Servicing your own car vs garage
Discussion
PushedDover said:
A large element of the ‘service self’ must not only come from the knowledge (courage?) to tackle not just the service itself, but the knock on effect of a seized something, broken do-dad or need for an auxiliary something, with the ability to have an easy space or garage to do it in without the pressure of having to have it immediately back on the road. So a spare car is available
Whilst it easier with a garage or driveway, I managed fine at the side of the road for many years. It is a bit limiting for bigger jobs, but I got around that by borrowing other people's driveways. The biggest hindrance to working on the road was people walking past stopping for a chat.Adapt and overcome
If it's your only car, never start the job on a Sunday afternoon and never use the words "should be easy, one hour tops".
I have always serviced my cars, first started in 1973 servicing my Mums mg when I was 13. Only once paid for someone else to service my car, when I was busy at work and the car was 3 years old. They listed all kinds of stuff that needed fixing which didn't. They said the clutch was on its last legs and needed sorting. I did a further 80k miles on that clutch and it was still ok. Always fixed and serviced my own cars ever since. Admittedly I do tend to own 10+ year old cars these days. Never had an issue selling cars with my self written service history.
PushedDover said:
A large element of the ‘service self’ must not only come from the knowledge (courage?) to tackle not just the service itself, but the knock on effect of a seized something, broken do-dad or need for an auxiliary something, with the ability to have an easy space or garage to do it in without the pressure of having to have it immediately back on the road. So a spare car is available
I’m about to do my MX5 for the first time as finally I have a workable garage space and time to kill.
This is what always stops me from getting too involved. I used to do simple servicing as a youngster but I was always a seized nut or bolt away from giving up. I’m about to do my MX5 for the first time as finally I have a workable garage space and time to kill.
I enjoy working on cars and I time the services etc. so they don't clash with the times of year that I'd rather be doing something else.
Over the years I've built up enough tools that I rarely need to buy more.
Until about 10 years ago, I'd taken all cars to a garage. But I started with easy jobs and went from there. YouTube and forums are generally all I need.
It's years since I gave money to a mechanic.
Over the years I've built up enough tools that I rarely need to buy more.
Until about 10 years ago, I'd taken all cars to a garage. But I started with easy jobs and went from there. YouTube and forums are generally all I need.
It's years since I gave money to a mechanic.
thebraketester said:
There isn’t much I haven’t done on my car. I even did the cam chain (links the two cams) a few years ago... I think I draw the line at doing the cambelt, but it’s way over due so I might brave it this summer.
Normally you'll have a timing (or cam) belt or chain. The crankshaft rotation will be transmitted via this belt or chain to the camshaft(s) and these cams open and close the valves. So unless I'm misunderstanding your post, if you've done a chain before, you'll have no bother with a belt because it's essentially the same component doing the same job, just made of Kevlar or whatever, rather than metal. 
Baldchap said:
thebraketester said:
There isn’t much I haven’t done on my car. I even did the cam chain (links the two cams) a few years ago... I think I draw the line at doing the cambelt, but it’s way over due so I might brave it this summer.
Normally you'll have a timing (or cam) belt or chain. The crankshaft rotation will be transmitted via this belt or chain to the camshaft(s) and these cams open and close the valves. So unless I'm misunderstanding your post, if you've done a chain before, you'll have no bother with a belt because it's essentially the same component doing the same job, just made of Kevlar or whatever, rather than metal. thebraketester said:
Baldchap said:
thebraketester said:
There isn’t much I haven’t done on my car. I even did the cam chain (links the two cams) a few years ago... I think I draw the line at doing the cambelt, but it’s way over due so I might brave it this summer.
Normally you'll have a timing (or cam) belt or chain. The crankshaft rotation will be transmitted via this belt or chain to the camshaft(s) and these cams open and close the valves. So unless I'm misunderstanding your post, if you've done a chain before, you'll have no bother with a belt because it's essentially the same component doing the same job, just made of Kevlar or whatever, rather than metal. Well now's the time to do a job like a timing belt (assuming you're not a key worker).
I do everything myself. I enjoy doing it and know everything is actually getting done. I run older cars so fsh isn’t all that important but I do keep all receipts and write the date and mileage of when it was done. My 19 year old son is taking after me, he’s half way through doing the ccv and the oil filter housing gasket on his E46 320i. As much as I wanted to get stuck in an help I decided he should prove to himself he can do it with advice over the phone when needed. He’s doing really well with help from the online mechanic, YouTube 
wish I had YouTube in my youth, nothings not doable these days.
wish I had YouTube in my youth, nothings not doable these days. Old car - DIY. Newish car under warranty - main dealer.
With old cars I find genuinely informed buyers are interested in the bills you have not the service book stamps. A simple list with dates, parts used and backed up by receipts is very reassuring, even more so when good quality parts have been used and quite often a main dealer part is no more expensive than a pattern part.
