General Service Guide

[Mr_P]

This is under construction. I have put it up to help some people who are looking to do this sooner rather than later. I will update with better pics and additional info as and when I get the time. thanks to (a very helpful) LeeM on here .... Even if he did empty his engine oil all over his garage


I've service my car tonight, although I did it in bit of a hurry as I also wanted to fit my new exhaust. So I wasn't able to record how long each task took me as I mixed and matched what I did. What I can say was I started at around 6pm and had done the service and stripped off my old exhaust which was a bitch to get off, fitted my new one and taken it for a spin before 10.

Also, I forgot to take my camera with me so had to use my phone until my misses got back with the camera, so up until that point I had to make do with my phone and taking them myself. I will renew these pics when I get a chance as they are shit! By the time the camera and camera'woman' turned up, I had almost finished so please excuse the quality.


Right guys, I thought this might be of use to some users on here. I realise this is just going to be teaching a lot of you to suck eggs, and that a lot of information, (if not all of it) is already available on here. I just thought I’d make a nice little (hopefully idiot proof) guide with all the information you need to carry out a general service on your Saxo. The Guides that are already available on here I have included links to.

I have tried to include accurate service intervals, (conservative) time scales, pictures and prices. Any constructive criticism is much appreciated and I hope that this saves at least one person a little bit of money on their next service.

The collection of bits I had. New oil, New oil filter, New air filter (perfect time to upgrade), New spark plugs, New fuel filter.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/062.jpg

A decent quality and amount of tools.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/064.jpg

And a Haynes manual.... Just in case

Oil Change (Every 10,000 miles)

A really simple yet extremely effective piece of maintenance is the engine oil renewal. Oil recommendations can be found here (http://www.saxperience.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28309) I went for Halfords 5w 40 fully synthetic as I had both my Saxo and the misses’ Ka to do.

Step 1 (optional, although recommended) The first step is simple enough, take your car for a short 10-15 minute drive. Pop down the shop, whatever, I don’t care! This will allow the oil to flow better and will remove more gunk that’s been caught in the sump.

Step 2 (optional) If you like, you can now use an engine flush. Simply add the required amount, as stated with the product, to the oil through the oil filler and follow the instructions. It usually involves leaving your car idle/fast idle for 10/15 minutes. Simples.

Step 3. Now it’s time to drain the old engine oil. This is considerably easier with the front of the car jacked up on axle stands or up on ramps. With the car in the air and the engine not running, remove the oil filler cap.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/066.jpg

Now you will require a container of some sort that will fit under the car and comfortably catch 3.5 litres of oil. (I used a washing up bowl) You also need an oil removal plug, these can be purchased from most motor factors or Halfords. There may be some saxos out there that don’t use the square section wrench type plug so apologies.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/069.jpg

You now need to loosen the drain plug, this is situated at the back of the sump. If it’s a little tight a breaker bar or a small pipe on the end of your ratchet will make light work of this. Although if the oil is being changed regularly this shouldn’t be too much bother with the correct tools. (I had to use a short bar on the end of my wrench, sadly no pics)
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/072.jpg

Once loosened you can continue to remove the plug by hand. Be careful! As if you have warmed the engine first this oil will now also be hot, as well as the exhaust, I recommend wearing gloves for this part at least.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/073.jpg

Take care not to splash yourself and make sure your container is situated underneath the drain hole so you can catch all the oil. Some rags, newspapers, old cloths might be helpful at this point, just in case ;)
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/074.jpg

Give yourself a thumbs up....
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/076.jpg

Step 4. As the oil is draining I tend to change the oil filter to try and let as much of the oil drain as possible. Note though that a small amount of oil will leak from the filter so be prepared to catch it. (another container, or refit the drain plug and use that container)

There are two types of filters fitted to the saxo range. The first being a canister type that is one complete unit and to replace these you need to unscrew the old unit using an oil filter pliers or wrench. These can be seized, so if you encounter one that will not come undone there are options you can use. If you have a look on google there is a very valuable guide on removing stuck on oil filters.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/097.jpg

Once removed, dispose of the filter and clean up the threads and surrounding area. Apply a small amount of new engine oil to the new filter to ensure an oil tight seal. For this I use my finger to smear the oil around the seal.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/099.jpg

Tighten the filter until it becomes in contact with the engine body and then tighten hand tight (approximatly 3/4 of a turn)
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/106.jpg

On newer models an element type filter is used. This is contained at the front of the engine by the manifold and can be accessed from the top. You will need to loosen the plastic holder and remove it from the vehicle. Grab the old o-ring from wherever it is aswell. You should receive a new one with the new filter. To renew you need to pull the filter from the holder. These can be quite tight but don’t be worried about giving it a yank. First time I did mine, when it finally released it sprayed oil everywhere.

