servicing a nissan note

wifes getting her note MOT’d next week and i asked about a service at the same time.  looks like it adds £160 onto the cost which isnt tooo bad considering, but i just wondered how easy it would be to do it myself and save a few pennies.

its an 06, so a bit of a banger these days, but runs well and as far as i know it wont need anything big doing to it.

as services go, is one service much the same as any other service, or are some more difficult?  am i right in thinking that i just need to change the oil, air filter and oil filter?  is that pretty much it?

i dont have a pit so it could be difficult changing the oil, but i can borrow a pair of wheel ramps to raise the front.  that just made me wonder tho whether the oil would drain properly if the cars sloping?

and is there a chance that the oil filter wont come undone, so id be stuck on the drive with a screwdriver ripping a hole in it? 😀

as you can see, im not an engine sort of person, so do you applaud my willingness to give it a go, or am i just asking for trouble and should fork out the £160?  of course, i realise that the parts may well swallow some of that up too, so i wouldnt actually be saving that much.

WWSTWD?

cheers.

Oil alone is quite spendy at the moment.  £160 sounds OK – although that might be simply an oil change and a cursory glance at other bits.

Plus are you happy to get under the car to drain the oil (or got the kit to extract it elsewhere) and then dispose of it?

They are a doddle. I service our Primera, Qashqai and Aygo !

Tools wise, you’ll need an oil filter remover – can be done with a hammer and a screwdriver, but not ideal, and a spark plug socket.

Oil will be 5w30 and Manol Oils are a good price, otherwise £30 from ECP. Oil Filter about £6 for a named one, £10 or so air filter. Plugs, go for NGK as they are OEM – £25. Pollen filter another £10-£15.

You don’t need many tools.

You’ll probably spend more time removing the plastic shield under the engine, to get at the oil filter.

Wheel ramps are best TBH, and oil will run towards rear of sump where the drain plug is, so fine !

Socket set for sump plug – make sure it’s six sided socket ! Just saying !  You’ll probably save £100 depending upon what the garage says they replace !

For £160 I’d let the garage sort it!

Especially as you’ll be taking it there for an MOT anyway.

Could also need fuel filter, spark plugs*, and cabin filter depending on when these were last done, but I doubt all that would be included in a £160 service as spark plugs are quite pricey these days

But yeah, you’re right about the basic replacements after that it’s largely inspecting things for damage/wear etc. most of which will be picked up by the MOT anyway. I’d not worry about it being tilted back a little while draining the oil, in fact if the sump plug is at the back it’ll help drain it a bit. You could try loosening the oil filter with a strap wrench before committing to draining the oil just in case it is stuck. Can be a little tricky depending on access around the filter. I’d definitely do a car of that age myself. Keep the receipt for the parts as some kind of service history.

*I’m assuming it’s petrol here, but a lot of those were actually diesels with the quite-nice-for-its-age Renault 1.5 dCi engine.

Buy the Haynes manual if there is one.

I had my Qashqai serviced last month at my local indy and was about £180 all in. That was oil and filters so £160 sounds about right?

Piece of pi55 if you know what you’re doing, have the tools and NOTHING goes wrong.

Now imagine its raining, you’ve twatted the filter getting it off, oil is leaking on the drive and it’s after 12 on Saturday…

haha well i dont know what im doing (yet) and i have no tools bar a socket set.

i think i did it many years ago over a pit at work (work elsewhere now, no pit) and didnt have a strap wrench, is that the correct tool for the job?  and if so anyone got a link to a suitable jobbie?

i also seem to remember i was advised to get a new sump washer, would that be correct?  i also had a ‘knowledgeable’ friend to help, i dont have that now.

an initial attempt at the oil filter sounds a good call, thanks.

oh and i think id give myself a full day at it, and a sunny one at that 😀

EDIT:  certainly not complaining about the cost, its reasonable.  but its a win-win if i can save some money and learn a new skill at the same time.

thanks for your help

I am a natural born Tinkerer and always serviced my own cars including rebuilding engines etc
Would I bother for £160 if I wasn’t geared up for car tinkering? No.
However I must have saved 10’s of thousands £ over the years of DIY servicing.

