Servicing your own car vs garage

[jmesgotav8]

I fall into both sides of the camp of this one and its really a question of skill.

I service my caterham 7, but then I built it so there is nothing there I'm not already familiar with.

My '84 911 however is a different ball game. The knowledge required to work on that engine is so far beyond me I wouldn't dream of doing anything serious. And if I was buying one, I wouldnt even consider buying one that had been home serviced.

[NRS]

Raize said:

Average UK wage: About £25k = about £10 an hour assuming 40 hour weeks

Average garage labor rate: £50+

For the majority of people it simply does not make sense to use a garage.

You also need to add on tools and you will also tend to take longer because of reduced experience. But yes, for a lot of people it would make sense financially to do it that way if not for resell price.

[ST150HB]

Had the XF serviced at a main dealer today.

Something I will always do for what I class as a decent car. Always get good customer service, don't try to rob me , had use of a lovely new XE today (I miss petrol!!) and I like the idea of FJSH.

However with my previous car, main dealer was shocking so invested in a VAG specialist and the value for money was worth it.

[BricktopST205]

If the car was worth a lot then I would get the basic servicing done to keep the book up to date. I fall into that camp that if I can do it then why pay someone to do it for me?

I do keep everything I buy for my cars in a nice big folder if the time ever came to sell.

Obviously some services are worth paying for. For example if I wanted to forge my 3SGTE I would outsource it to someone who has built hundreds of them before.

Edited by BricktopST205 on Tuesday 4th August 19:12

[Cotty]

KarlMac said:

Goes to a garage.

- I have a trusted one near me who charges a V. Reasonable rate

- No driveway / space / tools to jack the car up and do fluid changes. Sort of the opposite of "all gear, no idea".

I do check / top fluids where I can and try to do basic maintenace/repairs myself

Also, this - http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

I am in a similar situation now i.e. small single garage, sloping entrance so can't jack. However I have tools from when I used to run Mk1 Cortinas and use my parents double garage. 100 piece socket set trolly jack, various hand tools, spanners, screwdrivers, set of ramps etc.

But its so convenient to drop the BMW E30 off at the garage, catch the train to work then pick the car up on the way home with a service and fresh MOT for £150.

The Lotus was different as I knew I was not keeping it that long. It had main dealer service history so I continued this and eventually sold back to that dealer.

[mcford]

I enjoy looking after my cars, though I've never had anything modern enough to require a catalyst and anti pollution equipment.

I've been known to give them a MOT test as well and I've had a couple of fails as well.

[S7Paul]

I do all the servicing and repairs on all the vehicles in my immediate family, which currently consists of:

1996 Micra (x2)
1998 Picnic
1998 Chimaera 450
2002 MX-5 1.8 Sport
2004 Civic Type S
1974 Honda CB500
2002 Triumph Sprint ST955i
2002 Suzuki SV650
2003 Yamaha 600 Thundercat

Just about the only thing I haven't done (because I haven't needed to) is a car gearbox rebuild. Given the time it takes to keep this ageing fleet on the road, and the (relatively low) value of most of them, I'd hate to think what it would cost if I had to pay someone else to do it.

The company BMW is a different matter - that just gets taken to the main dealer for everything.

[stephen300o]

If something electric goes wrong on one of the more modern cars, then certainly, go get it plugged in to a diagnosis machine, but mostly they are just still nuts and bolts, easy.

[Lugy]

I've only ever had a car serviced elsewhere once and that was because it was under warranty. Everything else has been self serviced, same applies with repairs, in fact I've only ever used a garage service for tyres and MOT (dad!). To be fair my dad is a mechanic who has taught me quite a lot over the years, Mr Haynes and lots of tinkering in the early years added in more 'knowledge'.
Never had an issue when selling a car due to no stamps but then I don't have particularly valuable ones, if I did I'd still service it myself though!

