Wanting to service my car and do a few other jobs, can anyone advise me please?

[DogSmoke]

Hi folks,

I've serviced my cars before in the past but it's been a while..... I'm planning to do the oil, plugs, and the filters. Could anyone direct me to a guide or advise me on where to find the filters and how best to remove them??

Also, I don't know at this stage whether the discs and pads want doing. If they do, what is the best way of getting the rear discs off, should the handbrake be released when doing this? I always avoided doing the rear discs as it's my understanding that it does need to be off, and I don't want to get crushed! But I'm pretty sure I'll be fine, as I'm not completely daft..... or so I like to think!

Do the caliper pistons need winding in with a special tool on the Leon? I have used a G clamp in the past but I know that some cars do require a winder. And should the brake lines be bled or should I be ok with leaving the brake fluid alone, seeing as the brakes work absolutely fine? Obviously I'll slacken off the cap on the fluid reservioir when pushing the pistons back into the calipers.

Right..... onto the "little jobs"...

There's a metal plate on the underside of the car that is rattling at idle..... I may just let the garage do this as I'm not sure how that would be resolved. I have no idea what size nuts/bolts it is held on with, nor will I be able to get to a retailer once I start ont he car on Sunday.

Rear washer jet - breaks every time it's fixed! Have left it about 9 months this time but it does need doing. How can I sort it?

Boot light - this does not come on when I open the boot. It used to, but then I took the car to agarage for the washer jet fixed - the car came back with the light broken! And the washer jet worked for two weeks before it broke again!!

N/S brake light - is this a common VAG fault, as I've seen various Leons, A3's, Golfs etc with the same light out? I have replaced the bulb to find that the light still doesn't work. Any ideas?

Rear drivers' side seatbelt - No tension. The belt isn't pulled back in when it's extended. Should I just replace the unit? If so, how do I go about it, and what so I need to know about bolting it down? What's the likely cost for a new belt unit?


Sorry to go on, but I do really appreciate any help offered up. I don't know the ins and outs of the Leon, but I have always been a competant home mechanic when I have put my hand to these things in the past, so I'm confident enough in my ability to get the work done. I just need to know how to do some of it!

Cheers

 

[traumapat]

oil filters at the front.. i found it easier to go from underneath but many have changed it from above.
if you do bleed the brakes use eze bleed or similar... pedal pumping can kill the master cylinder
rattling plate could be a heat shield?

brake light... check the bulb holder is making good contact.. mine was bent.

 

[DogSmoke]

oil filters at the front.. i found it easier to go from underneath but many have changed it from above.
if you do bleed the brakes use eze bleed or similar... pedal pumping can kill the master cylinder
rattling plate could be a heat shield?

brake light... check the bulb holder is making good contact.. mine was bent.

Cheers mate I will take a look at it.

Yeah the plate looks to be some kind of heat shield under the exhaust. It's around the middle of the car, closer to the back end than the front IIRC.

 

[james walker]

as said oil filter is best got from underneath, very easy to remove but remember to tighten back up by hand only and oil the seal with the new oil youll be putting in..

plugs, unclip each coil pack in turn, 1 at a time, change the plug, youll need to have a long extension bar with a spark plug socket, remember to torque the plug back up properly.

do 1 at a time and replace the pack to get the packs back in the correct firing order, test the car once done to check there working properly.

fuel filter is underneat the drivers side rear quarter, easy to replace

take out the fuse thats for the fuel system, crank the engine untill it stops, 5 seconds or so, leave the fuse out, then take the filter out, it squeezes out from both sides, beware that fuel will still come out of the lines/filter, then replace the new one, replace the fuse and test...

air filter, strait swap over.

oil change, remove the sump plug 3/4, put a catch can of some sorts under the sump, remove the plug fully and be quick to catch the falling oil, recommended to leave engine running for 5 mins to warm the oil as it drains better, leave for half hour ish to let all oil drain out.

replace sump plug with a new oneand refill oil, approx 4/5 litres of decent quality should do it.

do the filter before you do the main oil so the new oil fill the new filter....


rear calipers need winding in with a special tool mate. fronts dead easy to change.

