Servicing/fixing your own car

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I've done all of my own servicing since I first got a car nearly 15 years ago. I just don't trust garages. The first car I got was old but it was supposed to be 'fully serviced' from the garage I got it from. 6 months later at MOT time, it turned out it had nothing left of the rear brake shoes, so I started to check other stuff over. It's clearly hadn't been serviced for years. The term 'fully serviced' now bugs me too, it could mean a huge range of things, it depends on the car, the age, and the milage.

Now I know what parts go in, I use decent brand parts like matching mintex brake pads and disks, motul oil etc. If it went into a garage it would get whatever they could get cheapest to maximise profit.
 
Dougy16 said:
I'm talking about cars under warranty only there. If it's not fair enough but if it is it's always best to use dealer parts.

For example a Volvo XC90 second service using dealer parts comes to about £300 but that keeps the job right using what they recommend.
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There’s a difference between dealer and OEM.

OEM will be cheaper.
 
Dave Herbal said:
Does anyone still do this, like people used to do in the olden days? Seems to have become a forgotten art. Everyone just takes their car to a garage for the slightest thing now, when a lot of stuff you can fix yourself for a fraction of the cost.
I’ve just bought a set of brake pads for £15, should only take half an hour to fit.
Replaced blocked washer jets for about a fiver.
A full set of filters and a change of oil is less than £50.
You don’t even need to know what to do anymore, it’s all on YouTube.
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Brake pads etc normally do myself, servicing unfortunately you need a stamp, there's very little you can do yourself nowadays, Being a good mechanic is a lost art, you plug the car into a computer & it tells you what part to change nowadays
 
I'm Spartacus said:
I think I need new glow plugs on my van. I had a quick look and can I fuck see where they are, looks like loads of shit needs removing to get access to them. I’ll just pay someone who knows what they’re doing.
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That’s a good shout. Spark plugs are a right twat a lot of the time TBF.
 
Goat Eyes said:
There’s a difference between dealer and OEM.

OEM will be cheaper.
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We're lucky that our clientele (the good regulars) aren't bothered about cheap. Some new people might be but even then most people who phone are happy to pay for a good job.
 
Goat Eyes said:
You should be able to get away without removing the bumper but it’ll be fiddly.


Dealer price will be about £200/£250.

Can get it done for half that at an independent and keep your warranty valid.


You’ve got it aye?
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Half price you reckon? Having a quick look up it’s £14 per litre just for the oil, and it takes 7l apparently. Then there’s the filter. Don’t use the main dealers at all but £200 might be a good price?
 
royalmush83 said:
Half price you reckon? Having a quick look up it’s £14 per litre just for the oil, and it takes 7l apparently. Then there’s the filter. Don’t use the main dealers at all but £200 might be a good price?
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Well if there’s that much oil then it could be more. :lol:
 
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