How do I service my car?

There are many reasons why you may want to service your own car.

If you have a well-equipped garage already, you could potentially save a lot of money.

Perhaps it's the attraction of productive quality time in the 'man cave' (or 'woman cave', for that matter).

Maybe you just want to learn more about cars in depth.

Or you want to annoy the neighbours with your incessant use of power tools and the frequent utterance of four-letter words at all hours of the day and night.

Let's say for the sake of the argument that your car is an older example and long out of warranty. If you're feeling courageous enough to undertake some basic servicing, after building up some experience keeping an eye on the car's state of health in between regular services.

If you're not confident about servicing your own car, however, don't. Leave it for the professionals.

But if you are confident, you'll have to assemble some tools – and that will cost money if you don't already have them in the garage or can't borrow them from an accommodating neighbour.

Invest in a service manual if you're going to get serious about servicing your own car.

Buy parts and consumables from aftermarket retailers rather than the dealers. The difference in pricing can be massive.

If you're not particularly well versed in automotive maintenance, it's good to have an expert mate help you through the early stages of your learning curve.

The time you spend working on your car is time you could spend having fun or making money, rather than saving it. And the money you save may not end up being as much as you expect.

Never underestimate how long it will take to complete a task that will involve the car being immobilised either. If you need to be somewhere by a set time, going there in a taxi is frustrating if you have your own car, but it's up on blocks, waiting for you to finish refilling the engine oil.

Finally, if you stuff up something – too much oil in the engine, for example – you are liable for your own actions, and you won't be claiming the cost of gasket replacement from an indemnified professional.

So think carefully about whether you want to undertake your own vehicle servicing before you commit.

But if you're still raring to go after all that, get stuck in...

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