Poll: How do you go about servicing your car
- Thread starter Relentless81
- Start date
I've started doing most things myself this year, i enjoy the tinkering, i know that quality parts are used and fitted properly and it's much cheaper! Then again i do only have old cars, if i was to have one less than 3 years old per say then i'd take it to a dealer/indy.
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Silly stuff I do myself, I bought a rear caliper winder and changed all the disks and pads on my 147, better job to, whilst there I cleaned up the calipers nicely, a garage woldn't have bothered.
I got my indy to put the clutch in the Mazda as I don't have any lifting and I also get him to service it.
Main dealer I used only for a a/c pipe as my indy only has a mobile a/c bloke and the dealers have the proper diagnostics, also they have all the stock of parts, it took 6 weeks for a poxy £20 bend to come from Japan
Bike I do myself apart from head bearings as this needs some experience and a torque wrench, local indy bike charged my £90 inc parts can't complain
Lately I'm pushing towards indy all the time, I really can't be arsed with spending most of a saturday fidling with cars and a lot of time sourcing parts at the cheapest price, sometimes it's just not worth it, I have better things to do
I got my indy to put the clutch in the Mazda as I don't have any lifting and I also get him to service it.
Main dealer I used only for a a/c pipe as my indy only has a mobile a/c bloke and the dealers have the proper diagnostics, also they have all the stock of parts, it took 6 weeks for a poxy £20 bend to come from Japan
Bike I do myself apart from head bearings as this needs some experience and a torque wrench, local indy bike charged my £90 inc parts can't complain
Lately I'm pushing towards indy all the time, I really can't be arsed with spending most of a saturday fidling with cars and a lot of time sourcing parts at the cheapest price, sometimes it's just not worth it, I have better things to do
Service own cars, not worth keeping a stamp history anyhow but I do keep the receipts for the parts I fitted in case of selling... Some of the bills are quite frankly ridiculous, 110 € for replacing the rear pads, yeah right, kiss my ***. It was a 30 minute job and the pads & copper grease were €40...
For a bit of learning and boredom I replaced the rear shocks on on Corolla as my dad had new ones hanging about but not enough time to change it, the first one took a couple of hours but once you know how the 2nd was again a 30 minute job. This was far cheaper to do ( only the parts costs) than going to a garage.
As long as it's not deemed impossible to do something yourself, I'll always attempt to try it myself first and only if I screw up, it'll go to a cheap indy garage...
For a bit of learning and boredom I replaced the rear shocks on on Corolla as my dad had new ones hanging about but not enough time to change it, the first one took a couple of hours but once you know how the 2nd was again a 30 minute job. This was far cheaper to do ( only the parts costs) than going to a garage.
As long as it's not deemed impossible to do something yourself, I'll always attempt to try it myself first and only if I screw up, it'll go to a cheap indy garage...
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I get a local indy to do mine, a one man band. He sorts out all the cars at my place of work that are outside of warranty. He collects the car from work and drops it off later in the day which is convenient.
His prices are very good, and I've never had any problems using him in ~6 years (better service than any time I've taken my car to Honda). Well actually, that's a lie - my wheels needed a re-rebalance after he fitted the tyres last time.
If I had something more upmarket, I'd probably take it to a specialist.
His prices are very good, and I've never had any problems using him in ~6 years (better service than any time I've taken my car to Honda). Well actually, that's a lie - my wheels needed a re-rebalance after he fitted the tyres last time.
If I had something more upmarket, I'd probably take it to a specialist.
I bought all the tools when I had my Rover figuring then I got the parts and tools for the cost of paying the garage to do it for me and the tools will last.
So ill do it myself to save money, but its a chore not something I enjoy most of the time now.
So ill do it myself to save money, but its a chore not something I enjoy most of the time now.
Couldn't have put it better myself.
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As much as I know what I am doing with servicing it's less hassle to get it serviced at a garage and there are no nearby specialists for Rotary engines, I just take to the main dealer. Prices for Mazda servicing are cheap anyway so it's not a massive bill each time and I have piece of mind that they aren't going to flood the engine.
Wish the same could be said of Volvo
they want £300 for the "minor" service.
Which consists of lots of checks, and changing the Oil + Oil Filter + pollen filter.
So basically an oil service
My local backstreet garage is great. I tell him what oil to order in. He orders it in 2 x 4 litre containers. uses 5.5 litres of it, and gives me the left overs for use as top ups. This is great because A) i get to pay for top ups at his trade prices and B) i know exactly whats gone into the engine. He just adds onto the bill, whatever his supplier chargers him for oil.
Independent for me. I have been using the guy for 11 years and I know he won't rip me off.
I also know that if something needs doing that he isn't happy about doing himself he will tell me so, on these occasions I stick it in the dealers to sort as the only VAG specialist I know of locally, whilst very good, charges the same or more than the dealer and doesn't provide a courtesy car.
I also know that if something needs doing that he isn't happy about doing himself he will tell me so, on these occasions I stick it in the dealers to sort as the only VAG specialist I know of locally, whilst very good, charges the same or more than the dealer and doesn't provide a courtesy car.