Garage might be best bet if you’ve no tools, and no experience. It’s not difficult, but you need the right stuff.

Take care and use the Nissan oil filter tool or equivalent. DO NOT USE A STRAP WRENCH.

The filter attaches to a plastic part that has coolant running through it. This plastic thing is easy to break. Guess how I know this!!

Take care and use the Nissan oil filter tool or equivalent. DO NOT USE A STRAP WRENCH.

The filter attaches to a plastic part that has coolant running through it. This plastic thing is easy to break. Guess how I know this!!

is this one?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203532917824?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338624526&toolid=20006&customid=4cc4cf43c36151308a1f84300c532d34

as you can see, im not an engine sort of person, so do you applaud my willingness to give it a go, or am i just asking for trouble and should fork out the £160?

This makes me suggest that giving it to someone else may be sensible.

I write that as someone who is vaguely mechanical and competent – I do all our bike servicing – but has had a few ‘oh ffs, I don’t have the tool / pit / knowledge to sort this one out…

You can get a cheap service kit for about £60 (obviously you can spend £60 just on oil if you want).

Depends on your time/money/tools/skills/risk. Also what is included in the garages “service”.

I DIY service if I have time/inclination, as it saves me a lot of money, and I know its done correctly. Last service I paid to have done as I have a long term project on the lift and dont want to work in the driveway anymore, plus it was done while I was earning money doing something else.

Also consider what you will do if you mess up, stripped sump threads, snapped spark plug, twisted fuel line etc I can rectify those myself, and have alternative transport to get to work, a mate stopped DIY after a few simple jobs were less than straight forward to complete and ended up with a car sitting in bits.

If you want to get stuck in and learn everybody has to start somewhere.

I might suggest that you have the ability to do a better job than the garage
They may leave it to the apprentice mechanic.
Thay may let most of the oil out, where you have the time to let the sump fully drain.
They may use a cheap generic oil, not the manufacturer recommended one. No small garage has 6 to 8 x 50ltr drums of different oil weights semi, fully synthetic, petrol, diesel etc all lined up.

You can choose the quality of the oil filter you require, ditto air filter.
Yes a new sump washer is desirable.
Yes, you will need a catch can. I use a 25ltr placcy Jerry can with the side cut away, it comes witha screw on lid so pouring it is easy.
I would recommend latex gloves, double up.
No need to do it for the mot, nothing in a petrol service is going to make a jot of difference to a pass or fail.

In fact, wait till it passes. Then service it. In case it fails on lots of little things and becomes beyond economic repair.

Then choose a dry sunny day to do it, start early incase you need to leg it to a motor factors, some close at 1pm

Firstly, I’m an advocate of diy, but there is one consideration. Garages get very little money for MOTS – they have to be done quickly, and they’re not allowed to remove anything.

So, when they’re checking brake pads, if your wheel/hub combo blocks the view, they’re making a guess at their condition. Equally, they won’t be checking your Aux belt and similar wear items, as they’re not safety related.

That’s assuming you have a good garage that does a proper service, not just an oil change.

Basically a service *shouldn’t* just be an oil & filter change.

Got an oil bike chain lying around? My filter removal tool resembles a bike chain threaded through a socket.

Does the oil filter or the housing have a nut shape on it?  From memory the ones I’ve done are usually about 32mm socket to undo the filter or the housing.

Don’t forget to put a bit of oil on the new rubber ring and don’t over tighten it.  A few large cardboard boxes flattened and put under the car are useful for the inevitable spilt oil.

For £160 I’d do it myself.

& don’t forget you need to dispose of the old oil, or do what my Dad did in the 70s and mix it with creosote to paint the fence!

I have the tools and if I had the time I’d do it myself. Used to on my old Accord. Even though it had a full Honda service history the fuel filter had never been changed. Probably as it was a bastard of a job between the engine and scuttle panel.