[Digby]

PHMatt said:

StuTheGrouch said:

PHMatt said:

What do those of you that service your own cars ACTUALLY do when you service it?
Oil, oil filter, fuel filter and air filter?

I wouldn't call that a service.

Other stuff

Most of that is visual checks, which take a few seconds. Yes, it is an impressively long list, but most of it is basic and done by the eye (or by plugging it in 'computer says change XXXX, charge customer ££££').

Do you genuinely believe that everything on that list is actually done by the dealer?

I'm sure the majority of people on here saying they do their own servicing wouldn't even know how to check fluid levels on a clutch or see if there are any leaks high under the chassis hidden away or know whether there is play in a bush hidden away somewhere.

I doubt main stealers do everything but I bet they do more than any hobby mechanic. Not to mention, know how to spot a problem better.
The guys at my local BMW are very knowledgeable actually but I'd take it to an independent just because it's a lot cheaper

Most of what you mention will become obvious anyway if they are that bad; it's all pretty simple stuff.An MOT will also pick up things you may have missed.I think you underestimate the home mechanics ability to keep on top of things! We also live in a world where a garage will be happy to charge several hundred pounds to fix an issue (if they do fix it) yet a simple search of a car specific forum can save you a fortune if you are happy to have a dabble yourself.

[Howard-]

I've serviced all of my previous cars myself, but they've been older and cheaper. I have my current car serviced by Ford because I would like to maintain the full service history, and it's not exactly expensive.

For other jobs that don't get a stamp in the book - brakes, for example - I'll save a bit of money and do it myself.

[julian64]

jmesgotav8 said:

I fall into both sides of the camp of this one and its really a question of skill.

I service my caterham 7, but then I built it so there is nothing there I'm not already familiar with.

My '84 911 however is a different ball game. The knowledge required to work on that engine is so far beyond me I wouldn't dream of doing anything serious. And if I was buying one, I wouldnt even consider buying one that had been home serviced.

I would be careful with that train of thought. Through the years I've had all sorts of cars that were unserviceable by normal people and required a specialists garages special tools.

I had a BMW 323i that had a fuel injection system 'So complicated it required a computer to set it up', in reality it turned out to be a very simple cam system not unlike a typical diesel fuel injector pump.

I had a E39 M5, that had a gearbox where 'the cogs are put on the shaft using liquid nitrogen, so cannot be serviced without highly specialist chemicals' When in reality a simple puller and an air impact wrench was more than up to the job. A vanos system which was beyond home repair, which turned out to be a bit of a PITA but certainly doable with standard tools

I had an 850i where all the 'eletricals had been replaced by fibre optics' and therefore could only be serviced by a fibre optic link, which turned out to be completely untrue with bog standard electricals

I have a TVR Cerbera where 'its a race engine and should only be touched by a professional' when the engine is actually quite a basic easy to understand unit that I've had apart a few times with no problems.

I could go on...

In other words a lot of what I hear about so called specialist engines is actually worth ignoring and getting stuck in. If something becomes impossible to do you can always backtrack, but in my experience that has rarely been the case

[Acidrop]

PHMatt said:

What do those of you that service your own cars ACTUALLY do when you service it?
Oil, oil filter, fuel filter and air filter?

I wouldn't call that a service.

I owned a BMW E39 Sport saloon and as soon as I got it I did the following.

- Oil and filter
- Pollen filter
- Air filter
- Fuel filter
- Spark plugs
- Coolant change
- Full brake fluid flush
- Brake discs and pads all round
- Gearbox oil, filter and sump gasket change

Everything in parts cost me around £300. Having that done at a garage would have cost a fortune.

Would you call that a service?

[Dog Star]

PHMatt said:

What do those of you that service your own cars ACTUALLY do when you service it?
Oil, oil filter, fuel filter and air filter?

I wouldn't call that a service.

I have a BMW which has various interval based services that are recommended (based on fuel used and mileage)

Oil service - exactly what it says on the tin.

