DIY or cheap service?

[Blubayou]

Evening all,

No problems with my 406 but a quick question which could be for any car.

My wife's 206 is up for it's 20'000 mile service. She hardly uses it, it's 5 years old & I look after it. I intend to service it properly using good oil (Total 9000 'cos I've got 10 ltrs of it & some Peugeot filters) & the usual pattern parts.

Now I could take it to a regular service centre run by Orangutangs who check levels, put poor quality oil in & charge £99 to £150 but crucially stamp the book!

I intend to go the DIY route, but is this costing me in resale value in reality?

[steve_earwig]

That kind of depends on how long you intend to keep the car, when it gets to 10 years+ it doesn't do that much for the resale value.

[D9406]

My lads got a 206 which we maintain, other than the tricky jobs, front shocks for instance even garages hate them, and what we do is write down all the work we do in the maintanence book where the stamp should go and most importantly keep all parts receipts. Just a stamp doesn't tell you what work has been carried out, or if it was done at all, I know of one mechanic who would stamp a book on the side. Depends on what matters to you, a job well done, and you know that it's been done, or a couple of hundred quid PX if you're lucky.

[DaiRees]

Exactly what he said! . I buy genuine / good quality parts and keep all receipts, I also print or copy the service checklist from the internet (ford ones for the wife's focus are really good) or from handbook or service manual. Then I do all the work myself, ticking off the checklist as I go, sign, date and write the milage on the checklist, staple all the reciepts to it and keep it safe, then I fill in the service book myself (milage, date, any notes etc.) and sign it where the stamp goes. I've always done it this way and never had any probs shifting cars on. Conversations usually go "has it got full service history?", "yep", "dealer?", "Christ no, I wanted it done properly", "haha, yeah I know what you mean!!"

[markyp130]

I would rather buy a car from a compentent owner that has looked after the car and serviced it themself, if its an older car. Newer cars require ecu upgrades and all sorts of attention in the first few years that you just cant do yourself!!. , So when your car is 5 years old if you are happy it service it....go for it.
It will not make a massive difference in P/X value, garages can tell a car that has been looked after. They still wont pay any extra though

[Blubayou]

Some good points raised, thanks guys.

I shall continue to do the DIY thing but keep better records & receipts