Clean out the plastic housing with some rags and clean off the threads. Re-fit the new element filter into the housing (it simply pushes in.) Refit the new o-ring seal and to ensure a leak-free seal add a small amount of engine oil to the o-ring. Refit the housing and tighten to 20nm. If you do not have a torque wrench just tighten it until you feel it getting tight and then turn it once more. This does not need to be very tight at all.

*AWAITING PICS ON THESE FILTER TYPES*

Step 5. Collect your drain plug from wherever you put it/dropped it. That means go fishing for it if it fell into your container of oil. Clean up the plug and renew the gasket. Although renewing the gasket isn’t absolutely necessary it is highly recommended, as if you have a leak after refilling your engine oil you will need to drain it all again. They are cheap enough from any motor factors and/or Halfords.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/096.jpg

Refit the drain plug and tighten to 30Nm. You can now remove the container and any other tools from under the car. If possible lower the car to the ground at this stage, if not, lower after the next step.

Step 6. It’s now time to refill your engine oil. Firstly wipe the area around your filler cap clean.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/102.jpg

Slowly add (with a funnel if necessary) 3 litres of engine oil to the engine.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/108.jpg

This can be estimated by checking the gauge on the oil caontainer.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/107.jpg

Refit the filler cap and start the car. Depending on the condition of your old oil you will already be able to notice a huge difference in the way the car sounds.


I now take the car for a short, steady drive at LOW revs to help warm and circulate the oil.

Once you have run the car and the oil has been distributed around the block you need to wait 2 to 3 minutes before taking the engine oil level via the dipstick. This should be second nature to any car driver but if you do not know how to check the level of oil in your engine then it’s simple.

Remove dipstick,
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/013.jpg

Wipe dipstick clean,
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/014.jpg

FULLY insert dipstick.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/015.jpg

Remove dipstick again and check where the engine oil level has settled. There will be a max and min notch on the stick or a plastic gauge.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/016.jpg

Now you simply continue to add oil, a small amount at a time, whilst rechecking the level after 2-3 mins until you reach the maximum mark. Do not overfill the engine with oil as you could cause serious damage to internal components.

If for any reason you have overfilled, DO NOT start the car, simply drain the oil and refill to the necessary mark


Spark Plugs (Every 40,000 Miles)

As both my cars have multipoint injection I have no specific photos of single point injection engines. The general procedure of removing and refitting plugs is the same, however, instead of removal of the coil pack you simply unplug the HT leads from each plug, making sure you number them accordingly and refit them to the same plug

First step is to remove the coil pack.

On the 8v engines this is a case of undoing the two nuts either side (10mm iirc.) Be careful when you remove these as the threads have a tendency to spin as well which can damage the radio suppresser on the one side.

Then unplug the coil pack and release the cable from the winding. Then you can pull the coil pack upwards revealing the plugs

On the VTS, you first have to remove the coil pack cover before the coil pack. These are screwed on and lift out easily.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/109.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/110.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/111.jpg

Next is to remove the coil pack itself. This needs to be removed using standard torx bits.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/114.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/115.jpg

Then lift the coil pack and unplug it at the same time.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/003.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/004.jpg

The spark plugs are now easily(ish) accessible. Remove as much dirt/debri from around the spark plugs as possible to stop anything unpleasant falling into the cylinder.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/005.jpg

You can now use a spark plug wrench to remove the old plugs. I prefer to use a 16mm deep socket for this but it’s entirely up to you.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/007.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/009.jpg

To remove the plugs from the housing I use a needle nose pliers.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/010.jpg

Inserting the new plugs is fairly straight forward, one thing to be careful of is not to cross thread the new plugs as you insert them. Many people recommend a small piece of hose on the end of the plug to help you insert them.

I always drop the plug into their hole, Then rotate the plug anti-clockwise 2/3 turns before rotating them clockwise and tightening them. This helps prevent them cross threading.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/006.jpg

Tighten the new plugs to 25nm if you have a torque wrench.

Then refit everything in the reverse of removal. Jobs a good un.


Fuel Filter (Every 40,000 Miles)

Thanks to Mark there is already a detailed guide outlining how to change your fuel filter.

http://www.saxperience.com/forum/showthread.php?t=85297


Air Filter (Every 40,000 Miles)



As the induction systems on the Saxo range vary significantly this should be interpreted accordingly and used as a rough guide to carrying out your own.

