To DIY service or to garage?

[PrincekieParticipant 1042]

So chaps….

It was coming up to my Toyota’s oil and filter time, and as it is a nice dry morning in blighty I thought I’d get cracking with it. Easy enough really as I’ve got those cheapo plastic ramps, cheap 5l of oil and a £2 filter. Forty minutes from draining to filling and I’m done. I’ve been doing it myself for donkeys years now. Total cost around £16.

Anyway, one of the older neighbours (about 60) saw me under the car struggling with the filter. “I always take mine to the dealer, it’s a lot easier….£99 and it’s all done…”
As you can probably tell he’s a bit of a Muppet.

So guys, quick straw poll. Do you service your car at home….or leave it to the “professionals”?

[Anonymous 43]

I live in an apartment complex, and that sort of thing isn’t allowed here.

[Solo MAN’S WisdomParticipant]

99 quid for an oil/filter change?? RIP OFF. DIY every time. Youtube is full of instructional vids on car service tips.

When women lead, destruction is the destination. -- Me.

[MGTOW_MikeParticipant 6253]

I do my own oil and filter change. I use a oil filter wrench to remove the old oil filter, since it can be tough by hand.

Place a container under the nut that is below the oil pan. Undo the nut and let it fully drain out.

A tranquil mind is neither happy nor sad, it is uninfluenced by external conditions.

[Greg HondaParticipant 6406]

Don’t put cheap oil into Jap motors. Use 10/40 preferable semi synthetic:

http://www.lubetechshop.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=48&osCsid=m2rst2v4d8j5uuc9m3s5n5p5g1

Fill the filter with oil before screwing back onto the motor. You will be amaxed at just much the filter will hold if you let it settle. Failiure to do this will starve your motor of oil as you re-start. Fill the motor after draing to 1/4″ above the “full” mark on the dipstick. For extra safety, remove the plugs and spin the motor to circulate the oil for a minute on the starter without firing.

While you’ve got the plgs out clean with a wire brush and check the gap. Adjust by grabbing the electrode with pliers and pulling out to increas/Tapping on the ground to decrease. If the electrode is erroded then replace.

Also, check the airfilter, usually easy to get to, if it’s dirty or blocked replace. Dirty airfilters choke the mixture and cost you more fuel.

Timing doesn’t slip on modern cars so shouldn’t need attention. Radiator expansion bottles should be topped up with antifreeze. Radiators themselves should be free of rubbish and dead bugs to maintain the airflow.

Have fun.

I would rather buy the tools to do the job myself, than pay a guy who already has the tools to do it for me.

It's Time to get Wise

[Anonymous 0]

I have an old ex-Bundeswehr (4WD with difflocks front & aft) VW T3 bus (“Vanagon”) that I turned into a camper and when I was not making a lot of money, I found it interesting and rewarding to do all kinds of things myself. But eventually I got extremely busy and since time is a finite resource that I need to do nice things with and make money/secure my future with, I decided to let a mechanic deal with most things. It’s simple economics, I make about 100x more, per truly productive working hour, than the mechanics round here. That’s because I’m chronically ill and I own a tech company. I can work only 1, at most 2 productive hours a day. Those really need to be spent on my business.

[UntamedParticipant]

No one services or repairs my car but me. I only go to the shops for diagnostics. I’m not a mechanic, just manually inclined, but we’re not talking rocket science here. Matter of fact I fix all my s~~~ and I decide if it’s good for trash or not, nobody else.
How many times have I found a perfectly good computer sitting next to a trash bin with only a deficient electric box, or a mechanic who tells me the main gasket is blown while I find a piston that actually came lose?
I don’t understand people who use things without having at least a good base notion on how to fix them or even know how they work.

Don't let them Blame, Shame or Tame you!
Give 'em NOTHING, not even an answer!
#GenderSegragationNow!

[GeraldParticipant 3631]

When I had a home, I did everything I was capable of myself. Had the oil change down to twenty minutes, from start to cleanup finished. Brakes, tune up, essentially anything short of a clutch or transmission, I did myself.

Now I live in a s~~~ty apartment and you can’t do it here.

No longer can we walk away, we must run. Remove the motive power.

[MusclecarGolferParticipant 637]

If I have the time, the room, and the tools, then I do the repairs my self. My range includes routine tune-up services, to intake/exhaust manifolds, to fuel injectors, to carburetors, to radiators, to distributors, long-block assembly, etc. If I had more room, I’d move forward with a drivetrain swap, along with other chassis replacements, but I’ll be recruiting a local master technician for the drivetrain switch instead.

I saved over $1,500 by replacing the intake manifold on my Toyota myself. Instead of buying a new one for $1,300, and having someone else charge me for installation (several hundred more likely), I found a used on at a wrecking yard ($36) and installed myself ($4 for gasket kit). The neat part was when I removed the used one from the donor car, I was able to firsthand experience how the removal/installation happened.

