DIY Servicing Advice/Help/Techniques/ Best Practice
Discussion
Hi,
I need some help and advice with tackling servicing and what works best.
For information my car is a: Ford Focus 51 plate 1.6 Zetec.
Well after watching the new Fifth Gear on Discovery last night, i have been inspired to tackle my car servicing myself and hopefully restore some of the lost horsepower my car had (or didnt have). ( i was going to get it in at a garage but thought just do it myself as it looks easy enough.)
I want to renew my HT leads and spark plugs, so what are the best ones to go for? Magnecor leads and NGK Iridium plugs?
I want to replace the oil filter - any good brand names etc to look for, or anyone with experience of a good one?
I want to change the oil - so i simply unscrew the nut from the sump and drain into a bucket then responsibly discard, new oil goes in at the cam cover, but how much exactly?
Im considering changing the fuel filter too - so is it as easy as unbolt old, bolt in new?
I have a K&N 57i Induction Kit with a makeshift cold air feed (yes, i understand the pros/cons of induction kits etc), i have the Pipercross Filter Cleaning Kit so ill be gutting that out until arrival of a Pipercross Viper Kit.
Help would be massively appreciated
I need some help and advice with tackling servicing and what works best.
For information my car is a: Ford Focus 51 plate 1.6 Zetec.
Well after watching the new Fifth Gear on Discovery last night, i have been inspired to tackle my car servicing myself and hopefully restore some of the lost horsepower my car had (or didnt have). ( i was going to get it in at a garage but thought just do it myself as it looks easy enough.)
I want to renew my HT leads and spark plugs, so what are the best ones to go for? Magnecor leads and NGK Iridium plugs?
I want to replace the oil filter - any good brand names etc to look for, or anyone with experience of a good one?
I want to change the oil - so i simply unscrew the nut from the sump and drain into a bucket then responsibly discard, new oil goes in at the cam cover, but how much exactly?
Im considering changing the fuel filter too - so is it as easy as unbolt old, bolt in new?
I have a K&N 57i Induction Kit with a makeshift cold air feed (yes, i understand the pros/cons of induction kits etc), i have the Pipercross Filter Cleaning Kit so ill be gutting that out until arrival of a Pipercross Viper Kit.
Help would be massively appreciated
Just go to a decent factors or buy a service kit on ebay, it's a waste of time fitting fancy magnecor leads etc so if yours are not giving any problems just leave alone.
Fuel filters can be awkward due to their location, they can also have stupid plastic clips holding the hoses on which sometimes break if your not careful but no major issue.
Fuel filters can be awkward due to their location, they can also have stupid plastic clips holding the hoses on which sometimes break if your not careful but no major issue.
First get yourself a Haynes manual. Some people scoff at these, but I've seen a lot of them on the shelves of garage workshops! I have the factory manuals for my own car, but they assume you have certain knowledge, the Haynes ones don't & give you lots of pics which make life easier. Many of the line drawings in Haynes are direct copies from the factory manuals. Whenever we've bought a car for a family member my first purchase is the Haynes manual.
Use standard - ideally genuine Ford or at least good quality reputable maker - parts. Fancy this that & the other will just empty your wallet for no return.
Understand that car makers don't make their own filters, plugs etc but genuine parts are those as used by the car maker. For example, you could open a box plastered with the Peugeot logo to find the clutch inside has 'Valeo' stamped all over it.
Pattern cheapie parts are best avoided. Whilst genuine parts may cost you more they will fit & be fit for purpose. There is a lot of rubbish out there.
If doing a job for the first time it can help to either make a sketch or take a photo which will help on reassembly BEFORE dismantling things. As can labelling things - I have a set of wooden clothes pegs in my toolbox numbered 1 through 8 which are useful to clip onto plugleads so I can remember which lead goes to which cylinder if I need to take all the leads off.
Use standard - ideally genuine Ford or at least good quality reputable maker - parts. Fancy this that & the other will just empty your wallet for no return.
Understand that car makers don't make their own filters, plugs etc but genuine parts are those as used by the car maker. For example, you could open a box plastered with the Peugeot logo to find the clutch inside has 'Valeo' stamped all over it.
Pattern cheapie parts are best avoided. Whilst genuine parts may cost you more they will fit & be fit for purpose. There is a lot of rubbish out there.
If doing a job for the first time it can help to either make a sketch or take a photo which will help on reassembly BEFORE dismantling things. As can labelling things - I have a set of wooden clothes pegs in my toolbox numbered 1 through 8 which are useful to clip onto plugleads so I can remember which lead goes to which cylinder if I need to take all the leads off.
Edited by paintman on Tuesday 24th September 20:36
Most of the stuff you list is pretty simple to do. But,
Be very, very careful with the plugs when you go to take them out. Particularly if they haven't been done for a
long time. If you can't undo them easily with a foot-long 3/8 ratchet, then leave them in. You do not
want to snap them off!
Ford use taper-seats rather than crushable washers to seal the plugs. These can be much harder to remove
if they've been in for a while, which is likely these days with silly plug-change intervals.
