Service your own car - its easy!

[problemchild1976]

Time take 90mins (next time max 60mins)

What do you need??

Basic tool kit with 10mm and 17mm sockets
10mm plug removal (mine came in my basic halfords pro set)
5lts fully synthetic oil (i used shell helix ultra) - £20 from eurocarparts (look for offer codes)
NGK plugs - 4 @ £9.80 =£39 from ebay
Oil filter inc sump washer - £7 (plus delivery) from camskills and i bought 2 to spread the delivery out.
Panel Air filter (not needed for mine) - £8-30 but if you haven't already take this opportunity to upgrade to a nice performance one.
Cabin filter - £10 from merc

(so that totals about £85-90 plus an hour of your life)

Ease - 2/10 as its v v easy!!



Changing the oil...

1. Warm the engine for 5mins (helps the oil flow)

2. Jack up the car (chock etc) and remove the RH front wheel to give nice easy access to the filter and sump plug.





3. Make sure you have something to catch the waste oil in and crack off the 17mm sump plug



NOTE 1: remove the oil filler cap to ensure ease of oil flow
NOTE 2: lower the car back to level carefully to make sure all oil can drain out

4. Once all drained, undo the old filter catching the waste oil again.







5. Once all drained, fill up the new oil filter with new oil and rub some of the new oil around the seal and screw the new filter back on.

6. Put the new crush washer on the sump plug and screw that back on.



NOTE: The sump plug seems to be made of 2 different metals - forgot to check to see if the darker material is magnetic

7. Refit the front wheel and lower it off the jack so the car is level.

8. Slowly fill the car with the new oil. Once on the min start the car and run for 10secs and recheck the level. If still on the min, run until the car until warm then carefully fill to somewhere between min and max mark.

simple as that!!

now whats strange is i didn't go the generic colt czt/brabus filter. Instead i went for the mitsubishi Lancer Evo slim line filter that the colt guys all do as a mod. HOWEVER, thats the exact same part that merc fit so just be careful when you are ordering on line.


JJ

[problemchild1976]

Changing the spark plugs...

1. remove the scuttle panel (for ease of access)

http://www.forfour.co.uk/forum/index...12989#msg12989

2. remove the engine cover

http://www.forfour.co.uk/forum/index....msg135#msg135

3. you can now see the 4 x coil packs under which can be found the spark plugs.



4. Unclip all the connectors from the coil packs (it is not possible to confuse which goes to what plug)



5. working with one coil/plug at a time removing the 10mm bolt that secures the coil and remove the coil pack.



6. Using the 10mm plug removal socket undo the plug making sure the plug socket is seated nicely (mine were v tight and i was slightly concerned but clearly the thread of mine were quite gunked up)





7. refit the new plug. to avoid cross threading i did the first fitting by hand until finger tight.





(I struggled to find torque settings but what i did find was 25 +or- 5 so that seemed to me that it wasn't that important so i just nipped them up nice and tight against the seal)

8. refit the coil pack after each plug is replaced and once all 4 are complete then refit the connectors and engine cover then test...

again......very simple!!

JJ

[problemchild1976]

and thanks to £2.99 at vistaprint i know 140yrs worth of these.....



this was my first DIY service so would welcome some comments and or further advice

JJ

[adrimo]

All I can say is well done and well written I don't have a forfour but as a guide it's good

[problemchild1976]

the basics are the same for most cars but the aim of the guide is to give confidence to owners

JJ

[tolsen]

and thanks to £2.99 at vistaprint i know 140yrs worth of these.....



this was my first DIY service so would welcome some comments and or further advice

JJ

I like your self service label but why not just fill in your service book? I have made up my own Banchory Smart Centre rubber stamp. Bought in a Lidl special buy for two pounds.

[problemchild1976]

I will stick it in the book and fill in the date etc and file all the receipts

Looked at rubber stamps but this was the easiest and cheapest option.

JJ