I suggest that if you have the resources and time, and the vehicle’s symptom(s) will not adversely-affect your mobility, investigate the non-routine stuff and systematically diagnose and fix; independent problem-resolution is extremely rewarding.

[Anonymous 42]

I do my own engine, transmissions, rear differential, bearings, brakes, tires, collision, welding, painting, and occasionally customizing.

Oil changes? Yes, and the used oil is burned in my home-maid hot water rocket stove for hydronic thermal mass heat. I burn used motor oil along with used break fluid, hydraulic fluid, gear lube, clotted diesel, grease globs, plastic, sneakers, and wood.

No smoke too!

[AutoliteParticipant]

Princekie wrote:

So guys, quick straw poll. Do you service your car at home….or leave it to the “professionals”?

Professionals? Do you mean there are people who I can pay to do this kinda s~~~ for me???

[AutoliteParticipant]

I’m reminded of a funny story.

A few years ago I was fueling up at a local gas station on the day after Christmas. This post wall granny in an old Ford pick-up asks me where she can go in town to get a head light replaced.

I told her that I didn’t think that there would be anyone open that day. I explained to her that I wasn’t familiar any of the auto shops in town. I said that I do my own work myself and that I never needed to ever go to one.

She then snarled, “WHY, BECAUSE YOU’RE A MAN”?

I calmly and politely replied, “No, because I’m a retired mechanic”. What a f~~~in’ bitch…

[Anonymous 54]

Autolite wrote:

She then snarled, “WHY, BECAUSE YOU’RE A MAN”?

well, YES!!!
Thats why they hate us. We can do all this stuff they cant. They hate haveing to ask us for help.

They can clean the tools for us afterwards.

[AutoliteParticipant]

Greg Honda wrote:

While you’ve got the plgs out clean with a wire brush and check the gap. Adjust by grabbing the electrode with pliers and pulling out to increas/Tapping on the ground to decrease. If the electrode is erroded then replace.

Also, check the airfilter, usually easy to get to, if it’s dirty or blocked replace. Dirty airfilters choke the mixture and cost you more fuel.

Timing doesn’t slip on modern cars so shouldn’t need attention. Radiator expansion bottles should be topped up with antifreeze. Radiators themselves should be free of rubbish and dead bugs to maintain the airflow.

And remember to unwrap the dead cats from around the fan belts. No one ever mentions that…

[Anonymous 54]

Autolite wrote:

Greg Honda wrote:

While you’ve got the plgs out clean with a wire brush and check the gap. Adjust by grabbing the electrode with pliers and pulling out to increas/Tapping on the ground to decrease. If the electrode is erroded then replace.

Also, check the airfilter, usually easy to get to, if it’s dirty or blocked replace. Dirty airfilters choke the mixture and cost you more fuel.

Timing doesn’t slip on modern cars so shouldn’t need attention. Radiator expansion bottles should be topped up with antifreeze. Radiators themselves should be free of rubbish and dead bugs to maintain the airflow.

And remember to unwrap the dead cats from around the fan belts. No one ever mentions that…

One time I fired up my van(318!) and, clank clank..what the…and a kitten got spit out from the front end. The fan kicked it out!! Haha
Most of you will be disapointed, it was ok….

[IRuleMeParticipant]

Depends what it is. Oil changes and stuff I take to shops. One, because I can get in trouble with illegal discarding of oil, and two, I live in an apartment complex so there’s certain things I can’t do. But generally I try to do repairs myself. Including brakes.

[Anonymous 42]

Autolite wrote:

And remember to unwrap the dead cats from around the fan belts. No one ever mentions that…

You’re supposed to unwrap them? I just keep going until it either falls out or dries out! Either way it’s out…

[AutoliteParticipant]

IRuleMe wrote:

Depends what it is. Oil changes and stuff I take to shops. One, because I can get in trouble with illegal discarding of oil,

I can see that becoming more and more of an issue. I’m suppose to take my used oil to the storage tank at the local dump but like MGtower I just burn it.

There are places where you’re not even allowed to pop the hood and pressure wash your engine.

When I get too old to do my own auto-mechanical work myself I think I just might just stick with bicycles…

[PrincekieParticipant 1042]

Good to see I’m in the company of likewise people. I do my service, brakes….basically most things on my car. Saved myself a lot. Learnt a lot off my dad.

Greg- good tips there. The “cheapo” oil is 5/30 fully synthetic. I was a bit blasé with words though, as I treat my car to Shell this time which I’d got earlier in the year with a huge discount. It usually gets 5/30 fully synthetic eBay cheapo oil.

Solo man- yeah crazzzzzy prices there. I do know a few places near here that would do it for less than 40 quid, but I’m not entertaining him!

Autolite- yep, some people really are useless with the simplest of tasks. Number of times ex partner used to phone me up to change her tyre or (even worse) beg me to change headlight bulbs.

For the people that live in apartments…. I feel for you guys.

[PrincekieParticipant 1042]

Don’t know if it helps, but if you can carefully store the old oil you can use it as creosote.

[Author]

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