There are a few ways to go about saving money on car maintenance if you don’t have an active service plan in place. We do strongly advise those who are attempting to service their own car, be quite handy with a spanner and familiar with a basic tool kit. Here are a few of the basics in Part 1 of our DIY feature if you’re considering the DIY route to save yourself some money:

1. Get your parts list sorted - Remember to find out exactly what your vehicle needs for each particular service. The rule of thumb is that every second service is considered major, meaning that in addition to an oil and oil filter change you’ll have to change the spark plugs, pollen filter and air filter;
   
   
2. Other must-dos – It’s also very important to check other important safety components such as the windscreen wipers, battery, the amount of life left on the brake pads, the amount of life left in the tyres, the coolant level and when the vehicle had its fuel filter replaced (if it has ever been replaced);
   
   
3. Remember that dealers get better prices - Dealerships and reputable mechanics will often get a better price on various consumable parts such as oil, filters and spark plugs. So if you want to keep costs low, ensure that you shop around for pricing of various parts and make certain that you’re also buying from a reputable manufacturer;
   
   
4. The very basic items - The most basic items you’ll require will be a jack, ideally trestles to prop the car up on, a flat surface, gloves, old clothes or an overall, protective eyewear and of course a basic tool kit. These checks should ensure that you’re ready to begin working on your car, which we will cover in Part 2 of this series.