Service Issues: How do you service your Car?

[Pedro Fandango]

i just turn the light off when it comes on

[Murpet]

By handing over stupid amounts of money to Volvo..

Feels like handing over a blank cheque sometimes..

[Paul240480]

These days I'm DIY. I use this & other forums & follow 'how to's' on 'new territory.

Before I left the UK, I always wanted to 'have a go' but never had the time. So it all was down to my 'local indie', whom I trusted 100%.
Now I live in France & am semi-retired, I have the time to learn & do my own stuff. Thoroughly enjoying it too.

Latest saga was a completely dead 850. Conked on swmbo en-route home. We had it 'trucked' home. Using this forum, I narrowed the fault down to Fuel Pump and/or fuel pump relay.

Had a quote from Volvo here at 560€ for the pump kit & £228 from a UK supplier. Or 124€ here for just the pump & £90 from UK.

Went to a local scrappy & 45€ got me a full pump kit & 3 relays. Kit fitted & we're off again, wit 3 relays in back up! Long live DIY!

[Steve and his 244]

I do all the work myself apart from welding/spraying bodywork, which i dont suppose comes under servicing

[Paul240480]

Originally Posted by Steve and his 244

I do all the work myself apart from welding/spraying bodywork, which i dont suppose comes under servicing

Must say, I'm with you here Steve on that type of work. Also this summer I'm having front shocks & springs replaced on my 240...........by a mechanic! That's cos I've wimped out of compressing springs! Tried it once & got the springs 1/2 way compressed & thought, 'nah not liking this'

[lyron]

i ticked service at home because i have been involved in motor industry for many years but having listened to a lot of very useful info from other club members will leave big stuff like timing belts etc to local main dealer.

[mattytowel]

Service at home as far as possible, that's why I joined this forum. Recently I have asked many friends who've had new kitchens fitted, who they'd recommend to replace fitted kitchen units. Most answers were along the lines of "Not B&Q", "Not ikea", "Not (whoever they'd used). Next question is would you do it yourself? Most have said they'd consider it because at least if something was a bit not quite right, they know they hadn't paid someone to do it badly, and they'd know that they'd done as good a job as they could, I feel the same with the car, and am glad to have spent 8 hours doing the belts for the first time last week, next due in 8 years, I think the car should last to 240 000 miles, if collisions are avoided.

Thank you all for your on-going help and advice.

[Oilydad]

Really interesting this, and thanks for the input to my post. Obviously, by the number of voters, most of us do our own car repairs.

There are also times when we use a garage, and of course, there's always the MOT time.

So based on the above, do we do our own repairs because we enjoy doing them, or to save money? How competent do we feel about tackling work and diagnostic work on our Volvo's?

Between us all, we have a great knowledge of our cars, and that's great. I personally always come away from anywhere but my local garage thinking:

Have they actually done the job? Have they overcharged me? What sort of parts have they used? All these sort of issues are reasons that I invariably do my own repairs. Are the staff trustworthy? (Once had a number of my own tools go missing from my toolbox, which were only produced when I threatened to call the police).

Great information.

[Paul240480]

Originally Posted by Oilydad

Really interesting this, and thanks for the input to my post. Obviously, by the number of voters, most of us do our own car repairs.

There are also times when we use a garage, and of course, there's always the MOT time.

So based on the above, do we do our own repairs because we enjoy doing them, or to save money? How competent do we feel about tackling work and diagnostic work on our Volvo's? I for one do enjoy it, now that I have the time. Confidence is building with the more I do.

Between us all, we have a great knowledge of our cars, and that's great. I personally always come away from anywhere but my local garage thinking:

Have they actually done the job? Have they overcharged me? What sort of parts have they used? All these sort of issues are reasons that I invariably do my own repairs. Are the staff trustworthy? (Once had a number of my own tools go missing from my toolbox, which were only produced when I threatened to call the police). Whilst living in UK, I wanted to service/maintain, but never had the time (that's UK life for ya!) But I trusted my Indie 100%.

Great information.

Good thead!

[andy_d]

Mostly for me its "why should i pay someone lots to do what i can" ok there are certain jobs *bl***y airbag light* that as yet i Cant do due to needing ££ specialist items (that usually get used less often in direct link to the higher the cost).
oh and "stuff that" type jobs - exhaust/tyres , whilst i can do exhausts, without the lift ramp its a royal PITA ,,but i refuse to use kwik*** or "plume of tyres" type places (plume wrecked my 940 exhaust in front of me, and refused to fix the parts they broke by hanging off the exhaust and jumping up/down ,, )

Deffinatly one to distrust garage untill proven they Can do the job without being a "plume of tyres" type.

Currently contemplating using a local garage for a brake caliper replacement, whilst its a job i know i can do in a afternoon, the time/ache of the bleeding of the brakes Does tempt me to farm it out to them. (the Joys of a pre owned car ,, "serviced" by someone who knows only "large hammer/bigger hammer" and adjustable wrench to round nuts/bolts off and doesnt belive in refitting things like "seals" or using Gen parts....)

Westons of solihull < about the Only ones i Do trust, there not a volvo specialist but a performance car specialist. ok my s40 isnt a performance car, but there mechanic's know there spanners, and they are ,to date, a very reliable place .