If you intend to service it regularly then it may cost you more initially to purchase any tools, but subsequent service costs go down.

But older cars are a ball ache. Son had to replace a caliper half on his 07 plate civic as the bleed nipple was rusted solid. If we had the time we could have drilled it out and retapped with a new bleed nipple but he needed the car, so easiest option was a new caliper half which was an extra £60.

@sadexpunk That’s the one. Apologies for radio silence it was drive back from Scotland day.

@Sandwich great, thanks.  just before i order, ive got a chain whip for removing cassettes (as @FB-ATB suggests similar above).  would that do the job just as well?

my lads just been getting prices for a service on his 04 focus too and is a little alarmed at what hes being told.  hes unsure whether these prices are for ‘full service’ or ‘standard service’, which got me thinking about mine…..

changing the oil, oil filter and air filter im guessing is as ‘standard’ as you get, what would/should i change for a ‘full service’?

and is there a timing belt that would need changing at some point?  i cant see any mention of it on previous services and ive heard horror stories about them snapping and ‘make sure you get the water pump changed at the same time whilst its out’ type conversations.  will my note have one, or might it be a sturdier chain rather than a rubber belt that could snap at any time?

if im having a day on mine, i might be tempted to look at his focus at the same time if its simple enough?

thanks

this is similar to mine:

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/cht243-oil-filter-chain-wrench/?da=1&TC=GS-040210243&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5Y6P0ezy_wIV7JCDBx0kGA8JEAQYDCABEgJKBfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

and this looks not too dissimilar to a cassette removal tool:

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/top-tech-chain-oil-filter-wrench-529771301?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5Y6P0ezy_wIV7JCDBx0kGA8JEAQYECABEgIbOvD_BwE

occasionally the chain could tear into the filter if it was on too tight. Think some other posters refer to a dedicated one for Nissans so I’d err on the side of caution.

changing the oil, oil filter and air filter im guessing is as ‘standard’ as you get, what would/should i change for a ‘full service’?

Look.in the service book or online – you will see what’s included in each typemof service.

im having a day on mine, i might be tempted to look at his focus at the same time if its simple enough?  thanks

If you don’t know what’s involved in changing a timing belt then you’re out if your depth….. It’s not for you and a mistake could kill the engine!

The chain whip won’t fit in the available space. The filter is hidden under one of the manifolds at the front of the engine and is invisible from above. You’ll need the fancy filter socket and some extensions to fit on your ratchet.

It’s rather easy to break the plastics with an offset strap wrench and a 3/8 inch socket set driver (how I did ours) and end up with coolant all over the drive.

There’s a very helpful Note forum online that I can recommend joining as there’s some ex-mechanics and parts people from franchised operations there. Plus access to the service manual issued by Nissan.

If you don’t know what’s involved in changing a timing belt then you’re out if your depth….. It’s not for you and a mistake could kill the engine!

oooh no no no, not for a minute was i suggesting id look at that, just bog standard servicing for me.  was just wondering whether the note will have one, and if so whether its a chain or not, as it doesnt look like its been changed yet in the service book.

The chain whip won’t fit in the available space.

right, thats one decision made then, i’ll order the correct tool.

There’s a very helpful Note forum online that I can recommend joining as there’s some ex-mechanics and parts people from franchised operations there. Plus access to the service manual issued by Nissan.

is that noteownersclub?  i joined that back in the day and logged in again the other day and downloaded a ‘service manual’ from there, but it was a massive file that i think was a bit overkill and i couldnt actually find any info on actual servicing.

thanks all.

I got the main dealer to print out a service schedule for my car, ie, what’s covered.  I think it was the annual service, Kia, c 600 from memory.  Local indie did that and more for c half, oil, air filter, pollen filter, brake check, few other bits and bobs.

Good local indie should look for other stuff like cables chafing, brakes wearing low.