(Note you can leave your plugs in for 100k and they may even work for that long, but they need changing
more often than that for the sake of the thread in the cylinder head)
Oil fill should be done on the dipstick. But wait for the oil to run down or you'll get a false reading.
When the level is above minimum run the engine briefly and watch for the oil-pressure light to go out.
This will fill the filter so that you can do the final top-up to just under the upper mark on the dipstick.
If you do overfill, do not leave it like that. You will need to drain some out, preferably into a clean
container if you're not confident about being able to get the bung back in in time.
Remember to check for any leaks.
Fuel filters can be a bit of a pain if the push-on clips have gone hard with age. Patience and calm solves
this one without breaking anything.
I would go for OE-equivalent stuff from your local car-parts emporium. However a fabric air filter is always
better than a paper one, so get a K&N if you don't mind paying the extra for it.
Fords like a 5-30 fully synthetic if you can stretch to it. Recommended, but at the end of the day new oil is better than old oil. Change it at least twice as often if you're using cheaper stuff.
Be very, very careful with the plugs when you go to take them out. Particularly if they haven't been done for a
long time. If you can't undo them easily with a foot-long 3/8 ratchet, then leave them in. You do not
want to snap them off!
Ford use taper-seats rather than crushable washers to seal the plugs. These can be much harder to remove
if they've been in for a while, which is likely these days with silly plug-change intervals.
(Note you can leave your plugs in for 100k and they may even work for that long, but they need changing
more often than that for the sake of the thread in the cylinder head)
Oil fill should be done on the dipstick. But wait for the oil to run down or you'll get a false reading.
When the level is above minimum run the engine briefly and watch for the oil-pressure light to go out.
This will fill the filter so that you can do the final top-up to just under the upper mark on the dipstick.
If you do overfill, do not leave it like that. You will need to drain some out, preferably into a clean
container if you're not confident about being able to get the bung back in in time.
Remember to check for any leaks.
Fuel filters can be a bit of a pain if the push-on clips have gone hard with age. Patience and calm solves
this one without breaking anything.
I would go for OE-equivalent stuff from your local car-parts emporium. However a fabric air filter is always
better than a paper one, so get a K&N if you don't mind paying the extra for it.
Fords like a 5-30 fully synthetic if you can stretch to it. Recommended, but at the end of the day new oil is better than old oil. Change it at least twice as often if you're using cheaper stuff.
Edited by Pete Eroleum on Sunday 29th September 17:33
Edited by Pete Eroleum on Sunday 29th September 17:34
Use either bosh filters or any oe recommended parts plugs are 16mm socket little tip go carful when putting new plugs in as if they fall out of the socket on the way in they can knock the electrode gap closed , another tip when draining the oil and oil filter be carful but drain them when the engines hot or warm and leave it draining for a good while as this will result in more of the old oil coming out or and the drain plug is a 13mm socket cheers hope this helps
Haynes Manual
A decent owners forum with lots of lovely how-to's (and some friendly members incase you need to post an 'oh s
t whats just happened thread'
Wait for euro car parts or similar to have a 50% off sale and stock up!
Serviced myself and my partners car (XM and Meriva) for £60, that was for 2x air filters, 2x 4l bottles of appropriate oil, 2x oil filters.
I've never bothered getting expensive parts, especially service items. I change the oil twice a year anyway, so long life branded stuff is wasted on me!
A decent owners forum with lots of lovely how-to's (and some friendly members incase you need to post an 'oh s
t whats just happened thread'Wait for euro car parts or similar to have a 50% off sale and stock up!
Serviced myself and my partners car (XM and Meriva) for £60, that was for 2x air filters, 2x 4l bottles of appropriate oil, 2x oil filters.
I've never bothered getting expensive parts, especially service items. I change the oil twice a year anyway, so long life branded stuff is wasted on me!
hi,
I've read somewhere about "priming" the Engine after an Oil change (notably on Imprezas). I've never done this when servicing my Shedscort or the old Pug-out I used to have, so what is it?, does it need to be done? and if I don't do it will I die in a massive explosion after turning the key....?
I've read somewhere about "priming" the Engine after an Oil change (notably on Imprezas). I've never done this when servicing my Shedscort or the old Pug-out I used to have, so what is it?, does it need to be done? and if I don't do it will I die in a massive explosion after turning the key....?
texaxile said:
hi,
I've read somewhere about "priming" the Engine after an Oil change (notably on Imprezas). I've never done this when servicing my Shedscort or the old Pug-out I used to have, so what is it?, does it need to be done? and if I don't do it will I die in a massive explosion after turning the key....?
If possible fill the oil filter before putting it on, saves the pump having to fill it when you start up.I've read somewhere about "priming" the Engine after an Oil change (notably on Imprezas). I've never done this when servicing my Shedscort or the old Pug-out I used to have, so what is it?, does it need to be done? and if I don't do it will I die in a massive explosion after turning the key....?
SpaceGhost said:
Haynes manuals were good but they have had their day. Chances are if you're doing a job and google it, someone else has already done it and posted a guide somewhere online. Youtube is an invaluable source at times.
I don't disagree with you, but for an easy to use resource and a quick reference for torque wrench settings etc they are still worth having. 
Gassing Station | Home Mechanics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff