Service question, What am I missing out on?

[lad_1965]

Hi I am after some helpful advice on home servicing my VT & VX. Both of these cars are quite new to me so I dont know their history very well, But I want to do the Oil and spark plug changes myself, as well as tyre rotation and simple stuff like that.
Up until now I have always taken my cars to mechanics to do all the servicing. Now my circumstances have changed and I cant afford to do that any more.
My Question is ..... What am I missing out on by not taking it to a mechancic for the basic 80,000 - 90,000k service?
Do they have some magic very expensive machine that can diagnos stuff that I cant?

Cheers, and thanks in advance for the advice
Lad

 

[V8 Berlina]

Saftey Check is what your missing out on. Mechanics can find many things wrong with a car that someone that dosent know alot about cars will look straight past.

 

[BlackVXGTS]

Depends what you mean by simple stuff. If you are not sure of the service history, as well as the engine oil, filter and plugs, you should be changing the fuel filter, coolant and brake fluid, checking the brake pads for wear, belt tightness, underbody and under bonnet inspection for leaks etc.

 

[GMMAD]

80000 is a major service

 

[NVE_069]

80000 is a major service

What he said^^^^^^^ have a look in ur log book that will tell u what is needed/ recomanded

 

[pablo]

Hey Lad, buy yourself a workshop manual and read the relevant info on servicing, it will tell you what to look for. Read a section and then go and have a look on the vehicle at what they are talking about. Familiarise your self first under the bonnet and elsewhere around the car. Believe me, oil changes, spark plugs, brake pads, coolant hoses, filters,tyre rotation is NOT rocket science stuff. I have never had a car serviced in my life!!, except for the auto trans. The book even tells you wot tools you will need.
Pablo

 

[BeNoS]

yeah just get a gregorys m8 will tell ya everything then just refer to log books for what needs to be done and go for it it really isnt hard good luck with it all

 

[Drewie]

Even if you do your own servicing the car really needs to go up on a hoist periodically as there are a lot of things some safety related you can't check properly lying on the ground under them, things like suspension bushes, tierods, balljoints, universals, exhaust brackets and hangers, steering rack boots etc. A good mechanic doing a safety check may probably notice things starting to deteriorate with it up on a hoist that you may miss just doing an oil and filter change with it on stands, and rather than waiting for a component to fail you at least know something is on the way out and can plan accordingly.

 

[lad_1965]

Thanks guys for all of your responces, I'm a bit ashamed to admit that at 41 years of age I did my 1st oil change (thats the sort of stuff aussie blokes are supposed to do) and I feel good about it, and am lookong forward to the nest service on the VT.
Cheers all
Lad

 

[veclubby]

lol aw well mate you gotta start sumwhere! yeh i prefer doin it myself...then at least i no its been done :thumbsup:

cheers
ryan