Do you service and maintain your own car, or have it done for you?

[apolloxbgt]

I've always done my own,but now I've got a newy (the focus) I'm preparing to be shafted by the dealer : If I still have it in 5 years when the warrenty runs out I'll do it myself.

[Feathers]

My old XD's I will get in and get my hands grubby/cut/brusied, but the BA is under warranty (not for much longer though), though it's a bit too complicated for my Dad to comprehend. He's much more comfortable with the older stuff before they had computers running things.

I haven't figured out if I'll continue to take it to Ford once it's out of warranty. There is a dealership close to my house, but we know lots of mechanics around the place that can work on the newer stuff, and who are friends we know we can trust.

All the cosmetic stuff done to it so far I did myself, and there's more to come in the next few days, as soon as I get off my butt and go pick up the bits I've ordered.

[ivorya]

My Bro is a Mechanic. Get things 4 gr8 $$$, only pay 4 parts.

[Aussie_Geo]

I get Ford to do the servicing and Simon to do the Tweaking. :

The main reason being that as a mechanic I make a damn good Geologist. :evil_laug

Peter

[opto]

I wanted to Vote 1,2 and 3 but couldn't, must fix forum, pull out tools.

[99FalconS]

Originally Posted by opto

I wanted to Vote 1,2 and 3 but couldn't, must fix forum, pull out tools.

Me too.

I do what ever i can myself so i know it is done and with the brands i choose.

[Hunter]

I do it myself for a number of reasons, primarily because there are way too many dodgy ar*ehole mechanics around and I don't trust them to do the job properly. That and cost.

I once put my car in for a fairly major job (a new headgasket, surprise surprise) and my damn car was left outside overnight (I'm sure of it) and some tosser stole the mag caps. Which then cost me about $100 to get a new set of shitty Taiwanese plastic caps and about two weeks of rooting around finding someone who could get them (old wheels).

I did have a decent mechanic a while ago but sadly he retired and since my wheel caps got stolen I pretty much refuse to take my car anywhere near an auto shop.

Note: if anyone out there in Brisbane in the inner northern suburbs is a decent (And real) mechanic, and wants some business, then you can have mine if you treat me right.

[The G6ET Spot]

Originally Posted by apolloxbgt

I've always done my own,but now I've got a newy (the focus) I'm preparing to be shafted by the dealer : If I still have it in 5 years when the warrenty runs out I'll do it myself.

You better brace yourself good and proper,as when a dealer shafts you he does it big time. Was quoted today for an A service for my ute.In the book it says it takes 48 minutes and 18 mins to rotate wheels, all they change is oil & filter all for the princely sum of $343 and that was with mineral oil,extra $70 for ful synthetic: Quickly told them to shove it.

[xbgs351]

I tick the first three boxes for my own cars. The Ford mechanics do the work on my company car, but I was still forced to diagnose a serious fault on my BA when the dealership couldn't nut it out.

Besides, mechanics are generally overated. When I have problems I ring my brother for help. He isn't a motor mechanic, but I have seen motor mechanics go to him for advice and help on their own cars.

[efI_Fairmont]

I do all the servicing on my car and my families cars. Mainly because I have the tools and motivation to do it myself. Plus, i'd feel lazy if I handed over something I know I can do myself. And I get the benefit of choosing the oils, parts etc that go into the cars. It's really a combination of 1, 2 and 3 in the poll for me.

[Donny]

Been a mechanic for too long to suffer doing my own cars. I have a good reliable mechanic that gets his hands dirty, burnt and cut up instead of me.
I do have an open offer to use his hoists, but can't be bothered with that anymore.
I am assembling my coupe by my self (fitout including motor, box, interiour, aircon and electricals etc), but once it's all ship shape and on the road, the mechanics will handel it from there. I can't be stuffed doing brakes and all that rubbish anymore.
And luckily enough, I have trained the family to go to this mechanic as well, so I don't have to worry bout doing those either.

[Perana]

1, 2 and 3 for me!... anything i can't do, Dad (being a mechanic) can!

[Mongo #650]

Warranty says that I must get it serviced by mechanic. I can't sign the book myself.
I wish i could do it myself, they charge like a wounded bull just to change the oil and tell me the air filter was dirty so they replaced it!!!
Service intervals for the BA XR6 are 15000 I think that is too long so I will be changing my own oil in between warranty services.

