Basic DIY servicing and maintenancefor noobs

So my car is due for a service, long over due to be honest, I am going to attempt to do it all myself both on my car and my dads car. I'm pretty handy with tools and have always liked taking stuff apart and putting them back, so i'm hoping I can do all these basic stuff but I may need help and tips on the way so I decided to start this thread and hopefully it might help others who would like to service their own cars. I have watched videos on youtube and read some how to's by members on here, but still need some advise on some things.

Anyway things that need doing for the first phase of my maintenance:

1) Spark Plugs
2) Fuel FIlter
3) Oil FIlter + Oil Change
4) Air Filter

I've bought all my parts from Holdcroft Honda, so all genuine or recommended Honda parts and they give a nice discount so no need to go to ECP or the likes for parts! Parts I have bought for the first phase are as follows:

1) OEM Oil Filter
2) OEM NGK Spark Plugs x4
3) OEM Fuel Filter
4) OEM Air Filter (also have a CAI sitting to be fitted come winter and insurance renewal time)
5) 4ltr Castrol Magnatec 10/40w Motor Oil (from carparts4less.co.uk)

I have also bought some tools, and have others, they are as follows:

1) Torque Wrench (Sealey Style 3/8-inch Drive 7-112nm/ 5-83lb.ft Torque Wrench)
2) 3x 3/8 extension bars (Silverline Socket Extension Bar 75mm, 150mm, 250mm)
3) Spark Plug socket (Silverline Spark Plug Deep Socket Set 2 Piece 3/8" for 16mm & 21mm Plugs)
4) Axle Stands ( Sealy VS2002CR)
5) Socket Set and Wrench (some el cheapo one that my dad has)
6) Car Jack ( some most likely cheap one that my dad has)
7) Oil Filter removal wrench (Laser Tools 4232 Oil Filters - Cup Oil Filter Wrench 65mm/14 Flutes)


-----

So to start off with I will be doing the Spark plugs. The tools I'm going to use are the torque wrench for when putting the new ones in and tightening to the correct torque and with that the extension bar, i'm guessing I need the 250mm? and of course the 16mm spark plug socket. I haven't bought any anti-seize grease as I read its bad to use these and the NGK plugs dont need them, is this correct? Also how much should I torque the plugs to?

When installing the plugs would it be good to install the first one then switch on the engine to see if its working alright and do it like that each time, or is this a bad idea? Is there anything else I should look out for or any useful tips.

Many thanks for any help and tips.

I've got a fuel filter howto up here that will be useful for you. I also have howtos on oil & filter, air filter, sparks so if you gimme a little time I'll get them uploaded on here.

You don't need to grease NGKs, some people have different opinions on this so here it is from the horses mouth so to speak (I've never greased them as I asked before I found this document and it was a 50/50 split on whether you should or shouldn't)

http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/pdf/TB-0630111antisieze.pdf

Another reason you don't lube some threads is you can over torque and strip the thread. I'm doing some reading into this at the moment as I was hoping to raise it as a discussion in some way but my understanding is that Torque can be simply measured. However the purpose of tightening a bolt is actually to apply a given amount of Tension. Tension is difficult to measure outwith specialist equipment. Therefore although Torque and Tension may seem the same thing to non engineers (like me) they can vary.


For example imagine torquing a new suspension nut and bolt to a relative low force of 20ft-lb, all being well it clicks into place and the relevant tension is applied.

Now torque an old rusted, distored nut/bolt - there is a lot of forces and friction here. Your torque wrench clicks off at 20ft-lb well before the tension is applied, yet it still registers 20ft-lbs on the wrench as it encountered resistance unknown to you.

Now torque a softer bolt, like a 7.2ft-lb bleeder valve only this time you have lubed the threads. The relative lack of friction will allow the bolt to turn further into the cavity stripping the bolt and maybe the caliper.

So, as I said I'm still reading into this so don't take the torque/tension examples as fact - its more how I am understanding at the moment. Any engineers advice welcome of course

When taking out the plugs make sure nothing falls into the holes or it could be an expensive service.

eek. is there anything that can fall in, like washers?

btw do the oem ngk plugs need gaping? or are they all done already?

thanks for all the advice.

Everything and nothing 'could' fall in lol. In the HowTo I uploaded for you last night, I brush away any debris around the base of the HT Leads. The only washer is the integral crush washer on the spark plug. If you damage the HT Lead you could leave something behind, so the recommendation is to twist it back n forth a little before lifting it out.

http://typeaccord.co.uk/forum/topic/14735-diy-6th-gen-spark-plug-howto/

NGK zfr6f-11 are already gapped at 1.1mm (I guess thats what the 11 suffix also implies)

Well exec,how did it go for you?

