The Winter Service

Fionn101

It's that time of year again,and I am hoping to get a list of the stuff I should be doing in this service , so far I have

Oil Change with Engine treatment
Oil Filter change
Spark plug change (yes including getting the right spacing on plugs)
Brake disk change
Radiator drain and flush , change to Anit-freeze mix
Water levels , screenwash etc

I don't really want to go messing with Gear oil or Brake Hydraulics , neither of which show up in the ECU test.

but if you can think of anyhting that I might be forgetting ( I'm in work and not looking at an engine)

Also , although I am doing this myself how much does it cost in garages these days ??? I see a handy nixer coming up

Thanks
Fionn

Seth Brundle

you changed your discs but didn't mention pads! Pads should be changed whenever changing discs.
Air filter & pollen filter may be dirty after the summer.
I don't know what car you have so Im making generalisations here but often you may need to replace brake fluid (every 2 years approx), dizzy cap and rotor arm, valve adjustmnt, etc. but these may not be necessary for you at the moment.

Fionn101

Cheers KB ,

ITs a Honda Civic , Air filter is clean at the mo but I will put that on the list for future reference,

Dizzy cap , does this need regular changing ??? only have 38,000 on the clock.

I changed the brake pads , not the disks. checked brake fluid levels.

Seth Brundle

again not sure on your car's age but the rotor arm and dizzy cap (if present) wear with age. If they are there then I don't know if there is a specific time to change them - maybe open it up and see for yourself.
There are plenty of Honda buffs on here who can advise better. Also have a look at some of the Honda forums and maybe there are some decent workshop manuals for your model out there.
K.

Gmodified

I wouldn't put engine treatment to the oil (not yet), just get good quality oil and filter.
Multiparts near Croke park have jap filters.

-Get manufacturer recommended spark plugs
-you can check Dizzy cap for wear and cracks
- Ignition timing should be ok but if you want I can give you a hand with it

I have all the manuals and parts number listings etc

mike65

Battery! :eek: Check how long its been in (if you cant remember) there should be a date scratched into the top somewhere. If its more than three winters old change it anyway. Nothing worse on a cold morning...

Mike.

Hagar

Lash on the WD40 - everywhere.
Great on old cars these damp mornings. ( 97 Citroen with 124k miles)

Modified-IRL

Try Cookstown Motor Works

Unit 70 Cookstown Indust Est

Tallaght D.24

They do summer and winter special services and found them very good, €130 for a full service

Ring Gary 087 2722988

BrianD3

There's no need to do a "winter" or "summer" service on any modern car in a country like Ireland with a temperate climate. People who run their cars with different antifreeze concentrations in winter/summer are just wasting money. Just run your car with a concentration of antifreeze that will protect the car down to -20 degrees or whatever and leave that in it all year round and be careful if you need to top up that you don't dilute the mixture.

Many car manufacturers use premixed coolant these days anyway.

Drain/flush/refill the cooling system every couple of years to ensure that the coolant retains its corrosion inhibition properties

Same story with oil - no need to use a different grade in winter than in summer. Forget about adding any additives or treatments to the oil, just use the correct oil and filter for your car and change it at the recommended intervals

Also, how old is the honda? If it's relatively new (4 years or less) and has had its fair share of long journeys and has been regualrly serviced, then it is barely run in at 38k. No way should it need a new battery, dizzy, HT leads etc. If you have problems starting it then change them but no need to do it as a precautionary measure. My dad has a 9 year old car with 130k on the clock and it has had no parts of the ignition system replaced (apart from plugs obviously) It's still on its original battery and starts just fine on a winter's morning.

BrianD3

zapata

Have to agree with BrianD3.
My civic has 128k and still going strong. I bought it 4 years ago with 50k miles and thought the battery was on the way out. There was a build up of blue chalky stuff on the terminals - cleaned it off with baking soda\powder mixed in water, dried and then applied some grease to the terminals - not a bother since.

Fionn101

ok , well it;s not so much as a winter or summer service riand3 , just a servce .

The car I have has been lying up for nearly 2 years, so I need to do the extra stuff like refill the radiator with coolant/anti-freeze that still has a charge.

Battery is brand new so thats grand.

I'm just trying to get a list together of the stuff I need to do each service. cause damned if i'm bringing it to a garage .

thanks all

mike65

Fionn101 wrote:

I'm just trying to get a list together of the stuff I need to do each service. cause damned if i'm bringing it to a garage.

Thats the spirit!

Mike