I service both my cars myself and always have, apart from very occasionally using a garage which just confirms I've been doing the right thing. Oil isn't particularly more expensive and I buy mercedes branded stuff along with genuine filters etc from a main dealer, or eBay etc.
There's much less choice when it comes to sourcing parts, as the big fish keep swallowing the small ones eg LKQ ECP (think Wiggle and CRC), which isn't great news when it comes to shopping around.
With garages I imagine raging inflation is pushing all their costs up- heating, electric, wages, rent, etc, so they're passing it on to the consumer.
Even as a home tinkerer my costs have gone up about 1/3-1/2 based on buying the same service kit for the last 5 years ....
I could service it cheaper with cheaper filters and cheaper oil..... But it's not a rental car I'm keeping short term so for the extra 20 quid I'll pay my pennies for the placebo effect.
I don’t have garage or flat drive
I've done plenty of spannering (as long term forum regulars will remember) and honestly, not having a flat drive is one of the worst problems I've faced. It's been a stressor since a car started to fall of its jack stands whilst I was walking alongside between the car and the house. Fortunately I was able to push it back on, but it was a lesson in how things could go wrong. It was because I hadn't paid attention to the way the car tilts and moves when you jack it up on one side. But you know what? I didn't go to car lifting lessons so I had to work it all out for myself.
All of the above assume that the garage will do a better, more conscientious job than the home mechanic
It isnt aleays so.
Just because you are paying a person to do a job doesn't mean it will be in any way better than what you would do.
I have had double oil in the car
Upside down brake calipers
Oil drain plug threads stripped (brother)
Bolts from engine mounts missing
Illegal mots
Matts volvo
45 mins start to finish, and most of that would be letting all of the old oil out rather than some of the old oil out. New filers whilst its draining, wang plug back in, fresh oil, sump guard back on. Job jobbed.
Absolutely. I posted a photo on a thread a couple of months ago of the brake fluid I'd just changed.... The previous change had been done by a Skoda main dealer but the fluid I got from the rears was black, they obviously just flushed new stuff in the fronts.
I find this lack of concern from a garage, plus the faff of dropping off and collecting the car, means it's not much easier than doing the job myself. So for simple oil changes and brakes stuff I do it. I tend not to go any further than that these days though.
Never said it was hard 🙄
No, you said it was a nasty, messy job. Which it is if you're content to let it run all over the place and don't keep on top of things as you go. I'm not, which was why I made the point that I did.
I don’t have garage or flat drive, nor some of the kit like vacuum oil pump and oil filter spanner. Even then, oil can be uber expensive now etc etc. I need jack and stands, socket sets and more. Been there, been stung by ‘little jobs’ that ended up taking hours and hours and needing ‘one more tool’.
There is a cost to entry but Halfords do a perfectly good kit for not a lot. My filters have all been paper so is a 30odd mm socket for the bowl lid. You're right about small jobs turning into nightmares but servicing shouldn't be one of them (pollen filters aside). I also don't have a drive or garage, it's far from ideal and I'd rather not (usually park up on the hard standing) but it is possible to work with.
Not dismissing the rest of your point of course.
I’d rather pay someone to do jobs I don’t want to do, mainly using the theory that I can earn more in the time it’d take me to do the job than it costs me to pay someone else to do it.
We don't all have £420ph salaries. I make a tenth of that on double time, gross. So I can either work an extra 12h shift (and then some) or take an hour out my day and just do it myself for 1/4 of the cost, easy.
Pela vacuum pumps remove a lot of hassle - I doubted mine at first but whipped the sump off after using it for a few changes and it was clear with no sludge.
The VW - PD engined Golf I had was brilliant for oil changes as the oil filter was on top of the engine.
Tbh I've seen that many issues on family and friends from garages I'm happy to fix my own on the premise of I **** it up I'm fixing my **** up. I dispise paying for others **** ups. Many of which go unnoticed till the next time someone looks at it.....
(Loose brake caliper bolts and anti rattle plate acting as a parting tool when fitted backwards was one of the more hi potential items I found on my old man's van)
This all seems quite mild compared to my Golf service (at a local indy, not main dealer) that cost £1300, it was pads and discs all round plus major service so plugs etc. Still made me feel broke as the Octy also needed a service the week after. I love/hate owning cars and probably could do the work myself, but when it comes to cars and brakes I'd rather have a professional do the work!
when it comes to cars and brakes I’d rather have a professional do the work!
