Well yesterday I picked up my first vRS (07 plate) and smiled the whole way back from the garage (70 miles).....for a small car she is a nippy little thing.

 

like most guys I like to give it a service just so I know in my own mind its done and it lets you learn a little about your car and how it was treated before. 

 

Anyway the reason why I am writing this post is to let people know who don't think they can do it to DO IT....its an extremely easy car to work on, in fact one of the easiest I have ever for a small car.

 

Air filter literally 5 mins

fuel filter 10 mins

Pollen filter 5 mins

all 3 wiper blades to bosch aero blades 5 mins.

 

This site and Youtube are FULL off videos to help you....Pollen filter is the only one that may catch you out but youtube vw pollen filter you will see how quick and easy it all is.

 

2 mins looking over levels and topping up washer unit

 

the only tools I used to do these were a large pos drive for the air filter housing and a pair of pliers and a small flat head screw driver for the fuel filter (you need to change two small seals so small screw driver pops them off)

 

no torquing, no spanners or measuring anything.....so get it done! These simple and cheap bits can make a huge difference to how your car runs (especially the air and fuel filter)

 

TPS, GSF or ECP are the places to get parts (just use the discount codes)

Edited 12 June, 201511 yr by bigcats30

Interesting to read.

I'm a tech guy, I can build a network that spans multiple sites but I've always shied away from car maintenance.

Fitting new stereos / hands free kits / subs / Amps etc.... Easy. But anything that involves getting oily worries me for some reason.

Especially bits that could kill me (brakes / steering).

Maybe it's time to man up and give it a go!!

Don't mean to be a spoil sport, but OIL is probably the most important service item and you've not done it :P

 

Few other items I'd be looking to service on a new used car as well...

 

Brake fluid (replacement).

Brakes clean/grease.

Coolant replacement.

I enjoy servicing my cars and you can save a small fortune doing the basic things yourself. There are also plenty of guides on line these days which, it has to be said, are often far better than the Haynes manuals. 

 

The yearly oil service, filters, discs, pads and other fluids are easy. Bushes and other suspension components can be a bit trickier but from experience it's usually down to poor access/room to work and bolts being seized. 

 

I'd rather buy a car off someone who takes care to properly look after it then buy from someone who just throws it at a garage once a year and leaves it at that. It's quite scary but there are folk out there who don't even know how to check the oil 

Don't mean to be a spoil sport, but OIL is probably the most important service item and you've not done it :p

 

Few other items I'd be looking to service on a new used car as well...

 

Brake fluid (replacement).

Brakes clean/grease.

Coolant replacement.

I'm doing that next week at work.....free oil. But the ones I did are extremely simple no matter the level.

hope it's the right spec 

.....free oil.

If you are mechanically minded and can use hand tools working on cars is relatively easy. Im an electrician by trade and at the end of the day its mainly just nuts and bolts that are mounted to a car.

I can do most things

Brakes

Bushes

Suspension

Services

All self taught with the aid of internet forums

Only things i havent tackled and wouldnt are

Timing chains / belts

Clutches flywheels + gearboxes

Engine internals

But then again would halfords be able to rebuild an engine / gearbox... I fairly doubt it

I'd suggest ,Jase, that most blokes in any branch of electrics, where tools are used,  find car work simple.i've also done most things ,including gearbox refurb and engine rebuild. I cut my teeth on timing belts on an ancient Vauxhall FD, first of the overhead cam engines. Setting timing belt was simple - tool = one length of string. set timing marks on crank pulley and cam shaft to be opposite ,check with string ,then turn over by hand and all was well .

i must admit to having technical advice in tghe early days . We had our own garage, and the bloke in charge was only too pleased to pass on skills and how to info.

But to help a lot of folks ,have a look at this post --http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/213819-the-extremely-useful-fabia-1-topic/.

Halfords- I personally would not let them replace a battery. I'd possibly have to check the retaining nut and the security of the battery post clamps afterwards.

What I was trying to get across that what I did (Air, fuel and pollen filters) required a simple screwdriver and 30 mins of your time......no jacks or socket sets etc

 

so even the most basic tool kit (everyone has a screw driver) can do what I did........and WILL make a difference to the cars performance.

Checking power steering level, may require battery removal to access filler/level cap ?

This is required on a Fabia VRS MK 1..