They can be done all at once not one at a time. No need for anti sieze with NGK plugs. From memory the torque is 13 ft lbs / 18 NM but your owners manual will confirm. I find it helpful just using the ratchet extension without the ratchet to get them in just using fingertips, & then put the torque wrench on to tighten them up.

Take your time.

Good luck!

exec said:

So my car is due for a service, long over due to be honest, I am going to attempt to do it all myself both on my car and my dads car. I'm pretty handy with tools and have always liked taking stuff apart and putting them back, so i'm hoping I can do all these basic stuff but I may need help and tips on the way so I decided to start this thread and hopefully it might help others who would like to service their own cars. I have watched videos on youtube and read some how to's by members on here, but still need some advise on some things.

Anyway things that need doing for the first phase of my maintenance:

1) Spark Plugs
2) Fuel FIlter
3) Oil FIlter + Oil Change
4) Air Filter

Click to expand...

How To's are now in the DIY section...

I didn't get round to it yet, plan on doing it sometime tomorrow after the big game hopefully.

Fantastic guides Andy, really appreciate taking the time to write those up, thank you all for the help and info, will let you know my experiences when I get round to doing them, then hopefully next two weekends i'll do rest of the planned work if all goes well!

I've got the work done (photography & vid) on droplinks, arb refurb & arb bushes, but I'm still traumatised after tackling that job lol (joke)

I complied a vid soon after it, but still have to write up a howto and redo a higher res vid. Have a look if you are contemplating it and if you need any quick advice I'll help you out.

^ That looks like an absolute PITA of a job! I wouldn't mind refreshing the suspension on mine in the future, but only if I ever move house and have a driveway to work on.

Anyway did the spark plugs, was pretty easy job but I did run into some problems and still not sure if they have all installed properly. The HT plugs all came out easy, one of them appears to be a second hand part that previous owner must have fitted from s scrap yard. They plugs were all tighter then I thought they would be and the cheap ratchet was originally going to use didn't cut it so ended up using the torque wrench to undo them all. However I immediately ran into a problem, they were with the cheap tools I bought! The silverline extension bars I bought have s**** weak plugs, they don't hold tight enough with the spark plug socket and when the plugs are in the rubber bit and secured in and you try to take the socket out the bar just comes off instead, so I had to find a work around which was to use the spark plug socket with the rubber insert when putting the plugs in, and just slightly inserting it so when they were dropped in I took it and then took the rubber out and screwed them in without it. I did drop one or two of them hope that isn't an issue! One problem was also the 20 revolution by hand thing, what does this exactly mean? is it one full hand turn? cos I had some problems they all hand tighten with 10-11 full turns, then I just torqued them, seemed to be fine, but really got me confused as I didn't know if they seated properly or not, I did one dozens of time to check, hope I haven't damaged it in anyway by doing so! :unsure:

Some other issues, all spark plugs and the sockets inside were full of carbon deposit like materials and the spark plugs were in poor condition, will put some pictures up, one of the ht leads had a very small rice sized oil speck on it, should this be cause of concern? Afterward when I switched the engine on to test em, a constant strong smell of petrol was everywhere, is this just coincidental or should it be a cause for concern? I did go for a test drive afterwards and it ran all fine, seemed to fire better but that could just be me thinking it is.

Air filter, not much to report on, very simple job and did it without removing the battery, a bit fiddly like that, but less spannering needed.

One tip from my experience is spend a little more on quality tools!

here the photos of old spark plugs couldn't see any examples representing the state of those in the ngk pdf

exec said:

Anyway did the spark plugs, was pretty easy job but I did run into some problems and still not sure if they have all installed properly. The HT plugs all came out easy, one of them appears to be a second hand part that previous owner must have fitted from s scrap yard. They plugs were all tighter then I thought they would be and the cheap ratchet was originally going to use didn't cut it so ended up using the torque wrench to undo them all.

Click to expand...

It might be worth buying a 3/8ths breaker bar to save your torque wrench, typically longer than a ratchet and no parts to break or slip like the ratchet mechanism. Something like this http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_871081_langId_-1_categoryId_165469

exec said:

However I immediately ran into a problem, they were with the cheap tools I bought! The silverline extension bars I bought have s**** weak plugs, they don't hold tight enough with the spark plug socket and when the plugs are in the rubber bit and secured in and you try to take the socket out the bar just comes off instead, so I had to find a work around which was to use the spark plug socket with the rubber insert when putting the plugs in, and just slightly inserting it so when they were dropped in I took it and then took the rubber out and screwed them in without it. I did drop one or two of them hope that isn't an issue! One problem was also the 20 revolution by hand thing, what does this exactly mean? is it one full hand turn? cos I had some problems they all hand tighten with 10-11 full turns, then I just torqued them, seemed to be fine, but really got me confused as I didn't know if they seated properly or not, I did one dozens of time to check, hope I haven't damaged it in anyway by doing so! :unsure:

Click to expand...