Do you work on your our bikes disc brakes? Cars are exactly the same - (drums are often a faff) discs and pads are easily within the realms of DIY. A Haynes manual is worth buying for <£20 and nowadays YouTube video or owners forum for extra info.
Autodoc (EU supplier of car parts) have good model specific how-to vids) as well.
The newer the car the less chance of corroded fasteners but my 18year old Volvo has only ever had two snapped fasteners during its full rebuild.
I promised myself I wouldn't do any more spannering after getting rid of the Passat. I did do the engine mounts, but I didn't do the service. A bit steep, really, but I just don't even want to get started down that road.
That said, I may change the shocks next year or so, and I might do that as it looks pretty easy being RWD and air springs at the back.
And talking of brakes
Toyota Celica with abs has fatter discs than the non abs model.
The fitment is the same and the brakes work perfectly, till the pads wear.
Then the pistons pop out the caliper. Which is never a good thing.
But yes, i would always pay someone else to look after essential items, like brakes
The DIY route is fine if you have the tools and the time.
I just re-piped the brake lines to the rear of OHs Astra estate and some other bits for the MOT, plus a service. A nice relaxing job with the correct tools and no time constraints as she didn't need it for work.
I remember a few years ago popping a wheel cylinder for some reason during a job on the car, getting brake fluid all over the rear pads and rushing around trying to find bits to make the car safe for Monday morning.
As for garages I drove a short distance in a van they'd forgotten to put the brake pads in once.
Asked another garage to look at some brakes as they felt a bit tired. Picked up van, declared brakes to be fine. Two days later, pads down to the backing.
Had a diesel injector exit out the engine after a head gasket job. Quite spectacular sound and carnage.
There are plenty more, but I drive many miles in work vehicles so I guess my exposure to errors is more likely.
Pela vacuum pumps remove a lot of hassle – I doubted mine at first but whipped the sump off after using it for a few changes and it was clear with no sludge.
The VW – PD engined Golf I had was brilliant for oil changes as the oil filter was on top of the engine.
I can honestly say I had no idea such a device existed. Was gonna say what's the point when you have to jack it up and get dirty to change the filter. But if the filter can be had from above then that pump is getting bought!
I got a marine diesel oil pump (no sump plug on a boat), cheaper than a car one.
Have been servicing my car every odd 10k and into the garage for the even 10k. Recommended gap is 12.5k, car is the 1.6hdi with 200k miles on it.
Add an engine flush to the oil, quick zip along the motorway to get it all hot and then vacuum it out. Change the three filters (a big socket for oil) replace oil and I'm good to go. Under an hour with no jack stands (I have them) or mess. And outside the house as I have a sloping drive. So car is over serviced but costing me less than following the recommended intervals.
Used to do my own but CBA over the last few years and I get mates rates with a local garage as I've known the owner for years, Did a major services on the wifes Volvo (belts too) for about £600 IIRC. The vans 14 years old with 160k on the clock so the money that gets spent on that old bus is minimal!
Just had my Mazda3 serviced at my local Mazda dealer for £250 which was plugs, oil, filters.
Do you work on your our bikes disc brakes? Cars are exactly the same – (drums are often a faff) discs and pads are easily within the realms of DIY
They are not these days.
To reset electric handbrake, you need the right digital tool. Depending on make and model, even other calipers need mechanical tool to reset.
Then you find the disc and wee retaining screw are rusted on, and then the caliper bolts are also rusted on. Cue needing impact driver or big leverage bars, car wobbling in axle stand.
Then you find that the pad sensor wire is duff or ABS sensor is packed in, and you end up wiring bits of the car...
(Etc).
It's not these days in the realm of single tool, pad out and pad in that a bike is. Some are, but fewer.
Up until my last car change I did all my own work, I genuinely used to enjoy working on it. If something needed doing underneath I would go to my local rent a ramp which cost about £50 for a half day, made life super easy and also allowed me to fully inspect everything underneath,
But since moving to the new car I simply cant be bothered. I have software to talk to the car if a warning comes up, but other than that I now go to a local specialist. Fortunately they have so far been pretty reasonable.