Self-maintenance
- Thread starter RQ7
- Start date
Soldato
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 8,968
- Location
- UK
Lets stop calling it self-servicing, ok? Good 
Halfords/other shops sell a cool gizmo for oil changes, its a 5 litre (might be a bit more?) plastic bottle/container you put under your car to catch the oil, it's an all in one drip tray/catch can/something to esaily dispose of the old oil in container. That or getting a decent tray with a spout+funnel is needed for oil changes, don't forget a new gasket on the sump plug too!
/edit, good vid
Halfords/other shops sell a cool gizmo for oil changes, its a 5 litre (might be a bit more?) plastic bottle/container you put under your car to catch the oil, it's an all in one drip tray/catch can/something to esaily dispose of the old oil in container. That or getting a decent tray with a spout+funnel is needed for oil changes, don't forget a new gasket on the sump plug too!
/edit, good vid
- Joined
- 3 May 2004
- Posts
- 17,747
- Location
- Kapitalist Republik of Surrey
This. I got burned a number of times buying cheap tools.
You'll need a trolley jack, pair of axle stands, a pan to drain the oil into (about a gallon will come out), a socket set or spanner to undo the sump plug, strap wrench or chain wrench to get the oil filter off once you've drained the oil and whatever drivers you require to open the air filter casing.
Might be worth investing in a set. I recommend the Sealey AK692 socket set. Mine has really been worth the money and I've give it so much abuse. For drivers, anything by Wiha, Wera, Bahco or Facom. Just a warning: if you have Torx screws anywhere you'll regret buying cheap drivers which will round off and ruin the screws. If you want to buy tools on the cheap then don't scrimp on these
Soldato
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 8,968
- Location
- UK
washing up liquid + salt for washing your hands afterwards
Thing you have got to remember, most garages wont just be doing an oil and filter change. They will be doing a service, which includes checking brakes, suspension, general good look over the car. Its ok doing the oil and filter yourself but you need to be checking the other bits of the car too. Although to start off you can just do oil and filter to get your hands dirty.
Well yeah, thats what they write on the invoice. Doesn't mean it always gets done.
If you go for a service then i cant see why they wouldn't check the rest of the car for you?
i agree, its usally the other way around and they find things that dont need doing
Personally I wouldn't bother getting my hands dirty for what you can get an oil change done for.
I looked into the cost of getting some decent equipment and for two services a year it simply wasn't worth it. This may change in the distant future if I ever get a toy as the maintenance will all be part of the enjoyment of owning it.
I have only usd a garage once, i had a water leak so didnt have a choice as it would hold water for longer than 5 mins. they replaced a pipe at the top of the engine bay that was an inch long and would have taken no more than 5 mins to fit it cost me £100
Yeah its easy to say that but, what about anti freeze? You would need to pay for that, Depending on the car and where you took it has a lot to do with it. Our garage charges £79 per hour labour + vat. SO you can see how things quickly add up.
Soldato
- Joined
- 7 Aug 2003
- Posts
- 8,030
- Location
- Bedfordshire
I try to do as much car-maintenance as possible - I change my oil and filter on an annual basis, belts get checked, fluids get checked as well as hoses for cracking/splitting/detiorioration, brakes get checked for material thickness and scoring; wheels checked for crazing, bulges, cuts, uneven wear etc.
I do all bodywork stuff, apart from Welding, which I can't do (not got the equipment or the expertise) and I always sort rust out from underneath the car and re-underseal any cars that I do own as this can prevent joints from needing welding work later on the line.
It's one of the reasons I go for older cars, (like my current S-Reg Corsa), of course, it's one of the last Cars that has a diagnostic plug that can be read with a paperclip if I get an Engine Check Light!
I pay for my MoT and my wheels to be changed/balanced but I swap everything else out myself (i.e. exhaust etc).
I will be going for a much newer car next time (I keep promising myself that!) and if you are keeping older cars for longer, maintaining them yourself also gets more years out of them.
I do all bodywork stuff, apart from Welding, which I can't do (not got the equipment or the expertise) and I always sort rust out from underneath the car and re-underseal any cars that I do own as this can prevent joints from needing welding work later on the line.
It's one of the reasons I go for older cars, (like my current S-Reg Corsa), of course, it's one of the last Cars that has a diagnostic plug that can be read with a paperclip if I get an Engine Check Light!
I pay for my MoT and my wheels to be changed/balanced but I swap everything else out myself (i.e. exhaust etc).
I will be going for a much newer car next time (I keep promising myself that!) and if you are keeping older cars for longer, maintaining them yourself also gets more years out of them.
I took the engine out very soon after and there wasnt any anti freeze in it
garages only ever do a quick fix
Thanks for all the advice
I think i'll give it a bash on the weekend. I'll check my air and pollen filters to see if they need changing - and possibly give the oil and filter a change depending if I can get the tools.
Corollas 1k away from its interim service, and don't like the sound of paying £100+vat for an oil change
If you just want an oil change, National do them for about £35?
And where did you get a price of £117 for a oil change on a 2002 Corolla?! My BMW Specialist is doing a "Oil Service" on mine next week for £90 inc and my car takes 6.5 litres of oil fully synth oil.
TBH if you add up how much it'll cost you to do this oil change you might as well just get it done at a garage. If you just want an oil change - National for £35. If you want a service inc spark plugs, air filter - local indepedent for £90 ish.
If you DIY it:
- £60 for some ramps.
- £100 for some tools.
- £5 for an oil filter
- £35 for 4-5 litres of oil.
- £10 for an air filter
- £10 for spark plugs
- A couple of hours of your time in the freeze cold crawling around under a car.
- The risk of doing something wrong due to being inexperienced.
- Losing FSH and your car taking a hit when you come to sell it.
If you take it to a garage, they do the above in an hour whilst you have a cup of tea - for £90 (or less).
I found the best things to DIY are brakes - they are easy, you save a lot of money and good things to start off on.
Not correct at all, i know the garage i work in do all the work to the correct procedure. So not all garages are the same!!! A lot of garages do the quick/cheap job customers want and ask for.
Not true. There are some really good specialists/independents out there who make a very good living by charging a fair rate but ensuring that their work is top notch.
If your capable of taking an engine out, why did you get the garage to do a water pipe that was a 5 minute job?