Ok, i'll maybe revise my 20turns part. I'm sure I could turn 20 revolutions 360°, but if its near 10 then I'll revise mine. My main goal here was to ensure that the plug was threaded properly. If miss threaded after a couple of turns then you tried to torque it down then you would cause expensive damage to the threads in the head.

If you have some problems getting things in or out, a magnet and claw are two cheap and invaluable tools

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-151211-Magnetic-Telescopic-Pick-Up/dp/B001C7NN86/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378068200&sr=8-1&keywords=pickup+magnet
http://www.amazon.co.uk/600mm-FLEXIBLE-CLAW-PICK-LIFTING/dp/B00439FN06/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378068237&sr=8-1&keywords=grab+tool

exec said:

Some other issues, all spark plugs and the sockets inside were full of carbon deposit like materials and the spark plugs were in poor condition, will put some pictures up, one of the ht leads had a very small rice sized oil speck on it, should this be cause of concern? Afterward when I switched the engine on to test em, a constant strong smell of petrol was everywhere, is this just coincidental or should it be a cause for concern? I did go for a test drive afterwards and it ran all fine, seemed to fire better but that could just be me thinking it is.

Air filter, not much to report on, very simple job and did it without removing the battery, a bit fiddly like that, but less spannering needed.

One tip from my experience is spend a little more on quality tools!

Click to expand...

With the carbon type deposits and condition of the plugs maybe its been a while since they have been done. The don't look in terrible condition, brown to grey-ish is acceptible.


You might have an issue with seals in your rocker cover if there is oil in there.

Here is a seal, upper left in the pic and the oil cap is centre bottom. The rocker cover is off and upside in the pic obviously



Here you can see three of the four spark plug channels where this seal should sit when the rocker cover is back on. (ignore my hand, im not pointing in this pic just cleaning up the gasket surface after a valve job)



There shouldn't be a strong smell of petrol. It shouldn't be related to the sparks but as the work was carried out there we can't rule it out. Obviously spark plugs, 'plug' a hole that has to deal with the compressed air/fuel mixture in the cylinder beneath. Take the HT Leads out and just ensure it looks dry in there.

Cheers Andy for all the info and help. I have a local machinemart shop so might drop by and have a look for some of those tools, they seem to be slightly cheaper than halfords but the clarke pro gear look quality and have lifetime guarantees like halfords.

regarding the 20 turns, i'm sure the owners manual said so too :unsure: , will check again, but mine only spun 10/11 times on two of the plugs but the first two was more, slightly worried however i tried so many times and they only went as far as those numbers, there was a fair amount of carbon deposit and when it tightened there was resistance with squeaky noise so they might have effected it, car runs fine though so far, the petrol smell seem sto have gone away but thats with the bonnet down, if i didnt torque them properly then it could be possibly its running rich, will need to keep any eye on that. need to the valve clearances too so might get the spark plug channel seal inspected at same time.

I've got two jobs left now, oil filter and fuel filter, which hopefully I will be doing this weekend, need to buy those tools now.

well spoke too soon, still getting very strong petrol smell.

Well took another look today, smell seems to come around 30-45 seconds after start up then goes away, so maybe normal, i tightened the spark plugs up, although i originally selected 18nm on my torque wrench I don't think it's 100% accurate so stuck it up a few notches, I think the spark plugs where actually not tight enough as when I took two of them off they were so easy to take off, whereas the old ones took a good few muscle action! Still think there not tight enough but will leave it so as not to risk over tightening them and breaking it. Gonna leave it at that and hope it isn't anything serious.

Do you know where your fuel rail and injectors are? I'd have a look around there when you start up (before/after) and see if you can identify any leaks.

Can't add really, just want to suggest doing the VCs whilst you're going mad with the servicing lol

I think I know where the fuel rails are just behind the top of the engine? Will be inspecting all the fuel lines when I carry out the fuel filter change. I'm thinking its not a problem hopefully.

Regarding the VC's I really want to get them done, I think the engine could really do with it as it seems a bit rough in some quarters, but am not confident to do it myself nor do I trust any local mechanic to do the job, which leaves me with very little option. The honda garages are far away and will no doubt charge a fortune for it.

Also guys what tools do I need for the brake pad change? Looking at the piston wind back tools, do I need the right sided or left sided one? I've bought a few parts like the grease, brake cleaner.

