DIY car maintainence tips and equipment?

[Somnophore]

Following on from the current tools thread, I'm about to start a DIY car maintainence course with a view to doing most work on my car myself mk4 golf.

What would you all say the essentials are, and what would be useful but not essential. Next job that needs doing is a cam belt change which I'm a bit nervous about trying myself .

[freecar]

Good trolley jack and axle stands
Socket set
Spanner set
Big hammer
Bigger hammer!
Decent automotive screwdrivers (not ones designed to put screws into wood)
Headtorch
Decent length prybar (crowbar)
Good length of scaffold tube to put over ratchet when nut is too tight (or spanner)
Workbench with vice

That's pretty much all I can think of to begin with, I'm obsessed though so have compressor, welder, large pillar drill and I'm eyeing up a lathe and mill but don't really have the room!

[chevy-stu]

Adjustable wrench
Mole grips
Side cutters
pliers
long nosed pliers
Angled long nosed pliers
Circlip pliers
Torque Wrench
Oil filter wrench
Allen key set
Torx bits
Cordless drill
magnetic probe pick-up thingy
hack saw
crimpers
soldering iron

probably more. but that's a good addition to above list

[thinfourth2]

A modernish hatchback

I would suggest getting a few extra elbows surgically fitted as i always run out of elbows

[Eggman]

freecar said:

Good length of scaffold tube to put over ratchet when nut is too tight (or spanner)

This is a good way to break ratchets.

Use a breaker bar instead - cheaper and safer.

[Engineer1]

Haynes manual or similar and info from the owners club as there may be a better way to do the job or additional bits that make sense changing while you are about it.

[Willy Nilly]

No.1 Phone

No.2 Good independent garage

No.3 Means of paying the above.

[MDT]

WiFi link and a lap top... saves you running in and out looking up stuff.

Modern cars - Code reader.

[Eggman]

Willy Nilly: click here

[thinfourth2]

Eggman said:

freecar said:

Good length of scaffold tube to put over ratchet when nut is too tight (or spanner)

This is a good way to break ratchets.

Use a breaker bar instead - cheaper and safer.

Unless you own a landrover in which case the breaker bar is for normal stuff and the scaffold tube is for tight stuff

[Eggman]

thinfourth2 said:

Unless you own a landrover in which case the breaker bar is for normal stuff and the scaffold tube is for tight stuff

I do, but tend to reach for the rattle gun / grinder / nut splitters / reciprocating saw if I'm not getting the level of 'cooperation' I require. I don't like scaffold poles. In my mind they're linked with events that happen rather suddenly and cause pain or expense.

[Willy Nilly]

Eggman said:

Willy Nilly: click here

I ring up my independent man, a mutually agreeable date is set, he picks up my car from work in the morning and I go home in a freshly serviced and/or MOT'd car in the evening. A fresh set of eyes that know what they are looking at see my car, which is good. Said car is 12 years old, with 101300 miles on it had has used 1 litre of oil in the last 72,000 miles and 8 years. In that time it has never so much as coughed.

If the OP has the time and inclination to do his own servicing then good look to him. I prefer to pay a reasonable sum to have someone do it right first time.

As for breaker bars, DO NOT and I repeat DO NOT use anything to extend the handle, they WILL break. Use the sliding T bar for higher torque loads. I can swing on 5 feet of pipe on my 3/4inch drive T bar when taking my tractor wheels off.

[hesnotthemessiah]

A magnet on the end of an old car aerial (extendible) for when you inevitably drop bits down on places you can not reach.

[Eggman]

Silly old me. There was me, spending yesterday afternoon under the car and visiting the motor factor when I should have paid someone else to do it!

(Actually, I could do with being a bit fitter - I might see about paying a man to go cycling for me as well ).

[koolchris99]

on a mk4 golf you can do most things that the garage would do yourself with ease.

oil change, filters, pads and discs. can all be done with about 5 tools total..

[Eggman]

I can do most things on the service schedule like a garage actually does them without getting out of my armchair.

At least when I've done it myself I know it's actually been done, and done properly (or not!)

(Edited to make sense)

Edited by Eggman on Sunday 13th June 20:48

[bazking69]

My personal advice, given that you plan to work on a mk4 Golf, would be vag.com or a decent fault code reader....

Honestly, it will be the most useful tool in the box...

Edited by bazking69 on Sunday 13th June 20:51