Inspection I service - Ready for this
Undercarriage
Change engine oil and Oil Filter, check engine at is at normal operation temperature.
Clean brake pad contact points in calipers.
Grease wheel center hubs.
Check condition of tires (outer surfaces (left/right)), tread wear and pattern; In case of uneven tread wear readjust wheel alignment if required.

Engine Compartment
Read out diagnostic system with BMW scanners.
Reset Service Indicator.

Body/Electrical Equipment
Perform batter load test.
Oil hood, trunk/tailgate, and door hinges.
Grease hood, trunk/tailgate and door latches. Check operation of all latches.
Replace microfilter or Acc. Cabin Filter.



Then there's the Inspection II service which is the inspection I with added work

Undercarriage
Change engine oil and Oil Filter, check engine at is at normal operation temperature.
Examine brake disc surfaces.
Clean brake pad contact points in calipers.
Grease wheel center hubs.
Half-shafts; check for leaks at flexible boots.
Inspect entire body according to terms of rust prevention limited warranty.

Engine Compartment
Read out diagnostic system with BMW scanners.
Reset Service Indicator.
Replace spark plugs.
Replace intake air cleaner element (Air Filter).


Body/Electrical Equipment
Perform batter load test.
Oil hood, trunk/tailgate, and door hinges.
Grease hood, trunk/tailgate and door latches. Check operation of all latches.
Replace microfilter or Acc Cabin Filter.

Whilst a lot of it is rubbish a lot of it is quite extensive work and I bet the majority of DIY services neglect the majority of that work resulting in dodgy cars that I, as a 2nd hand buyer, wouldn't touch with a barge pole.

Now in the above list remove (as I have) the vast majority of every line starting with "Check". As an owner I know damn well whether my lights, wipers, AC, demister blah blah work properly or not. It's just flim-flam. Any decent owner who is doing a competent service will piss most of that (although I admit to not knowing what a "batter" test is).

As to the OP - yes, depending on the car I do all our maintainance; the only DIY car we have (the other is a new Merc) is a 2004 V70 AWD - very very easy car to work on. No excuse not to. Same goes for bikes - anything Japanese gets it's first dealer service for warranty purposes and after that it's all done at home (although I've now got an MV Agusta and that'll be staying in the dealer network).

[alpha channel]

Bit of both really, the Rover I do myself, an eighteen year old car, it's never going to leave my possession and on resale it's virtually worthless anyway but I love the old girl. The Alfa on the other hand is a fair bit newer, worth considerably more (in relative terms anyway) and with a car like that service history will be a bit more important come resale/trade-in time.

[bakerstreet]

Bit of a mixture really. The Land Rover has never been to an actual garage. However I have a mobile mechanic that I use and I did pay him to wire up the tow bar electrics as he was servicing my wife's car at the same time.

I used to service my Saab 9-3 as I was doing 20k a year and I did the oil and filter changes myself. Only cost me £30 in parts

As time is now precious, I pay a friend of mine who is a mobile mechanic to service our cars. He comes to our house and I usually supply all the spares. I am being a little lazy, as I could do some of it myself. I may service the 9-5 myself next year, as its not that difficult to work on and my fired isn't as cheap as he used to be

I keep the receipts for the parts I buy and always try and get the best deal I can allow plenty of time for mail order. In the past, I've also taken lots of photos of any work that I have done to the car and usually supply the photos on a CD with all the paper work.

I serviced my wife's C3 before we sold it in March. First time I have ever used a Oil suction pump. Still not convinced it got all the oil out...

I am pleased to report that I have never taken any of my cars to a main dealer

[Depthhoar]

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I like to see stamps in the service book if I'm buying a car (actually prefer it if they're from an indi specialist) but know that a lot of the time its just fluids and filters being changed which can be done at home by the technically proficient, or a trusted local garage.

