Self-Servicing! How easy was That?!

[WeirdNeville]

Hi all.
I've just serviced my car myself, the first time I'e ever summonsed the courage to have a go! I'm well chuffed. Less than an hour from start to finish, Less than £50 in bits to do the job. I didn't even cover the drive in an oil slick!

I'd just like an opinion on the plugs I've taken out, having never seen a used set before:

Do these look okay? They're brown going on white, and the electrodes look fine with their v-groove still in good shape and the Gap looks good. There's no sooty deposits on them. All in order?

For the record I used:
Castrol Magnatec 10W-40 £24.99 5l from halfords
Halfords 203(?) Oil filter £5.99
NGK Spark plugs £11.99
Sump washers (2 for £1 Partco)
STP Engine Flush £4.99 from Partco

Hopefully that should see me through to 120k! The only problem I had was the crappy Toyta Spark Plug tool, which was swiftly resolved when I found that my Draper socket set had a 10mm Spark Plug tool in it which whipped them out with ease. I can thooughly recommend that even the mechanically inept do their next service themselves. It's a very satifying job, and there is a recession on y'know!

[Adam W]

Plugs look good dude, that's exactly the right colour for a decent running engine IMHO.

[russthedude]

it's surprising how easy some things are. what else did you do though? you might also want to consider fuel filter, air filter, coolant, brake fluid, check your pads etc etc to look for any potential problems before they become problems

[WeirdNeville]

it's surprising how easy some things are. what else did you do though? you might also want to consider fuel filter, air filter, coolant, brake fluid, check your pads etc etc to look for any potential problems before they become problems

yah, I keep a good eye on pads all round, coolant is super clean and topped up so I'll leave that, Air filter looked very clean to my eyes too and I couldn't find a replacement one in the motorfactors or Halfords so I decided to let it be. Fuel filter may happen soon, but I have a mate who knows what he's doing to stand by (I'm scared of petrol!).

Within the next 3 months I will replace front discs and pads (Ferodo's for a bit of light track work) and will fully bleed the system then. Then it's on to a full suspension re-build.

I thought I'd keep it simple for starters though! No point running before you can walk! It had a major service at 112K inc cam belt and another minor one at 114K just before I got it, so it's all well in hand.

[russthedude]

if you need any parts, my mate is stripping a mk1b that he crashed, he has a post on the items for sale section. i know he has got a brand new set of ferrodo pads (front) in a box that he didn't get around to putting on.

[Braddyboy]

[mod edit - needed to be a pm]

[crazylegs]

dont tell everyone how easy it can be. I can do a full service, oil (semi synth),filter,plugs,dizzycap,rotor for £85 . A bargain by most peoples standards