I'm going to need to do my girlfriend's car (a Fiat Punto) this weekend for air filter & oil change and maybe spark plugs too. If that goes well I'd be inclined to repeat on my Fabia when it's due late next month.

However, having never done a service before, could someone advise on:

- Best axle stands on a budget

- How to handle the sump plug when you're about to have a pile of hot engine oil pour out up your arm / face / god knows what. Presumably you guys use overalls / gloves and plenty of newspaper together with a 5L bucket?

Amazon have a good deal on Draper Ratchet stands but I don't really know the technical details and want to be as safe as possible, and similarly I know not which are the best gloves hehe

I have the air and oil filter, 5L of 5W/40, 4x spark plugs and the sump plug is on it's way. Just over £50 for that lot from Wilko. Oh, and I have the Haynes manuals too

Any advice appreciated really!

Never done a skoda, but performed a full service including head gasket replacement on my MGF. Basically got a trolley jack and pair of axle stands from Halfrauds - possibly not the cheapest but it did the job.

When it came to the sump plug, I just used the biggest wrench I had whilst wearing a pair of pink Marigold gloves (very sexy I know!). Only got a few splatters on the gloves and the thin layer of rubber was more than enough to avoid scalding myself.

Draper ratchet stands are pretty good. Also recommend getting a trolley jack too!

Make sure you torque the sump plug up properly, under tight and it will probably leak, over tight and it is likely to damage the sump and be removable.

The Halfords branded ones (not ratchet) didn't do well in the Auto Express reviews hence I'm looking elsewhere. I think they're either £15 or £19 from store (yes, pricey). I should probably get some tyre blocks too as the tarmac driveway has a slight incline.

Marigolds I think I can get from Tesco across the road lol!

I'm going to need to do my girlfriend's car (a Fiat Punto) this weekend for air filter & oil change and maybe spark plugs too. If that goes well I'd be inclined to repeat on my Fabia when it's due late next month.

However, having never done a service before, could someone advise on:

- Best axle stands on a budget

- How to handle the sump plug when you're about to have a pile of hot engine oil pour out up your arm / face / god knows what.

I have the air and oil filter, 5L of 5W/40, 4x spark plugs and the sump plug is on it's way. Just over £50 for that lot from Wilko. Oh, and I have the Haynes manuals too

Any advice appreciated really!

I always use homemade wooden ramps - with a nice slow long rise and a half meter flat section and end stops. They can be awkward to store but very safe to use - solid! This way with the front raised, most cars will end up with the drain plug at the lower point. How to avoid scalding your hands - experience and speed, even then it hurts a bit! Also buy a draining pan so that you can decant the used oil back into an empty oil can for disposal at your local facilities. Always try to use nitrile disposable gloves when working with used oil - even if you buy them in Homebase - purple ones! (nice) If you are using axle stands and a trolley jack make sure you have done your homework and know how to protect the underside from damage from using these bits of kit. Machine mart is the place to go to get a good cheap trolley jack - go for one of the "Auto Express favorites" the bigger one is very good!

the sump bung on the Punto , depending on engine , may require a 12mm allen key to remove it

try machine mart for stands and trolley jack. they have a jack that scored highly in the Car Mechanics magazine test for about 20 notes and stands about the same.

Found,if you live in a quiet street ,that one wheel on kerb, with sump plug at lower side of car ,does nicely - although it can sometimes be a bit tight getting underneath.Don't forget that you ideally need the sump plug at the lowest possible point.

Also - old plastic washbasins are handy for catching the oil, and save burnt fingers --just let sump plug fall in ,and retrieve when oil cool.Failing a basin , an old gallon plastic container, (cut hole in side and leave top on) is just as good - and a lot cheaper than the custom halfraud items .

Now if you're really flush - there's a device on the market that sucks the iol up through the dipstick hole - though personally I don't like them - I think (and possibly our resident experts will agree ) that the only way of getting rid of the garbage generated is to drain it out.

Don't bother jacking it up, do as VWD says and bump one side up on the kerb.

You're inevitably going to spill a bit of oil. Buy a tarpualin sheet from B&Q and drive on to that so it's easy to clean up.

You can buy cans to drain oil into. they're only a couple of quid and make it much easier to get rid of the oil.

It generally helps to wear rubber gloves to undo the filter.

The oil has to be warm but not necessarily scalding hot. Be careful obviously, but you'll struggle to scald yourself.

You'll still want to avoid having oil run down your arm when you undo the sump plug. So, loosen it off then undo it by hand while always pressing it in. It will start to click once it's fully undone. Then position your bowl and move the plug away.

I find dropping it into the oil keeps it safe. Make sure there's no grit on it when you put it back in.