber Auto Service in Davenport.

"Also, they are buying cheaper parts, not good quality. The car breaks down. It doesn't last. Or, they come in and say 'I need to have this done. I have all the parts, but I don't know how to do it.' "

"I see it all the time. I have seen it forever, but I have seen it a lot more the last year."

Mechanics say they've seen it all in this period of economic slowdown, including incorrectly installed brake pads and antifreeze poured into engines.

Derek Desherow, the manager of QC Auto Service in Moline, said about twice a week he will see customers who tried to do some type of car repair themselves and now need professional help. "That's how they usually start off their conversation - 'I tried to do this myself … ' "

He has had vehicle owners who tried to replace their own fuel pumps and then couldn't get the old ones out. "The most recent one was someone who couldn't get the back three spark plugs out of a Lumina," he said, recalling how one customer ended up bringing in "a car and two boxes (of parts)."

Desherow said he can't blame customers for trying. "You feel for them. I give credit to everyone for trying. That's how we learn," he added.

But trying doesn't always work. Just ask Gamber.

"A guy called, trying to fix his sister's brakes," he said. "I tried to explain it to him and he doesn't have a clue. He did the brakes on it a month ago and now one wheel is hot all the time.

"Brakes have to work every time. If you don't do like it is supposed to be done, it can cause problems with other systems."

Mike Hughes, the owner of Mike's Automotive in East Moline, said the biggest challenge home mechanics face is identifying the vehicle's true problem. "They throw a bunch of parts at the vehicle hoping to fix it and end up fixing all the things that don't need fixed."

Mark Lellig, manager of O'Reilly Auto Parts on West Kimberly Road in Davenport, also sees that scenario.

"A customer comes to the front counter, they buy a part," he said. "They thought it was the problem because somebody told them that is it. But it turns out it wasn't the problem. So, they come in and buy another part. What they are doing is process of elimination."

Hughes said the economy is behind many of the bad decisions. "It makes me a lot happier when people keep the hoods closed when they don't know what they're doing," he said.

Uncertainty about the economy and jobs also have more people driving their cars much longer.

"People are trying to get a little bit more miles out of their car," Desherow said. "In the past, people were getting rid of their cars usually a couple of years after they ran out of warranty. Not so much anymore."

"They drive them longer. They try to get more out of their vehicle and they ruin more things," Gamber agreed.

Hughes said the older age of cars is creating more business for garages as well as providing a boost to his towing operation. Mistakes made by customers "get the wreckers out all the time," he said.

"I still recommend if they think they can't handle it at home - don't," Desherow said.