Didn't get round to doing the oil change either because of rain. I've left the service way too late :lol: now the sunshine has gone, and my MOT runs out end of the month.

There was something else I was going to say but forgot now. :unsure:

It's come back to me...

Wanted to ask how much of the following fluid do I need:

Brake fluid - These come as 250ml
clutch fluid - I think they are brake fluid too?
MTF - These come as 1 litre

All parts are from Honda. I will be draining out all three and putting in new fluid. Don't want to under-buy and be left stranded!

Found the capacity for MTF, its 1.8litries, will need two bottles...hmmm...expensive!

The VCs really are easy to do.

The only problem with taking the car to a dealer to get done is the engine must be stone cold when setting them. This means you'd have to leave the car with them over night.

luvmyaccord said:

The VCs really are easy to do.

The only problem with taking the car to a dealer to get done is the engine must be stone cold when setting them. This means you'd have to leave the car with them over night.

Click to expand...

Indeed that's the only issue otherwise I could of also taken it to an independent place who know Honda's well like TDI south, but they are around 30miles away out of town, so I have to leave the car there and find some way to travel back and forth.

My worry with doing it is if I get the spacing wrong then there is potential to ruin the engine, it looked fairly easy watching ericthecarguy doing it, but then some things look easy to do but in practice require some skill or experience. In two minds whether to give it a go. How do you know if the gaps are spot on? Also since I have no drive space and have to do work on the street, I worry debris might go into the engine with the rocker off.

It's pretty hard to get any debris into the engine. Just put the rocker cover in a box on the passenger seat.

To set the gaps all you need is a set of feeler gauges. I've put the gaps on here somewhere. I do mine every 6 months.

Re valve clearence
If the valve lash is .006 then 007 should not fit ,thats how you know if its the right gap.

Edit .007

exec said:

I think I know where the fuel rails are just behind the top of the engine? Will be inspecting all the fuel lines when I carry out the fuel filter change. I'm thinking its not a problem hopefully.

Click to expand...

Injectors

exec said:

Regarding the VC's I really want to get them done, I think the engine could really do with it as it seems a bit rough in some quarters, but am not confident to do it myself nor do I trust any local mechanic to do the job, which leaves me with very little option. The honda garages are far away and will no doubt charge a fortune for it.

Click to expand...

I've got a VC howto but not uploaded here yet.

These two tools might life much easier. I got them from Amazon.com will cost you about £20 after tax and delivery about 7-10 days delivery.

http://www.amazon.com/CTA-Tools-A308-Offset-Tappet/dp/B006Z58ZJ2/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1379015517&sr=8-14&

http://www.amazon.com/Alltrade-648827-2-Inch-Valve-Adjustment/dp/B0002Q8TU0/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

exec said:

Also guys what tools do I need for the brake pad change? Looking at the piston wind back tools, do I need the right sided or left sided one? I've bought a few parts like the grease, brake cleaner.

Click to expand...

This is the windback tool I use. It winds in clockwise

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Laser-1314-Caliper-Piston-Re-wind/dp/B002V72SHS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379019163&sr=8-1&keywords=laser+windback+tool

I just done a rear brake service two days ago. The photography is done I just need to write it up, so if you need any info before I do just ask , torque, bolt sizes, tools etc

Ok you guys have convinced me to do it on my own (although i could end up bottling it on the day)! Thanks for the info lads and Andy thanks for the pics and links to those tools, have put them on my to buy list.

I took the car for a proper blast today and my have the new sparkies and air filter made such a difference! The engine is so much more responsive, and the noise when going up the revs has become so much more pronounced with the new filter, I can hear the VTEC singing again. I can only imagine an oil change, fuel filter, VC's, egr clean and other bits and bobs will improve it futher. Need to get the brakes done quickly though, they are so awful, give me no confidence at all, takes an eternity to stop. Hopefully if there is a dry patch this weekend I can get the oil change done and the fuel filters, then next week get the pads changed.

Also found some info on the brake fluid amount needed. Will probably need around 2 litres of it to do the flush and refill. Going to buy third party fluid rather than OEM as its cheaper and they come in bigger bottles.

The valve clearances are probably the most time consuming service item I've done but thats probably down to experience aswell. Even if you don't adjust them, you can go through them and literally get a feel for them, turning the crank, lining up the cam pulley and recognising the firing order (1,3,4,2). All this is/will be covered in my howto.

Bleeding the brakes, start at passenger front and go clockwise and finish at passenger rear. I'll try and get the howto written up for the rears, fronts are basically the same (just the piston setup differs) but think there is already a howto written by someone else anyway.