 

[Cupra Kev]

Rear calipers need a wind-back tool to push and turn the piston back in, fronts I generally use an Eze-bleed kit and push back by hand

Oil filter I get to from the top front - take the plastic cover off the manifold first (couple of plastic screws like the engine cover) otherwise your arm gets ripped to shreds.

Also, bottom engine cover probably best to come off with drip-tray when you take the filter off, else the oil pools on the cover and over your drive

Pollen filter is behind a plastic cover on passenger side scuttle panel under bonnet - plastic cover comes off, then need to work the filter casing out, replace filter and refitting is reversal of that.

Boot light - is it possible the hose to the rear-washer jet has come off (fairly common) and shorted something out?

 

[james walker]

Cheers mate I will take a look at it.

Yeah the plate looks to be some kind of heat shield under the exhaust. It's around the middle of the car, closer to the back end than the front IIRC.

thatll be the cat protector, if its rattling take to a gargae get it on a ramp and itll just need tightening up

 

[DogSmoke]

Cheers lads

Yeah the rear washer jet is kaput. The hose if off as last time it did this it left me with a wet boot when I tried to use it! I willt ake a look at it but will probably have to leave it to the garage to do it if it's electrical.

 

[Cupra Kev]

Should take a good auto-electrician an hour to confirm if there is a short in the electrical circuit for the boot light, and should also be able to check the rear N/S brake-light at the same time as they're all in a similar area

 

[Muttley]

james walker wrote


oil change, remove the sump plug 3/4, put a catch can of some sorts under the sump, remove the plug fully and be quick to catch the falling oil, recommended to leave engine running for 5 mins to warm the oil as it drains better, leave for half hour ish to let all oil drain out.

I'm sure James means to run the engine before you start draining the oil then switch off, not to take the sump plug off and then start the engine

 

[Cupra Kev]

And whatever you do, don't flush it by running a hose through your oil filler cap

Or try to polish the cylinder head by putting sand in the air intake

Or clean your intercooler by pouring a pint of paraffin into it

 

[dholdi]

I thought about replying but that just about covers it

 

[caveo]

For f00ks sake dont over tighten the sump plug ( i did and it cost me a new sump and oil change and labour ) and its easy to do.

 

[Cupra Kev]

For f00ks sake dont over tighten the sump plug ( i did and it cost me a new sump and oil change and labour ) and its easy to do.

Hope you took the opportunity to fit a baffled sump

 

[caveo]

And fuel pump !!!!!!!!!

 

[DogSmoke]

fuel filter is underneat the drivers side rear quarter, easy to replace

take out the fuse thats for the fuel system, crank the engine untill it stops, 5 seconds or so, leave the fuse out, then take the filter out, it squeezes out from both sides, beware that fuel will still come out of the lines/filter, then replace the new one, replace the fuse and test...

That bit concerns me.... As in turn the key in the ignition as if to start the car and let it go til it stops??? Just sounds risky?!

And whatever you do, don't flush it by running a hose through your oil filler cap

Or try to polish the cylinder head by putting sand in the air intake

Or clean your intercooler by pouring a pint of paraffin into it

LOL alright, alright, I'm not that bad!

 

[Cupra Kev]

That bit concerns me.... As in turn the key in the ignition as if to start the car and let it go til it stops??? Just sounds risky?!

As long as it's a petrol and not diesel you're fine ... need to clear the lines of as much fuel as possible before changing the filter and you won't do any damage to the engine - when you reconnect the fuse it'll re-pressurise the system again, but might take 5 seconds or so of cranking for petrol to get to the engine

 

[james walker]

james walker wrote


oil change, remove the sump plug 3/4, put a catch can of some sorts under the sump, remove the plug fully and be quick to catch the falling oil, recommended to leave engine running for 5 mins to warm the oil as it drains better, leave for half hour ish to let all oil drain out.

I'm sure James means to run the engine before you start draining the oil then switch off, not to take the sump plug off and then start the engine

well yeah, that bits obvious, maybe i worded it wrong...

it states in the haynes manual to remove the fuel filter fuse to change the fuel filter....

i did a full major service on mine, took an hour and a bit and was a piece of. without stripping the sump plug caveo