In a garage £160 will not get you a full service. It will be oil change and filter, maybe air filter at most.
A full big service, probably 36,000 miles will include.the above plus
Change brake fluid
Change engine coolant
Change auxiliary drive belt
Change spark plug
Change pollen filter
Then a load of checking
Brake disc
Brake pads
Brake shoes
Hand brake travel
Washer fluid
Tyres
Wheels
Shocks
Wheel bearing
Pas fluid

Buy a Haynes manual off ebay
It will be cheap and will have the service schedule in the front.

I wouldn’t bother messing around with the sump plug, just use a pump to suck all the oil up the dipstick hole

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-104616-Fluid-Extractor-Pump/dp/B003G2YV1I/ref=sr_1_1

takes a couple of minutes, zero mess. Some claim that it doesn’t get all the oil out of the sump, but its the same thing your garage is likely to use. Make sure that your engine isn’t hot or the plastic pipe can melt within the sump (don’t ask me how I know that 😀 )

Make sure that your engine isn’t hot or the plastic pipe can melt within the sump (don’t ask me how I know that 😀 )

Note, the oil needs to be a certain temperature otherwise it won’t flow properly.

Now imagine its raining, you’ve twatted the filter getting it off, oil is leaking on the drive and it’s after 12 on Saturday…

This is the type of question I always ask when thinking about doing work on my own cars. Is £160 – what I’d spend on parts to DIY worth it for an afternoon of my precious weekend pissing around with bolts that don’t want to come undone or crumble at the merest sight of a socket. Often the answer is no, just get the garage to do it…

Depends what’s included.

Wife has a similar Micra, it has an oil & filter changed every year and the an air filter every other. The rest gets picked up at MOT

In a garage £160 will not get you a full service. It will be oil change and filter, maybe air filter at most.
A full big service, probably 36,000 miles will include.the above plus
Change brake fluid
Change engine coolant
Change auxiliary drive belt
Change spark plug
Change pollen filter
Then a load of checking
Brake disc
Brake pads
Brake shoes
Hand brake travel
Washer fluid
Tyres
Wheels
Shocks
Wheel bearing
Pas fluid

took the car for the MOT today and spoke to him about services.  hes a real decent bloke, been going to him for years and trust him.  i was surprised when he told me that £160 is the charge for both the basic and full service which is pretty much all the above.  obviously any parts needed would be chargeable on top of that, but i was still surprised that he charged the same for both types.

just priced the parts up for oil (5/30?) and both oil and air filters and they probably mean id be saving just shy of £100 in the end rather than the full £160, and its definitely a decent price from a trustworthy bloke.  but, i just fancy DIYing it to learn the skill and save a bit of money myself, so want to ensure ive got the best chance of not getting into a heap of problems on my driveway so your advice is much appreciated.

think i’ll get him to do a full service next year tho as that seems good value for money for whats included.  thats if the car passes its MOT tho, its a bit of a banger now 😀

cheers

well its time to hold my hand and see me through this please……

no mates around to help me so im having a bash myself.  lifted the front up onto ramps and am currently draining the oil into an old washing up bowl.  then i had a thought…… i am doing this the right way round arent i?  drain the oil, then change the filter when its empty?  otherwise oil will just piss out from the filter hole when i unscrew it wont it?

and looking at the sump drain, even with the car higher at the front, the sump plug seems to be higher than the base so i assume its ok to just leave a bit of old oil in there?

oil filter looks a b4stard to get to.

thanks

Be wary, oil will still come out of the filter as it retains some, quite a bit more than I expected came out of MrsF’s qashqai’s filter at weekend. So have some rags under the area and be prepared to wipe clean.

great, thanks.

next.  may seem a daft question, but which way round do the washers on the new sump plug go? 😀

theres a brass ‘crush’ washer with an indent on one side, and a gasket type washer too.  my gut feeling says the gasket type washer will be the one thats touching the sump, then the brass washer onto that (but not sure which way round), then the plug tightening it all down.  is that right?

of course i could just put the old one back, but as ive got a new one i may as well use it.

thanks