DIY servicing - where do we start

benham3160

I started doing oil changes on my first car, now people pay me to build engines, carry out extensive diagnostics, weld up cars and build bespoke looms. I've picked it all up from reading a lot, practising, and just making myself "do" things.

Servicing modern cars is EASIER than servicing older cars. Simply because the majority of modern cars simply require oil and filter changes, then filter changes as specified..... I dare anybody to hark back to the "old days" and tell me how wonderful old engines where with rocker adjustments, constant ignition system tweaks and parts renewal and having the pleasure of doing everything else twice as often.

Even if you keep your own oil clean, you are well on the way. Brake pads are a doddle on the majority of cars, (and you'd have to be going some to do anything that could endanger anybody) and now with a plethora of information available on the internet it's never been easier in all honesty.

Remember, every job you do is experience, and will make the next one easier. What car(s) is it out of interest you are planning on working on?

Regards,
Andy

atrixblue.-MFR-.

agree id rather rebuild an i-VTEC than rebuild a kent crossflow.

Road_Hog

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

agree id rather rebuild an i-VTEC than rebuild a kent crossflow.

That reminds me of my first car and my mates one. I bought one of the last of the MkIII models (P Reg '76) Cortinas (1.6L white with black vinyl roof in '84) and he got a '73 version. Mine had the later Pinto unit, but he had the Kent Crossflow in his.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Road_Hog wrote: »

That reminds me of my first car and my mates one. I bought one of the last of the MkIII models (P Reg '76) Cortinas (1.6L white with black vinyl roof in '84) and he got a '73 version. Mine had the later Pinto unit, but he had the Kent Crossflow in his.

cant stand the pinto, seen many converesions in the sierra's, easy to pich a car with one of them fitted without a good immobiliser.

just stick a spanner over the starter solonoind to bridge connections and it cranks it over oooops should i have said that?

Road_Hog

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

cant stand the pinto, seen many converesions in the sierra's, easy to pich a car with one of them fitted without a good immobiliser.

just stick a spanner over the starter solonoind to bridge connections and it cranks it over oooops should i have said that?

That was the least of my worries. You could unlock the car by sticking the edge of a 2p coin in the driver's door to open it.

The biggest insult that I ever had, was that it was broken into, I say broken into, they probably unlocked it with a 2p coin. They stole my tape collection but left my Matsui (Dixon's special) stereo.

The shame of it.

GolfBravo

I agree. You definitely need a basic set of decent quality tools - it really makes the difference. A set of spanners, a few screwdrivers, maybe an oil filter wrench (if your car needs one), trolley jack, axle stands, spark plug socket, socket set. And a Haynes manual for your particular car.

So you're looking at £100 minimum. But then you really save a lot of money, and you get a lot of satisfaction from a job well done.

Then start with something simple, like replacing air and pollen filters or light bulbs. Some cars, unfortunately, require front bumper bar removal to change the headlight bulbs - but once you learn how to remove and refit the front bumper you don't need to pay a garage £150 to replace them for you.

Cars are definitely more complicated these days, but your standard service at a garage is just a glorified oil and filter change for £200, plus a visual inspection and fluid top up.

A friend of mine gives her 2009 Mini One a regular six-monthly "tune up" at her local garage at almost £500 a pop. Telling her that her car does not need a "tune up" is like talking to a brick wall. She really believes that apart from oil/filter change and a wash her car gets connected to a special computer for a tune up, and it runs much better after each tune up.

BTW, I learned all my basic car maintenance skills on something like this.

My first car, 1978 Ford Falcon (that was back in 1993) 4.1 litre six cyliner, bought it to drive to my university five days a week. It was such a bomb that I had to fix something almost every weekend: brakes, water pump, shock absorbers, headlight wiring, engine and auto transmission oil changes, flywheel replacement, exhaust manifold, you name it!

mikey72

A good place to start is the oil and filter changes.

Buy the haynes manual and it's straightforward, if you can get to the sump without taking off a multitude of plastic covers.

Although modern aluminium sumps should be torqued back down, as it's very easy to over tighten them.
You probably need a special socket for whatever car you own.
Owners forum is a good place to find out. Eg, one of mine is a square section, another is a torx socket.

Air filter is normally easy, if you can get to it.

Spark plugs are ok, just get all the dirt out from the recesses before you take the plugs out, and don't cross thread them. If they don't go back in by hand, you're doing it wrong.

Most of those jobs don't need a lot of tools, and are a good place to start.

Brakes need a 7mm allen key as well normally, worth buying one if you want to change pads, and by now a few other sockets and spanners wouldn't go amiss.

Only do the front ones, leave a garage to do the rear, with the handbrake it makes them over complicated.

A big tub of swarfega is the most essential item though.

TrickyWicky

mikey72 wrote: »

A big tub of swarfega is the most essential item though.

Orange Swarfega at that as the green jelly is crap. You can get orange swarfega in most motor factors or a smaller bottle in some branches of sainsburys.

victor2

As already mentioned, get the rights tools for the job - and good quality ones!
They are as important than finding out from a manual or youtube how to do the job.
Failing that, if you can find a good local mechanic, pay him/her to do the jobs and relax while keeping somebody else employed.

wantonnoodle

I've got the best of both worlds. I have the haynes for my car (first thing I buy after I buy a car), and a dad who'll have a go at a lot of things, which he seems to have passed on to me. If we can't do it (missing tools or too big a job) I book it into a local garage. Best thing about said garage is that you never get a bill for work done until at least 3 months later (more often 6-9 months). Don't know how he keeps his business running with cashflow like that, but its great for mine. If I know I need a big job doing, I can put it into his garage straight away without having to worry about the pennies, I know that I've plenty of time to scrape the cash together!!