Opinions on DIY maintenance (1 Viewer)

[dstewart3ss]

Alright folks - gotta be honest - I’ve never done any of my own maintenance on any of my cars. Never had anyone close to me to teach me these things and frankly I’m always busy (family, young children, golf etc). Soooo...what do you recommend are some good DIY things I can start with to get my feet wet?

I’m an engineer and pretty handy so I’m confident I’ll catch on quick. I just don’t have all the tools, physical space or experience. Just picked up an ‘04 with 100k miles so I plan on keeping this rig for a long time. Look forwarding to learning and saving myself some coin!

TIA for any advice.

 

[FxFormat]

Youtube has everything you need to know, and search the forum on specific things that you want to do.

 

[nukegoat]

Understand why things do what they do and how things work. Then maintenance is not very hard

 

[jLB]

I’d suggest purchasing the hard copy set of the factory service manuals (or at the very least download the electronic copy floating around ‘mud) and get a copy of TechStream up and running with a mini-VCI cable.

Between this forum, the FSM, and youtube, most things should be fairly well documented.

A basic set of metric tools is a good start, for certain tasks you’ll find that you may need an abnormally large metric socket or wrench that you can buy as needed.

 

[Skidoo]

Welcome to the Forum.
Folks have put a lot of effort into the 100-series FAQ at the top of the Forum. Check out the section on maintenance.

 

[MJK]

Congrats on the new ride! I like your attitude toward this.

I never had anybody teach me much either, but got started slowly and found I really enjoy doing it. It gets done right, I learn, it is oddly therapeutic, I get to use the best components, get some 'free' tools and save some cash. In the beginning, just think of it as Legos. Things wear out over time, and it is your job to replace the worn ones with good ones. Find the recommended service intervals for things on your truck, and make a log of what was done and what is due. If you don't know when it was last done, then in my book that means it is due for a baseline.

Pick your first project. Fluids and filters are part of any good baseline. Start there. Engine oil/trans/xfer case/diff fluids. Air, fuel, oil filters. Spark plugs, etc. You can do this all with very basic tools - a 3/8" metric socket set, a couple wrenches, screwdrivers, and not much else. Download the service manual for the truck and follow the steps for what you want to do. Good search for threads on what you are interested in. Watch YouTube. Buy parts and tools for simple projects one at a time.

From there, move on to more bigger things like brakes, suspension bushings, wheel bearings, etc. You'll need more tools - including a jack and some jack stands. Fix things as they break or they annoy you - you will start to understand how how it all works together. Make a 'local friend' for intimidating things like doing your first timing belt. Buy speciality tools like a torque wrench, Allen keys, etc, as you need them.

Fixing stuff is fun, and occasionally frustrating. But, with forums to ask questions, downloadable manuals, YouTube and the like you are never far away from a little help these days. Doing it yourself is extremely satisfying. Even when/if you don't want to DIY something, it never hurts to know a little bit about it.

Enjoy the adventure! (and post pics)

 

[AlpineAccess]

My opinion is either you figure out how to do your own maintenance on it now, or you'll be figuring out how to fix whatever the mechanic you paid to do the maintenance did.

 

[Eyedaho]

As stated above, get a copy of the FSM. As an engineer, you should appreciate having a reference for how things are supposed to be performed, as they were designed. Pick up a basic metric tool set as stated above. Also, go to your local auto parts stores and see what tools they load out. A couple of the ones near me have a list on the counter of what they loan. Take a picture of that, so you can reference it when you're doing stuff. As stated above, fluids and filters are a good place to start. Always remove the fill plug before the drain plug, so you don't end up with your fluid drained and a stuck fill plug. Familiarize yourself with amayama and partsouq for looking up part numbers for your rig. Then you can google those part numbers and see where to get the parts for a reasonable price. Remember to have fun and enjoy learning how things work.

 

[Zer0zg]

I'll also add that if in your research about how to do something you come across a tool that will make the job easier, just buy it rather than fussing around a less than ideal solution. The job will still certainly be less than it would cost to bring it to the shop, it will make your life easier, and you'll have that tool for life.

A good example is I recently bought flexible cable hose clamp pliers on the recommendation of someone here before doing my timing belt. Yes, I could have done it with my normal needle nose pliers, but it was SOO much easier for some of the tight spots, and later jobs like the heater Ts were faster as well. Use maintenance as an excuse to build up your tool collection.

 

[ramangain]

Pick up a 6 pack of PB Blaster ASAP

 

[abuck99]

100-series FAQ

Featured trucks: 100 series featured trucks Photo threads 100 series pics 100 series basics Newbie guide to the 100, models, and inspection of a used vehicle (by Slee Off Road) How big of a tire can I fit with no lift? What is the thing/weight on the passenger side frame rail? Comparison of...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[Live to Ski]

Pick up a six pack...of PBR's

 

[Trunk Monkey]

I think it's a great way to learn about your truck. Also, the money you would pay a mechanic you can spend on tools that you get to keep. Start with a baseline of fluids, those are relatively easy to check/change - diffs, t-case, oil change, coolant. Next up I'd say brake pads are a good one, Toyota makes them fairly simple to check and change if needed with minimal tools. Just take your time, take pics along the way if needed, don't get over enthusiastic with breaker bars.