So what do I do? I change the fluids and filters on all my vehicles but will be sending the M5 to an indi every now and then to keep the service book stamped up to make future resale a bit easier. It's completely stupid really because the M5 is by far the easiest car to change fluids and filters on! I also log intermediate oil changes I do myself on the M5 and keep receipts for proof. I service all my other vehicles but have no 'service stamp paranoia' to worry about since I tend to run them into the ground. Trickier mechanical work, or that requiring good access to the underneath of the car, I tend to leave to a trusted and excellent local garage whose owner is active in Scottish motorsport.

When buying a car privately I, generally speaking, like to see some stamps & receipts since most people nowadays lack the competence (or inclination) to even lift the bonnet. If a seller claims to have done the servicing themselves it's normally really easy to suss out their level of technical competence just by having a chat with them. Failing that, a load of receipts & stamps from a non-tech but 'money no object' owner is normally a good sign.

Best of all is buying a performance car from an enthusiast owner! The sort who are kept awake at night worrying about engine oil specs for their P&J. This type of neurotic owner will over-service their car and spunk any amount of money on preventative, or 'over the horizon', maintenance.

Someone like me.....

[TEKNOPUG]

PHMatt said:

What do those of you that service your own cars ACTUALLY do when you service it?
Oil, oil filter, fuel filter and air filter?

I wouldn't call that a service.

I have a BMW which has various interval based services that are recommended (based on fuel used and mileage)

Oil service - exactly what it says on the tin.

Inspection I service - Ready for this....

I've had BMWs in the past, 95% of the Service 1 & 2 checks are things that you would be checking constantly when you actually drive the car. They aren't replacing anything other than the standard consumables. Any enthuisiast would be checking the vast majority of those items far more regularly than every service. It's only checks that require you to get under the car, that might not be done until service time. Besides, you have no way of knowing whether all these checks are done when you take it to a BMW garage. Just get a quote for a service 1, then deduct the price of all the parts (fluids/filters etc), then divide that by their hourly rate, then decide whether it's feasible for them to carry out ALL the checks and work in the time they have alloted.

All you are paying for is the Service 1 and 2 stamp, which is a very clever way of ensuring you keep taking your car to BMW for a simple service.

[andybu]

Surely there's no one answer to this question. It all depends on your own context.

When I was young I serviced my own cars, simply because I couldn't afford to do anything else. I'd also started motoring before I could really afford to. Moreover, my first 4 cars were all (second-hand) British Leyland kit, which in that era seemed to require almost constant servicing to keep them working at all...

These days I am self employed, so my time is quite literally money. I usually buy a car at 3 or 4 years of age and then run it for the next 7-10 years, depending on how much I like living with it. My answer is main dealer for the routine services and also my local indy for any other problems or one-off repairs. I know some of the guys at the indy socially so I'm happy they are a straight bunch.

The other argument for using the Main Dealer is in a wider context. I've usually done several annual trips across Europe for business reasons. Mercedes give you free European-wide service recovery cover if you keep the car in their servicing scheme. When I stopped using the AA membership its EU-wide cover was costing me £80 per year. Since the car usually needed serviced at 18 month intervals, my view was that I had £100 in my pocket by then to help fund the M-B servicing costs. For a routine one, the local garage was unlikely to be any cheaper than M-B.

All that said, if I buy a classic in retirement then I'll happily go back to doing my own spannering.

[goneape]

The last few cars I've bought have all gone to a dealer or specialist for the first service so I have the confidence that someone who really knows (or is supposed to know, and is certified as such) what they're looking at can give it a clean bill of health. From that point I do as much of it as possible myself - as my knowledge of the specific model and cars in general grows, I gain confidence and can do more and more. The only time I use a garage are when I don't have the right tools, e.g. diagnostics, hydraulic press to name two recent examples, or when MOT failure dictates it's easier to get it done where it is.
I'd stop short of cambelts, clutches, cams and technical stuff like that, but basic servicing, I'm all over it.