With old cars I find genuinely informed buyers are interested in the bills you have not the service book stamps. A simple list with dates, parts used and backed up by receipts is very reassuring, even more so when good quality parts have been used and quite often a main dealer part is no more expensive than a pattern part.
PushedDover said:
swisstoni said:
This is what always stops me from getting too involved. I used to do simple servicing as a youngster but I was always a seized nut or bolt away from giving up.
:cheers: thisEspecially with Covid19 and lack of the ability to go get something....
thebraketester said:
Baldchap said:
thebraketester said:
There isn’t much I haven’t done on my car. I even did the cam chain (links the two cams) a few years ago... I think I draw the line at doing the cambelt, but it’s way over due so I might brave it this summer.
Normally you'll have a timing (or cam) belt or chain. The crankshaft rotation will be transmitted via this belt or chain to the camshaft(s) and these cams open and close the valves. So unless I'm misunderstanding your post, if you've done a chain before, you'll have no bother with a belt because it's essentially the same component doing the same job, just made of Kevlar or whatever, rather than metal. Ex multi franchise Spanner Monkey.
So without saying of course I do all my own servicing and repairs and if I don't have the particular special tool for a one off job it's quite a challenge fathoming out a alternate method or making up some get round tool that'll do. Last job was changing the timing chain tensioners on a Jaguar V8 without any of the factory tools - I did it with a couple of tie wraps and a wedge of scrap wood from the firewood pile instead, because it's only nuts and bolts after all.
The only time any of my cars have been anywhere near a garage in the last 40 years is for tyres, laser alignment or an MOT.
So without saying of course I do all my own servicing and repairs and if I don't have the particular special tool for a one off job it's quite a challenge fathoming out a alternate method or making up some get round tool that'll do. Last job was changing the timing chain tensioners on a Jaguar V8 without any of the factory tools - I did it with a couple of tie wraps and a wedge of scrap wood from the firewood pile instead, because it's only nuts and bolts after all.
The only time any of my cars have been anywhere near a garage in the last 40 years is for tyres, laser alignment or an MOT.
Andyjc86 said:
thebraketester said:
Baldchap said:
thebraketester said:
There isn’t much I haven’t done on my car. I even did the cam chain (links the two cams) a few years ago... I think I draw the line at doing the cambelt, but it’s way over due so I might brave it this summer.
Normally you'll have a timing (or cam) belt or chain. The crankshaft rotation will be transmitted via this belt or chain to the camshaft(s) and these cams open and close the valves. So unless I'm misunderstanding your post, if you've done a chain before, you'll have no bother with a belt because it's essentially the same component doing the same job, just made of Kevlar or whatever, rather than metal. lord trumpton said:
Owning a car related business I was working on a low mile F430, installing an exhaust flap bypass control unit for the customer.
Said car was mint and had full Ferrari main dealer history
When I removed the engine bay covers I found this...
It's a large rubber tube that connect one of the airbox enclosures to the intake manifold. They are a bit of a fiddle and this is how Ferrari dealer had fitted it allowing that V8 it suck in lovely unfiltered air.
AHEM....Said car was mint and had full Ferrari main dealer history
When I removed the engine bay covers I found this...
It's a large rubber tube that connect one of the airbox enclosures to the intake manifold. They are a bit of a fiddle and this is how Ferrari dealer had fitted it allowing that V8 it suck in lovely unfiltered air.
On the 360 and 430 models what you’re holding showing there is the feed from the air intake up on the outside of the car TO the air box that contains the filters. Thus in fact the “unfiltered air” was not unfiltered. I presume the thing you mistakenly thought was the filter box was in fact the Helmholtz resonator....
...as you were....
I've had simple servicing ballsed up by spanner monkeys, both main dealer and independents that had come recommended. So for oil and filter changes I do it myself. I've never changed tranny fluid, I've seen videos and it doesn't look as bad as it sounds when you read the instructions but it's one of those jobs I've held off "until I have a lift".
Once I had a look at the dashcam after having some work done... the mechanic, who is always a very mild fellow when we've spoken, had taken the car for a test drive and all I could hear was angry muttering with a lot of four letter words, the highlight was "talk to me like that again and I'll tell him to shove this job up his arse.
!!!" etc. Presumably had a falling out with the boss and was venting. His driving was very calm and considered despite! 
Once I had a look at the dashcam after having some work done... the mechanic, who is always a very mild fellow when we've spoken, had taken the car for a test drive and all I could hear was angry muttering with a lot of four letter words, the highlight was "talk to me like that again and I'll tell him to shove this job up his arse.
!!!" etc. Presumably had a falling out with the boss and was venting. His driving was very calm and considered despite! Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff