In an unscheduled and unwanted trip to the garage, the worse news you can possibly have is finding out that your çž¿900 engine re-fit could have been avoided had you just gotten your car serviced. As if to rub salt in your wounds, a lot of expensive repairs are easily preventable with proper maintenance and care of your vehicle.
But if you're anything like me, you put the job off. In much the same way that I avoid washing my car, I shun the important job of looking after it. Any number of procrastinations can keep you from the easy and simple jobs that could save you a painful outing to the mechanics.
I was originally dodging the job because I wasn't entirely sure on how to go about it, but when somebody showed me the way I've serviced my own car every six months for the past 5 years and I haven't experienced a problem since. Touch wood.
Servicing your car isn't the go to for all problems, if your power steering was on its way out then a new air filter isn't going to change that. But the holy trinity of car servicing (air filter, oil change and spark plugs) will alleviate many problems and keep your car in a healthy condition.
Oil Change
This is the messiest and probably the most mechanical aspect of servicing your car, so you can either do it first to get it out of the way with or leave it until last if you're lazy like me. You have two options for performing this, each with their own risks and rewards.
The safest option is to do this when the oil is cold and you haven't started the engine. This will avoid the chance of scalding yourself with burning motor oil, but you won't get the cleanest empty.
If you're confident enough in your ability to not get hurt, changing the oil of your car when it's hot is a more dangerous but more effective procedure. Due to the fact that the oil has circulated the engine, it has become less viscous and will have picked up any of the residue that has been sitting in the pits and pipes of your car.
Jacking your car or driving it onto a mechanic's ramp, you want to locate the sump which should be somewhere beneath the driver's seat. The sump nut will normally require an Allen key, but a socket set will be sufficient. Loosen the sump nut and get ready with a bucket or a tray to catch the oil, when you're in position remove the nut completely and watch the filthy oil cascade.
Once the sump is empty, you want to unscrew the oil filter located to the right of the sump (there will be a small amount of oil in here too) and replace it with a new one. When the new oil filter is on and the sump nut replaced, fill your car back up with beautiful clean oil.
Air Filter
This is the easiest job of them all. The air filter will often sit right at the top of your engine in a large plastic case which is connected to a tube. Remove the screws holding the casing down and take out the air filter; it will either be a cylinder like your oil filter or a round tube. The cylinders will unscrew whereas the tubes will just pull out. Pop in a new filter and replace the casing. Done.
Spark Plugs
This will be a different job for each car, and can be immensely tricky. Whilst not a difficult task, the position of the spark plugs indicate the complexity of the task. Little fingers will be best here (but don't get your kids to do it!) When the engine is cool, remove the air filter casing and search for the spark plugs. Most cars will have four, and you can trace electric wires to their positions. Pull the wires from the plugs, to a satisfying pop, and you'll unearth the metal of the plugs themselves. You want to dig out your socket kit and find the right size, hoping that you have the right angle to remove them.
Replace these one at a time, so you don't get the wires mixed up. If you've managed to get them out, you should have no trouble replacing them as the hard work is done.
Once you've performed these tasks, you can relax for six months and know that you've done all you can to ensure your car's health. All that's left to do is dig out the sponge and bucket and get to work cleaning it!
