Thread: Do you service your own car?

This being a community of — let's face it — odd gents that seem to value DIY over anything else, I thought I might ask if you service your own car.
Some months ago I had a nice opportunity to sell my 1992 Peugeot 205 for a very nice and very cheap low mileage Mercedes W123 240D. The car had some work to be done (fixing some rust issues and other small things) and I decided that this might be an opportunity to learn a new skill and save money while I'm at it. I never serviced my Peugeot, I just took it to the mechanic and had him do it for me. It was cheap but not cheap enough. Plus, spare parts were more expensive for the Peugeot than for the Mercedes. Go figure!
So I started doing my own maintenance. Oil and filter changes mostly. But I reckon that this is the easy bit... I want to go further: adjust valves, change brake pads, callipers and rotors, change old gaskets and fiz some issues that all old cars have. There's a steep learning curve for this hobby, let me tell you! (I did an oil change a few days ago and made a complete dog's breakfast of it! I had to call the mechanic to come and help me out and fix the mess I had done... We had a few laughs!)
So... who does their own services and how far do you go? Do you stick to filter and fluid changes or do you rebuild your own engine? If you're a professional mechanic, well... it doesn't count!

With newer cars, I pretty much stick with fluid changes and brakes. When I owned older cars I did a bit more because they were easier to work on, IMO. I can still probably rebuild the carborator on an AMC Pacer with my eyes closed.

I barely have time to take a leak so I bring my car to Mazda when needed. I drop it off, they bring me home and I can be productive with more important day to day projects while someone else does the work. They come and pick me up when the car's ready. Has always worked out for me.

I do all the routine maintenance on my and my wife's cars, however I did have to draw the line replacing my clutch, not because I do not have the know how, I just did not have the time. It turned out faster paying to have it done. But other than that, I've done radiators, water pumps, starter, motor mounts, fuel pump, etc. I find it refreshing being able to work on my own car most of the time and always thank my dad for instilling in me the knowledge needed to do it myself. He told me when I got my first car he would help me by answering any questions I had, but I would be the one getting dirty and busting my knuckles. Thanks Dad.

Does it count if one haven't directly worked as a mechanic in lets say ten years or so?

I do it all,actually if you invest a small amt in a code reader, todays are cars are cake to work on,the mechanical stuff is the same as it was 40 yrs ago.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

I do it all,actually if you invest a small amt in a code reader, todays are cars are cake to work on,the mechanical stuff is the same as it was 40 yrs ago.

Agreed. Also, most specialty tools can be borrowed from any AutoZone for free, so the cost is even less than it was years ago. I've done most of my repairs and all of my maintenance myself, sometimes with a little help from a friend. I believe if possible, we should manage our own property. Self reliance seems to be less and less common these days.

My problem with newer cars has nothing to do with the actual fixing of them. My car right now(Chevy Cobalt) has no room to actually do the work. You damn near have to pull the engine if you need to replace anything. I've noticed the same problem on other newer makes. They cram everything into a small engine compartment, almost forcing you to take it to a mechanic if something breaks.

I started doing most basic things myself, this summer.
Once a year I go for oil change (I have no way of properly lifting the car to do it myself), then top off oil for the next 15k miles before next change (takes a lot more than 3 months for that). I also changed spark plugs, serpentine(drive) belt, also was sown how to change break pads. Recharged the AC, and found out it has never been completely charged, which would explain why I had to go to the shop every year to have it recharged and it cost me less than what they would charge. Saves a lot of money to do all those things by your self and does not take much time at all.

Originally Posted by mainaman

I started doing most basic things myself, this summer.
Once a year I go for oil change (I have no way of properly lifting the car to do it myself), then top off oil for the next 15k miles before next change (takes a lot more than 3 months for that). I also changed spark plugs, serpentine(drive) belt, also was sown how to change break pads. Recharged the AC, and found out it has never been completely charged, which would explain why I had to go to the shop every year to have it recharged and it cost me less than what they would charge. Saves a lot of money to do all those things by your self and does not take much time at all.

Those Rhino ramps are great and they accommodate todays lower profile cars. No more jacks and jack stands, and they store easily if you have limited space.