How to service your car

Keeping up to date with your servicing is vital in keeping your vehicle in top shape. Your vehicle’s maintenance can make all the difference between years of reliable running or constant costly trips to the mechanic. For the keen DIY enthusiast, servicing can be a relatively simple and straightforward process.

Servicing should be carried out in steps, with the first being checking when your vehicle is due for a service. For this article we’ll be looking at replacing the engine oil and oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, and cabin filter. The oil and filters used in your vehicle only have a certain lifespan, so leaving them for too long can end up being detrimental to the life of your car. Before carrying out any servicing, it’s important to have all the right parts and tools ready at hand. The last thing you want is to have your car undriveable during a service and realising you’ve forgotten a vital filter or purchased the wrong oil. If you need a hand collecting part numbers for service items, jump on the Ryco website and use the search function to find the parts you need before heading to your local automotive parts store. Remember, it’s never a good idea to skimp on quality when servicing your vehicle, so only opt for the best, which when it comes to vehicle servicing, is Ryco.

Once you’ve got all the parts you need, it’s time to get your vehicle up in the air. A hoist is an invaluable tool if you’re lucky enough to have one at your disposable. If not, crack out your jack and jack stands and get to work. Before draining any fluids, let your engine cool down until its warm to the touch. This allows fluids to drain easier as they’re thinner at higher temperatures, without the risk of scalding yourself. Have your drain pan at the ready, locate your engine oil sump plug and get to work loosening it.

Once undone, wait for it to finish draining. With the sump empty, its time to replace your oil filter. Depending on your vehicle and where it’s located on your vehicle’s engine, replacing your oil filter can be pain. However, having an oil filter removal tool at hand can help make easy work of your oil filter replacement. The Ryco Oil Filter Removal Cup comes in a variety of sizes to suit a wide range of oil filters, so you can be assured that there’s one to suit your vehicle.

An oil filter replacement can prove to be quite messy, especially when the oil filter is higher up in the engine bay. The Ryco Flexi Funnel allows you to redirect any oil from the oil filter away from the engine and into your drain pan, making the job just that little bit easier when it comes to the dreaded clean-up. Once the oil filter’s been removed, give its mounting surface a good clean and make sure that the old filter’s o-ring hasn’t remained on the engine as running two o-rings can lead to massive oil leaks.

With everything drained, it’s time to wind the oil sump plug back in tight and refit the fresh oil filter. It’s good practice to coat the seal of the new filter with a little bit of fresh engine oil to help it seat to its mating surface on the engine block. When fitting the new oil filter, remember that they don’t need to be wound on excessively tight. Hand-tight is sufficient and makes your service just that little bit easier.

Next we’ll be looking at replacing your in-line fuel filter. Move the drain pan over to catch any fuel then grab two spanners that suit the fittings on either end of your fuel filter. Crack the fittings slowly, being careful of any fuel pressure in the system. Once both ends are loose, its simply a matter of sliding the old filter out of its bracket and replacing it with the new fuel filter, being sure to follow the directional markings on the filter.

Now it’s time to get your vehicle back on the ground and fill it back up with engine oil. Check your vehicle handbook to find out what type of oil how much your engine takes. Once you’ve got the right amount of oil in the engine, start it back up and check for any oil and fuel leaks.

Once you’ve confirmed nothing is leaking, the next step is replacing your air filter. Depending on your vehicle this is usually a simple, straightforward process. Simply undo the clips or screws that hold in your vehicle’s intake airbox lid and remove the old air filter. With the old filter out, it’s a good idea to clean out bottom of your airbox.

Last but not least is the cabin filter. Ryco has several versions for most vehicles with a simple pollen to activated carbon cabin filter. For those wanting anti pollen, mould and viral properties its best to get a Ryco MicroShield and lastly there is the N99 MicroShield which can filter down to 0.3 Microns for the ultimate in cabin fresh air. In most cases, your vehicle’s cabin filter should be located behind the glovebox. However, check your vehicle handbook to find the location specific to your vehicle. For vehicles that have the cabin filter mounted behind the glovebox, the replacement process usually involves removing the glovebox to gain access to the cabin filter. Depending on your vehicle, you may need a socket set or screwdriver handy to remove the glovebox. With the glovebox out of the way, it’s simply a matter of pulling the old cabin filter from its housing.