Remove the cover to your airbox. The cover is usually held on with a number of screws. Remove these and then see what else is holding it on.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/079.jpg

Usually removal of one or two jubilee clips will also be required to completely remove the cover,
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/078.jpg

It may also be necessary to unplug any breather pipes you have flowing into your airbox. This is done by firmly squeezing the taps on the end of the pipe and pulling. You should now be able to remove the air box cover.

Remove the piping from the throttle body.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/081.jpg

Then pull up the cover.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/085.jpg

With the cover off, you can pull the old filter from the housing.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/087.jpg

Using a clean dry rag wipe the interior of the air box to remove any dirt/oil or even the odd leaf.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/090.jpg

Re insert the new filter into the housing and refit the cover in the reverse order you removed it.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n252/Mr_P_2006/091.jpg

If you have an aftermarket filter, whether it be a panel filter or part of an aftermarket induction kit. These can be cleaned and re-oiled as opposed to renewing. Specific manufacturer’s instructions should be followed during the cleaning and re-oiling process.

Manual Transmission Oil Level Check (Every 40,000 Miles)

A very simple procedure. The car should be on the ground for this which makes it a slight nuisance. Looking at your gearbox from the passenger side there are two plugs. One drain plug and one fill plug. To check the oil level, remove the highest of the two (the fill plug) and the oil level in the gearbox should sit flush with the bottom of the hole that is left. You will get a trickle of oil when you remove this plug, wait until this has stopped and then check the oil level.

Add any oil as necessary (75W/80) until the level is flush with the bottom of the plug. It is advisable that you renew the gasket on the plug before refitting and tightening to 25nm.

If you wish to renew your gearbox oil then there is an excellent guide available for this in the premium guide section ;)

Engine coolant renewal (Every 80,000)

This has been covered several times already, so thanks to Adam for this particular guide. There are others available although this one seems to have more photos and be more idiot proof

http://www.saxperience.com/forum/showthread.php?t=98877

Resetting the Service Spanner Indicator (MK2’s)

Thanks to Mark again for this

With the ignition off hold down your tachometer reset button (the one that resets your mileage to 0, left side) and turn the ignition key to the second stop.

The display will count down from 10 to 0. Keep holding until it passes 0 -
All done!




Thanks for reading guys and as I said. This is far from complete. There are more sections and plenty of step by step photos I want to add to it. Simple things that can help extend the life of your vehicle. I have covered the majority of the major tasks that are fairly simple for the home mechanic. Hopefully in time this will become a very detailed yet easy to follow guide that will be helpful to more and more users of the forum.

[SaxoMuffin]

Wow...definately needs to be stickied top guide mate :y:

[JamesR]

FCUKING WOW!

I never expected it to be so detailed, your a god mate. Cant say how good it looks already, very very very very well done :clapping:

Sticky Material definetly.

[Predator_R32]

Stickied in FAQ section, be sure to get some pictures and finish it off though ;)

[Mr_P]

Stickied in FAQ section, be sure to get some pictures and finish it off though ;)

Cheers Pred :y:

Will do.... I promise! :p

[NICK2506]

thats really really helpful....and i will be attempting my own service soonish.
just get some more pics up!

[rossj]

Thats awesome mate, so annoyed i just booked mot and servise for tomorrow.

Ah well will do it my self next year!! haha

[LeeM]

this caused my stained garage floor

[Mr_P]

this caused my stained garage floor

:homme:

[sedge12]

Awesome guide!

[waynaldo1]

Nice work..
I think this will save alot ov ppl money ;) defo me as i will attempt most of the things ;)

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK

*******

[JamesR]

Need pics for the second half, Spark plugs for examle, but looking fantastic mate :y:

[Predator_R32]

Im gonna be doing my service at the end of the month ill try to remember to get pictures for spark plugs, oil filter and aftermarket air filter

[Mr_P]

Need pics for the second half, Spark plugs for examle, but looking fantastic mate :y:

I'm off all week so if I haven't done it by next weekend you can shoot me:panic:

[Mr_P]

Hiya guys!


Bit of an update and a bump.

Got some pics. Have some more available and had some smileys in there but had to cut it down to 40 pics due to limits so not as detailed as I'd hoped.

Whether any mods can help sort the limit out with Simo is another thing, otherwise I will have to add to a new post when I come to explaining what else needs to be checked when servicing your saxo.

