Advice about the cheapest way to service my car

StanwithaPlan

Hi I'm hoping somebody could give me a bit of advice please!

I have a 2004 Golf 2l TD which desperately needs servicing and a Cam Belt but I am struggling for pennies a bit at the moment

I have had a quote for an oil change (with good oil) and filter for £50ish (I presume that includes the labour but it sounds too cheap for that?), and I'm thinking of ordering a Haynes manual so I can change the air filter myself as I believe that's pretty easy to find!

Would I be able to change a fuel filter myself? And what else is usually done in a service? I would usually just hand it to the garage but I've been told a big service is over £200 and as the Cam Belt needs to be done too I really need to get the cost down a bit

Is it fairly straight forward to do this myself or should I just pay a garage?

DUTR

The cam belt I would get somebody competent to do, the oil change etc, you can do yourself, you don't need reminding that if the cam belt fails then the repair can be very costly.

gilbert_and_sullivan

As above, the service items are easy enough and straightforward for someone who's a bit handy round motors.

The cam belt change i would entrust to someone who will still be there and likely to accept responsibility in the unlikely event it should fail, and who will use the correct preferably genuine parts incl the full fitting kit, not a shark who will quote you cheap but put on an accessory shop belt made of cheese, and then have vanished 6 weeks later when it snaps.

Joe_Horner

If you're able and willing to read a Haynes manual then there's no reason at all that you can't do a full service yourself, including the oil change.

Phone your local proper motor factors (NOT somewhere like Halfords) and ask for prices for the filters (oil, air. fuel) and 5l of the correct oil. You'll almost certainly have change out of the £50 the garage is quoting just for the oil change.

If you don't already have them you'll also need a basic set of tools but for general servicing it really is a basic set - another £20 - £30 on top of the parts will see you good to go, and that extra is an investment towards every future service.

Buellguy

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

As above, the service items are easy enough and straightforward for someone who's a bit handy round motors.

The cam belt change i would entrust to someone who will still be there and likely to accept responsibility in the unlikely event it should fail, and who will use the correct preferably genuine parts incl the full fitting kit, not a shark who will quote you cheap but put on an accessory shop belt made of cheese, and then have vanished 6 weeks later when it snaps.

What he said, oil, brakes etc well within the scope of doing at home, phone round and get quotes from someone decent for the cambelt if that goes you are looking at £500-650 without the turbo and not fitted (and that's off e-bay) for a new engine

scotsbob

Look at the golf owners forum

http://volkswagenownersclub.com/vw/forumdisplay.php/116-Golf-Owners-Club

You will get all the help and advice there.

You will probably find owners living near you who will be only too willing to come to you and guide you through each job and even lend you any special tools you may need.

StanwithaPlan

Brill, thank you all for your advice - Cam Belt will definitely be done at the garage - I need to get quotes for that, am I in for a shock price wise? I want to get it done asap as I simply can't afford to replace the car or engine at the mo

I also didn't realise I can get ALL the bits for a service for less than £50! I'm annoyed at myself for neglecting my car for so long now!

I have never tinkered with cars but having spent the afternoon perusing YouTube on how to change fuel filters etc it really doesn't look as difficult as I expected...phew

I have lovely neighbours who I can call on if I'm stuck...they have to keep giving me a jump start as if I don't run the car everyday the battery goes flat...that's another thing on the shopping list at the motor factors

Thanks again for your help

Hintza

I would also get them to do the oil change, getting rid of old engine oil is a bit of a pain and it is only a 5-10 minute job.

StanwithaPlan

Thanks Hintza, I think I will do that - I will still be making a massive saving doing the other bits myself

forgotmyname

I think my parents paid £300 or so for the cambelt change. VW wanted £750+

Quoted over £1200 for the belt and a service.

The issue with DIY is you may spend more on the tools and equipment to do the job initially than a garage charge.
But you have the tools next time and will save money.

I have spent many thousands on tools. But mostly paid for my other people. If someone needed a job doing that required a special tool i would charge enough to cover the cost of it and then the next time i use it its all profit.

StanwithaPlan

definitely servicing myself then!

I have checked the service book which says cam belt should be done every 80,000 miles and that the cam belt, tensioner and rollers were done at 57,000 miles, the mileage is now up to 104,000 so maybe its not as much of a panic as I thought but still priority - I really love my car and couldn't afford to fix it so prevention is better than cure I think