Annual service - minor or major?

[Copperman05]

Check all Lights, levels, washers and wiper blades
Check all electrical devices
Lubricate locks and hinges
Change oil and filter
Check underside of vehicle for fluid leaks and rubbing
Check radiator vents for debris and remove
Check all brake and fuel lines, Tectyl all metal ones
Check drive shafts and CV boots
Check all suspension and steering joints
Check all tyres and do pressures
Test drive
Wash and vacuum

Could 80% not be easily done by yourself Paul. Check all tyres and pressures? Wash and Vacuum? Check all lights, levels, washers and wiper blades? Dont you do that already? Check radiator vents? I could even probably check my own drive shafts and CV boots, I know if my electrical devices are working properly. Lubricate locks, seems easy enough. Seems to me the minor service is good for changing oil if you cant do it yourself, but nearly everything else is pretty simple stuff imo.

Edd

 

[bighead]

ORIGINAL: ChasR

Forgive me for hijacking this thread, but those who do their own changes, how on earth do you chaps change the oil filter without getting oil all over the place? Whilst I do clean up everywhere afterwards, all of my other cars do not have such awkward to access oil filters, or am I missing the point?

ATM I simply stuff a load of rags around the filter, which catches most of the oil Puncturing the filters (on my S2) does not seem to do much.

the rag methods works, spray degreaser then just rinse with garden hose to clean up .

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: bighead

ORIGINAL: ChasR

Forgive me for hijacking this thread, but those who do their own changes, how on earth do you chaps change the oil filter without getting oil all over the place? Whilst I do clean up everywhere afterwards, all of my other cars do not have such awkward to access oil filters, or am I missing the point?

ATM I simply stuff a load of rags around the filter, which catches most of the oil Puncturing the filters (on my S2) does not seem to do much.

the rag methods works, spray degreaser then just rinse with garden hose to clean up .

That's pretty much it. Any engine where the oil filter is installed upside-down is going to be messy when you come to change it.

I once read about a technique which involved cutting the toes off an old football sock and sliding this over the filter all the way down to the filter housing so it absorbed the oil as it leaked out, but I don't have any football socks ... []


Oli.

 

[simkin911]

ORIGINAL: zcacogp

ORIGINAL: bighead

ORIGINAL: ChasR

Forgive me for hijacking this thread, but those who do their own changes, how on earth do you chaps change the oil filter without getting oil all over the place? Whilst I do clean up everywhere afterwards, all of my other cars do not have such awkward to access oil filters, or am I missing the point?

ATM I simply stuff a load of rags around the filter, which catches most of the oil Puncturing the filters (on my S2) does not seem to do much.

the rag methods works, spray degreaser then just rinse with garden hose to clean up .

That's pretty much it. Any engine where the oil filter is installed upside-down is going to be messy when you come to change it.

I once read about a technique which involved cutting the toes off an old football sock and sliding this over the filter all the way down to the filter housing so it absorbed the oil as it leaked out, but I don't have any football socks ... []


Oli.

Next time I'm in town I'll bring a pair of my old socks with me - just for you!

 

[zcacogp]

Aw - fanks Big Boy! Nice to know that someone loves me! []


Oli.

 

[jasonp]

ORIGINAL: Copperman05

So your not selling anymore Jason?


Edd

hiya edd,,good to hear form you mate,,yeah,,decision finally made,after oli went over her,,it become apparent that i would have to be crazy to get rid for another s2,,so mechanical stuff and then a few bodywork issues and she should be good for many years to come,,regards jason p

 

[Copperman05]

ORIGINAL: jasonp

ORIGINAL: Copperman05

So your not selling anymore Jason?


Edd

hiya edd,,good to hear form you mate,,yeah,,decision finally made,after oli went over her,,it become apparent that i would have to be crazy to get rid for another s2,,so mechanical stuff and then a few bodywork issues and she should be good for many years to come,,regards jason p

Good to hear it mate, yours always seemed like a good car to me. Good luck with it, I think all these old Porsches are ongoing restoration projects even so called good cars. Perhaps see you at the Ace sometime?

Edd

 

[jasonp]

hiya,,edd,,intend to pop over to ace,when present work on my car is finished,,just up the road from me in woodford green,,so look forward to meeting up with you soon,,cheers jason p

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Could 80% not be easily done by yourself Paul. Check all tyres and pressures? Wash and Vacuum? Check all lights, levels, washers and wiper blades? Dont you do that already? Check radiator vents? I could even probably check my own drive shafts and CV boots, I know if my electrical devices are working properly. Lubricate locks, seems easy enough. Seems to me the minor service is good for changing oil if you cant do it yourself, but nearly everything else is pretty simple stuff imo.

Edd

Edd, you're absolutely correct. Even though I joke that I'm not capable of knowing which end of the hammer to use to check tyre pressures, I have done a couple of jobs on the 944, including clutch slave and rad hoses. It's not only lack of competance that stops me, but more the practicalities.

I'm a gardener, which means that I'm needing to work whenever the weather is decent. I'm not keen to spend a wet day under a car, and I don't have any covered area to use. I also have arthritis, and working under a car on axle stands is just impossible if I've got any sort of flare-up in my neck. I have limited tools, and what I own isn't always the best, so would need to spend on building that up (starting with a jack, gives you an idea how little gear I have!).

The other problem is what I can't do, or don't spot. When it's being serviced they are usually quick to find any faults, which I might miss, before they develop. Then, they also know how urgent something is, where I might not be capable of judging whether to replace now, or leave it a few years. If something I couldn't tackle cropped up, as it does every year, it'd be going in to the garage anyway.

It might seem excessive to pay a day's money to someone to change the oil and do a few simple checks and things, but in fact whilst I'm earning a day's money doing what I'm best qualified at, the expert is giving the car a thorough going-over. It's really the only sensible option for me, personally, and I just don't see it changing unless I had time, a garage and the ability to get the car up high enough to be comfortable. [&o]

 

[bighead]

paul.... servicing your own car is not just about saving pennies, it about the satisfaction one get from doing the work and reaping the rewards, but in your case I totally understand your point of view

 

[ChasR]

ORIGINAL: bighead

paul.... servicing your own car is not just about saving pennies, it about the satisfaction one get from doing the work and reaping the rewards, but in your case I totally understand your point of view

This, and using the right bits (oil in the case of my PD engined Passat to VW 505 01 or 507 00 spec (which the garage did not)). Whilst this is not necessarily an issue with going to a specialist some people do prefer doing things their own way (e.g one specialist near me does not change the belt pulleys during a cambelt change (since the Porsche schedule says only to check them), yet he does recommend changing the cam chain). Didn't one London based specialist not even touch the gearbox oil on a well known member's car here years ago?

I shall admit I am a little stubborn when it comes to car maintenance, although for certain things I will leave them to the specialists (cambelts on some cars, and the larger jobs where I may feel I am a little unfamiliar with things).

The satisfaction of getting the car into good shape yourself also helps.

 

[J4CKO]

I dont think it is cost effective for most owners to run a 944 purely on garage servicing and repairs, I see mine as a four grand car that can develop the same in garage bills ona yearly basis if I let it, so I have to find the best value, quality parts and fit them myself, I only enlisted a specialist for the belts.