Let me know what you think and hope it comes in handy :y:

[saxo_kid18]

awsum guide m8 but what about putting engine oil addative/ flush in i use forte and god its good gets all the emulsion out of the rocker and cleans the engine plus at onli like £6-£8 for flush in my opinion worth doin

[Mr_P]

awsum guide m8 but what about putting engine oil addative/ flush in i use forte and god its good gets all the emulsion out of the rocker and cleans the engine plus at onli like £6-£8 for flush in my opinion worth doin


Oil Change, Step 2 ;)

Didn't use it this time as I didn't have any and the oil won't be staying in there long before it's changed again so will use it then on the cleaner oil.

[dannyboy2005]

You forgot to measure the distance of the spark plugs. You need to feel the gap where the spark will be for 0.4mm iirc (Obv use a feeler for this). Tapping the spark plug on a hard surface to adjust the distance.

I never knew oil change was every 10K :O.

[Ashleyp]

0.9mm lol

[KimCorsa]

Hey if I am goin to change my fuel filter where do I get the strap and how much is it?

[danvtr17]

fair play to you for the effort put in here

[DJNafey]

Absolutely. I wrote an illustrated guide for an Impreza web site once so I also appreciate how much time it takes. Thanks VERY much Mr_P.

When my '97 VTS died on Friday, it sounded pretty serious and I thought I'd be looking at a £500 garage bill. A bit of online research (other Saxperience.com threads) suggested that I should check out the coil pack and plugs first .... just in case.

..... but another thread had said that the coil pack would be round the back of the head (is it different on an old VTS?) so I spent the first half an hour in the dark this evening trying to get the whole fuel injection unit off so that I could try and find the coil pack underneath. What a waste of time that was, lol! ;)

Came back inside to Google for a diagram or some pictures and came across your guide - BRILLIANT! "A picture paints a thousand words" or however the saying goes and you've certainly given us plenty of pictures :clapping:. Within about 5 minutes, I had a completely broken coil pack out of the car and pulled out 3 loose spark plugs with my fingers!

New spark plugs: £15. New coil pack: £35. Mr P's guide: Priceless.

Thanks again :)

[Mr_P]

Glad it helped matey :y:

The coilpack is at the back of the head on multipoint 8v engines. Always on top of the 'S' engine :D

[Jim-Bob]

Do you know the size of the drain plug key?

Halfords sell 3 different sizes :wall:

James

[Little-Butch]

How much did It cost you for all the parts mate?
Leon

[Jim-Bob]

How much did It cost you for all the parts mate?
Leon

Depending on how much you change, the tools you have/need and the quality of stuff you use, it starts from around £50 and goes up :y:

Thats based on oil filter, semi-synthetic oil, spark plugs, fuel filter.

Fairly cheap versions of each and assuming you have all the necessary tools, but when it comes to servicing you should really use the best you can, as its the only things that keeps you engine going ;)

James

[Little-Butch]

Got the Tools already, think i'll get my mate to pick me up the parts from work.
Cheers, Leon

[1ntense]

Very helpful guide mate, thanks

Will be attempting my first ever service within a few days.

Wish me luck :)

[ChrisQ]

Well presented guide & exactly what I wanted . Just joined this forum and that's the first job I've got in hand.
Might be worth mentioning the use of PELA oil suction kits where you extract the old oil via the dipstick hole, highly recommended from another forum I'm on, and I'm expecting mine later this week. Saves all that grovelling under the car etc

ChrisQ

[wenjenn]

I have a citroen saxo 1.1 1989 and I have water leaking (I think its from the pipe) however when taken off cannot see a split in the pipe. Any idea what else it could be? Also do you know the size of the hose needed?
Would really appreciate any help :wall:

[wesley-saxo]

great guide mate

[srmotorsport]

Top guide A++++

[Mercy]

Awesome guide just I cant seem to remove the coil pack from a 1.4 Westy... :(

[outrage_uk]

Yeah its spot on guide for people who are new to servicing, must have taken you ages.. cheers for that buddy :y:

Generally I find that Halfords have every other kind of filter than the one you need - so if I plan to service at a weekend - I try ebay for genuine citroen filters on a monday or tuesday to give them chance to be delivered.

Also, I stick the battery on a 15v, 5amp charge for an hour or 2 while I am doing it to keep it topped up :y:

[Eskimo]

Brilliant for beginners :D Well worth a sticky!