[robjh80]

I always try and do most things myself including the car servicing, that way I know it at least gets done with a bit of pride and care taken,.....there are far too many idiots out there who just dont give a damn,.... and I'm not only referring to Motor Mechanics, there's seems to be an abundance of clowns in all types of professions imo.

[red_hotxr6]

Went out and bought some spark plugs and leads and some coolant for the ef and handed them over to hubby to put in. Needless to say the only thing that worked right was the topping up offthe coolant. Not one of the leads came off easily, some lost the inner metal parts, 1 even broke further up inside, it had some sort of thread/cord inside, all the spark plugs were loose and looked rusty and had mildew all over the threaded part and the sparking part/ the enamel part was tanned on one side and pitted like it was getting too much heat on it. The leads well i had to go inside at this point as the swearing was right up there.What a place to put the distributor. Oh well at least it is done and it sounds and runs so much better now, hopefully the fuel mileage is alot better to.

[data_mine]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

All the basic stuff I do at home ... the harder stuff I get done at my mechanic ... or they let me use their tools and hoist and let me go for it ... if i have a question ... I ask and they give me a hand ... but i try and give everything a go.

Ditto.

Helps having a mate with a workshop.

[70caprigt3k]

I do pretty much any work on my car myself unless it requires a hoist, saves money and at the end of the day you learn from it which is really what i am after.

[Donny]

Originally Posted by red_hotxr6

Well i had to go inside at this point as the swearing was right up there.What a place to put the distributor. .

: Didn't Ford do a doozy with the placement of the dizzy on those E-Series MPEFI motors.... :

Just wait till you have to replace the Hall Effect unit inside the dizzy, or the shaft bearings, or even the external dizzy module.... Word of advice, do it on a cold motor....
I used to do those wretched things when they were hot and just came into the workshop. Lotsa Fun. About the only other job I liked less was doing an injector overhaul on the 80's 300ZX Turbo Nissan Motors, where you had to remove the plenum chambers off the intake manifold, R and R the injectors after getting them serviced, and solder in new injector plugs, then put it all back together....

[JC]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

I'd vote sometimes.

All the basic stuff I do at home ... the harder stuff I get done at my mechanic ... or they let me use their tools and hoist and let me go for it ... if i have a question ... I ask and they give me a hand ... but i try and give everything a go.

But as mentioned ... some things I leave for them to do (give them a hand with it though just to have a bit of a go myself).

I am far from being able to do everything myself ... but over the years have learnt a hell of a lot.

That pretty much sums it up for me too.

I answered for the first option, but really, it's because I like doing it. I do take it to a mechanic when it's stuff that's beyond me (like changing the oil filter). LOL

[S3SR]

i service everything besides oil, because im renting and if there oil on driveway i lose my bond money, i dont have proper place to dump the oil (i wont put it in the backyard either), Huxham Ford now Innisfail Ford does a good job anyways....and because its a small town and i know everyone they cant stuff up because they'll be in trouble.

[MITCHAY]

Just booked my car in then. $800 for 50,000km service and another $80 for a clutch feed. It might pay to learn a few things myself.

[GT-P BOSS]

I do the services my self, I always like to know my baby gets the same brand oil in her every time.

[red_hotxr6]

Originally Posted by GT-P BOSS

I do the services my self, I always like to know my baby gets the same brand oil in her every time.

Surely you are not trying to suggest that the mechanic/s would put whatever they like into your engine or they would not be able to read the service manual.? _2:

[AUIII XR8 MAN]

I pay someone to do it, it cheaper that way

[16wantsI6]

im 16 and a first year mechanic, i know a fair bit about engines, and a do a bit of servicing on landcruisers and camrys at work (CaseIH dealer) so i have exp in servicing, i also managed to take of the leads and change the oil and filter on my old EB ages ago on the grass at ground level. (lotsa swearing)

so yeah i trust i can work on my 302 quite well, way easier than EB 6cylinders, the oil filter is right in front of you lol and the dizzys in your hands as soon as you open the bonnet.

[16wantsI6]

ive also got a nice tool set so im not worried about that

[1TUFFUTE]

mines a combination of the 1st and the 5th ones :

[FLYXR6]

<<< mechanic so i do all my own servicing and repairs. Only take it to the dealer if i need the computer pluged into.

[krt10]

i picked Yes, because i'm a mechanic so it'd be stupid to pay someone else

Dad owns a garage.