Poll: How do you go about servicing your car

Servicing:

  • I do it myself because I know what i'm doing and i'm not paying those robbing so and so's

    Votes: 73 31.3%

  • I take it to a main dealer, I want the service history and i'm not fussed on parting with the money

    Votes: 55 23.6%

  • I take it to an independant/Specialist, they know there stuff and are cheaper than main dealers

    Votes: 105 45.1%
  • Total voters
    233
MrLOL said:
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.
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the flexibility is great in that sense. with the bits i do with golfs etc i suppose because its enthusiast done its always "posh" bits going on and in the sump too.

buying oil by 25 litre drums is pretty reasonable. there is a place litterally over the road to me, i picked up 25L of motul stuff lastnight, no postage costs because all i have to do is leg it back across the road and avoid being run over!
 
Just had a strange conversation with an apparent Toyota specialist, even though I booked mine in at main dealer yesterday I thought i'd check round some apparent "specialists" using google

Spoke to a garage and I stressed I wanted genuine parts of which they said "no problem"
The lady passed me onto a bloke who confirmed the service that is due is an oil and filter change plus coolant change, he then went onto to explain that he would use a generic coolant and I stressed I wanted genuine Toyota, I then said ok thanks for your time and he replied, dont you want to book it in? I politely replied no thanks to which he replied, Toyota dont make their own coolant you know. I then said thanks anyway and hung up.

This is what I dont understand about garages, I stress I want genuine parts to which i'm replied "no problem" and less than 30 seconds later i'm being told none genuine items will be used
 
As my car is relatively new and has a full service history it goes into a main dealer (1 minute up the road) or a specialist ( 30 minute run).

I would like to do some of the simpler things myself (oil change for example) but a lack of tools, time and most importantly space means I realistically can't.
 
I do all my own, because I can, because I then know the car inside out, because it saves money and because I can do a better, more thorough job than most specialists and main dealers.
 
My Corsa is like 12 years old, so I tend to do an oil change, oil filter change and spark plug renewal myself. I used to do an oil filter/change every year, but I've become a bit lazy...

CamBelt was changed less then a year ago, so that's not going to need replacing for a while.
 
I haven't got round to changing fluids yet as I don't know where to dispose of used fluids and find it rather messy so I leave that to the indy garage to do that for me and I supply parts.

Changed spark plugs a few days ago, took a while (1/2 an hour). I tried to change front shocks and brake pads a few months back but couldn't do it due to parts seized/bolts rusted so had to take it to the usual indy garage.

I think it is better to do it yourself if you know how or get step by step instructions from car forums.
 
Local Mazda dealer for me.

Only slightly more expensive than the local independent and they know the cars history. Get a much better courtesy car, keeps the service history main dealer only and they know how to treat the rotary.
 
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