[danpalmer90]

excellent guide! top notch. i only had one thing to do n that was Resetting the Service Spanner Indicator (MK2’s), and hay ho! 10 seconds and its done!
cheers!:clapping:

[Silky]

Just thought I'd add something to this

All Part Numbers are for a Mk2 VTS

Sump Plug 0163 93 + Gasket 0164 88
Gearbox Drain Plug 2221 11 + Gasket 0164 30
Spark Plugs 5960 F0
Oil Filter 1109 AP
Balljoint Pinch Bolt 3522 43 + Nut 3622 30

[Mr_P]

thanks for the info buddy :y:

[stevo192]

Great guide, as others have said, it should be stickied

[dwh]

Well done - a very useful guide
Why not get a job at Haynes - they need someone like you!

[lillocky]

good guide mate

[darael]

Planning to give my car a service in a few weeks time. It has about 133K on the clock, and date of the last service is unknown. My toolkit stretches to an adjustable spanner and a few screwdrivers and a hammer. :D

Am I correct in assuming I need to buy the following from Halfrauds?

* Oil filter
* Removal tool for oil filter
* Air filter
* 10w40 any brand oil
* Spark plugs
* Sump removal tool
* New washer for sump plug

Where can I find the certain parts suitable for my MK1 - ie: which fittings/type? Anything else I should change or check?

[philliantkr]

Cheaper going to a motor factors mate, give them your reg and theyll give you the exact parts you need for cheaper than halfrauds rip off merchants

[Scott_Sz]

Quick question, where is the oil filter, I'm pretty sure I have found it just wanting to make sure. It's an 03 VTR.

[SAM-S44MDS-]

Quick question, where is the oil filter, I'm pretty sure I have found it just wanting to make sure. It's an 03 VTR.

Look down in the bay, infront of the engine slightly to the right, there is a black housing. Its in that :y:

[Scott_Sz]

Thanks Sam, that's where I assumed it was. How do I get the filter out of the housing?

[Liam_]

Thanks Sam, that's where I assumed it was. How do I get the filter out of the housing?

The black cap unscrews - you should be able to see a big nut on top of it.

Give it a clean out with a rag, drop the new filter in, and fit the new rubber O ring. If you have a torque wrench, the torque setting should be on written on top of the housing.

[Scott_Sz]

Have just tried to get the housing off but I cant see how it would come off as there is no nut on top and the whole thing is just one piece of plastic with what looks like 2 clips on the top the housing. I'm a bit lost trying to get it off. While I'm asking, does anyone know how to get to the spark plugs on my engine?

[Liam_]

Housing should look like this:

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t90/Simons_VTR/Engine/DSCF0033.jpg

Just need a big socket or an adjustable spanner to get it off.

For the spark plugs, you need to remove the oil breather pipes that connect to the inlet manifold, unplug and remove the coil pack. The plugs are angled into the head.

[m0nk3yb0y94]

Perfect guide thanks dude :)

[SIharris009]

Just done a filter and oil change on my 2003 VTR. For info you will need a 27mm standard depth socket for the oil filter housing(2003 models) and a 24mm socket for the sump plug. I got a dealer drain plug washer for £1.51 and they recommended inspecting & greasing the oil filter housing rubber seal. The housing initially would not undo so I bought the 27mm socket and used a long telescopic 1/2" drive lever and slowly undid it OK. hope this saves somebody some time? also when getting the VIN number the dealer wanted the last 7 digits. Unfortunately the last digital is not a number but a round 0 like mark with citroen chevrons inside it! so quiote the whole VIN to save any confusion.:p

[VeiRoN]

Just done a filter and oil change on my 2003 VTR. For info you will need a 27mm standard depth socket for the oil filter housing(2003 models) and a 24mm socket for the sump plug. I got a dealer drain plug washer for £1.51 and they recommended inspecting & greasing the oil filter housing rubber seal. The housing initially would not undo so I bought the 27mm socket and used a long telescopic 1/2" drive lever and slowly undid it OK. hope this saves somebody some time? also when getting the VIN number the dealer wanted the last 7 digits. Unfortunately the last digital is not a number but a round 0 like mark with citroen chevrons inside it! so quiote the whole VIN to save any confusion.:p

Sorry for the bump but do i need the same 24mm socket for a VTS sump plug? going to do an oil/filter change soon,thanks.

Will this be fine?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/METRIC-HEX-SOCKETS-1-4-3-8-1-2-SQUARE-DRIVE-ALL-SIZES-STANDARD-DEEP-/150758382925?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&var=&hash=item2319e65d4d

Edit: 8mm square socket is needed.

[nitram1298]

i am new to this forum and new to looking after my own saxo desire 1.1 this guide looks great evan for a complete idiot like me many thanks for putting this up...

[nitram1298]

cheers for posting this it looks like a great guide for a novice like myself,,,,